U.S. INTERVENTION.   Term Paper ID:26671 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: Examines complex nature of ethnic conflicts & recent U.S. involvement & recommends intervention only in special & extreme cases.... More...

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Paper Abstract: Examines complex nature of ethnic conflicts & recent U.S. involvement & recommends intervention only in special & extreme cases. Paper Introduction: Dealing with Ethnic Conflict As much as is possible, the United States and the international community should refrain from intervention into ethnic conflicts within sovereign nations. Unfortunately, there will exist cases where the violence against unarmed civilians becomes so great and so atrocious that fundamental issues of humanity require that some action be taken. Thus, in cases of extreme violence, the United States should act in concert with the international community to force a diplomatic solution and, if necessary, commit international peacekeeping forces until such a solution can be reached. The Clinton Administration has already demonstrated its willingness to intervene in ethnic conflicts where it can have no strategic gain. Mandelbaum notes several cases in the early 1990s that demonst Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. However, while Kaufmann points out thefailure of compromise in the problem of ethnic conflict itself, Betts notesthe failure of compromise when creating a solution. Unfortunately,this may be the only time the conflict can be solved and the nationalborders maintained. Unfortunately, the latter can often be thecase in ethnic conflicts. Rather, Mandelbaum maintains, the Clintoninterventions were intended to promote American values (1996, p. 138). Kaufmann leans toward the third solution as the only real long-termsolution to the problem of ethnic conflict. 137). Kaufmann's solution, then, would seem to allow for internationalassistance at the early stages of the conflict if the final goal is to keepthe nation unified (Kaufmann, 1996, p. Dealing with Ethnic Conflict As much as is possible, the United States and the internationalcommunity should refrain from intervention into ethnic conflicts withinsovereign nations. International Security, 7 , 136-175. The internationalcommunity was able therefore to generate support against a common,identifiable enemy. 31). However, the internationalcommunity may often be unwilling to interfere in the affairs of a sovereignnation when there is no evidence that violence is a problem. Thus, in many cases, the international community may be unable toidentify an enemy against whom they can rally support or they may be forcedto wait until the situation deteriorates until choosing the better sidebecomes only a matter of degree. However, he maintains his argument that itis the nature of ethnic conflict that there may come a point of no return(Kaufmann, 1996, p. Foreign Affairs, 75, 16-33. 137). To accept fragmentation into nation-states as the firstsolution could be to open the door to mass confusion. Unfortunately, as Richard Betts points out,intervention in a civil war usually becomes an issue only when the sidesare closely enough matched that neither can defeat the other quickly (1994,p. 31). 17).However, Mandelbaum also notes the lack of popularity of theAdministration's actions with the American public and the country's generaldissatisfaction with the foreign policy of the early Clinton Administration(1996, p. has centered on Americaninterests, defined as developments that could affect the lives of Americancitizens. The problem inherent in Kaufmann's solution of population transfer isthat many countries in the world contain numerous ethnic enclaves. However, Milosevic did offer a tangible targetagainst which the military force could be directed. Generally, Mandelbaum maintains, foreign policy's purpose isto maintain the best possible relations consistent with the nation'sinterests rather than cultivate good relations with other countries underany circumstances (Mandelbaum, 1996, p. And only as a final solution should theinternational community choose to recognize either party to the conflict asan independent state. More recently, the United States acted in concert with theinternational community in the use of military action in Bosnia solely tostop the extreme acts of violence against the Muslims by the Serbs andtheir leader Slobodan Milosevic. He maintains that compromisesolutions aimed at restoring multi-ethnic civil politics and at avoidingpopulation transfers, such as power-sharing, state re-building, or identityreconstruction, cannot work because they do not address the issue ofsecurity and because ethnic fears and hatreds hardened by war are extremelyresistant to change (Kaufmann, 1996, p. Etzioni, A. References Betts, R. The Administration acted to relieve sufferingcaused by ethnic cleansing in Bosnia, starvation in Somalia, and oppressionin Haiti. The ambivalence in the American public's reaction to the internationalcommunity's recent military intervention in Bosnia reveals a generalambivalence toward the use of military force where no tangible strategicinterests are at risk. The Delusion of Impartial Intervention. 