Review by Choice Review
This is the second edition of an exemplary introduction to humanitarian interventions, i.e., when the international community enters a state with the purpose of protecting civilians or relieving their suffering as opposed to acting for purely military or security purposes. The book retains the basic structure of its predecessor, discussing the basic concept of humanitarian intervention, offering short case studies, and detailing the emerging concept of "responsibility to protect," which would move the world from a right to intervene for humanitarian purpose to a legal and moral obligation to do so. Updated material includes references to and discussion of new cases such as the international intervention in Libya, as well as relevant global developments. Weiss (City University of New York) covers the basic issues associated with humanitarian intervention; even though the book is based largely on scholarly research and documents of international organizations, he writes in a highly accessible fashion. This is a first stop on the subject for students, practitioners, and scholars alike. Summing Up: Recommended. All readership levels. P. F. Diehl University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
