Canada & Conflict

1. Canada & Conflict Post-Cold War World

2. Foreign policy for the future? Question #1: What should Canada spend its money on in terms of military use & foreign policy? • Peacekeeping • Military Action • Natural Disaster Work • Arctic Sovereignty • Following USA • Doing its own thing as a autonomous middle power

3. review • At the end of the Cold war, only 1 superpower remained • USA • The United States was able to dictate what next ‘era’ of foreign policy would be for UN and NATO • George Bush Sr.

4. First target… • Declared ‘new world order’ – essentially meant more military involvement by UN • In some cases this was successful – many complicated scenarios though…

5. What do you know about Saddam Hussein?

6. GULF WAR - #1 – 1991 • Incredibly brutal dictator • Invaded Kuwait – used chemical weapons on his own citizens • George Bush & UN stepped in immediately • War is over within weeks • Sanctions placed on Iraq – Hussein still in power

7. Major implications for canada Peacekeeper to peace’maker’

8. Yugoslavian civil war – 1991-2001 • Breakup of country after death of Tito • Major fighting along ethnic lines (Serbia, Bosnia, Croatia, etc. • 1994/1998 – massive NATO bombing campaign to stop attempted genocide by Milosevic • Massive evacuations of people to Canada

9. LESSON = WARS ARE CONTROVERSIAL • Many believe that NATO bombing campaign did little to convince Milosevic to step down – only killed thousands of civilians • Main reason that Milosevic agreed to step down was because Russia changed sides and backed the West – Milosevic lost his ally • CRITIQUE – massive evacuations took place very quickly in region of Yugoslavia to help citizens escape as political refugees – this response was not to be seen in other areas of the world like Rwanda….

10. LESSON: War is ugly, and brutal.. • Sometimes people snap and do terrible, terrible things… • Somalia was experiencing civil war and starvation. • 1991 UN Operation ‘Restore Hope’ • Big fail, and saw devastating, disgusting acts by Canadian peacekeepers • Even worse – the Canadian military tried to cover it up. • Scandal caused massive uproar – reassess the guidelines for peacekeepers Warning: next slide…

11. Next Lesson: Peacekeeping is complicated

12. Rwanda: Belgian Colonialism • Belgian colonists took over the nation of Rwanda in the 19th century • As outsiders, they needed allies within the country to help run the government • They created 2 artificial groups of people – ‘tribes’ – the Hutus and the Tutsis • These nations did not exist prior to the Belgians • Passbooks were given out – these ‘cultural differences’ were used as justification for the genocide

13. 1 million dead in 3 months

14. critique • Romeo Dallaire – Canadian peacekeeper in charge of mission – begged for help and support • Global community – US, UK, UN in general – looked away, refused to take action • After quick response to Yugoslavia (Europe), Iraq (Oil in middle east) many people believed that this demonstrated the racism that existed towards African nations and conflicts • Roots of many African conflicts are results of europeancolonialism

15. War in iraqwar in afghanistan WHAT DID CANADA DO?

16. NEW ERA ~ WAR ON TERROR • Began after September 11, 2001 terrorist attack • Aggressive policy towards Middle East and Islamic nations in particular • Critique is that this ‘war on terror’ has in fact created a more unsafe world as a result of US aggression

17. WHY DID 9/11 HAPPEN? • Super popular search on the internet… • You will get everything from conspiracy theories to some actual facts • Al Qaeda had organized previous attacks on US targets prior to the attacks in New York/Pentagon • Definitely a mutual dislike of ‘ideologies’ and ways of thinking • Closing of US military base in Saudi Arabia – 2003 – one of the main things Osama Bin Laden discussed publicly – right next to Mecca, considered holy place • 15 of 17 hijackers were Saudi citizens

18. YES TO ONE, NO TO ANOTHER • IRAQ – Geoge Bush claimed there was Weapons of Mass Destruction (nuclear weapons) • These turned out to be false reports – gov’t knew that they didn’t exist, wanted to justify attacks • War was incredibly long, extremely high number of American casualties – almost as unpopular here as Vietnam • Canadians did not get involved – Chretien did not believe reports, worried about effects of war • Saddam Hussein was executed at end of war – many Iraqis were extremely happy to see him gone. • AFGHANISTAN – search for Osama Bin Laden + overthrow Taliban – old warlords put in place as gov’t • long, endless conflict as well – Karzai has not helped women’s rights progress… • Taliban essentially still holds power over many regions of Afghanistan today

19. So what should canada do? • How closely do we want to follow the United States’ foreign policy? • Do we believe in War on Terror, War on Drugs, etc. • Are we still truly a peacekeeping nation? • PEACEKEEEPING VS. PEACE’MAKING’ • AFGHANISTAN EXAMPLE OF ‘PEACEMAKING’ – IN MANY WAYS HAS BEEN A FAILURE – OR AT LEAST, NOT ENOUGH OF A SUCCESS • President KARZAI – PASSING LAW DISALLOWING RELATIVES TO TESTIFY IN CASES OF RAPE, SEXUAL ABUSE, ETC.

20. ARE WE ACTUALLY PEACEKEEPING? • We currently have 60 peacekeepers serving world wide – 100,000 non-Canadians are active globally • We currently rank 57th in the world in terms of nations with peacekeeping contributions • Used to make up 10% of all peacekeepers globally • Refused every new peackeeping mission since 2003 • 25,000 soldiers and 15,000 reservists – what would you like them to be doing? • Purchase of helicoptors vs. fighter jets… • More Canadian money was spent in last 10 years fighting in Afghanistan than 6 decades of peacekeeping in over 40 countries

21. Respond to one of the following… So.. what do you think? • How closely do we want to follow the United States’ foreign policy? • Are we still truly a peacekeeping nation? • Can you ‘make’ peace with force?