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Commentary: Not a Just War, Just a War — NATO’s Humanitarian Bombing Mission

Shank’s commentary examines the logic behind NATO’s “humanitarian intervention” in Kosovo, which failed in terms of preventing a humanitarian disaster, but not in terms of reducing Yugoslavia’s military and industrial capacities to rubble and reinvigorating the U.S. military-industrial complex. This war set troubling precedents by enlisting human rights organizations and traditionally pacifist or antimilitarist parties and organizations in support of a policy of military intervention, and by imperiling crucial arms control agreements through the nondefensive use of an expanded NATO. Rhetoric promoting the war effort asserted a “moral imperative” to defend human rights over sovereignty. Shank identifies the elite groups promoting the war.

war and peace/military and defense issues Europe — foreign relations — United States, human rights, international law, Kosovo — politics and government, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, United States — foreign relations — Europe, United States — military policy, world politics, Yugoslavia — politics and government

Citation: Social Justice Vol. 26, No. 1 (1999): 4-48