By Ambassador David S. Wright
From The Munk Centre Distinguished Lecture Series
Abstract: Would that we had a simpler world: one in which conflicts end cleanly, the UN Security Council authorizes intervention by well-meaning peacekeepers, and former protagonists step back, lay down their arms, and welcome them. And the peacekeepers are accompanied by aid workers, and civil society rebuilds democratic governments and viable economies. And everyone lives happily ever after. Sadly the world does not work like that. Conflicts tend not to end cleanly. The choices governments must make in dealing with international crises are very difficult, often between a bad alternative and a worse one. The risks of intervention are huge in terms of human life and political life. And of course there are risks of inaction too, but those are much harder to measure.
Darfur and Afghanistan: Canada’s Choices in Deploying Military Forces