Two Strikes: American Intervention in Haiti

Abstract

The United States has executed military operations in Haiti twice in the past 100 years. On both occasions the short term objectives of these operations have been fulfilled by the military. Despite these successes Haiti remains a strategic security concern and a state on the verge of collapse. The fundamental failure of the U.S. to resolve Haiti's internal problems as well as the threat these problems present to the United States is the result of a misunderstanding of the historical context that precipitated the crises and a short sighted political policy. This paper examines the historical context that created a perpetual state of political and social crises in Haiti and examines the successes and failures of U.S. military operations in the country. As the worlds remaining super power the U.S. will increasingly be called upon to intervene in failed or failing states. The lessons learned in Haiti may provide a partial template for success in future operations.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 12, 2002
Accession Number
ADA407582

Entities

People

  • Kent D. Simon

Organizations

  • Marine Corps University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Human Systems
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Department Of State
  • Employment
  • Governments
  • Lessons Learned
  • Military Operations
  • Military Science
  • National Governments
  • National Politics
  • National Security
  • Navy
  • Personnel Management
  • Political Systems
  • Students
  • Treaties
  • United States
  • Warfare

Readers

  • East Asian Political and Security Studies within the Soviet Union
  • Educational Psychology
  • Military and Counterinsurgency Studies.