International Conflict Elements of a Just War (i) Jus ad bellum - the right to make war Just Cause Cause must be proportionate Right Intention Authorisation

International Conflict

Elements of a Just War

(i) Jus ad bellum - the right to make war

• Just Cause

• Cause must be proportionate

• Right Intention

• Authorisation by an appropriate authority

• Reasonable prospect of success

• A last resort


Elements of a Just War

(ii) Jus in bellum - justice in the conduct of war

• Discrimination - no attacking of the innocent

• Proportionality - the minimum necessary force

• Winnable???


Study Design

Preamble (implications)

• Causes and nature of post cold-war conflict

• Global terrorism and its responses

• Nationalist, religious, economic or ethnic tensions came together at the Sept.11 terrorist attacks on the US.

• US as main superpower; China and India emerging.

•Tensions between the EU and US.


Exam Aspects

• Study Design

• Essay Question - 2008 essay will be on conflict.

• You will need to have a thorough understanding of ‘terrorism’ and the war on terror in relation to the general issue of conflict - Its causes, nature and effects.

• The war on terror will be the focal point for this term.


Main Dot Points

• Outcome 2 - to analyse and evaluate the nature of post cold war conflict.

• Causes and nature of armed conflict in the PCW

• global terrorism - definitions of terrorism, and state and non-state based terror

•Causes and effects of international terrorism

•US power: extent nd limitations

•Success/failure of states and groups in the PCW


Analyse and evaluate the nature of international terrorism in PCW

• Definitions of terrorism including state and non-state terrorism

• Nature: what is international terrorism and what form(s) does it take

• What causes are championed by international terrorist ‘movement’ or phenomena?

• What effects have they had?

• US power: extent and limitations

•Success/failure


Implications of study design

• Need for comprehensive and broad coverage of the nature of conflict, and particularly the war against terror in the PCWW

• Coverage is not just terrorism, but

• International conflict since the end of the cold war

• Terrorism as an example of international conflict

• Bracket terrorism and the subsequent war on terror as a major component of PCW conflict


General contexts

• Terrorism - problem of definition, origin, nature, types

• Islamist background

• US foreign policy

• Relationship to globalisation, including global information networks, media systems, economic structure and funding.

• The subsequent war on terror becomes far more complex and complicated in this context.


The essay component of the exam

Possible type of question

• Focus will probably be general - expect a general prompt.

• Discuss (turn the question around) so that you can focus on the conflict you have chosen.

• Consider:

• Causes

• Nature of conflict

•Progress/effects of the war

• Possibly offered 3 questions

• Show an understanding for both sides of issue

•Critically analyse & evaluate



Be Balanced…

YOU MUST AVOID!!!

Knee-jerk Islamaphobia &

Anti-Americanism



Pay attention to the context of the question.

Two contexts are appropriate:

1. Broad context of developing trends within Islamic societies:

• Previous centuries

• Since Iranian revolution

• Issues facing Islamic identity - globally and internally.



Pay attention to the context of the question.

Two contexts are appropriate:

2. US power and foreign policy - since at least the end of the cold war (1990-1991).



It is important to define the topic carefully

• Need to be careful relating ‘terror’ to ‘conflict’. (Bracket terrorism within the broader topic of global conflict in the PCWW).

• Should focus on ‘terror’ as an aspect of ‘conflict’ or ‘US response to terror’

• ie: if ‘war on terror’:

• Terror becomes a ‘given’ and less problematic

• Focuses more on the US.

(If terror, or Islamist terror, then US/Western response simply an unreflective response).



Problem of appropriate definition of the topic

• Specific problems of US ‘war on terror’

• War on terror is multifaceted and complex

• ‘Iraq war’ - is this part of the war on terrror? (There were no WMD found, or any evidence to justify US claims about Iraq being a state sponsoring terror against the West). Therefore, the Iraq war must be seen within a broader context of US foreign policy and the need to secure resources.

• Many/most would say that the Iraq war is related to US foreign policy - particularly in regard to securing access to oil resources.



