Behind the Disappearances: Argentina's Dirty War Against Human Rights and the United Nations (Pennsylvania Studies in Human Rights) [Paperback]

Iain Guest (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0812213130 | ISBN-13: 978-0812213133 | Publication Date: January 2000 | Edition: First Edition

Drawing on confidential Argentinian documents and memoranda, Behind the Disappearances documents a seven-year diplomatic war by one of the twentieth century's most brutal regimes. It relates how, starting in 1976, Argentina's military government tried to cripple the UN's human rights machinery in an effort to prevent international condemnation of its policy of disappearances. Initially this attempt succeeded, but in 1980—with encouragement from the Carter administration—UN officials regained the initiative and created a special working group on disappearances that rejuvenated the UN's efforts. This progress was abruptly halted in 1981 when the Reagan administration sided with the Argentinian regime. The result, claims the author, not only undercut the UN's actions against disappearances but also weakened its chances of playing a positive role in aiding Latin America's transition from dictatorship to democracy.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Well written, thoroughly researched and completely absorbing."—International Affairs

"One of the best and most interesting treatments of the human rights movement, and of the dynamics of the United Nations human rights system, written to date."—Human Rights Quarterly

"Truth is more chilling than fiction. And when the tale is spun by an adroit writer, the truth is more compelling still. . . . Guest develops a suspenseful plot, making Behind the Disappearances truly an educational page turner."—Clifton Magazine

About the Author

Iain Guest served as a UN spokesperson in Cambodia and Haiti and was a Senior Fellow at the U.S. Institute of Peace, where he specialized in Rwanda and Bosnia. Guest is a founding member of the Advocacy Project, which advises advocacy groups on using the new information technology in their campaigning and produces the electronic newsletter On the Record. He is currently visiting fellow at the Overseas Development Council in Washington, D.C.

Product Details

• Paperback: 624 pages
• Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press; First Edition edition (January 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812213130
• ISBN-13: 978-0812213133
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,145,472 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Behind the Disappearances, April 20, 2005

By 

C. E. Uticone (Seneca Falls, NY) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Behind the Disappearances: Argentina's Dirty War Against Human Rights and the United Nations (Pennsylvania Studies in Human Rights) (Paperback)

I first encountered this book during my undergraduate studies at SUNY Geneseo. I was taking a human rights class and this book literally changed the way I view the world. This is a dense read, with a lot of detail, and reading the footnotes is a MUST, however if it does not change the way you view the world around you you haven't read it right. This is a must read for anyone who believes that the horrors that governments can perpetrate need to be illuminated.