Sen. Dallaire's marbles well and truly lost

So are those of Globe and Mail's headline writers: "History will judge Canada, not Sudan, on the fate of Darfur" (full text not officially online). Whatever happens in Darfur posterity will little note, nor long remember, whatever Canada does; the egoism of the headline is incomprehensibly egregious.

...Canadians need to realize that a large part of Sudan's intransigence can be directly linked to our own government's unwillingness to accept leadership of a UN mission to Darfur.

Does the Senator really believe that Khartoum has given one moment's thought to Canada's willingness or not to lead a mission in Darfur?

One of the underlying justifications of Sudan's refusal to accept a UN mission is its professed fear that letting the United Nations in means letting the United States and other major powers into the area.

No it's not. The US and NATO have made it clear they will not put boots on the ground (they are rather pre-ocuppied elsewhere for one thing). What other major powers is Romeo dreaming about? He lists below some states that might be considered major powers as states that should contribute to a force; would not Sudan also reject these countries?

Canadian inaction enables the Sudanese to continue balking on this point.

Strange that I have seen no reporting anywhere in the international media about this grievous consequence of Canadian inaction.

It is not only the responsibility of the U.S. and other Security Council members to solve the crisis in Darfur. Their efforts to protect the millions of displaced and menaced people living in Darfur by passing Resolution 1706 have been commendable. It now falls to Canada, as a leader of the world's middle powers, to take charge of the mission, prepare for deployment of Canadian Forces and rally other middle powers -- such as Japan, Germany, India, Brazil, and the Scandinavian countries -- to commit the resources and troops needed to stop the slaughter.

So, now that the UNSC is stalemated by Khartoum's refusal to accept a UN force, Canada will just whistle up those middle powers, take command of their forces, and lead them in an invasion of Sudan. An invasion (if it ever happened but it won't) that would be resisted and likely lead to years of bloody insurgency. And all without specific UNSC authorization.

Romeo has also forgotten that the UN does not want troops from the countries he lists (except maybe India); it wants soldiers from African, South Asian and Islamic nations.

The loony Senator has been engaging in such fantasies for some time; what is amazing is that "Canada's National Newspaper" continues to print such tripe.

Mark C.

Update: From the Cannonball Press:

HALIFAX (CBP): Jack Layton, leader of the federal NPD, said in an inteview on CBC Radio's "Maritime Noon" that "in view of the horrific humanitarian crisis in Darfur, the cheer-leading Harper govenment of war-mongers must immediately divert the Canadian Navy from its misguided mission supporting Bush's mad adventure against the peace-loving Afghanis."

"Senator Dallaire's inspirational call for Canada to take the lead in saving Darfur can lead to only one conclusion," according to Mr Layton. He went on: "The Canadian Navy must immediately sail up the Nile to Khartoum and, by its very presence, compel the genocidal regime there to see that it must change its ways and allow in the UN force for Darfur."

The NDP leader concluded that "The Nile Voyageurs failed to reach Khartoum in 1885 in time to rescue General Gordon. My heart will ache if Canadian vessels do not rescue the people of Darfur in 2006. And my spirit will soar when Canadians achieve at Khartoum what the British and French Navies failed to achieve at the Dardanelles in 1915."

Posted by markc at September 14, 2006 11:46 AM