CAYO JONATHAN - MILITARY INTERVENTIONS

NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF HUMANITARIAN MILITARY INTERVENTIONS IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES

THE CASE OF HAITI

“In between war and passivity, there are a thousand possibilities.” Howard Zinn

Do you ever ask yourself what happens when soldiers operating in foreign countries commit injustice? Absolutely nothing. They go back to their country. A boy of the age of 12 has been sodomized more than 20 times in Haiti. A girl of the age of 16 had sex with more than 50 soldiers. But nothing happened.

Haiti was once a well-known tourist destination. Considered the “pearl of the Antilles”, it was one of the most frequented islands in the Caribbean from the 1950s to the 1980s. Even 15 years ago, the country was still a welcoming place to visit. Its location gives it nice tropical weather the entire year; the role it played in the abolition of slavery makes its history unique. The remains, the monuments, the arts, the music, the landscape, the beaches, the food... Everything is naturally in place for the country to be a paradise on earth.

However, over the past decade, Haiti has been facing ongoing political, economic, and social crises. There was a quick exponential increase in gang violence, criminal activities, kidnappings, and human rights abuses. Because of this situation, the population is experiencing the worst moment in the country's history. But unfortunately, only around 10,000 under-resourced police officers for a population of more than 11 million people cannot do much about it.

As a solution to all those problems, the international community has been supporting for several months a military intervention to help the country fight the gangs and restore security. On October 2nd, the U.N. Security Council voted a resolution that authorized a one-year deployment of an international military force in the country. Some people might automatically think that's good news because they might think that the country will finally have a force that can defeat the gangs. However, they will be more cautious if they are aware of the other variables.

It is not the first time there will be the deployment of a military force in Haiti. There has been a lot of deployment of military forces all around the world over the past years as well. We can learn from them and stand against the same mistakes. This article presents four negative impacts an international military intervention can have on a country and why we should avoid it at all costs.

Escalation of violence

Humanitarian military interventions can lead to an increase in hostilities and violence. Armed groups may react aggressively to foreign military involvement. There was a stabilization mission, also approved by the UN, that was in Haiti from June 2004 to October 2017. The number of gangs in Port-au-Prince has grown from roughly three dozen in 2004 to more than 200 today.

Civilian casualties

Despite the best intentions, military operations can result in unintended civilian casualties. Collateral damage, targeting errors, and the fog of war can lead to the loss of innocent lives. Since 2001, when the U.S. invaded Afghanistan, there have been over 47,000 civilians killed, according to AP News. These are all direct deaths from gunfire and bombs which have also left thousands more injured.

Cases of abuses

Between 1960 and 2005, 106 countries suffered reduced quality of life due to foreign military interventions.

“I did not even have breasts,” said a girl, known as V01 — Victim No. 1. She told U.N. investigators that over the next three years, from ages 12 to 15, she had sex with nearly 50 peacekeepers, including a “Commandant” who gave her 75 cents. ( DODDS, 2017)

Financial strain

Humanitarian military interventions require significant financial and military resources. These operations can divert resources from other critical domestic and international priorities, such as education, healthcare, and development aid. The U.S. has promised to send $64 million in humanitarian aid to Afghanistan. But before the removal of military troops, the U.S. was spending upwards of $300 million a day on the Afghanistan War, according to The Hill.

Some people might argue that a foreign military intervention is the best way the international community can use to help a terrorized population. However, the above examples show how a military intervention usually does more harm than good. There are better ways the world can help if helping is the objective. For example, they can support established national institutions such as police, justice, army, etc... They can provide humanitarian aid that can help development projects. They can support education. They can implement a real gun embargo and sanction people who support violence.

Humanitarian military interventions in foreign countries should be avoided because they can do more harm them good to civilians. It can generate an escalation of violence. It can lead to the loss of many innocent lives. It can be the source of many cases of abuse. And it can be a waste of financial resources that could be used for more important things. Even if some people think it is a good solution, there are better solutions that can make a big difference in people's lives.

Banerjee, O., Cicowiez, M., & Gachot, S. (2015). A quantitative framework for assessing public investment in tourism–An application to Haiti. Tourism Management, 51, 157-173.

Kisangani, E. F., & Pickering, J. (2015). The human consequences of foreign military intervention.

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