international relations such as that of Waltz, the role of national interests is paramount for a state to maintain influence in the self-help international system in which we live. 309 I disagree with the neorealist view, however I do believe that the contemporary UN system for permitting the use of force allows for states to define what constitutes a threat to security, thus allowing for national interests to play a role in the decision to intervene. For example, some European states such as Spain, Portugal, Belgium and France were clear in emphasising their individual concerns regarding the Balkans conflicts. The continuing flow of refugees from former Yugoslavia across Europe would destabilise the region, therefore intervention would not only provide humanitarian assistance to those in the conflict zone, but also address the security concerns of intervening states. 310 Contrary to Chris Brown’s argument that unless “the intervening states are pure at heart” 311 a military intervention is considered an act of imperialism, Michael Walzer insists that “a pure moral will does not exist in political life,” and therefore the presence of national interests should not criminalise actions ultimately seeking humanitarian resolve. 312 Understandably, any intention for a UN intervention carried out where the primary motive is to preserve national interests rather than the continuation of Douzinas’ ‘new moral order’ concept should be strongly vetoed for the preservation not just of human security, but 309 Jonelle Lonergan, ‘Neo -Realism and Humanitarian Action: From Cold War to Our Da ys,’ Journal of Humanitarian Assistance , (2011) 310 Allen Sen, ‘Kosovo, and the Case of the Free Riders: Belgium, Canada, Portugal, and Spain’, in Albrecht Shnabel and Ramesh Thakur, Kosovo and the Challenge of Humanitarian Intervention: Selective Indignation, Collective Intervention, and International Citizenship , (Tokyo: United Nations University, 2000) 311 Chris Brown, ‘From Humanized War to Humanitarian Intervention: Carl Schmitt‘s Critique of the Just War Tradition’, in Louiza Odysseos, The International Political Thought of Carl Schmitt , (London, Routledge, 2007) 312 Michael Walzer, Just and Unjust Wars, (New York: Basic Books, 2006), pp. 26.
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