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Dewey Decimal Number: 909.825 EAN: 9780684832333 ISBN: 068483233X Label: Simon & Schuster Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster Number Of Items: 1 Number Of Pages: 448 Publication Date: March 23, 2000 Publisher: Simon & Schuster Studio: Simon & Schuster Editorial Review: Amazon.com Review: Foreign-affairs journalist William Shawcross travels around the world--Bosnia, Baghdad, and elsewhere--to paint a messy portrait of the post-cold-war world. Deliver Us from Evil is very much an on-the-ground book, full of reportage and descriptions of world leaders such as UN chief Kofi Annan. It includes a strong point of view: the dewy-eyed, do-gooder mentality that drives so much contemporary international relations is, as far as Shawcross is concerned, deeply wrongheaded. Peacekeeping missions often find that there's no peace to keep, and expectations of what they can accomplish soar far too high. "Today 'humanitarianism' often rules. It becomes a sop to international concern, and then it can be dangerous," writes Shawcross. Coupled with a world of instant media, where CNN broadcasts live from the killing fields, humanitarianism fuels a strong desire to have immediate reconciliation between warring factions. But it's a delusional goal, says Shawcross, pointing to the American Civil War and how long (even after Appomattox) it took North and South to reconcile fully. There's no reason to think other torn nations will respond more quickly. Peacekeeping missions often promise a heaven on earth they cannot deliver. "In a more religious time it was only God whom we asked to deliver us from evil," concludes Shawcross. "Now we call upon our own man-made institutions for such deliverance. That is sometimes to ask for miracles." --John J. Miller Product Description: Reporting from war zones around the globe, acclaimed journalist William Shawcross gives us an unforgettable portrait of a dangerous world and of the brave men and women, ordinary and extraordinary, who risk their lives to make and keep the peace. The end of the Cold War was followed by a decade of regional and ethnic wars, massacres and forced exiles, and by constant calls for America to lead the international community as chief peace-keeper. The efforts of that community -- identified with the United Nations but often dominated by the world's wealthy nations -- have had mixed results. In Africa, the West is accused of indifference or too little, too late. In Cambodia, the UN presides over free elections, but the results are overridden. In Iraq, Saddam Hussein continues to defy the UN, and in Bosnia and Kosovo, the West acts hesitantly after terrible slaughter and ethnic cleansing. Shawcross, a veteran of many war zones, has had broad access to global policymakers, including UN secretary general Kofi Annan, high American diplomats, peacekeepers and humanitarian-aid professionals. He has traveled with them to some of the world's most horrifying killing fields. Deliver Us from Evil is his stark, on-the-ground report on the many crises faced by the international community and its servants as they struggle to respond around the world. He brings home the price many have paid attempting to restore peace and help alleviate terrible suffering. He illuminates the risks we face in a complex and dangerous world. Some critics have concluded that some interventions may prolong conflict and create further casualties. The lesson we learn from ruthless and vengeful warlords the world over is that goodwill without strength can make things worse. Shawcross argues that recent interventions -- in Kosovo and East Timor, for example -- provide reason for concern as well as hope. Still, the unmistakable message of the past decade is that we cannot intervene everywhere, that not every wrong can be righted merely because the international community desires it, or because we wish to remove images of suffering from our television screens. Nor can we necessarily rebuild failed states in our image. When we intervene, we must be certain of our objectives, sure of popular support and willing to expend the necessary resources -- even lives. If our interventions are to be effective and humane, they must last for more than the fifteen minutes of attention that the media accord to each succeeding crisis. That is a tall order. As Shawcross concludes, "In a more religious time it was only God whom we asked to deliver us from evil. Now we call upon our own man-made institutions for such deliverance. That is sometimes to ask for miracles." Average Rating:
 Rating:  - Deliver Us From the Evil of a Lack of Political WillDeliver Us from a Lack of Political Will, by Peter Gantz, Partnership for Effective Peace Operations. A review of Deliver Us From Evil: Peacekeepers, Warlords and a World of Endless Conflict, William Shawcross, Simon & Schuster, 413pp. So, yes, this book is about peacekeeping, that amorphous blob of activity the international community tasks the UN with accomplishing every day in conflict zones throughout the world. It is clear that expectations far exceed what the UN is capable ... Read More Rating: - enlighteningFor anyone interested in world affairs, or interested in learning more about the United Nations in today's fractured and dangerous world, I strongly recommend this work by Shawcross. This work is essentially a survey of hotspots around the world that eventually boiled over spurring the intervention of foreign governments in the name of "humanity". Shawcross begins with the backgrounds of these conflicts and spells out the events leading up to and including foreign intervention and the aftereffects. ... Read More Rating:  - Good discussion of the issuesThis is a book about the role of the United Nations in international peacekeeping missions. Prior to the end of the cold war, the United Nations was not able to intervene in regional conflicts. The reason being that the split on the security council meant that one or other of the superpowers would veto actions which would conflict with their national interest. With the end of the cold war the world was faced with the possibility that the United Nations could for the first time try to act to limit human misery ... Read More Rating: - A Review of Hell in the 90'sThis book is a good overview of the UN work as peace keepers during the 1990's and the horrible different wars that took place during the decade. Cambodia, Somalia, Rwanda, Bosnia, Kosovo, Sierra Leone, East Timor, and Iraq are the locations / wars the author takes us through. The descriptions of what these people did to each other are almost more then can be believed. The author also provides a good overview with each conflict as to why it was happening and the internal politics, which kept the killing going. ... Read More Rating: - Essential Reading for International ThinkersDeliver Us From Evil provides a front row seat to the agonizing development, completion and aftermath of the most dramatic global post cold-war intranational conflicts: Bosnia, Cambodia, Rwanda and others. Shawcross's intimate access to the negotiations and communications surrounding the United Nations Secretary-Generals provide a revealing look at the deliberate lack of intervention by the United States and other members of the Security Council despite public statements to the contrary. Shawcross provides comprehensive ... Read More |
