For each case when third-party force failed to achieve political aims (for example, Somalia), one can also point to instances where, arguably, if force had been used early in the conflict and in a decisive fashion, tragedy might have been prevented (Rwanda). This statement reflects a popular and widespread notion about the role that limited military force, frequently in the guise of an international rapid-reaction brigade, can play in forestalling or even preventing the outbreak of violence. Such notions are predicated on the conviction that the mere presence of a small number of foreign troops can have a chilling effect on current (or potential) combatants in many conflicts. Unfortunately, this belief often stems more from political imperatives and idealistic rationalizations of what ought to be possible than from a realistic net assessment of the operational realities troops face on the ground.
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