ABSTRACT
This chapter explores factors that determine whether an intervention is approved and the challenges of implementing policies. It describes changes in the character of humanitarian interventions during the first post–Cold War decade, the 1990s. Decisions to intervene may be based upon a contributing country's political objectives or opportunity for economic gain. The chapter describes that the Security Council became more reluctant to authorize new U. N. peace support operations as the 1990s drew to a close. Game theory and liberal institutionalism provide two theoretical frameworks for understanding Security Council decisionmaking. Operational planners relied on Security Council mandates and state policymakers to provide a conceptual framework for understanding the material and personnel requirements for a peace support operation. "Surgical strikes" is the term frequently used to describe the military's intent to directly target and hit military-related sites during militarized humanitarian missions.
