Peacekeeping mission a dangerous one

THE EDITOR: Is TT and the other CARICOM countries willing and able (economically and physically) to send troops to Haiti? Whether it is in a peacekeeping role or in an intervention role, are peoples in the CARICOM countries ready to have their loved ones coming back home in body bags, in service to the region? Will the leadership of TT have an open debate and prepare the citizenry for the very strong possibility of just such a scenario? These are some serious questions that need to be addressed by all before any intervention is undertaken. We are always talking about “Big Brother America” sticking its nose in everybody’s business and trying to play the world’s policeman. Now we in the Caribbean are looking to take on that role as peacemaker with one of our CARICOM sister countries, who is in serious trouble and apparently on the verge of internal collapse and civil war.

We have seen news reports of these sorts of events happening in various parts of the world, far away from the Caribbean, but this will be at our back door. Can we afford to sit and let it happen and not try to be an influencing force in trying to prevent the “sure as sunrise” bloodshed that will flow in mass numbers on both sides of this contentious issue? On the other hand, to sit back and depend on the UN to use its good office to prevent this dispute from deteriorating into a worse situation is not encouraging. The UN’s history in this arena is not one that we can take solace in. To remind everyone, the UN is a body made up of individual countries. It depends on the military and financial support of its member countries to keep it operating and functioning. The UN has no standing army of its own and must depend on the contribution of troops from member countries to support its peacekeeping efforts worldwide. Will CARICOM countries contribute troops and money to support a UN peacekeeping mission to Haiti?

Before such an undertaking is finalised, the peoples of the region should be given the full story and intentions of their politicians/governments, since it will be their (the peoples’) lives and the lives of their loved ones that will be on the line. I guess we are growing up now and fast becoming part of the world community. No more are we “kids” depending on others to fight our battles for us. This will be a first for the Caribbean, and the people deserve to know the full story before they get too deeply involved in this adventure, or misadventure. Our leaders owe it to us, before we become “the adults”  we want to be and become players on the real world stage.

KELVIN C JAMES SR
Port-of-Spain