The Washington Post says the peacekeeping operation in Darfur is hobbled by inadequate numbers and equipment as well as bureaucratic hurdles:
Logistical and bureaucratic obstacles imposed by the Sudanese government, which has tried to block the force from the start, have prevented the full deployment of the new battalions. But Western nations that pushed for the [...]
A few weeks ago, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner (a lifelong advocate of ‘humanitarian intervention’) invoked R2P when the Government of Burma/Myanmar appeared to be obstructing relief efforts in the wake of Cyclone Nargis. However, when the French Ambassador to the UN requested a briefing to the Security Council on the humanitarian situation, even this [...]
From Security Council Report:
Following the cyclone that hit Myanmar on 2 May and Myanmar’s resistance to receiving the kind of international disaster assistance which has now become standard in response to devastating natural disasters, France brought the issue to the Council, invoking the concept of “responsibility to protect†as the basis for Council action. This [...]
Wise sailors have always been more interested in reliable weather forecasts than reports of yesterday’s storm damage.
As it happens, history is not a bad guide to future possibilities, especially when you consider some of the alternatives. But news isn’t history (yet). We look back only because we have better information about the past than the [...]