There’s been a lot of debate in recent months over the legitimacy of fighting this war with Iraq. One of the repeated voices of dissent has been from Christian pacifists who object to the war based on the idea that it does not meet the standards of a just war, as prescribed by Aquinas and others. So I thought I’d take a look at the principles of a just war.

Since 1991 we’ve relied on non-violent options to disarm Iraq. The UN has tried inspections and diplomacy. The U.S. has introduced resolutions demanding that Iraq disarm without any success. I don’t know what other non-violent options exist. If and when war is waged, it will certainly be the last resort. This proves that you don’t negotiate with dictators.

The U.S. is a legitimate authority backed by a growing coalition of allies, including Britain, Australia, Spain, Italy, Poland, and many other Eastern European and former Soviet nations who understand what it means to be oppressed by evil regimes. The UN has become irrelevant if it cannot enforce its own resolutions. Iraq does not recognize the UN, why should anyone else?

Saddam Hussein has a long legacy of abusing the civil rights of his people. He has killed and tortured them. He has collected weapons of mass destruction. He has threatened and waged war against his neighbors Iran and Kuwait. He is preparing to wage war against the U.S. and the rest of the world. It’s time to free the people of Iraq from this brutal regime and redress the wrongs they’ve suffered for decades.

See Afghanistan for proof that the U.S. can wage a war and win. Our success should not be questioned. Iraqi soldiers will surrender to the CNN camera crews again.

There is no peace in Iraq today. The people live under the threat of torture and death if they oppose the regime of Hussein. The U.S. seeks to establish Iraqi democracy. The same kind of peace that allows for girls to attend school in Afghanistan and women to serve in government in Israel. The kind of peace that allows Muslims and Jews and Christians to live and work together without fear of the government or each other.

The U.S. will not use chemical or biological weapons. It will not needlessly inflict suffering or pain on Iraqi combatants. The same cannot be said for Iraq in its past conflicts or in this one.

The U.S. has spent millions of dollars on smart bombs and targeted weaponry to avoid collateral damage. However, when Hussein uses human shields or hides weapons in the basements of schools and mosques, the U.S. cannot be held responsible if chooses to put civilians in harm’s way. Their blood will be on his hands, not ours.