Humanitarian Intervention: Crafting a Workable Doctrine : Three Options Presented As Memoranda to the President (Council on Foreign Relations (Council on Foreign Relations Press))

This Council policy initiative frames the issues raised by the "Clinton Doctrine," which advocates U.S. military intervention against large-scale humanitarian abuses.

The introduction offers a hypothetical memorandum prepared by a national security adviser to the president, setting forth relevant precedents and context. Three perspectives on U.S. policy options follow, written as speeches the U.S. president might make to the American people: one, humanitarian intervention can serve national interests; two, humanitarian interests alone do not justify military intervention; and three, strategic interest and moral imperative must be balanced.