A MISTAKE

U.S. Resists Entreaties to Send Peacekeepers to Liberia (CHRISTOPHER MARQUIS, 7/22/03, NY Times)

The United Nations secretary general and West African countries implored the Bush administration today to send peacekeepers to Liberia as fighting intensified there and the American Embassy came under mortar fire.

But administration officials resisted the appeals, countering that Liberia's neighbors should act first in helping stabilize the country. The administration called on rebels and the government of President Charles G. Taylor to respect a cease-fire.

The great insight that the Administration is applying in Palestine and N. Korea is that you don't allow the bad guys to negotiate, because it gives them power. Instead, you tell them what is going to be done. Letting Charles Taylor decide when we will intervene reverses this wisdom and is a big mistake from an Administration which, since we know they know, certainly seems to be using this charade as an excuse to stay out of an African nation's problems. Not a proud moment. Posted by Orrin Judd at July 22, 2003 10:27 AM