Justifying Kosovo: Representations of Gendered Violence and U.S. Military Intervention

Abstract

This essay examines the public discourse, comprised of both official governmental communication and media coverage, of the American-led military intervention in Kosovo in 1999 as a site of representations of gendered violence. The project considers the implications for such representations for both the prevention of gendered violence and its future employment as a justification for military operations. The essay concludes by cautioning that prominent rhetorical strategies employing such representations ultimately undermine efforts to prevent gendered violence.