The Use of Force by the United States to Protect Foreign Nationals.
Abstract
By late 1992, as the famine in Somalia worsened and the inability of the world community to respond became ever more apparent, the Bush administration decided to commit U.S. troops to help create a secure environment for the delivery of relief supplies to that troubled country. What would be known as Operation Restore Hope was announced by President Bush on December 4, 1992. It followed United Nations endorsement of the plan the previous day in Security Council Resolution 794 Before the announcement of Operation Restore Hope the Attorney General had provided President Bush the advice of the Department of Justice's Office of Legal Counsel as to the legality of undertaking such an operation without explicit Congressional authorization. In his cover letter to that opinion, Attorney General William P. Barr concluded that President Bush indeed had authority in his constitutional role as Commander in Chief and Chief Executive to undertake the operation. In addition to citing the President's authority for the operation under international law-specifically UN Security Council Resolution 794--Barr cited the President's authority to use American forces for the protection of U.S. troops already in Somalia and, generally, for the protection of U.S. nationals.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 1996
- Accession Number
- ADA316478
Entities
People
- Alexander W. Whitaker Iv
Organizations
- Georgetown University