(International Herald Tribune) Bishop Pierre W. Whalon - The just-war theory has several requirements. First, you need a just cause in order to attack. Second, the "legitimate authority" must decide the use of force. That authority is not the U.S. government but the United Nations, as President George W. Bush acknowledged in his recent speech there. Third, you need a reasonable chance of succeeding. Fourth, you must seek to avoid killing noncombatants, which means using the right amount of force - what theorists call proportionality.
2002-11-15 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive