The Morality of Counterterrorism. A Just War Theory Analysis of U.S Counterterrorism after 9/11

Term Paper , 2015 , 34 Pages , Grade: 65% (Scottish Marking Scale)

History - America

Michael Walzer’s "Just and Unjust Wars" caused a revival of just war theory and has given a useful framework for analyzing morality in war.
This dissertation will use just war theory as a moral framework for evaluating U.S counterterrorism after 9/11. First by giving an overview of just war theory and a literature review. Then there will be an analysis of the moral pitfalls and benefits inherent in the individual methods of counterterrorism. After that I will show how these methods have been applied practically by analyzing U.S domestic counterterrorism and U.S counterterrorism in the Middle East.
The findings of this paper will show that U.S counterterrorism since 9/11 has consistently violated just war moral principles, but is ultimately morally unjustifiable because it has not provided a good chance of success for preventing terrorism.

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• INTRODUCTION
• CHAPTER 1: JUST WAR THEORY.
• CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW.
• CHAPTER 3: COUNTERTERRORISM METHODS.
• CHAPTER 4: U.S DOMESTIC COUNTERTERRORISM.
• CHAPTER 5: U.S COUNTERTERRORISM IN THE MIDDLE EAST.

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This dissertation aims to evaluate the moral justifications of U.S counterterrorism practices after 9/11 through the lens of Just War Theory. It utilizes Michael Walzer's framework to assess the morality of both the methods and implementations of U.S counterterrorism, both domestically and internationally.

• The application of Just War Theory to contemporary counterterrorism.
• The moral implications of U.S counterterrorism methods, such as detention, interrogation, and targeted killing.
• The analysis of U.S counterterrorism policies within domestic and international contexts.
• The exploration of the effectiveness and potential moral breaches of U.S counterterrorism initiatives.
• The consideration of feminist critiques of Just War Theory and their relevance to counterterrorism.

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

• INTRODUCTION: This chapter introduces the dissertation's focus on evaluating the moral justifications of U.S counterterrorism practices after 9/11 through the framework of Just War Theory. It provides an overview of the key concepts and outlines the structure of the dissertation.
• CHAPTER 1: JUST WAR THEORY: This chapter delves into the origins and core principles of Just War Theory, including jus ad bellum (the right to go to war) and jus in bello (right conduct within war). It also discusses feminist critiques of Just War Theory and its application to counterterrorism.
• CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW: This chapter examines existing literature on counterterrorism and Just War Theory, focusing on themes such as the PATRIOT Act and domestic surveillance, the preventive nature of the Iraq War, torture, and automated warfare.
• CHAPTER 3: COUNTERTERRORISM METHODS: This chapter analyzes individual counterterrorism methods, such as detention, interrogation, surveillance, targeted killing, and intrusion/invasion, from a moral perspective, evaluating their potential justifications under Just War Theory.
• CHAPTER 4: U.S DOMESTIC COUNTERTERRORISM: This chapter examines the practical application of counterterrorism methods in U.S domestic politics, analyzing the morality of various programs and policies implemented after 9/11.
• CHAPTER 5: U.S COUNTERTERRORISM IN THE MIDDLE EAST: This chapter provides a similar evaluation of U.S counterterrorism efforts in the Middle East, focusing on the moral implications of foreign counterterrorism programs and their effectiveness.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

This dissertation centers on the key concepts of Just War Theory, U.S counterterrorism, morality, and the effectiveness of counterterrorism practices in the wake of 9/11. It explores the moral justifications of various methods employed by the U.S, including detention, interrogation, targeted killing, and surveillance, both domestically and internationally. The dissertation also engages with feminist critiques of Just War Theory and its application to contemporary conflicts.

• College: University of Edinburgh
• Grade: 65% (Scottish Marking Scale)
• Author: James Kaminski (Author)
• Publication Year: 2015
• Pages: 34
• Catalog Number: V301876
• ISBN (eBook): 9783956876721
• ISBN (Book): 9783668010208
• Language: English
• Tags: morality, counterterrorism, just, theory, analysis