Suchergebnisse

The role of foreign military intervention in African states has been a pervasive theme in the continent's political history since independence. The author of this book has followed these conflicts and has pieced together the complex chain of events that has involved the Soviet Union, Cuba, Libya, France and South Africa in domestic and interstate wars in Angola, Ethiopia, Chad, Mozambique, Somalia and elsewhere. He disentangles a complex skein of history, political ideology and ethnic conflict, to discern why African states invite intervention, why foreign states intervene and what their actions mean for the present and future stability and security of the continent

Introduction -- Why Do States Intervene? A Summary of Past Research -- A Quantitative Look at Adversary Military Interventions -- Summary of Factors Driving Adversary Interventions -- Summary, Signposts, and Implications -- Appendix A: Full List of Adversary Intervention Cases -- Appendix B: Coding of Adversary Case Studies -- Appendix C: Key Factors for Other U.S. Adversaries.

This book, first published in 1985, provides a comprehensive treatment of the role of the military within civil society. With analysis from a policing and military viewpoint (both rarely available in public), and legal and historical perspectives, this book sheds valuable light both on the role of the law in democratic societies, and on the way the balance between the state and civil liberties has been struck.

"Drawing together researchers and practitioners from the academic, security, and defence community, this unique book investigates why countries go to war. It uncovers the conditions under which military deployments occur and what this means for future decisions involving the use of force. The book explores how recent experiences with military interventions, war weariness amongst publics, regional flash points, and the financial crisis, are factors that impact wartime decision-making. Given the diverse backgrounds of the contributors (academic experts, serving military officers, and defence scientists), the debate is vivid and rich, revealing the complexity of the issues that play into the decision to go to war. One of the key findings is that reasons for going to war have as much to do with domestic concerns as they do with international threats. Other conclusions of the book relate to the changing character of war, whether it is fewer military fatalities overall or the unpredictable impact the improvised explosive device had in Afghanistan and Iraq. As with all seemingly simple questions, the answers are multi dimensional. The authors in this volume demonstrate the depth and complexity of the question: Are we Going To War?"--

The Russian Military Intervention in Syria examines Russia's foreign policy and attempts to protect its interests in the Middle East and former Soviet territory. Providing historical context and revealing the causes of Russia's use of military power, this book is an authoritative overview of Russia's policy goals and diplomatic handling of the Syrian conflict.

The nature and role of paid foreign forces have altered considerably in the late twentieth century. Military companies' - private firms providing active military assistance, in some cases involving combat - have exploited the increasing reluctance of Western governments and multilateral organizations to intervene directly in civil conflicts. As a result, their influence has increased. David Shearer argues that the debate over the use of these companies - notably the South African firm Executive Outcomes (EO) - has not, however, kept pace with their development. Companies such as EO are widely seen as merely modern-day mercenary outfits exploiting violence for private gain. Shearer contends that the need to recast the debate on military companies is urgent. These companies are not a passing phenomenon; if anything, their influence and activities are set to increase in the next century as Western military retrenchment continues. Efforts to restrict the activities of military companies by drafting international or domestic legislation have to date been ineffective, and are likely to remain so. This paper - the first detailed analysis of the private military sector - argues that dismissing it as an unpleasant aberration is misleading and unhelpful. Military companies can claim success in achieving immediate strategic objectives. The author cites two examples at length - EO's operations in Angola in 1993-94, and in Sierra Leone in 1995-96 - and suggests that military force can stabilize a crisis. Engagement with military companies may create possibilities for them to complement international and regional peacekeeping efforts. Traditional UN peacekeeping is flawed in terms of its speed of mobilization and lines of authority, and is hampered by interference from contributing countries. The private sector may avoid many of these difficulties. Private Armies and Military Intervention concludes that transparency of operations and business relationships is a crucial first step towards ensuring the accountability of the private military sector. However, a coherent policy towards military companies has yet to be formulated. Current frameworks under international law are insufficient and inappropriate. Characterizing the activities of military companies as mercenary' offers few useful means to tackle the issue within a framework of international policy. What is required is a more pragmatic approach that assesses the effectiveness of - and engages with - private armies.

Since the demise of the Soviet Union in 1991, Russia has tried to restore its lost status, prestige, and influence in the global political arena. At the same time, internal political challenges and international events - such as the Arab Spring and the colour revolutions in former Soviet republics - have threatened the security and the national interests of the country. Taking these challenges and opportunities into account, The Russian Military Intervention in Syria examines Russia's assertive foreign policy and its attempts to protect its geostrategic interests in the Middle East and former Soviet territory. Ohannes Geukjian analyzes the history of Russian military presence in the Middle East and the country's growing frustration with American and Western policy, revealing the objectives behind Russia's use of military power - namely, to maintain its regional influence in Eurasia and to enhance its status in the world. Geukjian provides a detailed examination of the Geneva and Astana peace processes, the geopolitical objectives of Turkey, Iran, Israel, and Saudi Arabia, and how disagreements between Russia and the United States over issues of regime change, global security, and armaments have negative implications for international conflict management. The Russian Military Intervention in Syria is an authoritative overview, based on a wide range of new and updated sources, providing a fresh interpretation and analysis of Russia's foreign policy goals and Russian diplomacy in handling the Syrian conflict.

"Drawing together researchers and practitioners from the academic, security, and defence community, this unique book investigates why countries go to war. It uncovers the conditions under which military deployments occur and what this means for future decisions involving the use of force. The book explores how recent experiences with military interventions, war weariness amongst publics, regional flash points, and the financial crisis, are factors that impact wartime decision-making. Given the diverse backgrounds of the contributors (academic experts, serving military officers, and defence scientists), the debate is vivid and rich, revealing the complexity of the issues that play into the decision to go to war. One of the key findings is that reasons for going to war have as much to do with domestic concerns as they do with international threats. Other conclusions of the book relate to the changing character of war, whether it is fewer military fatalities overall or the unpredictable impact the improvised explosive device had in Afghanistan and Iraq. As with all seemingly simple questions, the answers are multi dimensional. The authors in this volume demonstrate the depth and complexity of the question: Are we Going To War?"--

"This title was first published in 2002. Was the bombing of Belgrade morally justified as an attempt to halt 'ethnic cleansing' in Kosovo'? Should Western states have tried to prevent the slaughter in Rwanda? Are there, indeed, genuinely universal 'human rights' which could justify such interventions, or is the upholding of such rights simply the imposition of culturally specific values on other cultures? Is national sovereignty a necessary and legitimate impediment to intervention, or are we seeing the emergence of a 'new international order' in which national boundaries are less significant? These and related ethical and political questions are addressed from a wide variety of perspectives by the contributors to this book. The answers presented form important reading for students and researchers in philosophy and in international relations, and for anyone interested in the difficult questions about whether and when other states may intervene in a country's internal affairs in order to uphold human rights."--Provided by publisher.