humanitarian war

Via Kevin at leanleft, via body and soul (phew, is kevin bacon in there somewhere?), I came across this excellent essay from Ken Roth at Human Rights Watch where he refutes the idea that the war in Iraq was a humanitarian effort, and clearly delineates where HRW stands on when and where a humanitarian intervention is justified.

This is probably one of the most well-crafted essays I’ve read in a long time, and I happen to agree with everything he says. It’s also incredibly relevant now that the legs have been sawed out from just about every other claim for going to war in Iraq. Give it a read.