Abstract
Power equation, strife for supremacy, and the use of force (or non-use, thereof) reside at the very heart of international relations – the interplay between them adjusting with new realities. As the Cold War ended, new international normative customs were introduced in global relations – with international security relations witnessing two prototypal shifts. First, policymakers began embracing military intervention as a legitimate foreign policy tool on the plea of humanitarianism. Secondly, the human security approach was introduced to study matters related to security. Contrary to the traditional security approach (spun around state security), this new concept gave primacy to the protection of humans. This study will analyse how military interventions impact human security. The research will be carried out within the parameters of international security (conventional and non-conventional) and human security. In doing so, it will establish how interventions—led in the name of humanitarianism—unwittingly create international human security crises.
TopIntroduction
Once a scorned-upon policy, international security relations witnessed a normative shift when policymakers began espousing military intervention as a legitimate foreign policy tool in the name of humanitarian interventionism. This created a new international normative custom regularising the concept of military intervention.
Almost at the same time when military intervention was standardised as a policy tool, international security witnessed the genesis of the concept of human security. While the traditional security approach focused on state security, this new concept gave primacy to human beings and their protection. The United Nations Development Programme [UNDP] Human Development Report [HDR] (UNDP, 1994) enumerated seven components of human security: economic, food, health, environmental, personal, community, and political security. Thus, human security is not the mere absence of conflict but also the presence of human rights, economic growth, poverty reduction, good governance, access to education and health, etc. (Office of the United Nations Secretary-General, 2000). It is a concept that is an eclectic mix of humanitarianism, developmental questions and international security. Therefore, human security is not only holistic in nature but also has transnational dimensions (Thomas & Tow, 2002).
Since the end of Cold War, the world has witnessed several “damn the doves” (Hitchens, 2001) moments. Many believe foreign military interventions have become a defining character of the current international system (Talentino, 2005). Conversely, some opine that military interventions are one of the most significant international security problems facing the modern world (Hermann & Kegley, 1996). As the world’s leading power, the US has, over the years, not only endorsed but also projected this policy - leading to military intervention becoming even more deeply entrenched in international politics.
Taken in this background, this chapter will study how and when military intervention was endorsed as an international normative custom and upheld by the US as a leading foreign policy option. Moreover, it will also study the effects of military interventions on human security of both the tangible and intangible varieties. Although there are numerous objectives cited for military intervention (Kavanagh et al., 2019), this study will excavate the effects of humanitarian intervention on human security. Both humanitarian intervention and human security claim to uphold human rights. However, this chapter will study whether humanitarian interventions increase the space for human rights or decrease it. The research is being conducted at a time when many analysts opine that failed policies in Afghanistan and Libya have brought an end to the US military interventions for some time (Petersen, 2021). Conversely, some believe that the swearing-in of Susan Rice to lead the Domestic Policy Council and Samantha Power as the 19th Administrator of USAID – both strong proponents of military interventionism - are indications of the continuation of the policy of military intervention. Thus, it is an exciting time to conduct this research.
Key Terms in this Chapter
International Normative Custom: The norms and practices that have an international recognition as being standard and acceptable - usually created and modified by the leading world power of the day.
Military Intervention: A power relation between two states which entails movement of forces of one or more countries into the land or water jurisdiction of another state, aimed at altering its political dynamics, while being limited in scope and time.
Legality: These are the rules and regulations derived from and implementable by international law.
Negative Liberties: It is concerned with being free from any kind of fear – such as, the fear of having to deal with or be a part of any conflict or conflictual situation.
Positive Liberties: It signifies being free from any kind of want - that is, food, livelihoods, healthcare, economic, political, etc.
Humanitarian Intervention: A military intervention made on the plea of human suffering and well-being in the target state.
Human Security: It is a holistic concept which entails economic security, food security, health security, environmental security, personal security, community security, and political security.
Just War: Derived from theology, just war is a war that is grounded in moral principles and used as a last resort.
Legitimacy: These are a set of practices that are accepted as standard in international relations. They do not have any legal basis but enjoy a wider recognition by the international community.