Military force continues to be relevant to a wide range of tasks, which indicates a continuing need for a large and flexible U.S. military. In addition to the large-scale intervention that successfully liberated Kuwait in the 1990-91 Persian Gulf War, the United States invaded Panama to protect U.S. citizens and the Canal, oust Panamas leader, and seat the elected government; entered Somalia, initially to feed its people and then to shape its politics; occupied a Haiti that was hemorrhaging people and ignoring the political wishes of its citizens; bombed Bosnias Serbs both to weaken them and to induce them to sign a peace accord; kept the peace in Bosnia in the aftermath of the Dayton peace accords; dispatched air and naval forces to the Taiwan Straits in order to signal China of the U.S. commitment to Taiwan; attacked an Afghan terrorist camp and an alleged pharmaceutical facility in Sudan to retaliate against terrorist attacks and to discourage new ones; bombed Iraq to encourage its compliance with international stipulations and to punish it for ignoring the same; went to war with Serbia over Kosovo; and provided support personnel to a multinational force sent to East Timor. This again feeds into the issue of lack of trust: and trust between those giving and receiving aid is a significantly large issues because it keeps the provision of aid and communication network efficient. There were many American interventions that affected the nation, including the Mexican-American War, the Vietnam War, the Spanish-American War, several conflicts from the Cold War, and the war on terror. These huge sums of money, combined with the arguable lack of success in preventing continued conflict, make them good examples against humanitarian interventions. Al-Haj, A. Aaron David Miller is vice president for new initiatives and a distinguished scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. Arguments are often made for humanitarian interventions when there are reports of extensive and wide-spread human rights abuses. For instance, the invasion of Iraq took lives of more than 4400 American soldiers (Gelpi, 2009, p. 258). Although it is not always possible to bring the exact perpetrators of crimes to formal justice, humanitarian interventions set a precedent that attacks on civilians and breaches of human rights law will not go unpunished. International Humanitarian Law is the legal foundation of humanitarian interventions and understanding its basic concepts is key to gaining an overview of the advantages and disadvantages of trying to end crimes against humanity. Although many nations may support taking action to stop human rights abuses, not all countries will see the events from the same perspective. The DDP presented pros and cons to the directors office, and the DCI was responsible for dealings with the Special Group and its brethren. An argument in favour of humanitarian interventions is that they remove unjust and repressive regimes from power. Therefore, a humanitarian intervention can be critical for protection the geopolitical interests of a country as well as its national security. To be able to undertake a humanitarian intervention means massive amounts of money must be committed. Regardless, terrible things happened to civilians on the ground when only air power was employed: thousands of innocent people lost their lives and hundreds of thousands lost their homes and became internally displaced or refugees. As the first decade of the post-Cold War period draws to a close, one thing is certain: military intervention remains a central feature of American foreign policy. Dispatching a carrier task force to the Taiwan Straits in 1996 was a classic example of effective gunboat diplomacy: a long-term strategic commitment was backed up by a sizable show of force. Why is America Addicted to Foreign Interventions? (2013). By using force to stop conflicts in neighboring countries, the military can prevent the destabilization of entire regions. Protective Military Interventionism: The Pros and Cons The selective use of humanitarian interventions is a crucial part of why some people are against them. Debate: Does U.S. Military Intervention In The Middle East There are also diplomatic opportunities that can arise from military intervention. Such questions are no substitute for situational judgment: there can be no template for intervention. The long-term economic costs of military intervention can be significant, with billions of dollars spent on military operations and reconstruction efforts.