10.4.4
Military Interventions
Reasons for Military Intervention
Reasons for Military Intervention
Military aid and both direct and indirect military intervention are frequently justified in terms of human rights.
Defending human rights
Defending human rights
- Defending human rights has been a stated motive behind many military interventions.
- However, there are occasions where this motive has been a pretence and provided cover for other less good motives e.g. the action of Russia in Crimea.
Military aid
Military aid
- Military aid is provided to less powerful countries to keep them on the same side.
- E.g. US aid to Pakistan to help in dealing with the Taliban in Afghanistan.
- Military aid is provided to deal with incursions that threaten a country’s stability and allegiance.
- E.g. UK aid to Kenya to protect against al-Shabaab’s attacks from Somalia.
- Military aid is provided to ensure access to valuable resources.
- E.g. UK aid to oil-rich Saudi Arabia.
Suitable Recipients of Military Aid
Suitable Recipients of Military Aid
Military aid, both in terms of training personnel and weapons sales is sometimes used to support countries that have questionable human rights records.
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
- The UK and the USA both provide support and lucrative trade in military weaponry to Saudi Arabia.
- Saudi Arabia is a country that beheads people and mutilates criminals, and where gender equality is at a very low level.
Israel
Israel
- The USA and UK also provide support for Israel.
- Israel is a country that has mistreated Palestinian peoples in both the West Bank and Gaza.
Pakistan
Pakistan
- Human rights for women in Pakistan, especially in terms of education, have some way to go to meet western values.
Interventions Outside of the UN
Interventions Outside of the UN
Unilateral interventions are military interventions undertaken by a state outside of the umbrella of the UN.
Failed states
Failed states
- Failed states are countries whose governments have lost political control. They are no longer able to fulfil the basic responsibilities of a sovereign state. Usually, this greatly harms the local population.
- Somalia, Yemen and Syria are all examples of failed states.
- The UK and USA have intervened in Syria without UN approval. Theresa May said in 2018 that waiting for the UN to approve any move would be too late.
'War on terror'
'War on terror'
- After al-Qaeda's attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington on 11th September 2001, the US and their allies began their 'War on Terror'.
- They attempted to counter international terrorism and states that they claimed supported terrorism. Their efforts focused on the Taliban in Afghanistan and al-Qaeda in northern Pakistan. Now the focus is on ISIL (Daesh).
- The 'war on terror' attempts to resolve the political instability in the Middle East, prevent terror attacks internationally, stop human rights abuses and safeguard access to the region's oil.
Crimea
Crimea
- Russia annexed Crimea in Ukraine in an act of unilateral intervention.
Torture and Terrorist Organisations
Torture and Terrorist Organisations
Fighting terrorist organisations involves intelligence but also sometimes involves torture, which is an abuse of human rights.
Terrorist organisations
Terrorist organisations
- By definition, terrorist organisations are subversive.
- The surveillance of suspects and intelligence gathering play an important role in the fight against them.
Torture
Torture
- One issue that has emerged in the interrogating of suspected terrorists is torture – something which is banned under the UDHR.
- The issue of torture raises a number of human rights issues.
- Whose rights are more important, the rights of terrorists not to be tortured, or the right to life of those who could become the victims of a suicide bombing?
