Defence Forces Review 2008

Defence Forces Review 2008
will deploy a mechanised unit of over 430 troops thus becoming the second largest troop
contributor. 22 Life has indeed moved on and the UN Undersecretary General for Peacekeeping
Jean Marie Guehenno clearly identified this when he said... “the issue today is how best
international armies can work together in effective multi-lateralism in order to advance the
cause of peace and global security”. 23
From the Defence Forces’ perspective it no longer matters whether command in a peacekeeping
operation is exercised directly by a UN Force commander or as part of a regional arrangement.
The reality is that today’s Irish peacekeeper can be successful in whatever situation he or she
find themselves. They are well trained, well equipped, highly motivated and professionally
capable of fulfilling the full range of military tasks while at the same time retaining that sense
of compassion and fair play which has been the hallmark of Irish peacekeeping down the
years. The “duty to protect” is now enshrined in International Human Rights Law but it was
something Irish soldiers always inherently understood 24 .
The former American Defence Attaché to Ireland, Colonel John O’Sullivan, once remarked
that “Ireland punches above it’s weight when it comes to International Peacekeeping” 25 . This
is explained by the facts that we have an unbroken sequence of service with the United Nations
which dates back to 1958; we have learned from our experiences; and we have identified
those lessons and adjusted our posture in order to participate in modern complex peace
support operations. But most of all we have achieved credibility amongst out international
peacekeeping colleagues which in turn has ensured continued demand for Irish soldiers when
it comes to raising forces for new missions. In this regard Col Paul Cummings, former British
Military Attaché to Ireland, was asked on one occasion for his view on why Irish soldiers
were successful peacekeepers. He replied… “the key to Irish peacekeeping is that it has
always been a force for good, Ireland is seen internationally as being an honest broker with
an ability and determination to deliver military peacekeeping capability in an equitable, open
and just way”. 26
On 21 February 2008 Ireland had a total of 474 personnel serving overseas with 18 different
Peacekeeping/Crisis Management operations. Of this figure 439 personnel were serving in
UN Mandated/Triple Locked missions while the remaining 35 were distributed between
OSCE field offices and staff appointments in Brussels, New York and Vienna 27 . When the
EUFOR Chad mission becomes fully operational in June 2008 Ireland will deploy another 400
personnel bringing the total number deployed overseas at any one time back up to previous
levels and in line with Government policy.
An Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, has stated that Defence Forces participation in overseas
peacekeeping missions is a key element in Irelands foreign policy, and has been an important
dimension in meeting Irelands international obligations as a member of the UN and EU. He
went on to say that “Irish foreign policy is directed at supporting cooperative arrangements
for collective security through the development of international organisations especially the
United Nations. This approach continues to define Irish priorities within the UN system and
Ireland remains willing to play a full role in contributing to the security of Europe and the
World” 28 .
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