Just War Doctrine

I found a great article, admittedly one that is in agreement with my point of view, on the Just War Doctrine of the Catholic Church. The conclusion of the article is that the current war on terrorism is a just war, so far. The article argues step by step into the doctrine and its four conditions from paragraph 2309 of the Catechism, which are:

1) The damage inflicted by the aggressor on the nation or community of nations must be lasting, grave, and certain.
2) All other means of putting an end to it must have been shown to be impractical or ineffective.
3) There must be serious prospects of success.
4) The use of arms must not produce evils and disorders graver than the evil to be eliminated. The power of modern means of destruction weighs very heavily in evaluating this condition.

Here is the introduction of the article:

As America turns to God for guidance and strength in the war on terrorism, its actions must be shaped by God's rules for when and how military action may be taken -- what Catholic theology calls just war doctrine. It is important that ordinary citizens be informed about these rules so they can help inform our leaders at key junctures through the democratic process.

This guide is a primer on just war doctrine. Because it is meant to be of use to Americans evaluating conflicts in the war on terrorism, it is written with an eye towards the present conflict.

Finish reading the article here: Just War Doctrine
See also: Moral Clarity in a Time of War by George Weigel