Revision

My exam is now two days away and things are busy. The easter bank holiday was fun and it involved the inevitable gardening and weeding. Something that I can enjoy, provided the sun is out and I have a cold drink to hand.

Revision is interesting for me, as I an revisiting some thought provoking materials for the 'war, intervention and development' module that I am sitting. Edward Luttwak's 'Give War a chance' paper is an especially thought provoking one; his argument now is that most interventions are of the indifferent type, where the underlying conflict is not resolved, only paused. An externally enforced ceasefire only allows both sides to re-arm, re-group and re-train themselves so that they can continue with the war at a later time.

Luttwak argues that no-one should intervene but let both sides fight it out until one side is utterly defeated or that both sides get exhausted of the conflict. His piece argues that war is ultimately trying to resolve conflicts and achieve peace and that well-intentioned interventions (through aid or refugee management or military monitors) serves only to appease the public of the west that they are 'doing something' but actually prolongs the conflict.

I disagree with Luttwak on many issues but he makes some very good points. One is that if there is to be a miltiary intervention by outside forces, they are to take sides and tip the balance one way or the other; providing a knock-out blow and thereby ending the conflict. Taking sides however is a slippery slope.

A second point is that by rushing in to take care of the displaced and refugee and the injured, the international community will be be taking care of an aspect of the war that combatants would do. This is a classic Nightingales risk. Resources that would drain a war through taking care of the civilian populace is now undertaken (for free) by international organisations.

A third point is that military interventions without a robust mandate undermine the legitimacy of the UN and gives a false sense of security to populations that would otherwise either fight back or flee. He cites the example of Kosovo and the former Yugoslavia where UN monitors could only standby as ethnic cleasing progressed, partly because of an inadequate mandate and partly because of the need to safe guard their own troops.

Anyway, a long discussion is required for this and I have no time.