Tuesday, October 23, 2007

The death of Bob Denard


Where does one begin with this man?

On October 13th he finally died. Starting with Congo and the civil war in the early 1960s, this was a serious gun for hire, a mercenary. He was the inspiration for Dogs of War.

But he was never held to account for his actions. But then almost no mercenaries are - look at Iraq as an example. These private guns for hire are simply one of the multitude of reasons why so many countries remain in a mess.

I can not understand why Canada did not try to get a hold of him to try him? Or why the international war crimes tribunal in the Hague did not hunt him down and arrest him.

The French did a half assed attempt in the 1990s. But then he seems to have been working at the behest of the French.

He had one important trait, he was known. Today's mercenary leaders are not well known, they fly under the radar and we in the west can ignore their existence.

1 comment:

STORMBRINGER said...

Who are you to be so judgmental of Bob Denard? The man fought communist guerillas who were sponsored by the Soviets, Cubans and Chinese. Anyway, how & why would Canada have any business trying this man in court? Denard never took up arms against his mother country or against the Free World nations. He was an adventurer in a dangerous time - there is always a need for men like him; probably now more than ever. He was the epitome of Orwell's famous words:

"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." - George Orwell