USA Invasion of Iraq: A Just War?

A debate presented jointly by the Ethics Institute and Dickey Center's War & Peace Studies. Moderated by J. Bryan Hehir, Dean of Harvard Divinity School and President of Catholic Charities USA. Max Boot, former Editorial Features Editor of The Wall Street Journal, presented the position that an invasion of Iraq would be a just war. His position was countered by Richard Falk, Milbank Professor of International Law and Practice at the Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton, who argued that pre-emptive military action against Iraq had no moral justification.

After vigorous and spirited debate, as well as an insightful question and answer session, Dartmouth students and the public voted to express their opinion on the controversy. The results were overwhelmingly against such an attack. 272 votes were cast, with 217 supporting the statement, "The United States is not morally justified at this time in waging preemptive war against Iraq." Of the 100 audience members who identified themselves as students, the vote was similarly split, with 79 opposing pre-emptive action. We would like to thank everyone who joined us for and participated in this timely debate.

Read the "Dartmouth" article on the debate