Just War Recap
- Jus ad bellum – Justice before war – the rules justifying why a country should go to war – Self defense, response to an attack, to right a violation of the standards of international behavior that cannot be resolved by peaceful means.
- Jus in bello – Justice during the war – the rules of civilized behavior that say civilians must not be attacked indiscriminately, violence must be proportional, captured soldiers must be treated like civilians once they surrender, captives must be given appropriate medical attention and food once they have surrendered their right to fight.
- Jus post bellum – the obligation to treat a defeated enemy justly – treat civilians justly, help them rebuild their society after the war objectives have been achieve. This usually means once the enemy government has accepted international rules or has been replaced. Again, the civilian population must be treated justly.
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