Part 1 The Cold War Era (1945–89), 11 The US Intervention in the Dominican Republic—1965

Subject(s):

Armed conflict, international — Armed conflict, non-international — Defences — International organizations — UN Charter

This chapter analyzes the intervention of US American troops in the Dominican Republic in 1965. After setting out the facts and the broader historical context, the positions of the main protagonists and the reactions of third states and international organizations are described in detail. For that purpose, two phases are distinguished: a first, unilateral phase during which the US American troops operated solely on a national basis, and a second phase, which is characterized by a multinational force operating under the auspices of the OAS. In its legal assessment, the chapter concludes that during the first phase the operation may be seen as justified on the grounds of protecting US American citizens abroad. In the second phase, the operation is qualified as a regional peace-keeping operation for which no authorization is needed under Article 53 of the UN Charter.