JJC_H2_HIST_HI_P1_Qn

1   JC 2 PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION 2016 HISTORY 9731/1  HISTORY 8814/1 Paper 1: International History 1945-2000 Wednesday 24 th August 2016 3 hours READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS FIRST   1. Answer four questions. 2. You must answer Question 1 (Section A), and any three questions from Section B. 3. Begin each question on a new sheet of paper. 4. Fasten all your work securely together. INFORMATION FOR CANDIDATES All questions in this paper carry equal marks. You are reminded of the need for good English and clear presentation in your answers. NAME: CLASS:

2   You must answer Question 1. THE FAILURE OF UN PEACE EFFORTS 1 Read the Sources and then answer the question which follows. When answering Question 1 candidates are advised to pay particular attention to the interpretation and evaluation of the sources both individually and as a group. Source A It does not help that the UN Security Council is structurally burdened with the veto, which seriously impedes its ability to bring about peace. Nonetheless, the USA gladly uses vetoes, obstructs or ignores UN resolutions and decisions, both in the Security Council, as well as the in the judicial arm of the UN regarding issues relating to itself and its allies. Defenders of these policies contend that such actions by the USA are often just a reaction to the fact that other nations similarly use the veto to dominate the UN. But is this accurate? From 1981 to 1986, the US vetoed 36 draft resolutions of the Security Council. The Soviet Union vetoed two. On some occasions, the US refused to cooperate with the UN, or tried to pick fights with it, if American leaders were unsatisfied with how the UN handled peacekeeping affairs. The USA constantly tried to prevent the UN from having the right to determine what constitutes international aggression, and when it has occurr ed. If the UN was given this right, the USA would not be able to undertake its own invasions or give itself the right to judge international behaviour solely on the basis of American selfish interests. In short, the USA wanted to continue to enjoy the luxury of using the UN to meet its own foreign policy objectives and had little intention to be subservient to the UN. From a book by Michael Albert, published in 1994. Source B From the start, Republican politician Bob Dole would repeat the name Boutros Boutros-Ghali with such venom that you might think he was upset most of all by the sound of the name. The US had misgivings about the political leanings of the Secretary-General. The UN was used as the scapegoat for the debacle in Somalia. US officials unfairly laid the blame on the UN and its Secretary-General for the failures in Somalia. The troops in the peacekeeping mission were under the direct command of the US Central Command in Florida, not the UN, but the White House did not deem it politically wise to point this out. In Bosnia, US officials continually criticized Bo