Creating a Force for Peace Operations: Ensuring Stability with Justice
Abstract
The United States needs both new forces and a new approach to post-conflict intervention. The mission of the military remains one focused on security, yet in peace operations civilian actors also have a critical role to play in achieving sustainable security. Creation of a U.S. force for peace operations would do the following: (1) Join together all of the elements required to effectively achieve sustainable security under a single, unified authority; (2) Close the security gap that has plagued previous peace operations by providing for a smooth transition from warfighting to institution-building; (3) Establish police and judicial authority from the outset, thus freeing the military to perform its functions and speeding the withdrawal of military forces; (4) Establish the rule of law as a platform from which the other aspects of political, economic, and social reconstruction could go forward in an environment conducive to achieving success; (5) Provide the United States with a force that could partner with similar forces organized by the European Union, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and other regional organizations; and (6) Allow the United States to support much-needed UN reform by contributing a force that could assist the UN in meeting its responsibilities for international peacekeeping as envisioned in the Brahimi Report. We must quickly reestablish stability in troubled and dangerous regions, and this is dependent on a seamless transition from warfighting to civil-military operations focused on public security. The essential prerequisites are joint, interagency cooperation, as well as a recognition by the key players that their contribution to national security may be changing form. In our prosecution of the war on terrorism, the United States has stated that we are prepared to bring the fight to any party that threatens the security of the United States. We must also be prepared to bring stability through justice.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2003
- Accession Number
- ADA491297
Entities
People
- Kimberly C. Field
- Robert M. Perito