Assignment:
Case Study - U. S. Humanitarian Intervention: Somalia
From 1992-1993, the United States deployed military forces to Somalia to assist the United Nations with the distribution of famine relief supplies. This humanitarian intervention turned bloody with U.S. forces engaging in combat operations with local clans and their warlords (most famously detailed in the book and movie Black Hawk Down.)
• Explore the justifications that might be cited from Just War theory to support armed humanitarian intervention in Somalia from 1992-1993, and research and address the following:
• Analyze the justifications for U.S. military deployment to Somalia in 1992 according to government and news accounts. (This requires you to do independent research.)
• Explain what authority the U.S. military had to deploy forces to Somalia. Analyze whether or not this authority was justified in approving intervention.
• Explain whether or not the intervention in Somalia was considered a just-cause in 1992? (Use independent research sources to support this answer.)
• Analyze whether the U.S. military intervention and the subsequent violence have the right intention or if the U.S. military pursued a different intention with regards to its actions in Somalia.
• Discuss whether or not military intervention in Somalia in 1992 was truly the last resort for providing humanitarian assistance to the Somali people.
• Analyze the U.S. military intervention in 1992 holistically based on Just War theory and your own personal opinions guided by research. Do you believe military use in humanitarian intervention is justified in the case of Somalia in 1992? Support your answer with theory and independent research.
The paper must be two to three pages in length (excluding the title and reference pages) and formatted according to APA style. You must use at least three scholarly sources in addition to the required readings to support your claims. Cite your sources in text and on the reference page. For information regarding APA samples and tutorials, visit the Ashford Writing Center, within the Learning Resources tab on the left navigation toolbar, in your online course.
Readings:
1. Military ethics in peacekeeping and in war: Maintaining moral integrity in a world of contrastand confusion
By Dr. Ted A. van Baarda
2. Humanitarian Intervention and Just War
By Mona Fixdal and Dan Smith