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The definition of Genocide is quite contentious, both with in the academic and the policy making community. The first element considered in genocide is physical destruction, the killing and/or causation of a cease of reproduction, the endangerment of a group's ultimate survival, and the psychological and cultural destruction. The second aspect of defining genocide is the predators" intent (Harff 1992). Third the nature of the predator, the "modern" genocide refers to the "actions carried out by a state or ruler with the intent to kill systematically a particular community or social collectivity, resulting in destroying the targeted group in whole or in part" (Scherrer1999). (The academic and policy making communities have narrowed the definition of a genocide to isolate happenings across the globe and to reduce the response the global community must have to these occurrences). The genocide in Rwanda took place without United States intervention, despite clear evidence of genocide and Dallaire's (Major General Romeo Dallaire, commander of the United Nations[UN] peace keeping forces in Rwanda) pleas for additional support, the United States pushed for a UN withdrawal, slashing UN Assistance Mission for Rwanda forces from 2500 to 270 (although 503 decided to stay). The result was a 100-day massacre of 800,000 Rwandan men, women, and children not including the unknown numbers suffering from other offenses like rape, torture, and intimidation. The Rwandan genocides rate of killing exceeds that of the Holocaust and makes it the "most efficient mass killing since the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki" (Gourevitch1998). The United States did not do anything to stop the genocide because it wasn't in our vital national interests to do so. .
In 1993, the Clinton administration expanded its mission in Somalia from humanitarianism to aggressive peacemaking. But after a battle with Somali rebels left 18 United States servicemen dead, the United States abandoned the mission and moved away from such multilateral engagements.
