America's Post-Cold War Military Humanitarian Assistance Policy: A Study inInconsistency

摘要

In the decade since the end of the Cold War, American policy on the use of themilitary in humanitarian assistance operations has been remarkable for its inconsistency and, for the last several years, its timidity. As a result, instead of achieving a new world order based on its values and interests the United States is poised to enter the twenty-first century in a world of disorder where it is viewed as unwilling to intervene in crises for fear of placing American lives at risk. To rectify this situation, the United States must embrace a policy that recognizes there are times when military force should be used to protect basic humanitarian values even in the absence of other national interests. This paper traces the evolution of U.S. military humanitarian assistance policy since 1991, concludes that the flexible use of force policy enunciated in the 1997 National Military Strategy is the right one for the new century, and recommends the Clinton Administration adopt this policy in the next revision of its National Security Strategy.