The Liberian civil war, now entering its sixth year, raises two crucial issues for the international community. First, what can be learned about regional initiatives to address problems in war–related humanitarian crises? Second, how can tensions between political–security and humanitarian objectives best be managed? This paper explores these issues in a case study by the Humanitarianism and War Project at the Thomas J. Watson Jr. Institute for International Studies. The idea for the study was suggested in October 1993 by a UN official involved in hu- manitarian activities and familiar with the work of the project in other conflicts.