The UN Intervention in Somalia: Clausewitz at the Crossing of the Mogadishu Line

Abstract

Lieutenant General Sir Michael Rose, former commander of the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR) in Bosnia, reportedly coined the expression "crossing the Mogadishu line" while describing the key dilemma faced by UN troops in Bosnia: how do armed peacekeepers maintain the appearance of neutrality in the midst of civil war while achieving the political objectives for which they were sent? Indeed, when one considers the difficulties the United States has experienced in a long string of recent interventions, to include Lebanon, Somalia, Haiti, and the Balkan wars of Bosnia and Kosovo, the historical record suggests that the solution to this dilemma has yet to be identified.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 2000
Accession Number
ADA432774

Entities

People

  • Charles W. Fowler

Organizations

  • National War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Human Systems
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Center Of Gravity
  • Civil War
  • Crossings
  • Governments
  • International Organizations
  • Intervention
  • Law
  • Lessons Learned
  • Military Operations
  • Military Personnel
  • National Security
  • New York
  • Peacekeeping
  • United Nations
  • United States
  • War Colleges
  • Warfare

Fields of Study

  • History
  • Sociology

Readers

  • International Relations and Conflict Resolution
  • Military History / Militaries and War Studies
  • Military History of the United States in the 20th Century.