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'ablison_com-banner-1','ezslot_8',631,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-ablison_com-banner-1-0'); The economic costs of military intervention can also have long-term consequences for the countries involved. Manage Settings This is IvyPanda's free database of academic paper samples. It is also important to note that we may have financial relationships with some of the companies mentioned on our website, which could result in receiving free products, services, or monetary compensation in exchange for featuring their products or services. World Politics: Trends and Transformations: Trend and Transformations. This essay will analyze the pros and cons of the special relationship in three different areas: military intervention, defense, and economy, in order to prove that the special relationships benefits have far outweighed the disadvantages and that the relationship has been a positive one for Britain. This includes western denunciations of Russias intervention in the Syrian Civil War. Retrieved from https://ivypanda.com/essays/military-interventions-advantages-and-disadvantages/. Create an account to start this course today. Paul Pillar (right), a former national intelligence officer, with teammate Aaron David Miller, argues that the U.S. should have a smaller military footprint in the Middle East. The Pros And Cons Of Military Intervention Against ISIS. As a result, they could not protect the victims of the genocide (Baarda, 2009). We will write a custom Research Paper on Military Interventions: Advantages and Disadvantages specifically for you for only 11.00 9.35/page. The link if to the courses page. These include the NATO interventions in Kosovo in 1999, the Libyan No-Fly Zone in 2011 and the UN Peacekeeping mission in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Sometimes, this strategy can indeed restore peace within a certain country. Thank you for supporting the site. Another online short course we highly recommend for those interested in humanitarian interventions is The Changing Global Order, also offered by Leiden University. If you require such advice, we recommend consulting a licensed financial or tax advisor. After the debate, those who agreed and disagreed with the motion were tied, at 45 percent each. For example, military operations can help to create a common enemy, which can bring together otherwise opposing countries or groups. To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. Military Interventions: Advantages and Disadvantages. Supporters of U.S. military intervention argue that there are many positive effects of American foreign policy. 23 May. Therefore, military and political leaders must ensure that the actions are based on verified information. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. While there was no declaration of war, there were several instances of combat between the French and American Navies during the Quasi-War. 301 lessons I would definitely recommend Study.com to my colleagues. Its like a teacher waved a magic wand and did the work for me. But these questions do provide a framework, and with it some potential guidance. I feel like its a lifeline. Therefore, many atrocities go without international intervention. This American interference was so common that even private organizations such as the United Fruit Company, Standard Fruit Company, and Cuyamel Fruit Company all interfered in the politics of Central America. Humanitarian interventions are also almost always used in cases where major world and regional powers can agree to the use of military force. Is Foreign Aid Actually A Good Thing? In the end, Kosovo was not one but two wars: an air war dominated by NATO and a ground war dominated by Serbian military and paramilitary forces. If you want to learn more about humanitarianism, explore our list of the top humanitarian online courses here. The successful use of military force can prevent further harm coming to civilian populations. One can get out of the military through a Six weeks of intense bombing of Iraq and Iraqi forces could not liberate Kuwait during the 1990-91 Persian Gulf conflict; it also took 100 hours of ground warfare. The American intervention here was seen as successful because it was mostly able to stop the violence and establish safe areas for civilians. Also problematic is safely destroying or at least securing such weapons from dangerous actors. Overall, this argument is based on the premises of the just war theory which postulates that a military action be justified when it is necessary to stop injustice (Al-Haj, 2013). Another is that military interventions both signal toughness and, as just observed, dont appear to entail a serious risk to U.S. sovereignty and security. This can definitely be a negative result of military actions for humanitarian aims. This cartoon shows how the U.S. thought of itself in the early 1900s as it intervened in many Latin American countries, often making them unstable as a result. So, these objections can be used by the critics of a humanitarian intervention. He blogs at nationalinterest.org. His books include Negotiating Peace: War Termination as a Bargaining Process (1983), Terrorism and U.S. Foreign Policy (2001) and Intelligence and U.S. Foreign Policy: Iraq, 9/11, and Misguided Reform (2011). Humanitarian interventions may aim to stop armed groups and oppressive governments from committing atrocities against civilians, however they are can be politically divisive. WebPros And Cons Of Pro War. Recklessly marches nation into war before trade and tourism sanctions can have any effect. Many countries have used the pretence of humanitarian intervention before taking military action. Before the debate, the audience at the Kaufman Music Center in New York voted 26 percent in favor of the motion and 31 percent against, with 43 percent undecided. Many people argue that interventionism leaves places worse than they were before American troops arrived. Humanitarian interventions