War and Terrorism: Two Sides of the Same Coin?
War and terrorism may be construed as being two sides of the same coin. War, on one hand, is often deemed to be an organized and armed conflict between countries whereas terrorism, on the other hand, is said to be certain acts of violence that are aimed at causing fear among civilians living in a particular location. In most cases terrorism, as witnessed in the emergence of the infamous ISIS group often comes as a means of retaliation after war has been waged on a particular country. According to MacKinnon and Fiala (2018) ISIS came after the United States and its allies waged a war against Iraq. Therefore it is evident that there is a thing line between war and terrorism since one is a reaction that comes after the manifestation of the other.
The Just War Theory and Distinctions
People who ascribe to the just war theory such as President Obama tend to contend that there can be a justifiable use of violence as long as certain conditions are adhered to such as if it is self-defense or as a last resort mechanism; if the violence used is justifiable and if it attempts to avoid any civilian casualties. A review of these conditions tends to distinguish terrorism from war (as carried out by military personnel). Terrorists hardly spare civilians; their actions are not deemed as a last resort mechanism, and neither is the force used proportionally. Therefore that is one of the reasons behind the fact that military personnels are perceived as freedom fighters who risk their lives for the good of their respective countries whereas terrorists are looked down upon as criminal elements.
The Legitimacy of Terror Tactics
It should be noted that terror tactics are always deemed to be illegitimate whether or not they are carried out by the government or other forms of armed resistance groups. The terror tactics employed by Islamic militants in the USA and other countries, the Christian groups in Northern Ireland, the Ku Klux Klan in the South of the USA and the Natives American in the West of the USA are deemed illegitimate (MacKinnon and Fiala). These tactics tend to harm or even risk the lives of innocent civilians who are not in any way involved in combat. As earlier highlighted just war would only happen if civilians are not targeted by the combatants if the war is used either in self-defense or as a last resort and if the force used is reasonably justifiable.
The Moral Aspect of War: Different Perspectives
While pacifism maintains that war can never be waged morally, the just war theory has a different perspective on the moral aspect of war. The jus in bello principle that is a principle under the just war theory maintains that there are specific moral guidelines that have to be adhered in order to conduct a war morally (MacKinnon and Fiala). These moral guidelines include the principle of proportionality, discrimination, and the use of intrinsically evil means. Proportionality relates to limiting the objectives of the war to specific targets. Discrimination refers to avoiding engaging civilians and noncombatants in the war. Intrinsically evil means refers to avoiding certain acts that are deemed evil such as rape, slavery, use of human targets, and releasing poisonous gas (MacKinnon and Fiala).
The Morality of Torture During War
According to the jus in bello principle, torture is one of the acts that are considered intrinsically evil and therefore cannot be used morally. In other words, this means that torture is an act that is always wrong. However, in recent years, a contrary view about the morality of torture during war has been developed. The US Government, for example, has asserted that enhanced interrogation, which is synonymous with torture, is justified in light of the war against terrorism (MacKinnon and Fiala). The justification legal and moral justification on the government's "enhanced interrogation" mechanism outlined by former Vice President Cheney proves that there might be situations where torture is nevertheless forgivable (MacKinnon and Fiala).
Work Cited
MacKinnon, Barbara, and Andrew Fiala. Ethics: Theory and Contemporary Issues. Cengage
Learning, 2018.
