Book Review

J. L. Holzgrefe & Robert O. Keohane (eds.), Humanitarian Intervention: Ethical, Legal and Political Dilemmas, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003.

"The genocide in Rwanda showed us how terrible the consequences of inaction can be in the face of mass murder. But the conflict in Kosovo raised equally important questions about the consequences of action without international consensus and clear legal authority. On the one hand, is it legitimate for a regional organization to use force without a UN mandate? On the other, is it permissible to let gross and systematic violations of human rights, with grave humanitarian consequences continue unchecked?" (United Nations Secretrary-General Kofi Annan).
This book is a comprehensive, integrated discussion of `the dilemma' of humanitarian intervention. Written by leading analysts of international politics, ethics, and law, it seeks, among other things, to identify strategies that may, if not resolve, at least reduce the current tension between human rights and state sovereignty".

"The papers in this volume offer an informative analysis of humanitarian intervention with real intellectual coherence. The interdisciplinarity of the contributions, the sensitivity to the phenomenon of weak states, and the recognition of the tensions between human rights and the war on terrorism, combine to make this book both timely and welcome".
Charles R. Beitz, Department of Politics, Princeton University.

"This is a powerful and satisfying book. This superb set of essays provides a way to integrate and synthesize approaches from international law, moral philosophy and politics into a framework to deal with such complex and shattering events as Rwanda, Kosovo and September 11."
Antonia Chayes, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.

"Humanitarian intervention lies at the fault line between the international system's commitments to state autonomy and integrity and to the protection of human rights. These original essays are an important contribution to policy clarification and to scholarship."
W. Michael Reisman, Yale Law School, Yale University."

"For those wondering whether humanitarian intervention has a future after September 11, this outstanding collection is essential reading."
Nicholas J. Wheeler, Department of International Politics, University of Wales, Aberystwyth.

Buy the Book (info) here

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