Some Corner of a Foreign Field

Book excerpt: When is a war not a war? Under what circumstances is humanitarian intervention by the international community justified? In what circumstances can a state legitimately put at risk the lives of members of its armed forces? These are some of the questions raised through the essays contained in Some Corner of a Foreign Field . The authors consider the main ethical and political arguments surrounding the subject of intervention, and, between them, cover a wide range of areas, coming to focus on international institutions and international law, domestic and political viewpoints, humanitarian considerations, the applicability of the just war theory, and the role of public opinion and the media. The result is a book that throws open new doors and extends the range of discussion within the ongoing debate on defence and disarmament.