The United States in United Nations military operations

Abstract

This thesis examines the role of the United States in United Nations military operations. In a future that will likely include more instances of U.N. security operations and a U.S. military having to make do with less resources, collective security operations are a logical choice for U.S. decision-makers. The study begins with a discussion of six types of U.N. military Operations, ranging in intensity from humanitarian aid to enforcement and punishment. The study also provides a decision model that accounts for the effects of elite and popular consensus domestically and internationally on the collective security process; Iraq and Bosnia act as illustrative examples. The study then examines the roles played by the U.S. Navy and intelligence community in collective security. In summary, the study concludes that the U.S. military is best suited for operations at either extreme of the collective spectrum. In other instances, limited action by the U.S. Navy or intelligence community are viable alternatives. United Nations, collective security, intelligence sharing, naval cooperation