BEAVER BANK: A Beaver Bank man is helping in shaping the Mid-East Peace process.
Tom Bulger was one of 18 Canadian Forces members of Operation Proteus who are partnered with others in the U.S.-led United States Security Coordinator team (USSC), which also includes personnel from the U.S., Turkey and Britain, working together as part of the Mid-East Peace process to nail down a two state solution for Israel and Palestine.
“It’s fairly safe,” Bulger told The Laker. “Just like anywhere, I think it’s a matter of being aware of your surroundings and knowing the culture. I walk to work everyday.
“The Israelis are very passionate people and are reluctant to give up what took them so long to get.”
He explained what people thousands and thousands of miles away see on their nightly newscasts is not always an accurate portrayal of the situation. The members of the USSC are unarmed.
“What we see in the media, on this side of the World is sometimes a one-sided view of the situation,” he said. “The Palestinians aren’t the big bad monsters that they’re made out to be. They’re very much, great people. They just want a home. There are approximately four million Palestinians in refugee camps throughout the area.”
The group, headed up by U.S. Lieutenant General Keith Dayton, is tasked with developing the Palestinian security forces to the point the Israelis will let them police themselves.
“It’s a lot of negotiating between the Israeli, the Palestinians and our team,” Bulger said.
He added, for example, if the Palestinians wanted to build a small arms training facility, they couldn’t build it just anywhere.
“We would get involved in working with the Israelis and negotiating where can they build this and will you allow it,” he explained.
He doesn’t feel anymore danger being on the mission then he would if he was walking in Nova Scotia’s capital city.
“Most times, it’s no more dangerous than Halifax,” Bulger said. “In Halifax, you have to be aware of your surroundings and the time of day. The most dangerous thing I’ve witnessed so far is a little bit of a skirmish at one of the checkpoints, people throwing rocks and the Israelis were responding with riot control measures.”
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