UN PEACEKEEPER IN CAMBODIA, 1991-1992: AN INTERVIEW WITH MAJOR GEORGE STEUBER

In* the wake of the cold war, peacekeeping —or, more appropriately,
peace enforcing—is becoming an increasingly important role for military
forces around the world. Because of the many other missions it has been
responsible for, the U.S. Army has not participated significantly in
United Nations peacekeeping missions in the past. That situation will
almost certainly change in the future. Indeed, President George Bush's
December 1992 decision to commit U.S. forces to a humanitarian
peacekeeping role in Somalia may be indicative of the future use of our
military forces.
In 1991, two U.S. Army officers, Major George Steuber and Major
James Faust, and a U.S. Marine, Major John Dill, were sent on a dual
mission as liaison officers with the United Nations Advanced Mission to
Cambodia and as part of the United Nations Transition Authority in
Cambodia. The experiences of these officers offer a number of valuable
lessons on the pitfalls and frustrations of being part of an international
peacekeeping force.
In this interview, Major Steuber shares with us a number insights he
gained during his tour in Cambodia. Officers who are themselves
preparing to join peacekeeping missions will find Major Steuber's
experiences and ideas particularly interesting. And those officers who
perhaps never expect to participate in such missions will find much in
Steuber's words to reflect upon