Just War and the Gulf War

by James Turner Johnson, George Weigel

Studies the Gulf War from the perspective of the "just war" concept analyzing the decision to use military force against Iraq, the conduct of the war, and moral debate over the war

144 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1991

Reviews

[Judy]

The principle of discrimination: " the requirement that noncombatants not be directly and intentionally attacked." p. 9
The Geneva convention 1864
Brussels declaration 1974
two Hague conferences 1897 and 1907
a succession of Geneva conventions thru Protocols of 1977
"Just causes classically included one or more of three conditions: defense against an attack, recovery of something wrongly taken, or punishment of evil." p. 21
Iraq's conduct of war was in conspicuous violation of the principles of discrimination and proportion. It is important to remember that these principles, like other ideas embodied in just war tradition, are not simply part of the moral heritage of the West; they are present also in Islamic tradition, and they are explicitly part of international law. The immoral and illegal warfare tactics included:
- the conscious use of counter-population targeting of Kuwaiti citizens and others trapped by the invasion
-the launching of SCUD missiles against Saudi and Israeli cities in direct intentional counter-population strikes
-the loosing of oil into the Persian Gulf in an effort to impede coalition sea and amphibious action
-the destruction of Kuwaiti buildings, systematic pillaging of Kuwaiti property and setting afire Kuwaiti oil wells and facilities.
"Most of these acts had no military relevance whatsoever."