Why Peacekeeping Fails [Paperback]

Dennis C. Jett (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 6, 2001 | ISBN-10: 0312239424 | ISBN-13: 978-0312239428

Dennis Jett examines why peacekeeping operations fail by comparing the unsuccessful attempt at peacekeeping in Angola with the successful effort in Mozambique alongside a wide range of other peacekeeping experiences. The book argues that while the causes of past peacekeeping failures can be identified, the chances for success will be difficult to improve because of the way such operations are initiated and conducted and the way the United Nations operates as an organization. Jett reviews the history of peacekeeping and the evolution in the number, size, scope, and cost of peacekeeping missions.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Jett, a former U.S. ambassador to Mozambique, assesses UN-sponsored peacekeeping since the Cold War and finds it wanting. He argues that vague objectives, inadequate forces, and bureaucratic politics converged to undercut the UN's effectiveness when confronted with civil wars of maddening complexity. Jett's analysis rests largely on a comparison between the failure in Angola and the limited success in Mozambique. This astute choice of cases--two Portuguese colonies that attained independence under similar circumstances--allows Jett to isolate shortcomings specific to the UN and explain why the Angola conflict outstripped the capabilities of UN peacekeepers. Angola's wealth of natural resources, for instance, enabled the combatants to purchase foreign arms in quantity, while superpower backing for the warring factions prolonged the conflict and inhibited negotiation. The relative absence of these factors eased a settlement in Mozambique. Jett concludes that the UN will be underused for peacekeeping in the future. Strongly recommended for academic libraries.
-James Holmes, Inst. for Foreign Policy Analysis, Cambridge, MA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Jett, a former ambassador to Mozambique, examines the lessons learned when the United Nations fails or succeeds in its peacekeeping missions. He chooses the missions in Mozambique and Angola because of the countries' similar histories (both former Portuguese colonies and cold war battlegrounds) but different outcomes. When the UN closed its mission in Angola in 1999 after four years of relative peace, war began almost immediately because factions had used the interim as a time to rearm. In contrast, the five-year mission in Mozambique apparently succeeded. Jett examines the history of the UN, why it undertakes missions, and how success is determined by factors outside of its control--the conflicting parties, outside parties, regional powers, and a country's resources. Jett looks at how the size and scope of missions have changed since the end of the cold war, and how they've become increasingly complex. This is a well-researched and insightful look at a controversial activity, particularly because of recent peacekeeping failures in Bosnia and Somalia. Vanessa Bush --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan (April 6, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312239424
• ISBN-13: 978-0312239428
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.3 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #418,498 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #1 in Books > History > Africa > Mozambique
  • #15 in Books > History > Africa > Angola

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Examination of Peacekeeping Problems, April 29, 2003

By 

P. H. Gantz (VA United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Why Peacekeeping Fails (Paperback)

--The reviewer is a peace operations analyst in Washington DC--

This book was, as other reviewers noted, originally a dissertation. So off the top, a prospective reader should know that this is a scholarly piece of work, not a novel. It is a well-written and quite readable work, though.

Ambassador Jett on balance does a good job of outlining why UN peace operations can fail, using the Mozambique and Angola cases to good affect. The work comes across as somewhat ill tempered at times, and is not happy reading if one is a supporter of peace operations. By and large, the arguments and conclusions make sense, in terms of outlining the failures and why they happen. There does not seem to be enough credit given to the successes, and the reforms that have taken place to fix some of what Ambassador Jett discusses.

Those are quibbles, though. The fact is, this book is a must read for those studying conflict resolution, peace operations, or any related field. It is a good read for anyone, given the current news. The book will not provide any potential solutions to the problems noted so well, which is an issue, but at least the reader will gain a good understanding of the problems.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good analysis by someone who knows what he is writing on, April 6, 2001

By 

Maurizio Giuliano (Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Why Peacekeeping Fails (Hardcover)

So often and so regrettably, books by diplomats and former diplomats tend to be boring recollections of memoirs, trying to give the author's views on countries and issues of which the authors themselves understood little or nothing. I am thinking, among others, about Nathaniel Davis' book on Allende's Chile, which was at the same time a brilliant self-defence statement denying US intervention in the 1973 coup. In contrast, this book by Christopher Jett, a former US ambassador to Mozambique, is a thorough analysis of events, offering personal views insofar as any author rightly has these, but without becoming a boring recollection of personal stories. Ambassador Jett offers us a rigorous analysis of why peace-keeping succeeded in Mozambique and failed in Angola. It provides excellent material on these two conflicts and the UN intervention there, and on the respective countries and their internal politics. Likewise, the book is also excellent reading, vividly written and captivating - much more than diplomats can usually be. I would recommend this title to anyone studying comparative conflict studies and conflict resolution, or/and the politics of that part of Africa.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Insightful and applicable, January 17, 2002

By 

R. Davis "rddrn" (Madison, AL US) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Why Peacekeeping Fails (Paperback)

The new paperback edition of Jett's book updates the analysis of the UN's missions to Mozambique and Angola, and the new introduction addresses the renaissance in peacekeeping that has occurred since the first edition. While this is a scholarly work, originally created as a doctoral dissertation, the subject is pertinent and the writing is readible.

The text is designed to highlight differences in the two missions, one of which has been moderately successful, the other of which was an unmitigated disaster. It identifies three phases: pre-deployment, deployment, and post-deployment, and shows how these differences affected the outcome. It also identifies three groups who must cooperate to create success: the peacekeepers, the target nation, and the surrounding states. The failure in Angola can be traced to all three phases and all three groups. Likewise, the success of the Mozambique mission can also be traced to all three phases and all three groups.

Jett's analysis is superb. The lessons that can be drawn from this work would prove invaluable, if properly implemented in peacekeeping going forward. The necessary changes in the UN and its member nations will be challenging, but knowing they must be made is a good first step. Let us hope the people with the power to set peacekeeping on the right course are reading and remembering this one.