World War II Was the Only Truly Justified(Foreign) War Ever Fought by the USA

This is a very interesting topic, and my opponent heralds an opinion which I have never really come into contact with, that arguing the only ever justified war for the United States was the Second World War. While I could level many critiques arguing that the USA's campaign in that war was not justified, it is my understanding that actual conduct in a war is not important here, but simply the causes and situation surrounding the war; hence, you could say the US butchered a war, but it was still justified in initiating it. So it is my duty here to find at least one US overseas conflict that conforms to Pro's rules of a justified conflict The First Barbary War The "Barbary States" referred to free provinces in the Ottoman empire, including Algiers and Tripoli. (1) In 1801, Thomas Jefferson began a bombardment and semi-invasion of these after years of abuse and failed diplomacy. 4 years later, the enemy provinces surrendered. Let us see how it meets the requirements: 1, Just Cause One would be hard-pressed to deny that the US had a very legitimate grievance. For decades, the Barbary States had been plundering US navy and merchant ships, enslaving the crew, seizing the loot, and using it to sponsor further state terrorism. (2) The only way to ward off these attacks was to pay the pirate-States ludicrously high tributes every month, and, of course, to pay the ludicrously high ransom prices of the captured soldiers and sailors. In fact, at one point yearly cost of the tributes came out to 20% of the Government's budget! (3) 2. Comparative Justice Given that the Barbary States took over 1.5 million slaves between 1775-1815, from Europe as well as America (4), almost anything would be comparative justice. However, as wars go, this one was "clean". Virtually no civilian casualties, low personnel casualties, and the job, which saved millions, was completed. (5) 3. Competent Authority It could be argued that no Government is competent enough to run a war, but Thomas Jefferson has to be pretty high on the list of competent rulers. The point is: if you say Thomas Jefferson was not competent, then you cannot say a war could ever be justified. 4. Right Intention There is absolutely no evidence to suggest that Thomas Jefferson and his administration had any ulterior motives or shady business to attend to. The US garnered no material wealth from the conflict (6), did not conquer any land, gain great political popularity, etc. .. The intention was simply to force the pirate-states to sue for peace, which they did, and in 1805, a peace treaty was signed that stipulated, among other things, that the Barbary States may no longer conduct raids on land and on sea. (7) 5. Probability of Success Hard to say on this one. The United States certainly were far more capable and powerful in the military sector, and the Barbary States were united but not organized, so had I lived at the time, I would have been very confident in US victory. 6. Last Resort After researching this issue, there is no doubt in my mind that this invasion was the last resort. The only negotiation terms the Barbary States would accept involved ever-increasing tribute, and when asked why they attacked countries with whom they had no disagreement, the leaders of the States claimed they had religious rite above all else to kill and maim as they saw fit. Even under threat of invasion, the provinces remained stubbornly defiant, and ultimately, Jefferson had to make good on his promises. 7. Proportionality No, the retribution was not proportional to the crime in that the Barbary States practiced much greater and much worse cruelty and evil than the United States. The casualty count after the 4-year conflict was a measly 835 men, among the lowest in recorded history. (8) Simply put: the war was quick, effective, and not especially destructive, undoubtedly saving far more lives than it cost. The US initiated the struggle to protect Americans as well as other countries plagued by the attacks. To say this war was not justified or carried out efficiently would simply be fatuous. Good luck to my opponent in the next round. (1) . http://www.encyclopedia.com... (2) . http://history.state.gov... (3) (4) . http://en.wikipedia.org... (5) (8) . http://wars.findthebest.com... (6) . http://en.wikipedia.org... (7) . http://en.wikipedia.org...