Asymmetric war poses unique challenges to governments of all stripes. How should governments respond when their enemies use the rules governing war to their advantage by directly targeting and then hiding among the civilian population? This excellent new book draws from a historically and geographically diverse range of cases to shed new light on the practical moral dilemmas that confront decision-makers. It shows that governments can and do respond in different ways and helps highlight the factors that enable and inhibit recourse to rule-breaking behaviours such as torture or a lax attitude towards civilian casualties. Blending ethical insight with practical analysis, this is a must read for all those interested in the dilemmas of using force in the twenty-first century.
- Alexander Bellamy, Professor, Department of Politics, University of Queensland, Australia
This most welcome book explores the empirical conditions under which an ethics of some sort is justified and implemented in times of war against terrorism. Its reading will be more than useful to scholars and practitioners of international relations, political theorists and citizens who are not convinced that the use of 'soft power' solves all problems.
- Jean Luca, Professor (Emeritus) of Political Science at the Institute d Etudes Politiques de Paris, France