The Balkans is often described as a grim backwater, a "no man's land of world politics" in the words of a post-World War II study "foredoomed to conflict springing from heterogeneity." The stereotype is false, but it has been distressingly influential in shaping perceptions of the Balkan conflict and its origin. By encouraging pessimism about prospects for recovery, it may also make it more difficult to sustain commitments to post conflict peace building. This book seeks to refute simplistic "ancient hatreds" explanations by looking carefully at the sources and dynamics of the Balkan conflict in all of its dimensions.

In this collection scholars, policymakers and military officials explore the conditions that gave rise to the Balkan wars in the 1990s, the application of international law to the wars the conduct of the wars, and post-war issues. The essays are based on presentations given at the International Conference on the Balkans held at Florida Atlantic University in February 2002. The contributors come from varied backgrounds, including international law, genocide studies, peacekeeping, European politics, communications, history and military studies.

Despite the scope of the threat they pose to Mexico’s security, violent drug-trafficking organizations are not well understood, and optimal strategies to combat them have not been identified. While there is no perfectly analogous case to Mexico’s current security situation, historical case studies may offer lessons for policymakers as they cope with challenges related to violence and corruption in that country.