Wk 9 - Humanitarian Intervention Flashcards
What is the key issue in the international response to mass atrocities?
What 3 reasons for inaction, according to Bellamy
Political will
International system privileges sovereign rights over people’s
National governments reluctant to prioritise/give resources to prevention/halting of mass killing
Even if norms/priorities amended, still prudential issues
What are the 3 main forms of humanitarian intervention?
Unilateral
Multilateral consent-based peacekeeping
Multilateral non-consent based interventions
Why is genocide an ongoing issue? (x2)
Egs (x3)
Ongoing because they’re a political strategy
Are rational within state’s ideology
Eg Jews being forced out of Germany pre-WWII: many who got out were returned; failure to expel = other option, extermination, to ‘remove the problem’
Ottoman Empire and Armenians: seen as unmanageable threat; resolved by making them march
Rwanda: Hutus killed own president in order to incite violence against Tutsis/moderates
According to Harff, what are 6 main risk factors useful in predicting genocide/mass murder, in model that Predicted 74% of genocide/mass murder that occurred between 1955-200
Political upheaval over past 15 yrs
Prior genocide = 3 times risk
Elite ideology = 2.5 times
Autocratic regime 3.5 times more likely than democracy
Ethnic/religious cleavages = 2.5 times
International independence/low trade = 2.5 times; less connections with outside world = more likely
Samantha Power argued that mass atrocities continue because US govt… (x3)
Inability to take action
Policy assumes rationality – civilians will keep their heads down and be OK – promote cease-fires and donate aid
No domestic political pressure to do things any differently
What is humanitarian intervention? (x1)
Threat/use of force across borders by state/groups to prevent/end HR violations, without consent of state regarding its territory
What is the history of unilateral humanitarian interventions? (x6)
1970s: not claimed as HI at the time
eg India had prior wars with Pakistan, so weren’t believed when claiming HI in East Pakistan/Bangladesh after 1 million dead
Vietnam overthrew Pol Pot in Cambodia, and
Tanzania overthrew Idi Amin in Uganda – both condemned breach of sovereignty
What was the main issue re unilateral humanitarian interventions in the 1970s?
Egs (x3)
No clear norm existed,
eg Vietnam/Cambodia both ‘created’ rebel movements assist in order to justify
While other events eg Indonesia invading East Timor in 1975 were ignored by everybody
19902 saw big increases in what types of humanitarian intervention (moving beyond unilateral)? (x3)
HI without host state consent, but with UN’s
Traditional peacekeeping missions intervening in conflict/atrocities
Peace enforcement, Ch 7, missions with consent of host
What is the history of Somalian conflict? (x7)
Same ethnicity, but different clans
Ill-prepped for independence: clans governed outside 2 major cities, corruption and violence
Military coup in 1969, Barre assumed power, takes up ‘scientific socialism’ to gain Soviet patronage
1977-78 failed war to conquer Ogaden region of Ethiopia: third of Somali army destroyed; lost Soviet/gained some US support
1980s: Barre attacked those not united against him; uses aid to rebuild army
Full civil war 1988-1991: US walks away from government, and negotiations
Barre fled in 1991, United Somali Congress took power and rapidly disintegrated into at least 14 factions
What is the history of humanitarian interventions in Somalia?
UNOSOM 1, 1992: Ch 6, 50 observers and 500 security, took 2 months to capture Mogadishu airport
UNITAF: Ch 7, as judged there was no government whose permission could be sought; US took charge
UNOSOM 2: 1993, US argues there is secure environment; under fire during supposed weapons inspection/confiscation/radio station take-over – were told they’d be attacked, but message not relayed; Black Hawk Down – 19 dead US soldiers; Clinton pulled them out
What is the ‘Mogadishu line’ (outcome of Somalian interventions)? (x1)
Which led to…(x2)
The effect of losing own troops = retreat in Haiti, and inaction in Rwanda
What are the lessons of the Somali interventions? (4)
Assistance and infrastructure reconstruction came apart as country went back to war
Need tools to do the job, a reflection of resources available? and
Agreement/cooperation on tasks
Political will is crucial
Ongoing issues of state failure led to… (x4)`
Kenya invades 2011, now supporting AU mission
2012 Somali elected first post-transition head of state – seen as victory of civil society over corrupt govt
22 000 troops still present – AU mission
Al Shabaab still active (Westgate Mall killings in Nairobi), but leader killed 01/09/14
What are safe areas? (x1)
With the objective of? (x1)
Operations with the purpose of protecting IDPs within state’s borders, in temporary designated area
Protect and contain large numbers with relatively small force in few areas
