ABSTRACT
This chapter analyses two instances during the 1992-5 war in Bosnia when the US intervened directly during a humanitarian crisis. The core case is the decision to defend the Gorazde ‘safe area’ through the threat of air strikes in July 1995 which occurred shortly after the fall of the Srebrenica ‘safe area’. This decision also involved a commitment to respond to further attacks on any ‘safe area’ with extensive air strikes. The secondary case study is that of the US response to a market-place bombing in February 1994. With respect to the core case study, the decision to defend Gorazde in 1995 was set against the broader context of growing US involvement in the Bosnian War. This included a renewed diplomatic initiative in August and a bombing campaign (Operation Deliberate Force) in late August/early September which in turn flowed from military commitments made following the fall of Srebrenica to defend ‘safe areas’ from further attacks. The US brokering of the Dayton peace talks in October/November 1995 finally secured a tentative peace throughout Bosnia.
