The shortcomings of several recent peace operations have led many people to conclude that the whole concept is flawed and has little bearing on U.S. interests. The record, however, suggests that peace operations have not only reduced instability in many parts of the globe but have also been something of a minor boon to U.S. foreign policy. It is necessary to confront this strange gulf between Washington perceptions and reality.

Denis McLean, a New Zealander, is currently Warburg Professor in International Relations at Simmons College in Massachusetts. He graduated with an M.S. in geology from Victoria University at Wellington; he also studied at Oxford University as a New Zealand Rhodes scholar, where he completed a B.A. in politics, philosophy, and economics.