Read our Interview with Major General Lewis Mackenzie

[Greg]

It took longer than expected, but I think it was worth the wait.

The interview can be seen here:

http://www.mapleleafweb.com/interviews/maj...e-ret-interview

Thanks for everyone who submitted questions. Because it was a telephone interview, it was difficult to include many of the questions that were submitted. However, everyone's contribution certainly helped me direct the interview, and I think you'll agree, General Mackenzie had some very interesting things to say.

Feel free to include your comments about the interview in this thread,

[M.Dancer]

This is worth C/Ping

Greg Farries: Does Canada’s involvement in Afghanistan represent something new to the Canadian military? Is this going to move us away from peacekeeping?

General MacKenzie: There is no peacekeeping to do. I shake my head when I hear people like Jack Layton and company say we should return to our historic priority – peacekeeping. First off, it was never a priority. We were good at it, but we were not better than everyone else. And secondly, there is no peacekeeping going on anymore. You can’t call what we’re doing in Afghanistan peacekeeping. I wish to hell we were in Darfur, kicking some ass. But it’s not peacekeeping. We would be going in there to take sides and that’s not peacekeeping. You can call it, peace enforcement or peacemaking. I translate it as, ‘Keep the peace or I’ll kill you.’ You have to go in strong enough that you can put the thugs, goons, and bullies on the run. That doesn’t mean you need a blue beret and a pistol. You need a hell of a lot more than that. In the Congo, the UN troops are killing the rebels in the jungle and being killed.

Greg Farries: Do you see an appropriate role for Canada in Darfur? [This question was submitted by forum member Melanie_.]

General MacKenzie: [There will never be a role.] It will never happen. The cartoon government won’t allow it. They won’t let Western forces in. They have played us like a Stradivarius [violin]. I’m incensed at the inability of the United Nations to deal with it. Why can’t it deal with it? Because all decisions on international peace and security go through the UN Security Council. And forget about the other 11 members. It’s the ‘Permanent Five.’ The Permanent Five are the ones that count. So take a look at it, China, Russia, France, the United Kingdom – which is ridiculous, it should be a European seat – and the United States.

They could have found a five-kilo tonne nuclear weapon in front of the Palestine Hotel in downtown Baghdad – when UN inspectors where looking for weapons of mass destruction – and there still would not have been a resolution authorizing the invasion of Iraq. Why? Because France and Russia have massive amounts of money invested in the oil business in Iraq and were also owed a lot of money. It’s the same thing in Darfur.

China will never ever agree to any resolution dealing with the use of force in Darfur. And so the Darfur government says, ‘Sure, we’ll allow a hybrid force in, and it’ll consist of troops from the African Union, and in accordance to Pearson’s criteria for a peacekeeping force, the Government of Darfur will check and approve what national contingents will be part of this force. And oh, by the way, we don’t want any white folks.’

So the idea of Canadians going there – we already have 23 people there, but they’re only staff in the headquarters, helping out so they can run a blood headquarters because the African Union doesn’t have the experience nor the communications to do that. But, as far as putting troops on the ground, no way, it’s just not going to happen.

The world should just bow its head in shame, but it’s happening because of the rigor mortis in the decision-making process of the [uN] Security Council. You could put a military force together and go in and put the rout on the Janjaweed, the militia, and on the rebels who started this fight. We could put the boots to all of them, but it’s not going to happen. [but] it should happen, because now hundreds of thousands of people have been either pushed over the border into camps in Chad or have been killed.

Greg Farries: Thank you for taking the time

[August1991]

Good interview, Greg.

[eyeball]

Look after your people and go to great pains to shield them from all the crap that comes down from above. Because crap does flow downhill and you should always try to keep it from splashing on your people. A good leader intercepts the crap and stops it.

I think Mr MacKenzie would like my trickle down theory of accountability. Concentrate surveillance and transparency at the very upper echelons of government and let honesty, decency and the truth trickle down through the rest of society, just like wealth is supposed to, except for real.

Edited April 3, 2008 by eyeball

[Newfie Canadian]

I always love hearing what the General has to say, as I've very seldom heard him pull any punches. A very well done interview.

[White Doors]

Yep, great interview. Thanks for posting.

I think I spotted a transcrption error:

The cartoon government

While apt, I think what the General was saying was indeed the, "Khartoum government"

Thanks for posting Greg.

[Greg]

I think I spotted a transcrption error:

Thanks for pointing that out.

The error has been corrected.

[August1991]

I think I spotted a transcrption error:

While apt, I think what the General was saying was indeed the, "Khartoum government"

Good catch. I too wondered about the same point and thought that it referred to a General Kartun.

---

Greg, the interview was a good read. Your questions (and quotes of posters' questions) and MacKenzie's answers were interesting. Try this again, with someone else.

Edited April 5, 2008 by August1991

[Greg]

Greg, the interview was a good read. Your questions (and quotes of posters' questions) and MacKenzie's answers were interesting. Try this again, with someone else.

Absolutely.

There are lots of more interviews that are in the works. It can take time to set these things up.

I'll keep everyone notified of my progress,

[jbg]

Good interview, Greg.

It looked good. I'm going to sit down and read it when I have the chance.