Intervention: The Use of American Military Force in the Post-Cold War World

by Richard N. Haass

Contrary to the expectations of some and the hopes of many, the demise of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War did not bring about an era of peace and stability. Rather, conflict between and within states is commonplace, and threaten to become more violent and dangerous with the spread of unconventional arms and the means to deliver them. Important, even vital, U.S. interests could be jeopardized in such a disorderly world. As a result, questions of when, where, and how the United States ought to use military force are certain to continue to dominate the U.S. foreign policy debate.
Richard Haass traces the evolution of thinking about force from medieval times to our own, taking into account new technologies, new states, new weapons, and new ideas about sovereignty and intervention. Using twelve case studies drawn from recent experiences - including Bosnia, Somalia, Panama, Grenada, Haiti and the Gulf War - he sets forth realistic political and military guidelines for U.S. military interventions ranging from peacekeeping and humanitarian operations to preventive strikes and all-out warfare. Haass then discusses how past interventions could have turned out if these guidelines had been observed. Last, he assesses where and how the United States should be prepared to use force in the future - in the Persian Gulf, the Korean Peninsula, Eastern Europe and in other situations around the world where strategic or humanitarian interests warrant. Haass also explains the political and military consequences of these commitments, and puts forward a workable division of labor among the United States, regional organizations such as NATO, and the United Nations.
This book includes appendices that make readily available key documents (inclnding the U.N. Charter and the War Powers Resolution) and statements on the subject of intervention from such influential voices as Caspar Weinberger, Colin Powell, George Bush and Bill Clinton. The result is a provocative, thoughtful study that is essential for understanding the most important foreign policy question facing the United States.

258 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

Dr. Richard Nathan Haass is in his fourteenth year as president of the Council on Foreign Relations, an independent, nonpartisan membership organization, think tank, publisher and educational institution dedicated to being a resource to help people better understand the world and the foreign policy choices facing the United States and other countries.

In 2013, he served as the chair of the multiparty negotiations in Northern Ireland that provided the foundation for the 2014 Stormont House Agreement. For his efforts to promote peace and conflict resolution, he received the 2013 Tipperary International Peace Award.

From January 2001 to June 2003, Dr. Haass was director of policy planning for the Department of State, where he was a principal advisor to Secretary of State Colin Powell. Confirmed by the U.S. Senate to hold the rank of ambassador, Dr. Haass also served as U.S. coordinator for policy toward the future of Afghanistan and U.S. envoy to the Northern Ireland peace process. In recognition of his service, he received the State Department’s Distinguished Honor Award.

Dr. Haass has extensive additional government experience. From 1989 to 1993, he was special assistant to President George H.W. Bush and senior director for Near East and South Asian affairs on the staff of the National Security Council. In 1991, Dr. Haass was awarded the Presidential Citizens Medal for his contributions to the development and articulation of U.S. policy during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Previously, he served in the Departments of State (1981–1985) and Defense (1979–1980), and was a legislative aide in the U.S. Senate.

Dr. Haass also was vice president and director of foreign policy studies at the Brookings Institution, the Sol M. Linowitz visiting professor of international studies at Hamilton College, a senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a lecturer in public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School, and a research associate at the International Institute for Strategic Studies. A Rhodes scholar, Dr. Haass holds a bachelor’s degree from Oberlin College and master’s and doctorate degrees from Oxford University. He has also received numerous honorary degrees.

Dr. Haass is the author or editor of thirteen books on American foreign policy and one book on management. His latest book is A World in Disarray: American Foreign Policy and the Crisis of the Old Order, published in 2017 by Penguin Press.