Grasping the Nettle: Analyzing Cases of Intractable Conflict

by Chester A. Crocker, Fen Osler Hampson (Editor), Pamela Aall editors (Editor)

Among the unwelcome legacies of the past century are a group of conflicts, both intrastate and interstate, that seem destined never to end. From Kashmir to Nagorno-Karabakh, Colombia to Sudan, the Korean Peninsula to the Middle East, these deeply entrenched, intermittently violent conflicts have so far resisted all outside efforts to resolve them. What lessons—aside from the apparent futility of mediation—can such dismal situations possibly offer? As the distinguished contributors to Grasping the Nettle make plain, this is not a rhetorical question. Unyielding conflicts offer numerous insights—not only about the sources of intractability but also about such facets of mediation and conflict management as how to gain leverage, when to engage and disengage, how to balance competing goals, and who to enlist to play supporting roles. The first part of this eye-opening volume identifies and analyzes the defining characteristics and underlying dynamics of intractable conflicts. The second part turns the spotlight on no fewer than eight current cases, in each instance chronicling the conflict’s evolution, evaluating the internal and external factors that have conspired to prevent a settlement, and assessing whether past peacemaking initiatives have in fact only aggravated the conflict. The conclusion makes the point that even intractable conflicts eventually end and highlights the strategic approaches and tactical steps that have yielded success in the past for mediators and conflict managers from governments, international organizations, and NGOs.

436 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Chester Arthur Crocker (born October 29, 1941) is the James R. Schlesinger professor of strategic studies at Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service and serves on the board of its Institute for the Study of Diplomacy. Dr. Crocker’s teaching and research focus on international security and conflict management.

From 1981 to 1989, Dr. Crocker served as Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs. He developed the strategy and led the diplomacy that produced the treaties signed by Angola, Cuba, and South Africa in New York in December 1988. These agreements resulted in Namibia’s independence (March 1990) and the withdrawal of foreign forces from Namibia and Angola. President Ronald Reagan granted him the President’s Citizens Medal, the country’s second highest civilian award.

Dr. Crocker chaired the board of the United States Institute of Peace (1992-2004) and continued to serve as a director of this independent, nonpartisan institution through 2011. He serves on the boards of Universal Corporation, Inc., a leading independent trading company in leaf tobacco and agricultural products; and the Good Governance Group Ltd, a strategic advisory consultancy service. He is a member of the World Bank’s Independent Advisory Board on governance and anti-corruption; is a founding member of the Global Leadership Foundation, a leading international NGO that advises leaders facing governance and conflict challenges; and also serves on the international advisory board of International Affairs (London). Dr. Crocker consults as advisor on strategy and negotiation to a number of U.S. and European firms.

Dr. Crocker’s previous professional experience includes service as news editor of Africa Report magazine (1968-69) and staff officer at the National Security Council (1970-72) where he worked on Middle East, Indian Ocean, and African issues. He first joined Georgetown University as director of its Master of Science in Foreign Service program, serving concurrently as associate professor of international relations (1972-80). He served as director of African studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (1976-80).

Dr. Crocker lectures and writes on international politics, U.S. foreign policy, conflict management and security issues, and African affairs. He has appeared on numerous television shows, as a dinner or keynote speaker at conferences in the U.S., Europe and Africa, and as a witness in Congressional hearings. His book, High Noon in Southern Africa: Making Peace in a Rough Neighborhood, was published by Norton in 1993. He is the co-author of Taming Intractable Conflicts: Mediation in the Hardest Cases (2004) and co-editor with Fen O. Hampson and Pamela Aall of: Rewiring Regional Security in a Fragmented World (2011), Leashing the Dogs of War: Conflict Management in a Divided World (2007), Grasping the Nettle: Analyzing Cases of Intractable Conflict (2005), Turbulent Peace: The Challenges of Managing International Conflict (2001), Herding Cats: Multiparty Mediation in a Complex World (1999) and Managing Global Chaos: Sources of and Responses to International Conflict (1996).

Reviews

[Liquidlasagna · Rating 1 out of 5]

Journal of Conflict Studies

Crocker, Hampson, and Aall also make several controversial statements, such as when they mention the need “to empower the local populace in the peace process so that elites are accountable to their constituents.” (page 183)

If nothing else, this makes one wonder about the sheer magnitude of things expected from mediators.

It also raises questions about what the authors would consider to be a successful mediation in an intractable conflict.

/////

Political Psychology

The editors remain cautious in their hope that third-party intervention alone can help solve intractable conflicts; their record of such success in the past remains poor.

Bad diplomacy, lack of interest, and the larger geopolitical environment can all affect the motives, goals, and priorities of third-party actors. The cases in this volume teach that conflict management may prove the best outcome in a bad lot of alternatives, but biased third-party intervention only helps if that party remains willing to use its leverage to deliver its ally to the bargaining table; weak or incompetent intervention can definitely make the conflict worse.

I. William Zartman’s chapter analyzing intractability discusses the ways in which previously failed efforts to resolve a conflict can make subsequent peacemaking efforts more difficult.

In addition, Zartman’s rich and multifaceted analysis suggests that biased third parties can often hinder the peace process, particularly if they remain constrained by their own domestic political constituencies

The second section of the Crocker et al. edited volume presents particular case studies of intractable conflict. J. Stephen Morrison and Alex de Waal discuss the impact of oil on the prospects for peace in Sudan. Steven Burg examines the impact of Western powers with competing agendas on the Balkans. Paul Hare investigates the impact of demobilization and reintegration efforts in light of the timing of elections in Angola. Cynthia Arnson and Teresa Whitfield note the impact of the drug trade on conflict in Columbia.

In his chapter on conflict in Central Asia, Charles King suggests that both parties may gain from a conflict; when this dynamic results, overall incentive structures need to change in order for peace to emerge as a viable and desirable outcome for all participants.

In the end, this volume indicates that third-party intervention remains a challenging but valuable option for the resolution of intractable conflicts, at least in some cases.

The editors feel that conflict management may prove the best realistic option for many conflicts, but that such a solution is neither stable nor effective over time unless the relevant third party makes consistent efforts to achieve a more permanent peace through negotiated settlement.