Obama vs. McCain on Peacekeeping By: Josh Rovenger. The end of World War II signified a transition from one era in international

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1 Obama vs. McCain on Peacekeeping By: Josh Rovenger The end of World War II signified a transition from one era in international politics to another, far bloodier one. Since that time, the number of new conflicts throughout the world has steadily increased. While wars have traditionally been fought between states, the recent spike in bloodshed is the result of intrastate warfare. Such conflicts have a propensity to last longer, spread throughout their respective region, incite atrocities such as genocide and destabilize the entire state. As a result, the international community, mainly through the United Nations, has attempted to step in and stabilize these conflicts. They generally do this through peacekeeping operations. Currently, there are 17 U.N. peacekeeping operations across the world spanning from the Sudan, to Haiti, to Georgia. As a 2005 RAND study showed, the U.N. has been the most effective body in peacekeeping efforts throughout the world. The U.S. has played a vital role in the success of these operations by providing roughly 26 percent of the U.N. s peacekeeping budget. Through its funding, the U.S. has a unique ability to affect the likelihood of success for the U.N. s peacekeeping operations. During the 1990 s, the administration of President Bill Clinton accepted this leadership position. While there were a few notable failures, such as in Rwanda, on the whole the administration chose to act as a leader on the issue through its funding and support of the U.N. However, over the past seven years American leadership has faltered. Upon coming to power, the Bush administration s rhetoric repudiated Clinton s policies and rejected any form of what might be perceived as, or assistance in, nation building. To make it evident that he was moving the country in a different direction, Bush allowed

2 debt to the U.N. to accumulate, isolated the U.S. from the rest of the world and even cut the U.S. s budget for U.N. peacekeeping operations. Regardless of who is the next president, it is essential that he emphasizes the need for U.S. leadership on the issue. While both presidential candidates would be a more favorable choice on this issue than the current president, it is apparent that Senator Barack Obama, compared to his opponent Senator John McCain, has prioritized this issue and would likely restore American leadership on a global scale. Obama has clearly stated his views on the importance of peacekeepers. He contends, UN peacekeepers can help prevent and end conflict while enhancing international peace and security. More importantly, he understands the role the U.S. needs to play to make such missions successful. Barack Obama supports renewed U.S. leadership in support of effective United Nations and regional peace operations. However, he does not ignore historical difficulties and current realities facing peacekeeping operations. He acknowledges that, our expectations of the UN have often not been met-because obstructionist states have blocked timely action and corruption and management failures have undermined solutions. He proposes both global and domestic solutions to fix this. On the international level, he wants to pursue reforms that, improves the UN s ability to conduct future peace and stability operations. This will allow the forces to work with other multinational actors that deploy forces. As for internal reforms, he thinks that, to succeed in post-conflict peace building we must improve our civilian capacity. If Obama wins the election this November, he promises that he will strengthen these civilian capacities, recruiting our best and brightest to take

3 on this challenge, and will increase both the numbers and capabilities of diplomats, development experts and other civilians who can work alongside our military. While McCain does not seem to oppose peacekeeping operations, he does favor his league of democracies over the U.N. to address such international issues. The new league of democracies would form the core of an international order of peace based on freedom. It could act where the UN fails to act, to relieve human suffering in places like Darfur. He also has emphasized NATO s role, saying The world will rely on NATO to a greater degree as well-as a security guarantor, as a peacekeeper, and as diplomatic leverage. The next president s opportunities to restore American leadership will arise on several aspects of peacekeeping endeavors. Most obvious is the necessity for the next president to fulfill our financial obligations to U.N. peacekeeping missions and perhaps even increase it. Obama has shown his commitment by promising that we will meet our obligations to fund assessed peacekeeping operations and doing our share to fund voluntary peacekeeping operations. Although McCain s rhetoric on this issue is sparse, his decision in 2005 to vote against a key piece of legislation that would have increased U.S. funding for U.N. peacekeeping operations is indicative of what he may do in office. Another area for U.S. leadership is the potential creation of a standing United Nations Emergency Peacekeeping Service (UNEPS). Such a service would immediately respond at the outbreak of a conflict, and would precede other, traditional peacekeeping operations. Obama has made it clear that he does not, support the creation and funding of the United Nations Emergency Peacekeeping Service. To date, McCain has not articulated a position on UNEPS.

4 There are also ongoing missions and conflicts where the candidates have had the opportunity to show their stances, and will likely have to deal with as president. The conflicts in Darfur and the Congo are good examples. On Darfur, Obama has secured $20 million for the African Union peacekeeping mission, and co-sponsored the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act which, among other things, urged for a more comprehensive peacekeeping force in Darfur. On the Congo, Obama calls for a special U.S. envoy to resolve ongoing violence, and urges the administration to strengthen the U.N. peacekeeping force. McCain s primary test has been with Darfur, where he has advocated international involvement. In 2004 he wrote, Peacekeeping troops should be deployed to Darfur to protect civilians and expedite the delivery of humanitarian aid, and we should encourage African, European and Arab countries to contribute these forces We should provide financial and logistical support to countries willing to provide peacekeeping forces. Citizens for Global Solutions recognizes the importance of peacekeeping operations throughout the world, and the necessity of U.S. leadership on the issue. The U.S. must fulfill its financial obligations, and provide the necessary support for the U.N. s peacekeeping endeavors. The next president should also work to create UNEPS, which would ensure a rapid response in places where it is necessary. It s unfortunate that neither candidate supports UNEPS, but their positions on the issue of peacekeeping on the whole are more comforting than those of the current president. Obama has been very clear on his positions and has prioritized the issue. While McCain would likely take the country in a different direction than President Bush, he has not been as forthright on these issues as he should be, and has not prioritized them in the

5 correct manner. The next president needs to reestablish U.S. leadership in peacekeeping efforts in hopes of making this century more peaceful than the last.