Post on 17-Dec-2015
Humanitarian Interventions?
India in East Pakistan (1971)
Tanzania in Uganda (1978)
Vietnam in Cambodia (1978)
Post CW interventions
Northern Iraq (1991) Somalia (1992-93) Bosnia (1992-94) Rwanda (1994) Haiti (1994-95) Kosovo (1999) East Timor (1999)
Impact of end of CW
Created new opportunities and imperatives
New view of 3rd world conflict
Growing public pressure for HI
Unlocked the UNSC
Post CW interventions
Northern Iraq (1991) Somalia (1992-93) Bosnia (1992-94) Rwanda (1994) Haiti (1994-95) Kosovo (1999) East Timor (1999)
Somalia: the essentials
Two missions(i) UNITAF: Dec 92 – May 93(ii) UNOSOM: up to Feb. 1995
Three UNSC resolutions794: UNITAF mandate814: UNOSOM II mandate837: Declaration of war
Background: Somalia
Cold War legacy: economic ruin and country awash with weapons
1991: USC overthrow Siad Barre
1992: Somali state collapses
1992: Death of Somalia
USC splits in warring factions(a) President Ali Mahdi(b) Gen. M. Farah Aideed
Growing humanitarian crisis: war and famine
UN agencies flee Somalia
Deployment of UNOSOM (Aug)
1992: Death of Somalia
USC splits in warring factions(a) President Ali Mahdi(b) Gen. M. Farah Aideed
Growing humanitarian crisis: war and famine
UN agencies flee Somalia
Deployment of UNOSOM (Aug)
1991: brave new world
The Gulf War (w/Soviet help) Kurdistan Collapse of Soviet Union
New BOP and emerging normative order
Agenda for Peace (Jan. 1992)
Peace-keeping is the deployment of a United Nations presence in the field, hitherto with the consent of all the parties concerned, normally involving United Nations military and/or police personnel and frequently civilians as well.
Pressure builds in DC
Ismat Kittani report to UNSC (25 Nov): 70-80 of food aid not reaching the hungry
CARE USA leads alliance of INGOs calling for intervention
Debate within deputies group: “our helicopters don’t work in deserts.”
NGOs divided
For: CARE USA and Oxfam-USA
Against: MSF and Save the Children
Unsure: Concern Worldwide and Oxfam-UK
Pressure builds in DC
Ismat Kittani report to UNSC (25 Nov): 70-80 of food aid not reaching the hungry
CARE USA leads alliance of INGOs calling for intervention
Debate within deputies group: “our helicopters don’t work in deserts.”
Operation Restore Hope
VCJCS says “yes”
3 Dec: UNSCR 794
9 Dec: Marines hit the beaches
Why?(a) public opinion(b) Clinton and Bosnia
Weinberger-Powell Doctrine
Clear (doable) goals
Success likely
Decisive and overwhelming force
Clear (quick) exit strategy
UNITAF
37,000 strong, over 20 nations
28,000 = US forces (10 Mt Div and 1 MEF)
Also large and capable contingents from France (2800), Canada (2200), Italy (1300) and Belgium.
UNITAF: rapid deployment
Robert Oakley clears the path
9-16 Dec: secured Mogadishu, Kismayo, Baidoa, and Baledogle
16-28 Dec: completed full deployment, one month ahead of schedule
UNSCR 794
Based on Chap VII
UNITAF was to use “all necessary means to establish as soon as possible a secure environment for humanitarian relief operations in Somalia.”
Disarmament?: not likely
Bush (5 Dec): UNITAF to “open supply routes, to get the food moving, and to prepare the way for a UN peacekeeping force.”
Boutros-Ghali letter to Bush (8 Dec).
CJCS Powell: “Disarmament is not possible in a country where everybody has a weapon.”
Lt. Gen. Johnson: “totally naïve.”
Creating security?
UNITAF engaged in haphazard disarmament (French/Belgium v US)
Guarding NGOs:* disarming NGO guards!* practice changes in Mogadishu after March* Australian (Baidoa) & Belgian (Kismayo)
Patrolling: US “human tanks” v French in
skirts
Disarmament agreements
7 point agreement btw Aideed and Ali Mahdi (11 Dec 1992)
Addis Ababa agreement by 15 factions (8 Jan 1993)
Addis Ababa Conference on National Reconciliation (27 March 1993)
UNOSOM II
28,000 troops from 30 nations
Major contingents from Pakistan, Belgium, France and Italy
US force stays on: logistics (3,000) and QRF (1,150)
Chaotic handover: Pakistanis and Italians ill-equipped, Indians late, “exhausted and demoralised” HQ
UNSCR 814
Prevent resumption of violence
Take action against peace spoilers
Control heavy weapons and seize small arms
Secure aid and protect UN/NGOs
all under Chap VII
Road to war
Early shows of force in Jan
SNA sneak heavy weapons back into Mogadishu
May: Belgians repulse SNA from Kismayo
Possible op against Radio Mogadishu
5 June: SNA ambush Pakistan unit, killing 24 and injuring 57
UNSCR 837
UNSOM II to “take all necessary measures against those responsible for the armed attacks.”
Including those responsible for inciting the attacks
The UN-SNA war
June: UNOSOM offensive
July: UN under siege
August: hunt for Aideed(led by Task Force Ranger)
UNOSOM II collapses
3 Oct: 18 killed, 78 injured
7 Oct: Clinton ceases offensive ops, and US to pull out by March 1994
Europeans follow suit
India, Malaysia, and Pakistan left holding the fort until Feb. 1995
Myth of mission creep
Boutros-Ghali & Albright pushing the HI agenda
UNOSOM II mandate: overly-ambitious from the start
BBG backed Howe’s gunboat diplomacy
Public opinion
CNN effect:- policy: certainty v uncertainty- political: unity v disunity
Body-bag syndrome:- cause and time- political v public tolerance
Force protection v protecting civilians
US “human tanks” in Mogadishu
Haiti (Sept 1993):* 10 Mt Div in Port-au-Prince v US Marines in Cap Haitien* MNF CO Maj. Gen. Meade v CJSC Gen. Shelton
The shadow of Somalia
Gen. Sir Michael Rose (UNPROFOR): “the Mogadishu Line”
PDD-25: don’t call us
Agenda for Peace 1995: consent, impartiality and non-use of force
Rwanda: April-July 1994