Lionel Rosenblatt and Larry Thompson

The United Nations (UN) can effectively keep the peace in small, intrastate wars, maintain Lionel Rosenblatt and Larry Thompson in the following viewpoint. However, they assert, the reluctance on the part of member nations to engage in these conflicts necessitates the founding of a standing, permanent international army. This short-term military force would respond quickly to defuse emergency situations until a more long-term peacekeeping force could arrive. Rosenblatt is president of Refugees International, a Washington-based advocacy organization. Thompson is a senior associate with Refugees International.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. Why did the UN peacekeeping force fail in Rwanda, according to the authors?
2. In the authors’ opinion, why does the current UN peacekeeping force need to be supplemented with a rapid response force?
3. Why should the...