Those of us who were raised in the classical education sphere no doubt learned about Just War Theory during our lessons on Saint Augustine and Saint Thomas Aquinas and often applied it to conflicts in history classes. Sometimes, Just War Theory came simply to us in the more cut-and-dry cases like World War II. Other times, we confounded ourselves in a morally ambiguous conflict like the Crusades.
We tend to evaluate historic conflicts because, generally speaking, that’s what people who were raised in classical education are interested in: finding patterns throughout history and assessing them with a noble standard, informed by the Christian tradition.
Of course, there is nothing wrong with this, and reflection is excellent when dealing with philosophical concepts like Just War Theory. Still, we rarely apply its wisdom in the modern world. We do not overlook modern applications out of ill intentions, but we do so because we tend to get wrapped up in what is going on in our ivory towers. Moreover, we do not always try to apply Just War outside of the Western world, because again, third world countries are just so far away that we don’t even think of them. However, I would like to change the trajectory of this trend and focus on something which the United States has been involved in for the past eight years, yet no one seems to know anything about – the Yemeni Civil War.
To grossly oversimplify the conflict, after a coup d’état in Yemen by the Iranian-backed Houthis, the Saudis and the United Arab Emirates began militarily supporting the Yemeni government to regain control. To complicate matters, there is a secessionist movement involved, as well as both Islamic State and Al-Qaeda fighters brawling with everyone else. In the background of all of this, is the Middle Eastern Cold War between Saudi Arabia and Iran, grievances from the 1990 Yemeni unification, and other tribal, religious, and ethnic conflicts
Now, the most crucial part is that the United States has been funding the war as part of our alliance with Saudi Arabia. Every president since the inception of the war in 2014 has funded or supported it in some capacity. Overall, our support has cost us $54.6 billion in military aid throughout the duration of the war, and we keep selling weapons, loaning money, training Saudi pilots and whatever else the Saudis want, according to internal reports
The criterium for Just War in the Christian tradition are as follows – just cause, last resort, declared by a proper authority, right intention, reasonable chance of success, using appropriate and proportional force, and the distinction between military and civilian targets. Saint Augustine outlined these principles with the hopes that Christians would recognize the inherent worth and dignity of their opponents and thus treat them with the respect that they deserve as Image-Bearers. Additionally, though war is an inevitable part of life on this earth, Augustine believed that all desire peace even when they pervert peace or misunderstand it. Moreover, he clarified that God desires peace on Earth and gave us the tools to achieve this with each other. As he wrote in Concerning the City of God Against the Pagans:
In establishing the immortal race of mankind … He has given to mankind certain good things suitable to this life. These are: temporal peace, in proportion to the short span of a mortal life – the peace that consists in bodily health and soundness, and in fellowship with one’s kind; and everything necessary to safeguard or recover this peace – those things for example, which are appropriate and accessible to our senses.
By funding the Saudis the war in Yemen, the United States is not following Just War Theory when it supports this war. Though no side is innocent, the Saudi-backed coalition violated Just War in the following ways:
Last Resort: The Saudis got involved early on with the bare minimum of negotiations with the Houthis. While it may have been the last resort for the Yemeni government, the Saudis had other options.
Proportional Force: The Saudis put a blockade around Yemen, used some of the most sophisticated weapons, and even denied humanitarian groups like Doctors Without Borders access to the people who needed medical care. This is unnecessary and not proportional.
The Distinction Between Military and Civilian Targets: At least 14,500 civilians have died in targeted attacks so far, not including the 150,000 (and probably more) who have died from exposure, cholera, starvation and through other means as a result of the war. One third of Saudi bombings target civilians.
By financing the war and selling weapons with little to no oversight, we have become complicit in the slaughter of civilians. The United States has known about this problem for years and yet few people speak out and even fewer try to measure the atrocities to a sophisticated Christian framework like Just War Theory.
Of course, I don’t expect any American or other leader to abide by Just War, because, quite frankly, the world is going to act like the world.
However, we as Christians are called to another standard. Realistically, there is not much you or I can do besides pray for those affected. Yet we need to understand something about Just War: it is something that goes far beyond a philosophy course.
If we can only apply Just War Theory to historical examples, we are no different than the man described in James 1:23-24: we hear that we are complicit in something evil, and we walk away forgetting what that looks like. It feels good to wax poetic about Just War, but when we can’t apply it to the modern world, to real conflicts, to real suffering people, it is no good for us.
If God desires peace, blesses peacemakers, and gave us the intellect and the means to decipher what peace looks like through Christian Tradition, then perhaps we should do more to think about when we as a country are complicit in violating Just War Theory. The contemplative life is truly good and to be desired. But when we cannot recognize the good, true, and beautiful things we mull over in the real world, then we can do nothing to serve the least of these as Christ commanded.
The views and opinions expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the values and beliefs of Cogitare Magazine, nor of Grove City College.