have in the past been used to allow people in need to receive humanitarian aid. Why America Should Not Deepen Its Military Involvement in Ukraine While the American government has its own intentions for influencing other nations, there are often unintended negative consequences, commonly referred to as blowback. Russias intervention in the Syrian Civil War. On the whole, these arguments should be kept in mind by political leaders who take a decision to start a humanitarian intervention. The Pros and Cons of Humanitarian Intervention He retired in 2005 from a 28-year career in the U.S. intelligence community, with senior positions that included national intelligence officer for the Near East and South Asia, deputy chief of the DCI Counterterrorist Center and executive assistant to the director of central intelligence. Some of the problems encountered in Kosovo were tied directly to the decision to use air power alone rather than in conjunction with ground forces. Such an action raises serious questions about the use of punitive attacks; in that instance, it would have been far better to have conducted a compellent attack that was not only open-ended and massive in scope but tied to Iraqs agreeing to accept unconditional international inspections of Iraqi facilities suspected of producing or storing weapons of mass destruction. This case is important because it shows that sometimes political leaders may not have accurate information (Amstutz, 2013). Kerton-Johnson, N. (2010). Therefore, the critics of military intervention can say that the deaths cannot be justified by any geopolitical or economic interests. Canadian Social Science, 9(1), 116-134. Bombs and missiles can be fooled by decoys and frustrated by mobility and masking. The notion of an intervention providing a fixed amount of breathing room, after which the local people and governments will be on their own, is absurd; the United States will not be able to turn its back on a humanitarian problem if it gets bad enough or if U.S. strategic interests are adversely affected. He is also certified to teach social studies and history from 7th to 12th grade in Texas. Humanitarian Military Intervention: The Conditions for Success and Failure. At the White House, Doran helped devise and coordinate national strategies on a variety of Middle East issues, including Arab-Israeli relations and the containment of Iran. For instance, one can mention such a country as Rwanda in which Hutu political leaders provoked the ethnic genocide of Tutsi people (Chatterjee & Scheid, 2003, p. 5). People of America, after reviewing all the evidence, Congress has come to a conclusion and will announce the verdict after restating the necessary The condition for stopping attacks was clear: Milosevic had to meet a specified set of demands. New York, NY: Springer. These include military interventions in the Libyan Civil War, which, although removing the horrific dictator Muammar Gaddafi, also resulted in an extensive civil war that is still ongoing. The choice to intervene with military force must be made carefullyand carried out decisivelyfor American foreign policy to prosper. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007. Covert (In the end, the United States contributed several hundred intelligence, logistics, and communications specialists, but only after the UN authorized and the government of Indonesia invited in an Australian-led, multinational peacekeeping force.) This war lasted from 17981800 and was caused by American cooperation with British trading vessels while France was in the middle of the war of the first coalition against Britain and others in Europe. As can be seen from the above example, a major benefit of humanitarian intervention that it can create a space where humanitarian assistance can be provided to civilians, whilst also preventing armies from preventing aid reaching people who need it. Some examples of humanitarian interventions that have succeeded in doing this include the NATO intervention in Bosnia in 1992. The argument is particularly important when one speaks about the international intervention into the Korean War which broke out in 1950 (Krieg, 2012). There are many examples throughout history of humanitarian interventions being used to unseat repressive governments. International Journal Of Human Rights, 15(7), 1125-1135. Ultimately, the decision to intervene militarily should be made with caution and consideration for all possible outcomes. Many of these effects include: These have been the reasons for many interventions, including the Korean War, the Yugoslav Wars, the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan, and the many U.S. deployments in Africa. However, often there is wide spread agreement that the full motivation for the use of military force was aggression. The critics of this strategy argue that such an approach can turn into an instrument of coercion. Some point to the positive effects of American interventionism, such as stabilizing a region, ending genocide, and ensuring peace, but some argue that the negative effects outweigh the positive ones. Continue with Recommended Cookies. A somewhat restrained approach to humanitarian intervention is unlikely to satisfy either those who wish to put it at the center of American foreign