Jamais Plus Ça?

"The peacebuilding commission will help countries make the transition from war to peace. It will advise on recovery, it will focus attention on reconstruction and institution building," Mr Annan said.

"It will improve co-ordination both within and beyond the UN system. Perhaps most important of all, it will liaise with the international community to keep us all engaged in the long-term recovery effort."

Now, all I have to say is:
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!
Do we not remember that this was the exact purpose of UNAMIR prior AND DURING the Rwandan Genocide? Have we forgotten that the entirety of that mission was to "help [a country] make the transition from war to peace"?? And that the international community was entirely aware but just didn't give a shit?

Are you KIDDING ME with this? Give me specifics! Tell me, Mr. Annan, will the peace keepers dispatched by those involved in this "new department" have computers? Will they have enough food? Will the troops be supplied by countries who will actually be willing to stand behind the mission even if there are casualties incurred for the purpose of seeing it through? Will the UN outfit these troops with enough rations? Ammunition? Education? Information? Will the UN listen when the Force Commander on the ground speaks out intelligently in a fashion that would have ended the bloodshed before it started? Will we be addressing the symptoms of these nations at the core of their disease rather than slapping a band-aid on their forehead and patting them on the ass with a knowing wink as they keep the violence out of the international headlines? Are you willing to send troops in with a Chapter VII peacekeeping mission so that they can at least protect themselves if you won't listen closely enough to allow them to save others??????? Or will you cut them at the knees from the get go and then watch as they are beaten to death - never breaking your eye contact? Are YOU prepared for that Mr. Annan?

Answer those questions and THEN..MAYBE I will restore SOME faith in your beleaguered efforts...until then, don't you DARE forsake the past and those who died under your time as the head of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations in 1994.