freeSpeech: Michael Gerson

America is often criticized because we don't work enough with other nations. But on the genocide in Darfur, Sudan, America has worked with just about every international group, from the United Nations to the African Union. And visiting Darfur, I've seen the result — the burned-out villages … the victims of systematic rape … the vast and hopeless camps.

Everyone knows what is needed to stop the bleeding: a U.N. peacekeeping force — with the firepower and authority to protect civilians from attack. What might be called a muscular multilateralism. The U.N. Security Council has agreed to a force. America has called for its deployment by Oct. 1. But that deadline seems to be slipping.

The brutal regime in Sudan has opposed a U.N. force — but the authors of genocide can't be given a veto on attempts to end it. China, Russia and Egypt must stop providing that regime support and cover. The United Nations peacekeeping bureaucracy needs to move quickly, because the violence is multiplying.

And while America has led the world in confronting this genocide, the U.S. must also show our commitment to a successful U.N. military force — not with more boots on the ground, but with air power that could make all the difference in keeping the peace.

Multilateralism is important — but only if it gets results. Keeping to the process, checking the right diplomatic boxes, and the world patting itself on the back while the innocent die is not enough. Sometimes, compassion requires action — and helicopter gunships.


Michael Gerson is the former head of speechwriting and policy advisor to President George W. Bush. He is currently a Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.

[liberalmedia]

"Muscular multilateralism", huh? Isn't that what they used in Iraq? That's the one where the US says "OK, we're going in whether the rest of you like it or not, so you'd better get on board, or else."

If we hadn't lost so much credibility because of Iraq and our "foreign relations" policy (see above), maybe the rest of the world would pay attention when we say something.

And what have we done to "confront this genocide"? You mean we finally acknowledged that it is taking place, after so long? Or did we send out George Clooney? What's the matter? Don't they have any oil over there, for us to care?

Saddam's "rape rooms" may be closed, but Darfur's seem to be picking up the slack.

[cbs3119]

Is it just me, or is CBS only interested in Conservitive/Rebublican points of view on it's 'Free Speech' segment?

Rush Limbaugh, Rudy Giuliani, and now Michael Gerson: Bush's chief speech writer from 2001-2006, and a senior policy advisor from 2000 through June 2006. A member of the White House Iraq Group. Gerson's noteworthy phrases for Bush included "axis of evil," "the soft bigotry of low expectations" and "the armies of compassion." (Now he says that "Sometimes, compassion requires action %u2014 and helicopter gunships.")

During a September 5, 2002 meeting of the White House Iraq Group, Gerson proposed the use of a "smoking gun/mushroom cloud" metaphor to sell the American public on the supposed nuclear dangers posed by Saddam Hussein.