U.S.: Helloooooo Cdn Peacekeeping Force? Where Are You?

[The Bread Guy]

The Canadian Press via CBC.ca

The United States is pressing Canada to commit medical units and drones to United Nations' missions at a peacekeeping summit in South Korea next week, and to come up with the 200-strong force first promised four years ago.

The request came in a letter to Global Affairs Canada from the U.S. on the eve of the high-level meeting in Seoul, where U.S. President Joe Biden's administration is expected to press allies to renew their commitment to peacekeeping.

That includes Canada. The Liberal government has been criticized for failing to match past promises and rhetoric supporting the UN with commitment and action.

The Nov. 8 diplomatic note starts by thanking Canada for providing troops and police officers to peacekeeping missions, including its recent deployment to Mali. It praises Canada for increasing the number of women deployed on UN missions. It also makes it clear that Washington expects Canada to do more.

"We request that Canada commits to providing medical units and unmanned aerial systems (UAS) to UN peacekeeping missions," said the letter obtained by The Canadian Press.

"Additionally, we are aware that Canada committed to providing a quick reaction force to UN peacekeeping at the Vancouver ministerial. We urge Canada to fulfil this promise." ...

 

[Good2Golf]

Don’t they appreciate that “Canada’s back!”

I mean, we’ve been back since….2015.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Don’t they appreciate that “Canada’s back!”

I mean, we’ve been back since….2015.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

We are backing away slowly in hopes no one notices our lack of real commitment.

 

[FJAG]

It's hard to understand why we don't. Sending 200"peacekeepers" is a inexpensive commitment and easily within our SSE mandates. The Current Ops website indicates we have 2,000 folks deployed on 20 operations. They are nicely graphed but it would be nicer if the numbers were displayed on that or an easy to read table.

We really do not communicate well, do we?

 

[ModlrMike]

We really do not communicate well, do we?

What makes you think that's accidental?

 

[ArmyRick]

Don’t they appreciate that “Canada’s back!”

I mean, we’ve been back since….2015.

Point well made! Trudeau is a lot of talk and not much action

 

[suffolkowner]

Point well made! Trudeau is a lot of talk and not much action

This is true on everything he says/does, but what is the holdup/aversion with the peacekeeping ops?

 

[Good2Golf]

This is true on everything he says/does, but what is the holdup/aversion with the peacekeeping ops?

He’s still sulking about losing the UNSC seat…

 

[dimsum]

This is true on everything he says/does, but what is the holdup/aversion with the peacekeeping ops?

Maybe the growing realization that it isn't folks with blue berets shaking hands with grateful populations.

 

[suffolkowner]

He’s still sulking about losing the UNSC seat…

Might have a better chance at the UNSC seat if he actually backed his talk up

 

[Good2Golf]

Might have a better chance at the UNSC seat if he actually backed his talk up

I think he can’t see that HE is the problem. Nations aren’t fools. Other nations that vomit platitudes and hollow smiles yet don’t walk the walk are quickly culled from the club….as we have seen.

 

[Kat Stevens]

I think he can’t see that HE is the problem. Nations aren’t fools. Other nations that vomit platitudes and hollow smiles yet don’t walk the walk are quickly culled from the club….as we have seen.

He's like the Taylor Swift of international relations, can't figure out that maybe he's the problem.

 

[Dale Denton]

Might have a better chance at the UNSC seat if he actually backed his talk up

Yup, it also tells everyone that we only do things if we get a net benefit for it.

"No UNSC seat? Then why bother??"

 

[CBH99]

On the one hand, a 200 member force deployed on the right UN peacekeeping op could be beneficial in many ways.

It helps retain junior members, gives the media some CAF material to report on that isn’t inherently negative, shows the world that we can back up our announcements, etc.

On the other hand, if the wrong cards come together, it could be a PR disaster. Especially if members of whatever UN force are engaged in less than good behaviour, and our members are forced to operate with them.

Some of these UN missions are pretty big, with 15,000 members deployed on one of them. Is 200 people really going to make a huge difference?



I wish the media had reported a lot more on the hoops our crews had to jump through in Mali just to do their jobs, despite being there at the request of the UN. Huge PR opportunity missed.

It may also help hint at why we’ve been so slow to get our hands in elsewhere…. FJAG nailed it, we aren’t great communicators

 

[OldSolduer]

He's like the Taylor Swift of international relations, can't figure out that maybe he's the problem.

At least Taylor Swift is somewhat easier on the eyes and ears than our Dear Leader.

 

[MilEME09]

Yeah but take a look at most UN ops, especially on Africa, look more like combat missions. Think our government would really send us there?

 

[dimsum]

Yeah but take a look at most UN ops, especially on Africa, look more like combat missions. Think our government would really send us there again?

Like Mali?
OP CROCODILE in DRC (where CAF FB has been publicizing the Tactical Airlift Detachment out of Goma via OP PRESENCE)?
OP SOPRANO in South Sudan?

We don't have large numbers of people there (except Mali before it ended), but our govt has continuously been sending people to Africa.

Whether they'd send a large force again is debatable - there are lots of other UN nations that can provide the people, but we can provide specialized skillsets/equipment that most of them don't have. I think that should be our focus during PSOs.

 

[The Bread Guy]

... Some of these UN missions are pretty big, with 15,000 members deployed on one of them. Is 200 people really going to make a huge difference? ...

Depends on the 200 sent & what they can do that the other 15K may not be able to do as well.

Some of it is political messaging, too. After all, we didn't send too many fighters for the fight for Op IMPACT, but the flag was shown. Then again, this is obviously a flag current management doesn't want flown ....

 

[Jarnhamar]

We can do even better than sending troops and instead send trainer's who will teach developing nations how to reimagine thenselves into a more inclusive force. We can also inpart why women in the military are so important and use our treatment of women as the gold standard.