RE: Conflict - Just War

When is it just to go to war?

• War must be the last resort
• There must be a serious threat
• There must be some chance of success
• Weapons must be used proportionately 
• The decisions must be made by a legitimate authority
• The ultimate goal must be restoration of peace

How should war justly be fought?

• Non-combatants, wounded soldiers and prisoners must be respected and treated humanely
• Weapons causing large-scale destruction to civilians are not permissable
• Torture is wrong
• Civilians cannot be treated as targets of military operations

There are many examples of conflict which do not fit the definition of 'a conflict between two different powers'. For example; 

• Civil wars in which governments harm their own people 
• Conflicts between minority groups which feel wronged by the government of people they live among
• Conflicts which intend to remove a dictator or government and replace it with democracy
• The scale of weapons - particularly nuclear weapons - creating difficulty in proportionality and in keeping civilians out of war