Sounds like an interesting debate, and her interview makes interesting reading.

Ever since reading “Shake Hands with the Devil” by Romeo Dallaire, the Canadian Lt. General who was in charge of the UN peacekeepers in Rwanda it’s seemed to me that an ounce of prevention in these situations is worth (several million?) pounds of cure.

I don’t think many people realise just how hard the international community (which in the end I suppose means all of us and our representatives) make it for missions like this to succeed because they are under funded, under equipped, not given the right rules of engagement, and hobbled by questions of “realpolitik”.

Linda Polman’s solution may not be an easy one, or easy to sell, but perhaps she has a point?

I’m sorry that I won’t be there as I will be in a certain post-conflict nation on that date. I hope that we get some feed-back.

I thought this book looked fascinating, but I have to say she comes over very badly in the interview.

The “humanitarian intervention” claim by aggressor states is open to flagrant abuse absent external and independent sanction.

Nazi Germany invaded Poland in September 1939 claiming this was to protect the German-speaking population of Danzig. By the time the ensuing WW2 ended between 40 and 50 millions had been killed.

Recall these reports in American media about the Iraq invasion:

“CRAWFORD, Texas — Paul O’Neill, President Bush’s Treasury secretary in the first two years of his presidency, says the Bush administration was planning to invade Iraq long before the Sept. 11 attacks and used questionable intelligence to justify the war.”
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2004-01-11-oneill-iraq_x.htm

“WASHINGTON – At least $8.8 billion in Iraqi funds that was given to Iraqi ministries by the former U.S.-led authority there cannot be accounted for, according to a draft U.S. audit set for release soon.

“The audit by the Coalition Provisional Authority’s own inspector general blasts the CPA for “not providing adequate stewardship” of at least $8.8 billion from the Development Fund for Iraq that was given to Iraqi ministries.

“The audit was first reported on a Web site earlier this month by David Hackworth, a journalist and retired colonel. A U.S. official confirmed that the contents of the leaked audit cited by Hackworth were accurate. . .

“One of the main benefactors of the Iraq funds was the Texas-based firm Halliburton, which was paid more than $1 billion out of those funds to bring in fuel for Iraqi civilians.

“The monitoring board said despite repeated requests it had not been given access to U.S. audits of contracts held by Halliburton, which was once run by Vice President Dick Cheney, and other firms that used the development funds.”
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5763483/