Archive 1986 – 2017

LONDON – The new Bob Woodward book “Bush at War” tells us that the Bush entourage has been at times quite rattled by the criticism of its policies towards Afghanistan and Iraq. That gives me comfort. As a long time proponent of the thesis that the pen in the end is mightier than the sword it is good to know that some of the scribblers’ darts have found their target. Thus we critics should keep up our good work, particularly when we are so convinced the policy from Washington is both wrongheaded and counterproductive. Yet and but. Perhaps for now we should be a little quieter. The United Nations has spoken and it has spoken at its highest level and with an amazing, almost unprecedented, unity on a matter of such dire consequence. Is not this what many of us in the critical camp have always yearned for- life being breathed...

Fredsbevarande styrkor, Peacekeeping Operations, PKO har specifika mål, uppdrag och konsekvenser inriktade på att nedtrappa konflikter och återupprätta fred. Dessa mål undersöks ofta noggrant i forskningsrapporter och debatteras i media. Men det finns också mer eller mindre avsedda, indirekta, eller dolda mål och påföljder av PKOs som sällan blir belysta. Fredsbevarande civila och soldater som förflyttas till det oroliga området från ett antal FN- medlemsländer har med sig sina egna värderingar, normer, vanor och sätt att hantera och organisera saker och ting. I bästa fall har den förberedande träningen inför resan skapat någon slags medvetenhet hos de utskickade angående den här typen av “bagage” och hur dessa kan skilja sig från de värderingarna, normerna och vanorna i området där verksamheten ska pågå. Oberoende av detta så kan de ha ett enormt inflytande på det lokala samhället och kulturen. De olika förhandlingssätten som den lokala befolkningen använder i det sociala mötet...

Fredsbevarende operationer (FBO) har mål og mandater, der direkte sigter på at nedtrappe konflikter og skabe fred. Sådanne målsætninger analyseres for det meste i forskningsrapporter og diskuteres i media. Men der er også, mere eller mindre bevidst, indirekte eller skjulte mål og resultater af FBOs arbejde, som sjældent belyses. Mere precist handler det om de fredsbevarende styrker, der tages fra forskellige FN-lande til urohærgede områder. Med sig har det fredsbevarende mandskab sine vurderinger, normer, vaner og måder at gøre og organisere sager og ting på. I bedste fald vil deres forberedende studier og instruktioner have givet dem nogen fornemmelse af, hvad denne “bagage” indebærer, og hvordan den adskiller sig fra de lokale vurderinger, normer og adfærdsmønstre i den region, hvor de opererer. Men det er uundgåeligt, at deres påvirkning af lokalsamfundet og dets kultur kan være enorm. Det er afgørende for os, at kunne tolke måden hvorpå de lokale forhandler...

Peacekeeping operations, PKOs, have direct aims, mandates and consequences directed towards the de-escalation of conflict and the maintenance of peace. Such aims are usually analysed in research reports and discussed in the media. But there are also more or less intended, indirect or hidden objectives and consequences of PKOs which are seldom highlighted. More specifically, peacekeepers are transferred from a number of UN member states to the troubled area. They bring along values, norms, habits and ways of doing and organising things. In the best of cases, their training before departure creates some awareness among personnel about this type of “luggage” and how it may differ from the local values, norms, and habits in the region of operations. But, invariably, they can have a tremendous impact on local society and culture. The ways in which local people negotiate the social encounter with peacekeeping forces – a social process that brings...

COPENHAGEN – Enlargement of the European Union to bring in the former communist nations of Eastern Europe and after that Turkey was never meant to be so tense an affair. When the Berlin Wall came down opinion makers in Western Europe were breathless before the quite unexpected overthrow of tyranny and were falling over themselves in their attempt to wave broadly stretched arms of welcome to those who could join the historic mission of making Europe one. In the event the incorporation of these nations into NATO (where Turkey has long been an unquestioned member) was easier to pull off than economic integration into the EU. It needn’t have been. It wasn’t the economics of the argument. It was the politics: in the military arena politicians simply have more independent room for manoeuvre. And anyway president Bill Clinton was pushing for it for his own internal political reasons- he needed the...

The demonising of the enemy before the war is intense. The Swedish media, for instance, take for granted that a war against Iraq will take place. No alternatives to war are mentioned. Iraq has become a synonym for Saddam Hussein in the Swedish media, leaving 23 million human beings in oblivion. Iraq as a society and culture, from now on, belongs to the zone of silence. It is above all very important that not even the tiniest element of humanness affects our perception of the country. Iraqis must not be pictured as human beings, mothers, fathers, children with hopes and fears, poverty or wealth. We must only imagine Saddam and his palaces that we will pulverize in a technological inferno. None of the potential consequences of a full-fledged war are being discussed. Millions of refugees; tens of thousands of dead and injured (both Iraqis and Americans, especially if chemical weapons...

