Nation-building and stability operations : a reference handbook / Cynthia A. Watson.

Includes bibliographical references (pages [125]-144) and index.

The U.S. and its allies have been involved in numerous nation-building activities in the last two decades. Addressing the range of nation-building experiences and concerns in the United States and its allies, the author of this book opens with a discussion of U.S. interventions in Somalia, Haiti, and South-Eastern Europe during the 1990s. She then shifts to a discussion of the more recent lessons from Iraq and Afghanistan since the beginning of the 'War on Terror'. As nation-building and stability operations have expanded, so too must the discussion of such activities. With increasing pressure on the United States to engage in actions abroad in the 'War on Terror', a greater understanding of what is involved in this area is crucial.The author breaks down the operational and doctrinal shifts that have occurred in military and political circles during the last twenty years in this introductory overview of the topic. She supplements her narrative with brief biographical essays focused on individuals such as Anthony Zinni, the U.S. commander in Somalia, and others who influenced the course of nation-building and stabilisation processes now in place. Their impact is underscored in the documents included in this work, which are taken from various studies, laws, and debates on the subject at hand, making this a useful work for both students and specialists.