Just War Theory was created centuries ago to create moral guidelines for nation-states and leaders to determine when the use of war is justified in pursuit of a nation’s interests. Recently, the U.S. pursued a preemptive war in Iraq based on the alleged Iraqi acquisition of Weapons of Mass Destruction.
For this paper you will examine the traditional justifications for war with modern justifications for war, and address the following:
- Analyze how Just War theory has been applied to U.S. military campaigns from 1945-1994.
- Discuss any wars conducted by the U.S. during the Cold War period that were not justified by Just War theory.
- Describe the justifications for the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003.
- Discuss how the justifications for the U.S. invasion of Iraq hold up under Just War theory. Be sure to explain whether or not these justifications violate any of the tenets of Just War theory.
- Compare traditional justifications for war with modern justifications for war. Be sure to address what has changed and what remains the same when examining the U.S.’s moral justification for war.