Humanitarian Intervention

by Weiss, Thomas G.; Evans, Gareth

• ISBN13: 9780745659800
• ISBN10: 0745659802
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2012-03-12
• Publisher: Polity Pr

Summary

A singular development of the post Cold-War era is the use of military force to protect human beings. From Rwanda to Kosovo, Sierra Leone to East Timor, and more recently Libya to Côte d'Ivoire, soldiers have rescued some civilians in some of the world's most notorious war zones. Could more be saved? Drawing on over two decades of research, Thomas G. Weiss answers "yes" and provides a persuasive introduction to the theory and practice of humanitarian intervention in the modern world. He examines political, ethical, legal, strategic, economic, and operational dimensions and uses a wide range of cases to highlight key debates and controversies. The updated and expanded second edition of this succinct and highly accessible survey is neither celebratory nor complacent. The author locates the normative evolution of what is increasingly known as "the responsibility to protect" in the context of the global war on terror, UN debates, and such international actions as Libya. The result is an engaging exploration of the current dilemmas and future challenges for robust international humanitarian action in the twenty-first century.

Author Biography

Thomas G. Weiss is presidential professor of political science and director of the Ralph Bunche Institute for International Studies at the City University of New York Graduate Center.

Table of Contents

About the Author

Foreword to the Second Edition by Gareth Evans

Preface and Acknowledgments

List of Abbreviations

Introduction

Conceptual Building Blocks

"Humanitarian" Interventions: Thumbnail Sketches

New Wars and New Humanitarianisms

New Thinking: The Responsibility to Protect

So What? Moving from Rhetoric to Reality

Notes

Selected Readings

Index

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