The Leahy amendment : is it an effective coercive strategy?

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Thesis (M.A.)--Georgetown University, 2011.; Includes bibliographical references.; Text (Electronic thesis) in PDF format. A Congressional-mandated restriction, commonly referred to as the Leahy amendment, requires the suspension of foreign military assistance and training to individuals or units credibly accused of gross human rights violations with impunity. I examine the effectiveness of the Leahy amendment as a coercive strategy by conducting a cross-case analysis of five Leahy applications in Colombia, Indonesia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Turkey. I employ five variables of coercive success derived from my literature review and compare these variables with the actual outcomes to test the coercive potential of Leahy applications in each case. Several conclusions emerge from the research. First, at different points in the cases, it is evident that the more the Leahy applications employed the coercive variables, the more coercive pressure the application exerted. Second, the Leahy amendment lacks an institutional process to translate the law into a coercive strategy that weakens its employment. Finally, policymakers should temper expectations of what the Leahy amendment can reasonably achieve, defining them in terms of progress instead of full compliance.
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