"Humanity as a Weapon of War" is a new report from the Center for American Progress that looks at the U.S. military's emerging trend of using humanitarian assistance to achieve strategic objectives. It examines the U.S. Defense Department's efforts to counter threats such as extremism, poor governance and human suffering by aiding indigenous populations, and considers the use of development activities performed by civilian agencies to achieve the same goal. Based on original research conducted on the ground in East Africa and at US military commands around the world, this report argues that the military's efforts to achieve security through development can only be successful if they are rooted in a global strategy that puts development priorities, or "human security," first.
