St Augustines Just War Theory and the Persion Gulf War
St Augustines Just War Theory and the Persion Gulf WarOn August 2nd, 1990 the first Iraqi tanks crossed into Kuwait, as part of
an invasion that marked the start of a six-month conflict between the
United States and Iraq. These tanks were ordered to invade Kuwait by Saddam
Hussein, the ruthless dictator of Iraq. The Iraqi troops looted Kuwaiti
businesses and brutalized Kuwaiti civilians. Saudi Arabia began to fear
that they may be invaded as well, and on August 7th they formally asked
President Bush for US assistance. The US pledged to defend the Saudis, and
to remove the Iraqis from Kuwait. Great masses of troops from many
different nations were deployed in the Persian Gulf area. At 4:30 PM EST on
January 16, 1991, the first aircraft with orders to attack Iraqi targets
were launched from Saudi Arabia, marking the beginning of Operation Desert
Storm.
Dictators like Mr. Hussein cannot be allowed to take advantage of smaller
countries like bullies after lunch money. There has to be someone to stop
them, or they will gain more and more power and land, just as Adolf Hitler
tried to do in World War II. That someone, in the case of Mr. Hussein, was
the United States, along with a multinational coalition. The US had just
cause in entering a war against Iraq because of Iraq’s invasion of the
small and defenseless nation of Kuwait. Actions such as that must be
repulsed. Iraq had no just cause in invading Kuwait; their reasons were
either obscure or for their benefit. The US had to help Kuwait regain their
nation.
In protecting the Saudis from invasion and removing the Iraqis from Kuwait
the US had the right intention. The real reason the US decided to fight the
Iraqis was to restore Kuwait’s government and to defend Saudi Arabia. There
was no underlying reason, such as to receive better prices on oil or to
make the Kuwaitis indebted to the US so as to receive favors. Throughout
the war, the US made clear their purpose and intent in fighting the Iraqis,
and not once did they stray from it.
Legitimate authority was established when the Congress voted to follow
United Nations resolution 678, section two of which “Authorizes Member
States co-operating with the Government of Kuwait, unless Iraq on or before
15 January 1991 fully implements, as set forth in paragraph 1 above, the
foregoing resolutions, to use all necessary means to uphold and implement
resolution 660 (1990) and all subsequent relevant resolutions and to
restore international peace and security in the area.” The vote to follow
the resolution was as good as a declaration of war, as far as legitimate
authority is concerned, and is in some ways better. The adoption of the
resolution only authorized the use of force to remove Iraq from Kuwait.
This limited the ability of...
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