Morality of the Iraqi War

Paper Summary:

This paper examines several concepts of morality and waging war, and showed that the US intervention in Iraq is morally acceptable. The author then describes a set of normative conditions developed by military theorists that must be met in order to consider a military action morally justified. The author further develops these concepts. The paper concludes by stating that the U.S. was justified in going to war in Iraq based on the five conditions of jus ad bellum--the right to go to war.

From the Paper:

"Concerning the matter of "legitimate authority", it is a case of internal authorization of the legislative for the executive branch to conduct foreign policy, as "a war is just only if waged by a legitimate authority. Such authority is rooted in the notion of state sovereignty and derived from popular consent" . The US federal Constitution, in order to regulate and insure that the people through the Congress regulates a strict control over the executive power and subsequently over the capacity to manage foreign relations, demands that the Congress approve actions taken by the President in matters concerning foreign policy. Pursuant to this constrains, the US invasion of Iraq in March 2003 had the full support of the Congress assembled, expressed even by a "Joint Resolution to Authorize the Use of United States Armed Forces against Iraq". This text stated that "The Congress of the United States supports the efforts by the President to obtain prompt and decisive action by the Security Council to ensure that Iraq abandons its strategy of delay, evasion and noncompliance and promptly and strictly complies with all relevant Security Council resolutions ". Furthermore, it goes on to authorize the President "to use the Armed Forces of the United States as he determines to be necessary and appropriate in order to defend the national security of the United States against the continuing threat posed by Iraq and to enforce all relevant United Nations Security Council Resolutions regarding Iraq" . Thus, considering this action, the presidency was indeed given the proper declaration of legitimacy in order to wage war on Iraq."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Calhoun, Laurie. "Killing, letting die, and the alleged necessity of military intervention". Peace and Conflict Studies Volume 8. Number 2 (2001). The Network of Peace and Conflict Studies, George Mason University. 30 April, 2006. <http://www.gmu.edu/academic/pcs/Cal82PCS.htm>
• Cohen, Stuart A. Iraq's WMD Programs: Culling Hard Facts from Soft Myths.(2003). Columbia International Affairs online. 30 April, 2006. <http://www.ciaonet.org/>
• Cortright, David, et al. Unproven: The Controversy over Justifying War in Iraq. Policy Brief Series. (2003). Columbia International Affairs online. Kroc Institute. 30 April, 2006. <http://www.ciaonet.org/>
• Iraq: NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll. Polling Report, Inc. 2006. 30 April, 2006. <http://www.pollingreport.com/iraq.htm>
• Maiese, Michelle. "Jus ad Bellum". The Beyond Intractability Project. University of Colorado. June, 2003. 30 April, 2006. <http://www.beyondintractability.org/essay/jus_ad_bellum/?nid=1020>

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