Strategy and Ethics - Bombing Civilians from Total War to Terrorism: 13th October 2009
13/Oct/09 14:32 Filed in: CSTPV Seminar Series
Tuesday 13th October 2009, 1700 hrs
Arts Lecture Theatre, New Arts Faculty Building
Strategy and Ethics - Bombing Civilians from Total War to Terrorism
Seminar by Mr Afzal Ashraf
Abstract
Violence is considered to be part of the human condition as is a self-sanction within human beings against conducting abhorrent acts. Political violence is therefore inevitably accompanied by ethical and legal justifications. These justifications are presented as being based on eternal, common or superior moral principles and are often underwritten by theological arguments. These principles are depicted as shaping the nature of political violence. Closer examination of these justification narratives, however, reveals that tactical and strategic considerations often have more influence on how violence is used, especially against civilians. In reality, ethical justifications are constructed to legitimate strategic decisions.
This Paper looks at the recent history of justifying the targeting of civilians in the concept of total war. It considers what influence weapon accuracy and the survivability of Servicemen had on decisions to target civilians. It identifies some of the opposition to the strategy by British citizens and Allied Servicemen and it explores the arguments offered by the Church to support the targeting of civilians, alongside the strategic justifications of politicians. Finally, the exploitation of the precedence set by these actions and debates of WW2 by the protagonists in the Middle East, specifically Israel and Al Qaeda, are briefly discussed.
Arts Lecture Theatre, New Arts Faculty Building
Strategy and Ethics - Bombing Civilians from Total War to Terrorism
Seminar by Mr Afzal Ashraf
Abstract
Violence is considered to be part of the human condition as is a self-sanction within human beings against conducting abhorrent acts. Political violence is therefore inevitably accompanied by ethical and legal justifications. These justifications are presented as being based on eternal, common or superior moral principles and are often underwritten by theological arguments. These principles are depicted as shaping the nature of political violence. Closer examination of these justification narratives, however, reveals that tactical and strategic considerations often have more influence on how violence is used, especially against civilians. In reality, ethical justifications are constructed to legitimate strategic decisions.
This Paper looks at the recent history of justifying the targeting of civilians in the concept of total war. It considers what influence weapon accuracy and the survivability of Servicemen had on decisions to target civilians. It identifies some of the opposition to the strategy by British citizens and Allied Servicemen and it explores the arguments offered by the Church to support the targeting of civilians, alongside the strategic justifications of politicians. Finally, the exploitation of the precedence set by these actions and debates of WW2 by the protagonists in the Middle East, specifically Israel and Al Qaeda, are briefly discussed.