Publisher Description

Since the end of the Cold War, the international community, and the USA in particular, has intervened in a series of civil conflicts around the world. In a number of cases, where actions such as economic sanctions or diplomatic pressures have failed, military interventions have been undertaken. This book examines four US-sponsored interventions (Panama, Somalia, Haiti and Bosnia), focusing on efforts to reconstruct the state which have followed military action. Such nation-building is vital if conflict is not to recur. In each of the four cases, Karin von Hippel considers the factors which led the USA to intervene, the path of military intervention, and the nation-building efforts which followed. The book seeks to provide a greater understanding of the successes and failures of US policy, to improve strategies for reconstruction, and to provide some insight into the conditions under which intervention and nation-building are likely to succeed.

Author Biography

Von Hippel is a Political Affairs Officer to the Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Somalia. She was a MacArthur Post-Doctoral Associate at King's College London in 1995-96, and Project Manager for the Complex Emergencies Unit at the Centre for Defence Studies, King's College London.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction: dangerous hubris; 2. Invasion or intervention? Operation Just Cause; 3. Disappointed and defeated in Somalia; 4. Heartened in Haiti; 5. UNPROFOR, INFOR and SFOR: Can peace be forced on Bosnia?; 6. Hubris or progress: can democracy be forced?

Review

'The interventions of the 1990s were greeted first with optimism, quickly followed by wide-spread disillusionment. The great merit of this book is that it provides a sober and detailed analysis of both the problems of using force in support of democracy and the achievements.' Professor James Mayall, University of Cambridge '... a really great job both in the case studies and the surrounding policy analysis. A good, lucid, interesting read...obviously destined to be a standard reference.' Hon. Gareth Evans AO QC, President, International Crisis Group

Promotional

This 1999 book is a study of US military interventions after the Cold War.

Review Quote

"Von Hippel's volume is an important contribution to the literature on intervention in so-called "failed states." The work focuses on an assessment of postintervention nation-building activities--specifically US-led efforts to nurture democracy following the military operations in Panama, Somalia, Haiti, and Bosnia. Importantly, von Hippel places the analysis in the context of past US nation-building efforts." Choice

Promotional "Headline"

This 1999 book is a study of US military interventions after the Cold War.

Description for Bookstore

Since the end of the Cold War, the United States has intervened militarily in a number of civil conflicts. This 1999 book examines four US-sponsored interventions (Panama, Somalia, Haiti and Bosnia) seeking to provide an insight into the conditions under which intervention and the nation-building which follows are likely to succeed.

Description for Library

Since the end of the Cold War, the United States has intervened militarily in a number of civil conflicts. This 1999 book examines four US-sponsored interventions (Panama, Somalia, Haiti and Bosnia) seeking to provide an insight into the conditions under which intervention and the nation-building which follows are likely to succeed.

Details