State Failure And Cost Of Intervention

Contemporary challenge for policy makers and academia is to do something sustainablefor international peace and stability. Era of inter-state warfare is bygone and now the non-state actors pose ever stronger threat to states and international security. These non-stateactors in the form of terrorist outfits easily establish their safe haven in weak and fragile statewhich then turns them into failed states. Poor governance, economic, social, political anddiplomatic indicators are the parameters to assess the developmental level of states.Unfortunately, these indicators in failed states show the gloomy picture of that state. Otherdeveloped and developing states vie to stay aloof and do not engage in economic, politicaland diplomatic activity with the failed state which further deteriorates security, law and order,economic strength, dispensation of justice and human security in failed state. On the pretextof human rights violations, development of weapons of mass destruction and terroristsanctuaries, great power finds a plausible excuse to intervene in the internal affairs of thosefailed states.Libya and Iraq are the gross examples. Before the intervention of United States thesestates were just failing states but after the intervention of America and its allies these statesturned into completely failed states and descended into chaos. Failed states need a collectiveapproach to deal with them punishing with intervention, economic sanctions, diplomaticboycott and declaring them terrorist states is not an adequate approach rather all internationalcommunity should feel the responsibility to reconstruct these failed states in economic,politics and cultural realms. That is much better and sustainable solution. Intervention doesnot address the problems rather it multiplies them.Chapter one, which is introduction, gives a general background to the study. It presentsthe tragedy of state failure, their categories and their indicators. It also concludes the role ofbig powers to tackle the issue of state failure. International system is diversified in its ownway states vary from one to another in their religion, culture, resources, capability, strategiclocation and their ability to influence others through soft or hard power. Chapter one as partof its task, explains the definition of failed states their ability to influence the internationalsystem. This chapter captures the research questions that hoped to be addressed by theresearch. The proposed answers to the questions are to be situated in the theoretical framework of theory of intervention which provides an analytical approach to this research.Chapter one also delves into the review of the related literature and work of other scholars. The aim of this research is to highlight the intervention of big powers in fragile states and itsconsequences.Chapter Two gives an in-depth insight into the nature of state failure. Despite frequentuse of the term failed states has not been clear to its users. Most Scholars and expert use theterm failed states to describe the poorly governed states where the government is unable toprovide the basic necessities of life to their citizens. After the cold war, main focus ofAmerican foreign policy was the failed states of failing states who can pose threats to thesecurity off international system. After9/11the main focus of the American foreign policywas the failed states. Failed states have become safe havens for terrorists to operate in othercountries. Chapter two further explains the statistic of failed states and their indicators whichcause the failure of these states.Chapter three is a thrust into the case studies and describes the diverse history of Iraqand Libya. The first case study is Iraq, which has long history of disputes and conflicts sinceits independence from Great Britain. This study mainly focuses on the American interventionin Iraq and its consequences. Iraq intervention has left many questions that yet to be answeredby the scholars. Intervention in Iraq was the result of9/11attacks. United States and hisAllies had fears that Iraq has terrorists training camps and Saddam Hussein can handoverWMDs to them. The United States and Britain firmly held the position that if SaddamHussein posed a threat to the entire world if left in power. But after the intervention andtoppling down the Saddam regime forces couldn’t found any WMDs and Iraqi government’slink with Al-Qaida or other terrorist organizations in result United States paid heavy cost ofthis military operation and enormous criticism of international community. After the civilunrest started in Libya United States and its allies found it a good chance to topple downQaddafi regime and the supported the rebel fighters against Qaddafi forces by providing aircover and weapons. Civil war in Libya created enormous sufferings for the local population.After overthrowing Qaddafi regime country’s control divided into rebel groups which posedgrave threat to regional instability. Chapter three explains the consequences of militaryinterventions in both case studies went wrong despite of changing situation in better way itgot worst and both countries have become on the verge of collapse.Thestudy advances to chapter four which insights the cost of military intervention inIraq and Libya and concludes the study. Chapter four explains that the cost of intervention istoo heavy and gains are too short of these interventions. Iraq’s today’s condition is evenworse than during Saddam regime country has become the victim of civil war and sectarian violence. Libya’s condition is not much better than Iraq. Libya is on the verge of civil wareconomy has collapsed and most of the regions of the country are under the control of rebelfighters who participated in civil war against Qaddafi regime.