International Injustice: Humanitarian Intervention and the Abuse of War Crimes Trials

International Injustice examines Western military humanitarian interventions, particularly war crimes trials, that serve as post-facto justifications for the resort to force. It analyzes the NATO-led intervention in Yugoslavia during the 1990s, highlighting the issue of assigning blame for the violent breakup of Yugoslavia and the wars that followed.

Format: Hardback
Length: 272 pages
Publication date: 30 June 2023
Publisher: Academica Press

International Injustice: Humanitarian Intervention and the Abuse of War Crimes Trials is a comprehensive exploration of Western military humanitarian interventions, particularly focusing on subsequent Western-organized war crimes trials that serve as post-facto justifications for resorting to force. The book delves into the NATO-led humanitarian intervention in Yugoslavia during the 1990s, which is often hailed as a successful model for using force to achieve humanitarian goals. NATO's bombing campaigns, initiated in Bosnia-Herzegovina and later in Serbia, were accompanied by numerous war crimes trials of NATO's designated adversaries, conducted under the auspices of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) located in The Hague. However, as this book reveals, the ICTY was intricately linked to the issue of assigning blame for the violent breakdown of Yugoslavia and the subsequent wars that followed.

The intervention in Yugoslavia was driven by a humanitarian motive, with the goal of protecting civilians from the atrocities of war. However, the NATO bombing campaigns and the subsequent war crimes trials raised significant ethical and legal questions. The trials were criticized for being biased against the accused, with many believing that they were designed to justify NATO's actions rather than seek justice. The book explores the political and geopolitical factors that influenced the ICTY's operations, including the competing interests of the Western powers involved and the desire to maintain stability in the region.

One of the key themes of the book is the abuse of the war crimes trials by Western powers. The trials were used as a tool to undermine the legitimacy of the Yugoslav government and to justify the use of force against it. The book argues that the trials were fundamentally flawed and that they failed to hold accountable those responsible for the most serious crimes committed during the conflict. The trials also had a detrimental impact on the human rights of the accused, with many facing lengthy prison sentences and harsh conditions of detention.

The book also examines the role of the international community in addressing the humanitarian crisis in Yugoslavia. While the intervention was initially welcomed as a means of protecting civilians, it soon became apparent that it was failing to achieve its goals. The international community was slow to respond to the crisis, and when it did, it was often ineffective in preventing further violence and suffering. The book argues that the international community should have taken a more proactive approach to addressing the humanitarian crisis, including providing greater support to the Yugoslav government and military and imposing stricter sanctions on those responsible for war crimes.

In conclusion, International Injustice: Humanitarian Intervention and the Abuse of War Crimes Trials is a thought-provoking and important book that sheds light on the complex and controversial issue of Western military humanitarian interventions and war crimes trials. The book provides a critical examination of the NATO-led intervention in Yugoslavia and the subsequent war crimes trials, highlighting the ethical and legal challenges that these interventions pose. The book also raises important questions about the role of the international community in addressing humanitarian crises and the abuse of war crimes trials by Western powers. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the complexities of international relations and the use of force in humanitarian interventions.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781680537703