Police action
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Police action in military/security studies and international relations, is a euphemism for a military action undertaken without a formal declaration of war.
Since the Second World War, formal declarations of war have increasingly become a rarity. Instead, nations involved in military conflict (especially the major-power nations) often attempt to justify their conduct by fighting the war under the auspices of a "police action".
The term dates from the 20th century[citation needed], and was not used to described pre-20th century undeclared wars. It is frequently used to imply a formal claim of sovereignty by colonial powers, such as in the military actions of the Netherlands, Britain, and other allies during the Indonesian National Revolution (1945-1949), and the Malayan Emergency (1948-1960).
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[edit] Examples of police actions
The invasion of the Hyderabad state, codenamed Operation Polo, in 1948 by India was referred to as a police action by the Government of India.
The Korean War, the Vietnam War and the Kargil War were undeclared wars, hence are sometimes described as police actions.
The Soviet war in Afghanistan was an undeclared war, and hence also could be described as a police action, especially since the initial troop deployments into Afghanistan were at the request of the Afghan government.
The United States has launched all of its major armed conflicts since World War II as police actions. In these events, Congress had not made a formal declaration of war, yet the President, as the commander-in-chief, has claimed authority to send in the armed forces when he deemed necessary. Nonetheless, limited Congressional control has been asserted, in terms of funding appropriations[citation needed].
[edit] Appropriate use of the term
Use of the term does not appear to have gained currency outside of the limited arena of justification of military action: for example, the U.S. Navy refers to the Korean conflict as a war, and when they refer to police action, they surround the term in scare quotes. [1]
Similarly, a plaque at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial refers to the Vietnam conflict as a war, not a police action.
Use of the term police action is intended to imply either a claim of formal sovereignty, or a claim of authority to intervene militarily at the nation's own discretion.
[edit] Authorized use of force
Authorized use of force is another euphemism for military action or war, however it tends to be used for more limited conflicts that may not justify the term "war".
[edit] See also
- Posse comitatus
- Korean War
- Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
- War Powers Resolution
- Declaration of war by the United States
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