Chasing the Flame � Sergio Vieira de Mello and the Fight to Save the World � by Samantha Power
This book describes the life and career of the Brazilian native, Sergio Vieira de Mello, whose career at the United Nations spanned 34 years, from 1969 until his untimely death in Iraq in 2003. Through much of his UN career, Vieira de Mello was considered to be a potential future Secretary-General. He might have eventually attained that post had he not died in a suicide bomber attack on his barely fortified UN Headquarters building in Baghdad in 2003.
Throughout his whole career, Vieira de Mello was steadfastly dedicated to the cause of peace, achieved through the application of international law, and much of that career was spent in peacekeeping missions. Some of his most important missions included: Senior political advisor to the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (1981-1983); United Nation�s High Commissioner for Refugees� special envoy for Cambodia (1991-1993); top UN official in Bosnia as part of the United Nations Protection Force (1993-1994); UN humanitarian coordinator for the Great Lakes region of Africa, in which he dealt with the Rwandan Hutu refugee problem (1996); Interim Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Kosovo (1999); Special Representative of the Secretary-General and UN transitional administrator in East Timor (1999-2002); Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Iraq (2003).
It should be clear from this resume that Vieira de Mello had as much or more first hand experience in dealing with genocidal killers as anyone on earth. In 1974 he earned a doctorate degree in philosophy, and he spent much of his career thinking about the philosophical and practical issues involved in attempting to attain peace. It became evident to him while on his Cambodia assignment that the values of peace and human rights often clashed with each other. The Khmer Rouge had been guilty of genocide on a large scale. Giving them a �seat at the table� sent the wrong message with respect to the issue of human rights. Yet, in the interest of peace, Vieira de Mello had to work with them intimately in order to solve the refugee problem.
But unlike various national leaders who have cozied up to repressive or genocidal regimes, Vieira de Mello�s work with them was not based on self-interest. In fact, he put his life in severe jeopardy by going to meet with them in person, unarmed and undefended, in circumstances that few national leaders would ever have considered exposing themselves to.
In Iraq, Vieira de Mello was outspoken about his opposition to the U.S. occupation. His death was quite unnecessary. The Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) under L. Paul Bremer failed to provide anything but minimal security for UN Headquarters in Baghdad. On August 19, 2003, when Vieira de Mello was trapped in the rubble of the destroyed building, bleeding to death, the CPA rescue effort was virtually non-existent. They were much more interested in keeping people, including potential rescuers, away from the scene of the bombing than they were in rescuing the victims of the attack. It was just like everything else the Bush administration has done in Iraq.
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