Causes and Constraints on the Use of Force and the Conduct of War

Question 1

George Kennan

“Morality and Foreign Policy”

Answer 1

i. The interests of the United States trump any moral obligations to the international community. Since there are no clearly defined moral, international standards, then America should conform to its own principles and only take action against others if their failure to confirm to American principles has an adverse effect on U.S. interests.

Question 2

Claes Ryn

“The Ethical Problem of Democratic Statecraft”

Answer 2

i. Ryn argues there are populist or plebiscitary democracies in which foreign policy decisions are shaped by the whims of public opinion.
Nothing in morality stands in the way of a constitutional democracy protecting itself against foreign and domestic threats to its security. Protecting and promoting the values of civilization is the very essence of moral statecraft.

Question 3

Stanley Hoffmann

“The Political Ethics of International Relations”

Answer 3

i. Values cannot develop a world community in a short period of time.
Emphasis should be on “moralizing state behavior” and it is required to create moral and political awareness. Opportunities for moral actions are limited but exist. Fear of the past events, history of international
relations provide incentive for use of moral values. There are preconditions to moral action: moral and political awareness. Instead of “moral warfare” approach (considering yourself superior or condescending in terms of moral values), or “incrementalism” approach(does not address the roots of the moral blemishes), “transformist strategy/approach can be pursued: “building a satisfactory world order while defending the interest of one’s state”. This strategy calls for reforming the world order, promote interstate and transnational society. This would lead to establishing a cosmopolitan world.

Question 4

Michael Smith

“Humanitarian Intervention: An Overview of Ethical Issues”

Answer 4

i. State sovereignty is a contingent value: its observance depends on the
states actions and members of the international community are not bound to respect the sovereignty of a state that is grossly violating human rights. Though it is very subjective what a gross violation of human rights is ~ grey area when states should intervene.

Question 5

Charles Krauthammer

“The Truth about Torture”

Answer 5

i. In order to keep people safe, we must be willing to use torture to extract
important information

Question 6

Andrew Sullivan

“The Abolition of Torture: Saving the United States from a Totalitarian Future”

Answer 6

i. Torture will only plant the seeds of global instability and it is a slippery
slope.

Question 7

von Hippel

Democracy By Force, Ch. 3 (Somalia)

Answer 7

i. von Hippel analyzes what led to the “Mother of all Resolutions,” Security Council Resolution 814, an unprecedented measure requiring the UN to assist in all aspects of nation­building. She examines the problems encountered in promoting such a political agenda and the lessons learned. The UN, US, and the Somalis themselves are all to blame for the failure of this effort to rebuild the state.

Question 8

von Hippel

Democracy By Force, Ch. 5 (Bosnia)

Answer 8

i. Main weaknesses of Dayton: (1) Overly ambitious ­ almost impossible
for international community to reach with limited time and funds. (2) Fuzzy Product ­ It failed to make the future Bosnian State more explicit. (3) Does not integrate military with civilian mission. (4) Reinforced ethnic divisions – ethnicities were separated into homogenous regions. (5) Dayton endorses ethnic cleaning­ It sanctified the changes in ethnic regions that had been formed due to ethnic cleansing

Question 9

Michael R. Gordon and General Bernard E. Trainor

“Cobra II: The Inside Story of the Invasion and Occupation of Iraq”

Answer 9

• Identifies errors the Bush admin made: focus on aftermath planning
  
  • Not issue of having a plan but adhering too much to a wrong plan
  • Goals too ambitious
    
    • overthrow Saddam
    • Get rid of WMD
    • Create pro-US democracy in the middle of the Arab world
    • Send message to others in the region: don’t support terrorists or WMDs
  • Make direct link between the way the war was planned and the subsequent growth of the insurgency
    
    • Preparation for after-war was not there
  • Issues with not having enough troops and types of forces
    
    • Couldn’t secure the border
    • Couldn’t stop looting
    • Couldn’t protect Iraqi arms depots
    • Couldn’t project force throughout Iraq (especially Sunni triangle)