| International Law and the Use of Armed Force: The UN Charter and the Major Powers Contributor(s): Westra, Joel (Author) |
|
 |
ISBN: 041577098X ISBN-13: 9780415770989 Publisher: Routledge OUR PRICE: $180.50 Product Type: Hardcover Published: March 2007 Annotation: This book examines how the UN Charter??'s prohibition of force restrains the actions of the major powers, treating the Charter as both an instrument of international peace and international order. Since the Charter came into effect in 1945, there have been numerous incidents in which one or more of the five major powers have violated the Charter??'s Article 2(4) prohibition of force. Given the frequency of these illegal uses of armed force, how does the Charter??'s prohibition of force function as a restraint upon the actions of the major powers? The recent Iraq War and other incidents have demonstrated the major powers??? continued willingness to use armed force against other states, but the effects that the Charter??'s prohibition of force has had in such incidents have not been examined thoroughly. International Law and the Use of Armed Force examines five historical cases: US intervention in the Caribbean 1953-61, Franco-British intervention in Egypt in 1956, Soviet intervention in Hungary in 1956, US-British intervention in Iraq 1990-98 and US-British intervention in Iraq 1999-2003. This book is for students of international relations, international law and war studies in general. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Law | International |
| Dewey: 341.584 |
| LCCN: 2006034190 |
| Series: Contemporary Security Studies (Hardcover) |
| Physical Information: 0.71" H x 6.49" W x 9.21" (1.11 lbs) 240 pages |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: Since the UN Charter came into effect in 1945, there have been numerous incidents in which one or more of the five major powers (at least arguably) violated the Charter's Article 2(4) prohibition of force. Such incidents notwithstanding, this book demonstrates how the Charter restrains the major powers' military actions. As an instrument of international order, the Charter provides a framework of legal rules restricting the use of armed force. Although these rules are subject to auto-interpretation by the major powers (as a consequence of their veto), they create an expectation of compliance that subjects the major powers' military actions to international scrutiny. To reduce the likelihood of resistance from states threatened by such actions, major powers exercise prudential restraint, altering the manner and timing of their military actions in accordance with the legal arguments offered to justify those actions as consistent with the Charter and therefore not threatening to the existing international order. The book evaluates the efficacy of the Charter using large-N methods and five case studies: US intervention in the Caribbean, 1953-61; Anglo- French intervention in Egypt, 1956; Soviet intervention in Hungary, 1956; US-British intervention in Iraq, 1990-98; and US-British intervention in Iraq, 1999-2003. The book's extensive focus on the two Iraq cases provides a basis for timely evaluation of the continuing salience and possible reforms of the UN Charter system. This book will be of much interest to students of security studies, the UN, international law, and international relations. |