Just War Doctrine And Present Evil

The U.S. Central Command on Saturday "initiated a series of operations consisting of precision strikes against Iran-backed Houthi targets across Yemen to defend American interests, deter enemies, and restore freedom of navigation." The strikes -- and the Houthis' hapless counterattack -- mark the latest salvos in a conflict stretching back to 2016, which last June was called "the most intense running sea battle the Navy has faced since World War II."

Iran responded in an injured tone. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps leader, General Hossein Salami, warned that Iran would respond "decisively and destructively," adding, "We are not a nation to live in hiding. We are a valid and legitimate system in the world."

This rhetoric insinuates that the U.S. attack was not legitimate, that America is just a global bully picking fights with powers smaller than themselves. The Houthi terrorist organization and other Iranian proxy groups can indeed do little to defend themselves against U.S. (or Israeli) airstrikes. So, given the power imbalance, and the lack of any declaration of war, does the Iranian general have a point?

To answer this question from a biblical worldview, we must appeal above temporal political allegiances to a transcendent standard of truth and morality. Christians "have thought about these issues for literally centuries," said David Closson, director of Family Research Council's Center for Biblical Worldview, on Friday's "Washington Watch." "Just War Theory actually goes back to [the fourth-century theologian] Augustine ... who kind of articulated some of these principles, and it's been expanded upon since then."

Closson outlined six principles of Just War Theory:

First, "There needs to be a just cause. You can't just go to war for any reason. ... This rules out a war of aggression from the start."

Second, "There has to be right intention. A nation goes to war to end grave injustice or to restore peace. You can't just go to war because you don't like your enemy, you don't like the nation next door. You can't go simply because of vengeance."

Third, "A just war needs to be waged by a legitimate authority. This would rule out individual actors or groups."

Fourth, "War should be a last resort. ... Christians should never be the people itching to go to war. You exhaust all options before you think about war."

Fifth, "There would need to be proportionate objectives -- all things considered, in terms of loss of life that might be lost or money that might be lost. ... The things that you might lose in a war can outweigh what you're trying to remedy."

Sixth, "There needs to be a reasonable chance of success. I would point people to Luke chapter 14." In describing the cost of discipleship, Jesus uses this metaphor, "Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace" (Luke 14:31-32).

In terms of meeting these criteria, National Review's Jim Geraghty argued that "The Houthis in Yemen -- kidnapping, humanitarian-aid-obstructing, cholera-exacerbating Islamists who carried out a 'partial and limited reintroduction of slavery' -- earned a hard-nosed American response long ago." 

The Houthis have preyed on American shipping for years, for no other reason than our support for Israel in its defensive wars against non-state terror groups. The Houthis piped down for a moment after Trump re-designated them as a terrorist group, but they resumed their belligerent actions after the Israel-Hamas ceasefire fell apart.

"It has been over a year since a U.S.-flagged commercial ship safely sailed through the Suez Canal, the Red Sea, or the Gulf of Aden," Trump declared. "The last American Warship to go through the Red Sea, four months ago, was attacked by the Houthis over a dozen times." The Houthis' constant attacks on American ships justify an American response.

In addition to the criteria for going to war, Just War theorists have also stipulated criteria for how belligerents should conduct themselves in wartime. Closson mentioned three:

First, warring powers should recognize "noncombatant immunity. Christians who are engaging in war ethically -- they're going to target military objectives, not civilian populations."

Second, belligerents should use "proportional force" limiting "the use of your force to only what is necessary to achieve your objectives."

Third, armies should engage "in good faith." This does not require armies to refrain from deception or espionage. Instead, "Justice demands that the enemy is treated humanely, that you don't abuse prisoners of war, you don't use human shields, you don't use chemical weapons," Closson explained. 

"That's one of the reasons Hamas is such an egregious actor on the world stage. They intentionally embed themselves in civilian populations. They'll launch rockets from the tops of hospitals, schools, and mosques. And then, when Israel retaliates, you have these civilians who are killed."

Christians have long used these principles to analyze whether a war is justified, or whether it is being conducted justly. We can and should apply them objectively, analyzing America's actions, our allies' actions, and our adversaries' actions through the same lens. They apply to the current conflict in the Middle East, the war between Russia and Ukraine, and the potential conflict between China and Taiwan.

And, when these principles are applied, it's usually easy to prove that the U.S. usually engages in justified actions, whether defending its own just interests or the interests of an aggrieved party. It's also usually obvious that America and its allies are much more conscientious about conducting wartime operations in a just manner.

The universal nature of these Just War principles gives them enduring relevance, even as powers, politics, and alliances change. "As people of peace, Christians should hope that again, a ceasefire actually materializes, and that there can be a cessation of these hostilities," whether in Ukraine or the Middle East, said Closson. 

But, as people who value justice, Christians should also hope for a just outcome to every conflict. "Of course," added FRC Vice President Jody Hice, "If there is war, Christians need to be crying out to God for his intervention and aid," since he is the one who can ensure every just outcome.

Originally published at The Washington Stand