When to Jump In: The World's Other Wars

Can the U.S. draw the line at Kosovo? The world is speckled with dangerous ethnic conflicts, often with death tolls that are already tens or hundreds of times the estimated count in Kosovo. The U.S. has pursued a hodgepodge policy in the past, picking and choosing involvements based on both the humanitarian need and the geopolitical importance. The National Journal recently cast an eye back at the ethnic and civil wars that have bedeviled the past decade. Here we offer a similar look at the relationship between human cost and U.S. intervention.

HAITI [***]

CONFLICT The 1991 military coup led to civil strife, assassinations and thousands of refugees

U.S. ACTION 20,000 troops intervened; 500 remain; no U.S. combat deaths

DEATH TOLL 100s

BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA [***]

CONFLICT Move for independence in 1991 brought Serb opposition and ethnic cleansing

U.S. ACTION Embargo, bombing and intervention by U.S. troops; 6,000 remain

DEATH TOLL 200,000+

NORTHERN IRELAND [**]

CONFLICT 30 years of sectarian violence

U.S. ACTION Extensive involvement using ambassadors, peace talks and intervention by Clinton

DEATH TOLL 3,200

ALGERIA [*]

CONFLICT Seven-year civil war between Islamic militants and secularist military government

U.S. ACTION Joined in U.N. fact-finding trip; offered observers for election

DEATH TOLL 65,000-80,000

SIERRA LEONE [*]

CONFLICT Civil war, with rural rebels trying to depose urban government

U.S. ACTION Supports a multinational military force to keep elected government in power

DEATH TOLL 3,000

LIBERIA [**]

CONFLICT Seven-year civil war with ethnic overtones

U.S. ACTION Helped finance 10-nation peacekeeping force; spent $7.5 million to help ensure a fair election

DEATH TOLL 250,000

KOSOVO [***]

CONFLICT As Kosovars push for independence, Milosevic tries to push them out

U.S. ACTION Diplomatic pressure culminating in massive NATO air strikes

DEATH TOLL 2,000+

SUDAN [**]

CONFLICT Northern Muslims pitted against southern Christians and animists

U.S. ACTION Food relief totaling $1 billion

DEATH TOLL 1.9 million

ANGOLA [*]

CONFLICT A 25-year civil war between elected government and rebel Jonas Savimbi

U.S. ACTION Portugal, U.S. and Russia monitor ailing 1994 peace agreement

DEATH TOLL 1 million

TURKEY [**]

CONFLICT 15-year effort by Kurdish separatists to establish autonomy in southeastern Turkey

U.S. ACTION Military aid to Turkey; helped track down Kurdish separatist leader

DEATH TOLL 37,000

DEM. REP. OF CONGO [*]

CONFLICT Strife in Rwanda and dictator's collapse lead to two-year civil war

U.S. ACTION Special envoy, active diplomacy working toward a cease-fire

DEATH TOLL 10,000

CHECHNYA [*]

CONFLICT Russian forces battled separatist Muslims over independence in 1994

U.S. ACTION Clinton letter to Yeltsin said conflict could not be settled militarily

DEATH TOLL 40,000

NAGORNO-KARABAKH [**]