Humanitarian Intervention and Safety Zones Iraq, Bosnia and Rwanda

by McQueen, Carol

• ISBN13: 9781403948755
• ISBN10: 1403948755
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2006-03-06
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan

Summary

Neither willing to engage in a meaningful way to save targeted civilians in Iraq, Bosnia and Rwanda nor stand entirely aside as massive violations of humanitarian law occurred, states embraced safety zones as a means to 'do something' whilst avoiding being drawn into open warfare. Humanitarian Intervention and Safety Zones: Iraq, Bosnia and Rwanda explores why and how effectively safety zones were implemented as a way to protect civilians and displace persons in three of the most important conflicts of the 1990s. It shows how states consistently sought to reconcile their political and humanitarian interest, a process which often led to problematic and ambiguous outcomes, and assesses in fascinating detail the difficulties and controversies surrounding the use of such zones, variously called safe havens, safe areas, secure humanitarian areas, andzones humanitaires sures . The book also asks whether or not such zones could serve as precedents for possible future attempts to ensure the safety of civilians in complex humanitarian emergencies.

Author Biography

CAROL MCQUEEN is Political Affairs Officer with the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Table of Contents

List of Figures	x
List of Acronyms	xi
Acknowledgements	xiii
Chapter 1 Introduction	1	(23)
Safety zones in the 1990's: definition and distinctiveness	2	(6)
Historical precedents	2	(1)
Legal codification	3	(3)
Safety zones in the 1990's	6	(2)
Accounting for safety zones through a broadened conception of interest	8	(3)
Community interests and the case studies	11	(8)
Community interests as focal points	12	(1)
Community interests as enablers	13	(4)
Community interests as constraints	17	(1)
Community interests as aspects of identity	18	(1)
State interests and the case studies	19	(2)
State interests as enablers	19	(1)
State interests as constraints	20	(1)
State interests as aspects of identity	20	(1)
Community and state interests in interaction	21	(1)
The end of the cold war	21	(3)
Chapter 2 Providing Comfort at Home: Safe Haven in Iraq	24	(27)
The 1991 Gulf War and its aftermath	25	(4)
The initial phase of the Kurdish crisis	29	(5)
State interests and the initial phase of the Kurdish crisis	30	(2)
Community interests and the initial phase of the Kurdish crisis	32	(2)
The creation of a safe haven for the Kurds	34	(13)
Community interests and the creation of the safe haven	35	(8)
State interests and the creation of the safe haven	43	(4)
The implementation of the safe haven	47	(3)
State interests and the implementation of the safe haven	48	(1)
Community interests and the implementation of the safe haven	49	(1)
Conclusion	50	(1)
Chapter 3 Only So Far but No Further: Safe Areas in Bosnia	51	(45)
The war in Bosnia prior to the safe areas	53	(4)
Origins of the conflict in Bosnia	53	(3)
Nature of international involvement during 1992	56	(1)
The creation of the Srebrenica safe area	57	(10)
Community interests and the Srebrenica safe area	59	(5)
State interests and the Srebrenica safe area	64	(3)
The extension of the safe are concept and strategy for implementation	67	(8)
State interests and the extension of the safe area concept	70	(3)
Community interests and the extension of the safe area concept	73	(2)
The safe area crises, August 1993—July 1995	75	(13)
The safe area crises	76	(5)
Community interests and the safe area crises	81	(5)
State interests and the safe area crises	86	(2)
Safe area endgame	88	(6)
Community interests and the safe area endgame	89	(2)
State interests and the safe area endgame	91	(3)
Conclusion	94	(2)
Chapter 4 A Decision Not to Act: Proposed UN Secure Humanitarian Areas in Rwanda	96	(27)
Rwanda prior to the genocide	97	(7)
Origins of the Rwandan genocide	97	(4)
UN involvement in Rwanda prior to and during the genocide	101	(3)
International inaction following the start of the genocide	104	(13)
State interests and international inaction	105	(2)
Community interests and international inaction	107	(10)
The adoption and non-implementation of secure humanitarian areas (SHAs)	117	(4)
Community interests and the adoption and non-implementation of SHAs	118	(1)
State interests and the adoption and non-implementation of the SHAs	119	(2)
Conclusion	121	(2)
Chapter 5 Too Little, Too Late: France's Zone Humanitaire Sûre in Rwanda	123	(26)
France and Rwanda, 1990-1994	126	(3)
France's initial indifference to genocide	129	(6)
State interests and France's initial indifference	130	(4)
Community interests and France's initial indifference	134	(1)
France's change of course and the launch of Operation Turquoise	135	(6)
State interests and the launch of Operation Turquoise	136	(1)
Community interests and the launch of Operation Turquoise	137	(4)
The implementation and effectiveness of the ZHS	141	(6)
State interests and the implementation of the ZHS	143	(3)
Community interests and the implementation of the ZHS	146	(1)
Conclusion	147	(2)
Chapter 6 Conclusion	149	(14)
State and community interests and the creation and implementation of safety zones in the 1990's	150	(4)
Overall assessment of the safety zones of the 1990's	154	(7)
Beyond the 1990's	161	(2)
Notes	163	(41)
Bibliography	204	(17)
Interviews	204	(2)
Conducted by author	204	(1)
Conducted by 'Death of Yugoslavia', BBC documentary	205	(1)
Conducted by 'The Triumph of Evil', Frontline PBS documentary www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/evil/	206	(1)
Inquiries and special reports	206	(1)
Bosnia	206	(1)
Rwanda	206	(1)
Secondary sources	207	(14)
Index	221