If such a consensus cannot be reached, at least Western powers and like-minded states must agree, as in Kosovo in 1999, for example. The third possibility – military action endorsed by a small group of states – should be avoided, for practical, legal, and moral reasons.
1991年的伊拉克战争是达成全球共识后进行军事干预的典范。如果无法达成全球共识，至少西方大国以及有相近思想的国家必须达成一致，比如1999年的科索沃战争。出于现实、法律和道德等方面的考虑，第三种选择¾即由某个小团体授权的军事行动¾应该绝对避免。今天，国外军事行动的效率与其合法性之间有着无法割裂的联系。