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 [**]

CONFLICT A turf war between Azerbaijanis and Armenians from 1989-1994

U.S. ACTION U.S. diplomacy with Russia and France, plus $12.5 million in humanitarian aid

DEATH TOLL 35,000

ERITREA [**]

CONFLICT Fierce border dispute with Ethiopia

U.S. ACTION Subtle but active diplomacy; sent special envoy, got both sides to agree not to use air power

DEATH TOLL 10,000

KASHMIR [*] CONFLICT Some rebel groups want independence from India, others want to join Pakistan

U.S. ACTION Offered to mediate if requested

DEATH TOLL 25,000+

SOMALIA [***]

CONFLICT 1991 overthrow of dictator brought on current civil war

U.S. ACTION Sent 25,000 troops; lost 30 in bloody battles; humiliating pullout

DEATH TOLL 300,000+

RWANDA [**]

CONFLICT Majority Hutu extremists tried to wipe out the Tutsi minority

U.S. ACTION Massive humanitarian assistance

DEATH TOLL 800,000-1 million

TIBET [*]

CONFLICT Widespread torture, killing and religious suppression since China seized Tibet in 1949

U.S. ACTION Appointed a special coordinator for Tibetan issues

DEATH TOLL 1 million

INDONESIA [*]

CONFLICT Annexed in 1975 by Indonesia, East Timor fights for independence

U.S. ACTION Supports international peacekeeping or observer force and a "peace and stability council"

DEATH TOLL 200,000

SRI LANKA [*]

CONFLICT Secessionist Tamils have battled the Sinhalese majority since 1983

U.S. ACTION Calls Tamils terrorists; trains anti-terrorist squads for Sinhalese government

DEATH TOLL 56,000

Source: National Journal

Degree of U.S. involvement [***] Intense [**] Moderate [*] Light