Can the Invasion of Iraq Be Considered A Just War?
The just war doctrine has three possible justifications: 1. Self-Defense. 2. Helping another sovereign nation that has been invaded. 3. Extreme necessity. It’s important to understand that even if one were to ascribe to that doctrine, the invasion of Iraq would not fall under any of the three conditions that warrant it. I’ve found the most articulate argument in that regard made by right-wing legal analyst and columnist David Pyne. He wrote several articles before the invasion in an attempt to dissuade the administration from invading Iraq. I’ve written to him to see if his opinion has changed. Pyne states: “Pre-emptive and unprovoked attacks are presumptively illegal under international law and with very few exceptions cannot be justified.” “Applying the principles of America’s just war tradition to the planned unprovoked war against Iraq then, it is clear that a new US invasion of Iraq would not meet any of the requirements for being a just war. An invasion of Iraq would not be in ou