Best way of dealing with these problems - BROAD COVERAGE

• Background - for understanding

• Issues of conflict - general understanding of how conflicts develop and occur

• How these general factors have come into play in a specific example

• The context of Islamic radicalism and mobilisation

• US power and FP since the end of the cold war

• Globalisation - islamist terror and US policy in regards to globalisation



Best way of dealing with these problems - BROAD COVERAGE

• Short term origins of Islamist terror

• Afghanistan under soviet invasion

• Al Qaida

• Contemporary Islamist issues - global and national

• Sept 11 and US response

• Afghan War

• Iraq war



The problem of State Terrorism• The Study Design assumes that this is a clearly defined category: in

reality, more problematic and uncertain

• Is it state terrorism when a government:

1. Attacks another country - including civilians? (Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon). No! Unless it:

• (a) deliberately targets civilians who it knows are not Hezbollah. (Then what about Dresdan and Hiroshima)?

• (b) Has specific aims of intimidation.



The problem of State Terrorism


2. Uses instruments of govt. (e.g. militia) to intimidate civilians?

* Yes! Probably the least controversial and best example.

* Zimbabwe, Indonesia in Aceh and East Timor,





3. Assassinates opposing political leaders outside its nation?

* (Israel targeting PLO or Hezbollah leaders).

* No! Unless civilians are killed and this was known about in advance. (E.g. bombing an apartment building in the hope that a PLO leader is inside).





4. Uses murder, illegal arrests torture etc. against its own citizens? (e.g. Zimbabwe, Pinochet in Chile)

* Yes! But its not international terrorism, but internal.



War on Terror… too broad to provide a satisfactory focus?

• In last year’s exam, students tended to make assumptions on origins and nature of terrorism.

• Students lost marks for making unsustainable assumptions such as:

• Terrorism is ‘evil’ and needs no explanation

• US response is justified and legitimate.

• US claims ‘jus ad bellum’ for its war in Iraq due to its prosecution of a war against terrorism. But is it? WOT is very complex and multifaceted.


Elements of US War on Terror

Investig-ation of Sept. 11

Home-land

Security Issues

Inter-national Security Issues

Attack on Afghanistan & Taliban

Attack on Iraq and Hussein

Arrest of perpetrators

General Security

Civil rights of suspects

Pakistan

Monitor-ing

Islamist groups

Central Asia

Middle East

Israel

Additional problems

Regional terrorist groups

Increas-ing

influence on Iraqi Shi’Ites

Nuclear threshold

Hostility to US

Iran

Airline Safety

etc:

Guantanamo Bay

Home-grown terrorists



A simple definition of terrorism?

The use of: a deliberate strategy of violence or intimidation, often arbitrary and seemingly unprovoked, often against civilians or non-combatants to achieve political or broader outcomes.

Deliberate: to some extent planned and organised

Violence or intimidation: assassination, uprisings, hostages, hijackings, skyjackings, and bombings.

Arbitrary: not specifically invoked - often without warning

Aims: achieve political (or perhaps theological) outcomes

Non-state actors (groups outside govt.) eg Shining Path, Tamil Tigers, Jemmeh Islamiah, Al Qaida

Committed by States themselves at times - more problematic/controversial.



When is terrorism international?

Terrorism becomes international when:

Attacks occur across international boundaries.

There are networks of finance, organisation and/or recruitment across international borders.

Motivation is against another nation.



When is terrorism international?

International does not necessarily mean global.

Al Qaida has been able to have a global reach, they have conducted attacks upon the US from their home soil, to Madrid, to Africa.

Jemmeh Islamiah have had an international reach by targetting western targets within Indonesia - Bali, Australian Embassy, Marriot Hotel.



Globalisation and Contemporary Terrorism.

•Globalisation has helped enable terrorism - by increasing connections internationally.

•Growth of international as part of the growth of power of non-state actors (a characteristic a a globalised world).

•Globalisation of US Western power through trade and investment, culture in PCWW

•One of the main causes of Islamist terrorist.

Nb. The timing and target of Sept. 11 - WTC, Pentagon, Whitehouse, - on the

anniversary of Pres. Bush’s New World Order speech.



Nature of

•Globalisation has helped enable terrorism - by increasing connections internationally.

•Growth of international as part of the growth of power of non-state actors (a characteristic a a globalised world).

•Globalisation of US Western power through trade and investment, culture in PCWW

•One of the main causes of Islamist terrorist.

Nb. The timing and target of Sept. 11 - WTC, Pentagon, Whitehouse, - on the

anniversary of Pres. Bush’s New World Order speech.

Documents

International Conflict Elements of a Just War (i) Jus ad bellum - the right to make war Just Cause Cause must be proportionate Right Intention Authorisation