Tag Archives: Just War Theory
Terrorism, Acts of War, and Military Trials
As you’re probably already aware, there’s been some disagreement with the Obama administration’s plan to try alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in a New York civilian court. Among the objections is the claim that trying terrorists in civilian court commits one to a “law enforcement” view of terrorism rather than a “war on terrorism” approach. Now as a general … Continue reading
Proportionality and the Crime of War
Last week, I looked at one (failed) attempt to excuse Israel’s actions in Gaza by redefining proportionality more or less out of existence. But, as I said then, those opposing the war on just war grounds haven’t always gotten things right, either. By way of reminder, here’s the Atlantic’s Andrew Sullivan: In the history of the West, the laws of … Continue reading
Proportionality and Fallacies
Israel’s war in Gaza has once again proved what all just war theory scholars know: people only pay attention to just war theory after a war has begun. Still, recent discussions about the justice of Israel’s war are useful, even if belated. Much of the conversation has centered on the question of proportionality. Andrew Sullivan, for example, writes that You … Continue reading
The Case for Genocide Prevention
Okay, so no one is actually arguing against preventing genocide. But both Matt Yglesias and Ambassador At Large argue that the Very Serious People who tend to equate preventing genocide with armed intervention are missing the boat. Matt complains that But then whenever anyone suggests that the U.S. commit itself to following international law and not using non-defensive military force … Continue reading