Larry May argues that the best way to understand war crimes is as crimes against humanness rather than as violations of justice. He shows that in a deeply pluralistic world, we need to understand the rules of war as the collective responsibility of states that send their citizens into harm's way, as the embodiment of humanity, and as the chief way for soldiers to retain a sense of honour on the battlefield. Throughout, May demonstrates that the principle of humanness is the cornerstone of international humanitarian law, and is itself the basis of the traditional principles of discrimination, necessity, and proportionality. He draws extensively on the older Just War tradition to assess recent cases from the International Tribunal for Yugoslavia as well as examples of atrocities from the archives of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Leading political theologian Oliver O'Donovan takes a fresh look at some traditional moral arguments about war. Christians differ widely on this issue. The book re-examines questions of contemporary urgency, including the use of biological and nuclear weapons, military intervention, economic sanctions, and the role of the UN. It opens with a challenging dedication to the new Archbishop of Canterbury and proceeds to shed light on vital topics with which that Archbishop and others will be very directly engaged. It should be read by anyone concerned with the ethics of warfare.

"Brian Orend explores the ethics of war and peace from a Kantian perspective, emphasizing human rights protection, the rule of international law and a fully global concept of justice. Contending that Kant's just war doctrine has not been given its due, Orend displays Kant's theory to its fullest, impressive effect. He then completely and clearly updates Kant's perspective for application to our time."--Jacket.

A comprehensive exploration of contemporary debates in Just War Theory, addressing moral, political, and legal issues.

Gulf War, Frank Smyth

In War Crimes, Lieutenant Colonel Robert “Buzz” Patterson (USAF, Ret.) lays bare the Left’s campaign against their own nation’s armed forces—in the media, on campuses, in popular culture, in Washington, and elsewhere, revealing: ·The roots of liberal enmity toward our military ·The five liberal lies about the war on terror ·How the mainstream media, Hollywood, and academia perpetuate these myths ·How liberal politicians engage in seditious acts for political gain, and what the costs of these acts are ·How America can and must defeat the liberal assault on America’s ability to defend itself against its enemies Interviews with hundreds of soldiers, sailors, and airmen—including many on the ground in Iraq—reveal the alarming degree to which their burden is increased by second-guessing, pessimism, and outright revulsion for their mission on the part of the people they are fighting for. Studded with shocking quotations and astonishing actions from members of the Left, War Crimes is an eye-opening indictment of the true motivations and agenda of the American Left. From the Hardcover edition.

Just war theory exists to stop armies and countries from using armed force without good cause. But how can we judge whether a war is just? In this original book, John W. Lango takes some distinctive approaches to the ethics of armed conflict. DT A revisionist approach that involves generalising traditional just war principles, so that they are applicable by all sorts of responsible agents to all forms of armed conflict DT A cosmopolitan approach that features the Security Council DT A preventive approach that emphasises alternatives to armed force, including negotiation, nonviolent action and peacekeeping missions DT A human rights approach that encompasses not only armed humanitarian intervention but also armed invasion, armed revolution and all other forms of armed conflict Lango shows how these can be applied to all forms of armed conflict, however large or small: from interstate wars to UN peacekeeping missions, and from civil wars counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations.