Still Stuck In Practice

The U.S. must prepare to lead in Haiti and in Bosnia.

When the United States shows off its military power, it does so in style.

First came the cinematic extravaganza of the landing in Somalia, where the television cameras reached the beaches eight hours before the troops.

Now, the recent and well-publicized practice invasion of Haition the island of Great Inagua temporarily drew the nation's attention away from peace in South Africa and war in Bosnia. Rumors have been circulating about another Panama- (or Grenada-) style strike to remove the despotic military leadership and allow economic sanctions to be lifted.

The U.S. has made clear that it wants international support for any military action in Haiti, but to expect it from the European powers seems unrealistic. With Germany, France and Great Britain so loathe to muddy their ankles in Bosnia, prospects for aid look meager. The U.S. would expect the Europeans to at least contribute financial backing for an invasion of Haiti, but the affairs of the island nation simply don't concern them.

It is the peculiar problem of the U.S. that its citizens, being descended from all the world's peoples, actually care about the unjust treatment of just about anyone, anywhere.

Even with the disintegration of the Warsaw Pact, the U.S. cannot divest itself of interest in NATO in order to concentrate on the Americas. It would be wonderful if the local hegemons in every region of the world would take care of their area's particular problems, but it doesn't always work out that way. "Standing up for what's right" isn't what the Europeans are best at, historically speaking. At this point, it looks like the U.S. will have to lead the way in Bosnia and in Haiti.

A total of 44,000 personnel participated in operation "Agile Provider" on Great Inagua. This number seems large enough to deal singlehandedly with whatever opposition the splintered and disorganized Haitian military could mount. The number is also significantly greater than any proposed scale of U.S. involvement in Bosnia. It looks like another fabled "surgical strike" is in the works.

Hopefully, any incursion in the Caribbean will not keep the U.S. from participating in a long-awaited effort to halt the genocidal activities of Serbian forces in Bosnia. After all, the Department of Defense claimed during the last round of budget-cutting that it had to have sufficient forces to fight two large-scale wars on different continents--44,000 soldiers are hardly enough for a major conflict anyway.

One of the overriding problems in the maintenance of peace and tranquility all over the world is the ineffectiveness of the various international organizations who have committed to mutual defense of national security. Gala press conferences to announce the condemnation of this or that coup or revolt were hardly the founding goals of NATO, the United Nations, and the Organization of American States.

In such a highly civilized world, it may be difficult to accept that force, and not solely diplomacy, is still needed to calm troubled waters. But those who hold power will always cling to it; those who do not will always seek it. When have economic sanctions or pointed dialogue ever forced a dictator, sipping off the cream of his nation's output, to beg for mercy? Once the U.S. ascertains the willingness of Haitians--and Bosnians--to cooperate with outside parties, there should be no hesitation to use force.

Daniel Altman's column appears on alternate Mondays.