policy or those who wish to push such efforts to the sidelines. It can be hard to find concrete examples of when humanitarian interventions have acted as deterrence to governments and regimes. Manokha, I. Certainly, the U.S. troops succeeded in destroying the regime of Saddam Hussein. As it has been said before, modern South Korea is also the result of a humanitarian intervention. WebThe main aim of a humanitarian intervention is to use military force to stop human rights abuses and atrocities. The first is the scale of the problem: not every repression is a genocide. Explore the pros and cons of U.S. military intervention and a list of notable U.S. interventions. In the case of Iraq, decisions not to use forceor to impose sharp limits on how much force would be usedhave given Saddam the time and opportunity to defy UN demands and reconstitute Iraqs weapons of mass destruction. As many interventions have taken place over the years, people often debate the effects of America's involvement in foreign nations. Finally, it is important to mention that a military intervention can result into the deaths of many American citizens. Examples of blowback include the anti-war protests in the U.S. during the Vietnam War, or the Taliban's rise to power in Afghanistan after American soldiers left in 2021. A second consideration is the likely costs and consequences of acting, both for the immediate problem and for broader U.S. strategic and economic interests. Your privacy is extremely important to us. However, at the same time, this military intrusion can only increase hostilities. Pros And Cons Of Military Intervention - 1403 Words | Cram The database is updated daily, so anyone can easily find a relevant essay example. This was in an effort to assert American independence as it was still a young and weak nation at that time. He is a Vietnam War veteran and a retired officer in the U.S. Army Reserve. There are many complex reasons why humanitarian interventions often fail to create peace in the long-term. Decisiveness is almost always preferable to gradualism. In the former, significant air power was deployed in an open-ended fashion. The United States simply cannot commit its military might everywhere all the time. When a government or militia commits war crimes, genocide or crimes against humanity it can result in wide-spread calls to intervene. In some cases, the military may be seen as an occupying force, which can fuel resistance and breed resentment among local populations. By intervening in countries where there are abuses of power and human rights violations, the military can help to promote democratic values and encourage peaceful transitions of power. The United States can help partners set up joint operations centers where, in real time, the U.S. military can showcase how intelligence-driven operations reduce A common phrase of Manifest Destiny was to annex land "from sea to shining sea," something the U.S. achieved with the annexation of Mexican California. Humanitarian Intervention: Advantages and Disadvantages in East This requires time and political capital, but it is time and capital well spent. Humanitarian crises constitute but one demand on U.S. military capabilities; the United States needs to be discriminating in its interventions, lest it exhaust itself and leave the nation unable to cope with those scenarios where its vital interests are at stake. In contrast, there are examples of failed operations. The Case Against Intervention. You can use them for inspiration, an insight into a particular topic, a handy source of reference, or even just as a template of a certain type of paper. ensure the integrity of our platform while keeping your private information safe. Although humanitarian interventions aim to stop violence and atrocities, in fact they can increase them. They have been aimed at stopping or reducing violence within certain countries. The Pros And Cons Of Military Intervention - 328 Words Pros We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. WebOne of the worst downsides of signing up is not being able to quit. Advantages and Disadvantages of Military Rule - Bscholarly In these Oxford-style debates, the team that sways the most people to its side by the end is the winner. The dismal showing of the Apache helicopters in Kosovothe difficulties in getting them there and up and runningsounds a warning that the U.S. military needs greater flexibility, which means a force that is easily moved and capable of coping with a wide range of missions in a wide range of environments. In their opinion, this main purpose of this interference is to impose ones geopolitical interests upon another country (Manokha, 2008, p. 11). In East Timor, forces should have been introduced in tandem with the referendum on its political status. (2020, May 23). If the aim of a military intervention into another country is to protect civilians and the lasting impact is further conflict, it calls into questions the benefits of humanitarian interventions. Published September 11, 2014. WebPros And Cons Of Military Intervention. Military Interventions: Advantages and Disadvantages. These interventions are usually seen as successful and popular with the contemporary American public as they gave the U.S. the chance to assert its independence