32). Thus, when faced with the problem of ethnic conflict, the UnitedStates in concert with the international community should first encouragecommunities to work out their differences within existing nationalboundaries. Unfortunately, there will exist cases where the violenceagainst unarmed civilians becomes so great and so atrocious thatfundamental issues of humanity require that some action be taken. (1996, January/February). Foreign Policy. 17). Such ethnic conflicts should bemonitored in an attempt to identify a point at which it appears peace isdeteriorating and substantial diplomatic effort should be expended at thattime to prevent further deterioration. 139). 174). Thus, incases of extreme violence, the United States should act in concert with theinternational community to force a diplomatic solution and, if necessary,commit international peacekeeping forces until such a solution can bereached. The Evils of Self-Determination. The Clinton Administration has already demonstrated its willingness tointervene in ethnic conflicts where it can have no strategic gain.Mandelbaum notes several cases in the early 199 s that demonstrated theAdministration's intervention into intra-national ethnic conflicts thatwere solely concerned with the social, political, and economic conditionswithin those countries' borders rather than an international relationship(Mandelbaum, 1996, p. He concludes that restoring civil politics in multi-ethnicstates ensconced in war is therefore impossible because the conflict itselfdestroys the possibilities for ethnic cooperation (Kaufmann, 1996, p. 137). Thus, Kaufmann argues that the only solution to ethnic conflict isthe physical separation of the rival groups. 174). Kaufmann, C. 139). He is aware that advocating such populationtransfers may well be playing into the hands of the very extremistsresponsible for the atrocities. 174). 31). A solution to such a conflict will beimpossible if neither side is willing to compromise. Kaufmann also points out that ethnic conflicts differ substantiallyfrom conflicts between nations, both in their substance and in the means oftheir resolution. Historically the foreign policy of the U.S. Foreign Policy as SocialWork. He argues that if theUnited States or the United Nations chooses to act in such a conflict, theymust act decisively--by either lending their full military weight to oneside or forcing both to compromise (Betts, 1994, p. He advocates the possiblesuccess of humanitarian intervention to establish a lasting peace, but onlywhere the international community is prepared to recognize that some statescannot be unified and population transfers are sometimes necessary(Kaufmann, 1996, p. AsAmitai Etzioni notes, it is impossible to sustain the notion that everyethnic group can only find its expression by creating its own nation-state(Etzioni, 27). Richard Betts also argues against the success of compromise positionsin dealing with ethnic conflicts. (1996, Spring). Further, new ethnic identities can be generated quitereadily by drawing on subtle differences in religion, culture and loyalty(Etzioni, 27). Rather, he argues, ethnicconflicts can end only with complete victory of one side, temporarysuppression of the conflict by third party military occupation, or by self-governance of separate communities (Kaufmann, 1996, p. Also, the intermingled populationsettlement patterns create real security difficulties that Kaufmann arguesintensify violence, motivate activities like ethnic "cleansing," andprevent de-escalation of the conflict unless the groups are separated(1996, p. Only in cases of extreme violenceshould the United States and the international community rely on a militaryintervention to end the conflict. However, they must offer clear, decisive solutions and makeclear what action will be taken if a peaceful solution is not found. Mandelbaum, M. Consider also that ethnic conflicts often surroundissues of self-determination that are related to the rights over specificgeography or self-government. AsEtzioni suggests, governments that face ethnic challenges should be urgedto provide more local autonomy and more democratic federalism in order toprevent dissolution (Etzioni, 29). Ethnic conflicts are disputes between communities that see themselvesas having distinct rights over the power relationship between thecommunities (Kaufmann, 1996, p. By the time the conflict escalates to violence and theinternational community becomes involved, it may be too late to maintainthe safety of a given minority within the nation's borders. The basis for such rights may vary,but Kaufmann points out that the possible and impossible solutions toethnic conflicts follow from the lack of flexibility of the individualloyalties involved. Possible and Impossible Solutions toEthnic Civil Wars. He argues that in ethnic conflicts the "hypernationalist"rhetoric and atrocities used to seal ethnic identities create such aninternal schism that cross-ethnic political appeals are unlikely andunsuccessful (Kaufmann, 1996, p. Foreign Affairs, 73,2 -33. However, the early interventions by the Clinton Administrationdid not fit that criterion. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.