Warfare Today

Warfare Today

A man stood with the lives of thousands in his hand. A simple decision of yes or no was all it took to let out the wrath of our strong military against the enemies' much weaker military defenses. They had maliciously murdered thousands of our own citizens, but does this justify lashing out on them in the name of justice? President George W. Bush was faced with this decision after the attacks on September 11th, 2001. What justifies war, how the war is fought, and the type of war were all things considered by our country in those perilous times.

Whether a war will be fought with weapons of mass destruction, waged with a just cause, or fair in that the opponent has equal defenses, are all elements in contemporary war today. The Just War Theory, Conventional Warfare, and Asymmetrical War are the elements in which we must clearly define to understand all elements of war. The media, movies, and bias publications can paint a fuzzy picture to citizens about war.

The Just War Theory deals with the justification of how and why wars are fought. (Mosley) It consists of a set of mutually agreed upon rules of combat. (Mosley)These rules only apply if the two enemies are similar. If the enemies differ greatly in religion, race, or language, war custom rarely has been applied. The theory should be universal. This theory is as old as warfare itself. Fighting a war with moral principals, whether it is considerations for women and children, or the treatment of prisoners is a main aspect of the theory. While moral standards differ from culture to culture, it is essential to practice moral warfare, to justify the violent act of war. The Just War theory has a Christian reflection on moral theology. (Pavlischek) The most systematic account of this theory is given by Saint Thomas Aquinas. (Mosley) Aquinas presented the theory in a general outline of the justifications of war, and the kinds of activity allowed in war. Through the centuries, many scholastics and jurists have expanded to his outline. The rules of conduct fall under two broad principals of discrimination and proportionality. (Mosely) It is considered unjust to attack indiscriminately since innocent citizens are suppose to stand outside the field of war. This is sometimes impossible, so a revision of this part of the theory has been discussed. The second principal is to minimize the destruction and casualties of war. It is said to end a battle before it becomes a massacre. An example of not using this is at the battle of Omdurman in the Sudan. Six machine gunners killed thousands of dervishes. (Mosely) The gunners have the right to defend themselves but went against the principal of proportionality. The main argument to this otherwise flawless theory is that no morality can exist in the state of war, for they claim it can only exist in peaceful situations. To defeat Germany in World War II it was deemed necessary to bomb civilian centers. People who argue this side of the theory claim military necessity, that all methods should be used in order to minimize expense and time.

Using some basic principals of the Just War theory is Conventional Warfare. Conventional Warfare means a form of warfare conducted by means other then with chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons. ("Most") Basically, it is warfare without using weapons of mass destruction. Most of the wars through history have been performed using the means of conventional warfare. (Conventional) Biological warfare, or germ warfare is a bacteria or virus found in nature used in the intent to kill, has not been in use since the 19th Century. Biological warfare is effective in that it can wipe out millions but takes several days to implement so, will not stop an approaching army. (Ceva) There have been critics who claim that the recent anthrax attacks on the United States are a form of bioterrorism. Chemical terrorism, a use of non- explosive chemical agents such as toxins, tear gas, and nerve agents, is rare and has only been used a handful of times. Nuclear warfare has only been used when the United States bombed the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to end World War II in the Pacific. ("Most")

Atomic Bomb Mushroom Cloud after the US bombed Nagasaki, Japan.

Asymmetrical Warfare describes warfare in which the two belligerents are so mismatched in their military capabilities, or accustomed methods of engagement that the militarily disadvantaged power must press its special advantages or effectively exploit its enemy's particular weaknesses if they are to have any hope of prevailing. (Allen)

The earliest recorded example of asymmetrical warfare is in the biblical legend David and Goliath. (Asymmetric 1) David was the future King of Israel and was supposed to have startled Goliath, whom was over 8 feet tall, and cut off his head with Goliaths own sword. This legend is to celebrate the victory of the weak over the strong. To put into a military prospective, it was a victory of planning and skill over brute force. The end of the Cold War and the 20th Century has refocused our attention on an old threat-