A third type of criticism centers on the event-based and inconsistent nature of most policies on humanitarian intervention . These critics argue that there is a tendency for the concept to be invoked in the heat of action , giving the appearance of propriety for Western television viewers , but that it neglects the conflicts that are forgotten by the media or occur based on chronic distresses rather than sudden crises . Henry Kissinger , for example , finds that Bill Clinton 's practice of humanitarian intervention was wildly inconsistent . The US launched two military campaigns against Serbia while ignoring more widespread slaughter in Rwanda , justifying the Russian assault on Chechnya , and welcoming to the United States the second-ranking military official of a widely recognized severe human rights violator - the communist government of North Korea
slaughter in Rwanda
Rwandan genocide
Humanitarian intervention