Cluster Bombs and Just War

The Just War Theory is a formula to help those in authority to apply the moral principles surrounding war to specific situations. The standards set by the Just War Theory are twofold. One set of standards helps authorities to decide when going to war is morally acceptable. The other set of standards guides authorities in how to conduct a war in the most morally acceptable way. One of the latter standards is that the lives of non-combatants must be protected as much as possible. Some people mistakenly believe that if all non-combatants cannot be protected then a war cannot be morally acceptable. That is not what the standard teaches. Instead, this standard would prohibit the use of nondiscriminatory weapons such as chemical warfare, atomic bombs and biological warfare.

For the most part, modern technology has made following this standard easier rather than more difficult to follow. Tracking technology has made possible pinpoint accuracy in the deployment of missiles and artillery.

On the other hand, some advances in modern technology should not be used according to this standard. One such piece of technology is the cluster bomb. A cluster bomb breaks open in mid-flight to shower the target area with hundreds of small bombs. This produces a wide-field affect that targets military and civilian personnel alike. What makes these bombs worse is that not all of the little bombs detonate right away, leaving "duds" on the ground to further endanger the lives of civilians.

Cluster Bombs: A Weapon out of Control - Human Rights Watch


Recently a number of countries have agreed to ban the use of cluster bombs. The United States refused to agree to this ban. President Bush has always shown hesitancy to take any move that would weaken our country's military strength. In this case, I strongly disagree with him. If we are going to continue to be a world leader, we need to be a leader with moral fortitude (as President Bush has said time and time again). This sometimes means sacrificing a bit of strength for the sake of doing what is right. Cluster bombs, nuclear weapons, land mines and other weapons that indiscriminately endanger civilian lives weaken the soul of America.