David Bosco breaks down the politics of the responsibility to protect (R2P):
[T]he doctrine that guided this year’s international intervention in Libya, has a structural problem, at least insofar as it involves military action to prevent atrocities. Early intervention in Rwanda might have saved as many as 500,000 lives, a stunning achievement. But it’s almost certain that such a mission would not have been viewed as a stunning success. The problem is that R2P’s successes will always be ambiguous and debatable, dogged by "what if"s. Its costs, meanwhile, will be painfully evident in the form of military expenditures and casualties, and in whatever unintended consequences may follow an intervention. For that reason, the doctrine will struggle to build a record of success and to cement its place as an international norm.
The Dish 