When, where, how, and to what end American force will be applied in this new century is a matter of intense debate and controversy. When America Fights takes a hard look at the United States' military involvement in the post-cold war era, especially a growing number of peacekeeping operations. Are U.S. national interests served by this deployment of forces abroad? What types of forces are needed and when should they be employed? At what point can we proclaim "mission accomplished" and withdraw?

Snow uses the recent deployment in Kosovo as a primary example, but refers back to the role of U.S. troops in Bosnia, Somalia, Haiti, and Iraq, extrapolating from those operations in an effort to theorize about the future uses of military force. Snow looks at the likely future patterns of violence-paramilitary activities, terrorism, and internal wars-and then suggest the direction policy might take and the difficulties associated with the difference objectives, thereby framing the alternatives in a way that fosters classroom debate and discussion.

Preface

Introduction: Military Force in the Post-Cold War Environment
Policy Disarray
Toward a New First Principle
The Structure of the Book and of the Argument

1. Policy Adrift
The Causes of Inertia in National Security Policy
The Contemporary Environment
The New Environment: A World of Tiers
The Paradigm Problem

2. Thinking about Strategy in a New Environment
The Factors Conditioning Strategy
Strategic Orientations: The U.S. Self-Perception

3. The Menu of Violence
Employments of Necessity
Employments of Choice

4. The Dilemmas of Involvement
Reasons for the Lack of Consensus
The Nature of Peacekeeping Operations and Possible Outcomes
Realistic Actions: Conflict Suppression or State Building?
The Operation Level

5. Peace Games?
Contemporary Influences on Grand Strategy
A Strategy of Realistic Internationalism
Guidelines for Intervening in Internal Wars
Institutional Adjustments
Appendix; UN Resolution 1244 (1999)
Chronology of Kosovo
Index

"When America Fights clearly and concisely addresses a relevant theme in the study of U.S. national security policy-in this instance, the hot-button issue of U.S. military strategy for the post-cold war era. Donald Snow offers a logical approach to thinking about the U.S. military's role in the new international environment. His attempts at translating recommended policy into implementing procedures should be of interest to students and those who care about the future of American foreign policy."

- Fred F. Woerner, Boston University

"Professor Snow's book makes a very significant contribution to our understanding of where and when America fights in the post-cold war world. The analyses of cases are lucid and comprehensive, the book is rich in useful detail, and it holds theory very close to the situations on the ground. The reader will find here a coherent explanation of a reality that appears anything but coherent."

- Witold J. Lukaszewski, Sam Houston State University

Donald M. Snow is professor of political science and international affairs at the University of Alabama and received his Ph.D. from Indiana University. He is the author or coauthor of more than two dozen books on defense policy and international relations, including International Relations: The Changing Contours of Power (2000); The United States Foreign Policy: Politics Beyond the Water's Edge (with Eugene Brown, 1999); and The Shape of the Future: World Politics in a New Century, 3rd ed. (1999). Snow has served a visiting professor at the U.S. Army, Naval, and Air War Colleges and the Air Command and Staff College.