# New book - Cnd mission to Somalia, 1992-93 / Discussion: Somalia and Afghanistan



## grant (18 Dec 2006)

Dear all,

I am a newly minted Ph.D. (Carleton 2003) whose doctoral dissertation examined the Canadian engagement, both political and military, governmental and operational, in the Somalia humenitarian crisis and peace operations of 1992-93. An expanded and revised version of my dissertation has just been published as a book by Univ. of British Columbia Press. It is available via amazon.ca and ubcpress.ca and elsewhere. More information about the book is below, in case you are interested.

Now that that is over, I thought I'd also ask a question relating to some of my on-going research. I am curious about possible comparisons between the Somalia intervention and the current Afghanistan one. I think that the basic approach to stabilization that the Canadians and some of the other coalition forces used in Somalia was working (let's set aside the incidents if we can just for a minute). I also think that the Somalia approach resembles what is being done in Afghanistan, but I am unsure to what degree and whether that is pure coincidence or something else. If there are others that would like to discuss this then I am all ears! 

Many thanks,

Grant D.

"'Here Is Hell': Canada's Engagement in Somalia" by Grant Dawson    

$85.00 Hardcover
Release Date: 11/15/2006
ISBN: 9780774812979    

240 Pages


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
About the Book 

For many Canadians, events during the mission to Somalia in the early 1990s remain a stain on our reputation as one of the world’s most respected peacekeeping nations. Grant Dawson’s analysis of political, diplomatic, and military decision making avoids a narrow focus on the shocking offences of a few Canadian soldiers, deftly investigating the broader context of the deployment. 

Dawson draws on interviews with key participants and documents made available under the Access to Information Act. He shows how media pressure, government optimism about the United Nations, and the Canadian traditions of multilateralism and peacekeeping all helped to determine the level, length, and tenor of the country’s operations in Somalia. His findings will undoubtedly play a seminal role in informing scholarly debate about this important period in Canadian diplomacy and military engagement. 

One of the first scholarly examinations of the Somalia operation, Here Is Hell will interest military and Canadian historians, policy analysts, political scientists, and those concerned with Canadian foreign, defence, and diplomatic history. It will undoubtedly play a seminal role in informing further scholarly debate on this important period in Canada’s military and diplomatic past. 


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
About the Author(s) 

Grant Dawson has worked as a committee analyst at the Library of Parliament and as a postdoctoral fellow at the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs, Carleton University. He teaches political science at Carleton and history at the University of Ottawa. 


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Table of Contents 
Contents 
Illustrations
Acknowledgments 

Introduction 

1. Food for Thought: Multilateral Humanitarianism and the Somalia Crisis to March 1992 

2. The Canadian Forces and the Recommendation to Stay out of Somalia 

3. "Do Something Significant": Government Reconsideration of the Somalia Crisis 

4. The Humanitarian Airlift Takes Flight 

5. Sticking with the (Wrong) Peacekeeping Mission 

6. Problems with the Expanded UN Operation 

7. Robust Multilateralism: Support for the Unified Task Force 

8. Unified Task Force: Canada's First Post-Cold War Enforcement Coalition 

9. Stay or Go? Weighing a Role in the Second UN Mission 

10. The Canadian Joint Force Somalia: In the Field 

Conclusion 

Notes
Bibliography
Index 


----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reviews 

“An engaging read for scholars and those in the military, this book will also have wide appeal, especially since the events described were so controversial at the time (and arguably still now). It will likely be among the touchstone works in the evolving debate in the field, both challenging and challenged by other writers and historians.” 
– Chris Madsen, author of "Another Kind of Justice: Canadian Military Law from Confederation to Somalia" 

“This is a first class study and an excellent resource for those interested in contemporary peace and security issues. The subject matters a great deal, not only because of the impact of the Somalia experience (and the ensuing inquiry) on subsequent Canadian military policies, but also because the Somalian operation posed challenges that since then have proven to be increasingly typical of ‘peace enforcement’ operations.” 
– Denis Stairs, founding Director of the Centre for Foreign Policy Studies at Dalhousie University 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Other Ways To Order 

In Canada, order your copy of 'Here Is Hell' from UNIpresses at: 
UNIpresses
34 Armstrong Avenue
Georgetown ON
L7G 4R9

Phone: 905-873-9781
Toll-Free Phone: 1-877-864-8477
Fax: 905-873-6170
Toll-Free Fax: 1-877-864-4272
Email: orders@gtwcanada.com

--
Grant Dawson
3-64 Russell Ave
Ottawa, ON
K1N 7W8
613-569-0000
dawson.grant@gmail.com


----------