1Tectonic Processes & Hazards
1.1Tectonic Processes & Hazards
1.2Natural Disasters
1.3Natural Disaster Case Studies
1.4Trends & Patterns
2Option 2A: Glaciated Landscapes & Change
2.1Glaciated Landscapes Over Time
2.2Periglacial Landscapes
2.3Glacial Processes
2.4Glacial Landforms
3Option 2B: Coastal Landscapes & Change
3.1Coastal Landscapes
3.2Coastal Erosion & Deposition
3.3Coastal Risks
4Globalisation
4.1Globalisation
4.2Negatives of Globalisation
4.3Global Shift
4.5Culture
4.6Measuring Development
5Option 4A: Regenerating Places
5.1Types of Economies
5.2Function of Places
5.3Regeneration
5.4Regeneration Case Studies
6Option 4B: Diverse Places
6.1Population Structure
6.2Past & Present Connections
6.3Urban & Rural Spaces
6.4Diversity
6.5Urban & Rural Case Studies
6.6Case Study - Tower Hamlets
6.7Case Study - Sturton-le-Steeple
7The Water Cycle & Water Insecurity (A2 only)
7.1Hydrological Processes Global to Local
7.2Influences on the Water Cycle
7.3Water Insecurity
8The Carbon Cycle & Energy Security (A2 only)
8.1The Carbon Cycle
8.2Energy Consumption
8.3Alternative Energy
8.4Growing Demand for Resources
9Superpowers (A2 only)
9.1Superpowers
9.2Hard & Soft Power
9.2.1Hard & Soft Power
9.2.2Emerging Powers - China Rivalry
9.2.3Emerging Powers - Chinese Sources of Power
9.2.4Emerging Powers - Brazil
9.2.5Emerging Powers - Russia
9.2.6Emerging Powers - India
9.2.7Theories of Development
9.2.8Power Case Studies: Chinese One Belt One Road
9.2.9Power Case Studies: Pakistan Nuclear Arms
9.2.10Power Case Studies: OPEC
9.3IGOs, TNCs & Alliances
10Option 8A: Health & Human Rights (A2 only)
10.1Human Development
10.2Role of Governments & IGOs
10.3Human Rights
10.4Interventions
11Option 8B: Migration & Identity (A2 only)
11.1Globalisation & Migration
11.2Consequences of Migration
11.3Nation States
11.4Responses to Global Migration
Jump to other topics
1Tectonic Processes & Hazards
1.1Tectonic Processes & Hazards
1.2Natural Disasters
1.3Natural Disaster Case Studies
1.4Trends & Patterns
2Option 2A: Glaciated Landscapes & Change
2.1Glaciated Landscapes Over Time
2.2Periglacial Landscapes
2.3Glacial Processes
2.4Glacial Landforms
3Option 2B: Coastal Landscapes & Change
3.1Coastal Landscapes
3.2Coastal Erosion & Deposition
3.3Coastal Risks
4Globalisation
4.1Globalisation
4.2Negatives of Globalisation
4.3Global Shift
4.5Culture
4.6Measuring Development
5Option 4A: Regenerating Places
5.1Types of Economies
5.2Function of Places
5.3Regeneration
5.4Regeneration Case Studies
6Option 4B: Diverse Places
6.1Population Structure
6.2Past & Present Connections
6.3Urban & Rural Spaces
6.4Diversity
6.5Urban & Rural Case Studies
6.6Case Study - Tower Hamlets
6.7Case Study - Sturton-le-Steeple
7The Water Cycle & Water Insecurity (A2 only)
7.1Hydrological Processes Global to Local
7.2Influences on the Water Cycle
7.3Water Insecurity
8The Carbon Cycle & Energy Security (A2 only)
8.1The Carbon Cycle
8.2Energy Consumption
8.3Alternative Energy
8.4Growing Demand for Resources
9Superpowers (A2 only)
9.1Superpowers
9.2Hard & Soft Power
9.2.1Hard & Soft Power
9.2.2Emerging Powers - China Rivalry
9.2.3Emerging Powers - Chinese Sources of Power
9.2.4Emerging Powers - Brazil
9.2.5Emerging Powers - Russia
9.2.6Emerging Powers - India
9.2.7Theories of Development
9.2.8Power Case Studies: Chinese One Belt One Road
9.2.9Power Case Studies: Pakistan Nuclear Arms
9.2.10Power Case Studies: OPEC
9.3IGOs, TNCs & Alliances
10Option 8A: Health & Human Rights (A2 only)
10.1Human Development
10.2Role of Governments & IGOs
10.3Human Rights
10.4Interventions
11Option 8B: Migration & Identity (A2 only)
11.1Globalisation & Migration
11.2Consequences of Migration
11.3Nation States
11.4Responses to Global Migration
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