Dying for Peace: Understanding the Role of Casualties in U.S. Peace Operations
Abstract
U.S. peace operations policy in the 1990's is influenced by the issue of casualties more than any other single phenomenon. The debacle in Somalia occurred prior to the formal implementation of a national peace operations doctrine, allowing this event to make a disproportionate impact on policy formulation. Historically, American public opinion has been influenced by the casualty issue, however, traditionally the public sentiment called for an escalation of the conflict to achieve a quicker victory, not withdrawal from the conflict altogether and the acceptance of failure. During peace operations this decade, the reaction has been to withdraw from the conflict or "cut and run", as was the case in Somalia, when American lives are lost on missions underwritten in the name of peace. This zero tolerance for casualties has shaped our formal policies, been reinforced in public opinion and influenced the way that military commanders approach their peace missions, including treating force protection as a primary mission rather than one of many implied tasks entrusted to commanders. My aim in the paper is to outline and discuss the current role of casualties in peace operations and how this role has evolved during America's peace operations decade.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 1998
- Accession Number
- ADA351384
Entities
People
- Michael W. Alvis
Organizations
- United States Army War College