General John de Chastelain, one of the three independent chairmen of the Stormont talks, heads the list of senior Canadian military officers criticised by a government inquiry for their roles in the country's problem-filled 1992-1993 mission to Somalia. "We conclude that General de Chastelain failed as a commander," the report by the Commission of Inquiry into the deployment of Canadian forces to Somalia states. Gen de Chastelain was head of the Canadian Armed Forces during the period that the Canadian Airborne Regiment prepared for its mission to Somalia. "General de Chastelain's primary failure may be characterised as one of non-existent control and indifferent supervision," the civilian inquiry concluded in its report released several weeks ago. "General de Chastelain's non-existent control and indifferent supervision created an atmosphere that fostered more failings among his subordinates."
The inquiry, led by Justice Gilles Letourneau, spent the last two years investigating the Somalian mission. During the operation, members of the Airborne Regiment tortured and murdered a Somali teenager they had captured. There were also allegations that another Somali man was killed execution-style as he tried to flee from Canadian troops during a separate incident.
The inquiry was initiated by the Canadian Prime Minister, Mr Jean Chretien's Liberal government in March 1995, after a Canadian military doctor who served in Somalia alleged there was an attempt to cover up the killings. But the government closed down the inquiry earlier this year just as it was to investigate whether senior military and civilian bureaucrats were involved in a cover-up in 1993. The inquiry did find that the Airborne Regiment had been plagued with disciplinary problems before it went to Somalia. Some soldiers were associated with white supremacist groups. Paratroopers were also believed to have set fire to a sergeant's car after he tried to discipline them.
The regiment was disbanded in 1995 when videotapes surfaced showing Airborne members in Somalia making racist comments and talking about killing blacks.
Another videotape showed the paratroopers taking part in a wild initiation party in Canada during which they appeared to eat their own faeces and vomit.
The inquiry determined that Gen de Chastelain, who was Chief of the Defence Staff, did not take steps to investigate and fix the significant leadership and disciplinary problems within the Airborne Regiment prior to its deployment.
He also failed to properly oversee the planning in preparation of the mission by allowing the Airborne battle group to deploy with leadership and disciplinary problems, not enough military police, and confusing rules to govern the use of force.
The inquiry determined that Gen de Chastelain failed to ensure that members of the Canadian Forces sent to Somalia were adequately trained and tested in the law of war under the Geneva Convention. Gen de Chastelain was made Canadian ambassador to the United States shortly after the first troops left for Somalia. The general, now retired from the Canadian Forces, was not in command of the military when the Somalia killings took place.
The inquiry made 160 recommendations, including the need for increased accountability within the Canadian Forces, more control by parliament over the military, better training and discipline, and new ways to prevent racism.
Gen de Chastelain has not responded to the report, but his supporters say he could not have been expected to know about the problems in the Airborne Regiment.