Canadian soldiers likely bound for Sudan

[Canadian Socialist]

Last Updated Fri, 06 May 2005 11:58:50 EDT
CBC News

OTTAWA - Canada is making plans to send peacekeeping troops to the war-ravaged Darfur region of Sudan by summer's end.

The head of Canada's military returned recently from meeting with leaders of the African Union peacekeeping force that Canadian units would support.

"This is a complex and relatively dangerous environment," Gen. Rick Hillier told CBC News.

<snip>
http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/national/2005/05/06/Darfur-050506.html

It's about time!

[Cha]

1. Bless the Canadians!

Going to some place like the Sudan to prevent more genocide(another Rwanda).

Instead of going to Iraq and killing Iraqis.

[bennywhale]

2. Thats another thing that i get pissed at

about Iraq.

If we weren't tied up there, and if the whole world wouldn't be so horrified at the idea of another military campaign we could have got in there and helped those people in Sudan.

Instead we get Colin Powell calling it genocide but sorry we're all tied up stealing oil

[Anarcho-Socialist]

3. Well done Canada. This is what countries should do with their militaries

n/t

[wildflower]

4. I am so glad. n/t

[Sufi Marmot]

5. The last time the Canadians went into Africa...

...they weren't exactly affable hosers. Let's hope they don't have a repeat of this unfortunate incident.

-SM, who is still quite fond of Canada, but feels compelled to point out that their soldiers aren't necessarily any less prone to misconduct than ours...

[Canadian Socialist]

6. I completely agree

however, that unit was summarily disbanded and the soldiers involved faced courts-martial. Justice was seen to be served. It was a very embarrassing point a in proud peace-keeping tradition.

[Sufi Marmot]

7. At least the Canadian government dealt with it adequately...

I trust that this mission will go better and that the peacekeepers will do Canada proud.

-SM

[applegrove]

8. As thrilled as I am that we are continuing a tradition of peace-keeping

and fighting evil.. a sad part of me wonders if this was going to happen, or if it happened because our PM has a minority government that may fall if he doesn't get the votes of a few independents. One of the independents happens to be a maverick and has deep seeded connections to Africa.

So as proud as i am, and as much as I hope this was to be a plan all along, there is still politics in the announcement.

But it pretty much doesn't matter how you get there if there is a genocide eh? You just have to get there. That is all that matters.

Like the genocide movies about Rwanda showed, in some places, all it takes it just the presents of highly trained outside military to stop a genocide. To turn the worm (to put it too mildly). I hope this works.