Abstract
This was not a simple case of bad politics versus good politics.
Last week's violence in Honiara has tarnished RAMSI's almost unblemished image in Australia. Until this latest development, RAMSI - the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands - was widely seen as a rare example of successful post-conflict state building. So much so that many of the insights afforded by the operation seem certain to form the backbone of the coming Department of Foreign Affairs white paper on aid and development. How is it that such a resounding success has turned into a debacle almost overnight?