Humanitarianism Under Fire: The US and UN Intervention in Somalia

by Kenneth R. Rutherford

The international humanitarian intervention in Somalia was one of the most challenging operations ever conducted by US and UN military forces. Until Somalia, the UN had never run a Chapter VII exercise with large numbers of troops operating under a fighting mandate. It became a deadly test of the UN’s ability carry out a peace operation using force against an adversary determined to sabotage the intervention.

Humanitarianism Under Fire is a candid, detailed historical and political narrative of this remarkably complicated intervention that was one of the first cases of multilateral action in the post-Cold War era. Rutherford presents new information gleaned from interviews and intensive research in five countries. His evidence shows how Somalia became a turning point in the relationship between the UN and US and how policy and strategy decisions in military operations continue to refer back to this singular event, even today.

240 pages, Paperback

First published July 20, 2008

Reviews

[Gwilym · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. From one who knew Somalia through vocation, he applies his love and understanding of the country to try and collate the factors which result in todays anarchic existence for Somali people as a result of the 1990s US/UN intervention. Highlighting both the dangers and shortcomings of a Chapter VII exercise for the UN as well as its reliance on the US military firepower, the book exposes weaknesses in the multilateral approach to peacekeeping developed by Clinton/Bush, and the effect that Somalia had on its implementation after "Black Hawk Down". Recommended reading for all those studying post Cold War peacekeeping operations and those seeking to understand Al Qaeda et al and their motivations and gall when waging a new war against the US and allies.