as one unified nation rather than thirteen colonies. The DCI himself was a member of the Special Group. As the dispute grew more intense, the American Congress authorized the Navy to use force against French vessels. Click the link to enrol in the course. These include the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Both Iraq and Kosovo suggest that short of occupation, military force is not a very good tool for changing regimes, although a successful use of military force that weakens or humiliates an adversary can help bring about a political environment in which domestic opponents of the regime in question may be encouraged to act. An example is the US intervention in Somalia, 1992. Supporters of American interventionism rarely consider the negative effects of these actions, while some critics blame American actions for causing the instability in many regions today. WebThe Pros of U.S. Military Intervention. London: Palgrave Macmillan. The intention of this policy brief is to summarize the lessons that should have been learned from these experiences. Armed Forces: Pros and Cons of Joining the Military On April 18, Andrew Yeo joined the Wilson Center for the discussion, 70 years of the US-ROK Alliance: The Past and the Future., On April 4, Andrew Yeo joined the Center for New American Security for the discussion, Peninsula Plus: Enhancing U.S.-South Korea Cooperation., Get foreign policy updates from Brookings, 70 years of the US-ROK Alliance: The Past and the Future, Peninsula Plus: Enhancing U.S.-South Korea Cooperation, Afghanistans crises require a clear statement of US policy. An invisible genocide: how the Western media failed to report the 1994 Rwandan genocide of the Tutsi and why. This accounting makes clear that military force was either used or contemplated by the United States in myriad settings and for various aims. - Definition & Examples, What is a Social Contract? By Stephen Tankel. US-Iraq ProCon.org As discussed previously, tracking and destroying chemical weapons without a ground presence is a serious challenge even for U.S. forces. Right now, U.S. forcesmost notably the Armysare too heavy and organized into units that are often too large, too short on sea- and airlift that can use most of the worlds ports and airfields, too light on stores of advanced munitions, and too lacking in the specialized command, control, and intelligence assets and platforms needed to conduct modern combat operations. In particular, it is possible to say that this military action can be motivated primarily by political or economic interests, rather than the intention to save innocent people (Kegley, 2011, p. 364). History is full of examples of humanitarian interventions that could not go ahead because of political division, such as with the US-UK action in the Syrian Civil War following chemical weapons attacks. Kegley, C., & Blanton, S. (2011). This message needs to be amplified. These consequences can affect the U.S. or the invaded country. 1. Although there is no guarantee that what replaces a dictatorial regime will be democracy, an argument in favour of humanitarian interventions is that they can be used to remove horrific governments from power. Other governments and organizations are in a position to provide only limited assistance except where armed resistance is modest or non-existent; the lions share of any demanding military operation will have to be borne by the United States. Pros and Cons Air power might have accomplished more in Kosovo had NATO and the Clinton administration observed some of the traditional guidelines for the effective use of military force. The notion of an intervention providing a fixed amount of breathing room, after which the local people and governments will be on their own, is absurd; the United More important, it can eventually contribute to economic and political stability in the region. It is the aim. Baarda, T. (2009). The successful use of military force can prevent further harm Aggressiveness is also central to the concept of interventionism in foreign affairs: an interventionist action Another example is the decision not to dispatch a force to East Timor when order broke down there in the wake of a vote favoring independence from Indonesia. Principle of the States Sovereignty and the Phenomenon of Humanitarian Intervention Under Current International Law. This idea came from George Washington's farewell address in which he warned against interventionism, as he feared it would drag the U.S. into unnecessary wars. Instead, the reason for delay should have been the absence of partners willing to bear the brunt of the operation, an obstacle that might have been overcome by more forceful diplomacy. This is another example that should not be disregarded by political leaders. IvyPanda. But delay also exacts a price by squandering the opportunity to act preventively and with less force. This again feeds into the issue of lack of trust: and trust between those Even a stealth aircraft can be shot down. This But coercion does make for clarity of purpose, because it links intervention with a specific goal. Although the aim of a humanitarian intervention is to prevent further human rights abuses, in fact often military interventions in countries result in an increase in bloodshed.