CRANFIELD UNIVERSITY DAREN BOWYER JUST WAR DOCTRINE

debacle.
Weinberger-Powell is, essentially, about warfighting proper but could be applied to
interventions. It has become, though possibly through unfair simplification, associated
with ideas of casualty aversion and excessive force-protection. (It will be further
examined in Chapter 4 when we consider how these ideas can impact on jus in bello).
First explicitly presented by Weinberger in an address at the National Press Club
entitled ‘The Uses of Military Force’ 116 in 1984, the doctrine can be summarised as
follows:
Military force should only be used when specific national interests are at
stake.
There must be a whole-hearted commitment to achieving military victory,
with the necessary resources available.
Political and military objectives can be clearly identified.
There must be an identifiable end-state and exit strategy.
Overwhelming military force must be brought to bear on the enemy.
The support of Congress and the US people should be ‘reasonably assured’.
By contrast, PDD 25 117 was specifically focussed on determining the occasions on
which the US would support UN peace support operations (either under Chapter VI or
Chapter VII of the Charter). The factors to be considered were:
UN involvement would advance US interests.
There is international support for dealing with the problem multilaterally.
There exists a threat to or breach of international security, defined as;
International aggression, or
An urgent humanitarian disaster coupled with violence;
The sudden interruption of established democracy, gross violation of
human rights coupled with violence, or threat of violence.
Objectives are clearly defined.
For Chapter VI operations there is an established ceasefire and all-party
consent.
For Chapter VII operations the threat to peace and security is ‘significant’.
Sufficient means are available to accomplish the mission, including the
forces, financing and an appropriate mandate.
The consequences of inaction are unacceptable.
The operation’s anticipated duration is tied to clear objectives and realistic
criteria for ending the operation.
What has been shown, however, is that there is a considerable weight of opinion behind
the application of (modified) just war criteria to provide a framework of justification for
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