Krig præsenteres i disse måneder som den eneste løsning på konflikten med Irak. Den nye resolution fra FN’s Sikkerhedsråd (1441) mindsker ikke risikoen for at USA, med eller uden FN-accept, angriber, besætter og kontrollerer Irak i januar eller februar næste år. Men krig leder ikke til holdbare løsninger. Det har vi klara beviser for fra Kroatien, Bosnien, Kosovo, Makedonien, Somalia og Afghanistan. Omend der nok er lagt låg på volden, så er de underliggende konflikter stadig til stede, og de krigsførende parter har ikke bevæget sig en tomme mod forsoning eller fælles visioner om fremtiden. Der kan findes ekstreme situation hvor man må gribe til vold – som når man griber et barn hårdt i armen når det er ved at løbe ud foran en bus. Men internationalt må vi ganske enkelt lære at skelne mellem krig og konfliktløsning, mellem vold og ægte fredsbestræbelser. USA nægter at forhandle og bruge...

Av Carl Bildt Fd. Statsminister och FN sändebud November 15, 2002 Utdrag ur Veckobrev Jag kom i går kväll till Belgrad. Här skall vi tala om hur den europeiska och atlantiska integrationsprocessen påverkar förutsättningarna för fred i denna plågade del av Europa. Men utöver detta blir det självfallet diskussioner om vart utvecklingen egentligen är på väg. Jag är oroad. För något år sedan skrev och talade jag om att vi hade en andra chans att få till stånd en mer stabil ordning i regionen efter det att först Tudjman försvann i Kroatien och därefter Milosevic försvann i Serbien. Regionens politik var plötsligt öppen, och det fanns möjlighet att påverka. Budskapet var inte bara mitt. Det var samma budskap som FN:s generalsekretare Kofi Annan i diskreta papper gav till säkerhetsrådets medlemmar. Men av detta blev i stort sett ingenting alls. Eftersom det inte var någon akut kris, ansågs det inte finnas...

London – Elections do have a way of clearing the air, sometimes as with Turkey’s earlier this week, bringing in an entire new weather pattern. So it was too with last month’s election in Kashmir. The Indian prime minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, presiding over a government of Hindu nationalists, gave his opposition rival, the Congress party of Sonia Gandhi, tacit encouragement to form a coalition government with a local moderate Muslim party, the People’s Democratic Party. Despite being scorned by the Congress secularists for too often playing the Hindu chauvinist card and despite being continuously brow beaten by the ultra nationalists, in particular the Bombay-based politician Bal Thackeray, who regularly threatens to bring down the prime minister, Vajpayee not only masterminded the first free election in Kashmir for as long as any one can remember, he has in effect handed over a large part of India’s Kashmir policy to those who...

The breakthrough in the second round of talks between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Sri Lankan government signifies progress well ahead of expectations. At the end of the second round, three important agreements on political, military and economic matters have been signed. These agreements to address political issues, improve security and restore normality shall be followed up by setting up joint committees for the purpose. The crucial agreements were topped with the LTTE announcing its intention to enter democratic politics, signifying the rebel outfitís desire to turn a new leaf for wider political acceptance in Sri Lanka and abroad. This is expected to spur international financial and developmental assistance for relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction as the negotiations brokered by Norway and hosted by Thailand is the first effort involving western facilitators and supported by India, Japan, the EU and the US. Given the failure of four...

U.S. foreign policy seems to be moving beyond the realm of political science textbooks. Washington today means ever more bellicose groupthink. It’s the theatre of the absurd. Statements without shared meanings are uttered from a moral void. With the spiralling integration of paranoia and megalomania, one must rather turn to textbooks of psychology for interpretation. We are living in increasingly dangerous times. How shall we react, intellectually and emotionally? How, for instance, shall we react to a surreal news bite like this? “The US has plans to establish an American-led military administration in Iraq, similar to the postwar occupation of Germany and Japan, which could last for several years after the fall of Saddam Hussein… Saddam would be replaced by US General Tommy Franks…” No, it is not fiction. Read the story here: New York Times, October 10, 2002 U.S. has a Plan to Occupy Iraq, Officials Report The Guardian,...

USAs udenrigspolitik synes at bevæge sig uden for statskundskabens lærebøgers rammer. Washington dyrker stadig mere krigerisk “groupthink”. Det er absurd teater. Udtalelser uden fælles betydning ytres ud fra et moralsk tomrum. Med den onde spiral af paranoia og megalomani skal man nok snarere finde en fortolkning i psykologiens lærebøger. Vi lever i stadig farligere tider. Hvordan skal vi reagere, intellektuelt og følelsesmæssigt? Hvordan skal vi f.eks. reagere på surrealistiske nyheder som for eksempeldenne: “USA har planer om at etablere en amerikansk ledet militæradministration i Irak, svarende til besættelsen af Tyskland og Japan efter krigen, en administration, der kunne vare adskillige år efter Saddam Husseins fald…. Saddam skulle erstattes af den amerikanske general Tommy Franks…” Nej, det er ikke fiktion. Læs historien her: New York Times, October 10, 2002 U.S. has a Plan to Occupy Iraq, Officials Report http://www.nytimes.com/2002/10/11/international/11PREX.html?todaysheadlines The Guardian, October 12, 2002 US plans military rule and occupation of...