I am finding myself grabbed and engaged in discussion with people I don't know regarding the Iraq enquiry and as a dog-collar I am expected to pronounce whether or not it, and just about every other, war is 'just'.
I seem to take a different perspective on this whole topic from some but I guess that I see this from the perspective that all war, regardless, is an 'unwanted' sport BUT that war is also, at times, a necessary evil. I also work on the theory that wars can indeed be 'just' and 'good' and can, and should, be supported. Contrary to what some appear to believe, a soldier regards the best battle as one where no shots are fired, no one is killed or wounded and the desired result is achieved. Soldiers do not like war and the truism that 'soldiers fight wars - politicians start them' is just a little too obvious (so why keep telling me this?). As I understand it, Tony Blair is being challenged over is the 'right to engage in war' ('Jus ad Bellum'), did we have it?
Was there a just cause to engage with the forces of Saddam Hussien. This 'just cause' requires more than making amends for what has been done, there has to be a real and present danger to life which requires an 'act of war' to remove this threat. (This is where WMD was a biggie!). Now when the marsh arabs were being eradicated or when the Kurds were being killed by use of chemical warfare, this was a breach of several international (and Biblical laws) - this would have given clear evidence of 'Jus as Bellum'. That said, had there been any intention by those looking to engage to remove a legally elected and constituted government, this would have rendered the action illegal. This raises another concern - was there intent to remove Saddam and his government from power and install a government of their own making before they entered then this war would have been unlawful and to engage thus would be to have committed a criminal act.
Often, at this stage, we look at the potential for a successful outcome and should it look like one is not in the offing, diplomatic means are engaged rather than military and even if victory is assured, there has to be evidence that diplomacy has at least been tried and that there is no other choice open to us. It is up to us to decide, when we've heard the evidence, whether or not the decisions which took us into Iraq were legal or otherwise (of course some will flap their Grauniads and tut whilst others, waving their Daily Fascists, will defend the action to the hilt - neither side letting facts get in the way!).
So there is a great deal that we need to be considering (as citizens of Great Britain) and this is a separate issue from the conduct of the actual engagement, the 'Jus in Bello' (right behaviour in war).
There is also a great deal that we need to be considering as citizens of a heavenly kingdom and we can move onto this shortly, but having looked at the areas before us - what do you think the realities are and how should we be seeing ourselves, our allies and what is the right and proper response?
You decide - it's your right!
5 comments:
I believe, after studying the issues Biblically, that there is such a thing as a Just war. Although I respect the ideals of the pacafist, I think it's important to realise that we live in a fallen world and that sometimes, war will be the only plausible response to aggression. That is, a just war is always defensive in nature. In regards to the situation in Iraq, my own personal conviction is that we did not go to war as a means of defending our own nation and it's citizens. Especially as the so called threat of WMD's has now been questioned immensely. Yes, Suddam Husein was a tyrant and he needed to be removed from his power, but has God authorised the West the right to police the whole world? I don't think that will be found anywhere in Scripture...
In response to Anonymous... But is it "unjust" to go to war to defend others, not our own nation and it's citizens, who are unable to defend themselves? Is it "just" to allow an agressor to perpetrate such hideous violence against others and ourselves merely watch, doing nothing to stop it from continuing? And isn't hindsight (now we know more about the WMD threat) a wonderful thing?
I too am troubled by the 'universal' policeman role that some nations wish to place themselves in.
Just war cannot be only regarded as merely defensive because one of the reasons for entering into it is to defend others by becoming an 'aggressor'.
As for defending ourselves - we were never within range of Iraq's weaponry anyway (but Israel was!)and as we weren't going to war with the removal of Saddam as a forethought it gets a little confusing doesn't it?
Again, one must first show where God has authorised us to go to war from the Scriptures.
It's very easy to make our own morality up and claim we are defending a nation other than our own, but where is the line then drawn? Again, where does Scripture authorise us to not only take the lives of others but also to send our own soldiers to death on such terms?
And we have gone to war with the forethought of removing Saddam, if not the very last time then the first time around at least. A madman, certainly, but again, it was still war so where had God authorised it?
I don't think that politicians think about God authorising, only in them sending! I believe that there was a clear Biblical mandate when the genocide was taking place and that the governments of the world missed the opportunity to act to save lives and, if that was what they desired, remove Saddam too.
The problem is, in legal terms, had the government felt the need for a stronger UN resolution I am sure it would have been forthcoming and so it was never going to be unlawful - perhaps they just needed to wait and get something stronger. But they didn't and so find themselves with this question hanging over their heads.
There are times when God's mandate for military response is obvious - read my next post and you'll see what I mean (and we can't write it off because it's OT - so has to be right I guess, just not comfortably sitting with some.)
Thanks - V
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