Without venturing into analysing the arguments of one side and the other, what’s interesting to us is highlighting the fact that we are facing another conflict that is characteristic of the 21 st century, specifically that of non-state groups declaring war on one or several States. These are the so-called “infra-state conflicts" [1]; in which humanitarian rights tend to diminish and the number of civilian casualties is extremely high.

The difference in these new wars is that the non-state groups, due to the conditions in which they operate, have to limit themselves to the restricted use of force, since they do not have regular armies and their combat units operate with irregularity, in addition to certain limitations regarding access to weapons. Nevertheless, States can benefit from the possibility of excessive use of force, firstly because they enjoy the legitimacy of power in their own territories and also because they have greater arms resources.

However, that advantage enjoyed by States in terms of the non-state groups, must not be used without considering the consequences that this could provoke among the civil population, which is usually affected by this kind of warlike conflict.

What concerns us is an example of excessive use of force, for an event that could have obviously been resolved through the “minimal force necessary”, understanding this as “the moderate application of violence or coercion, just enough to achieve a specific objective and clearly reasonable, proportionate and appropriate; and restricted to the specific and legitimate objective being pursued" [2].

We understand that the State of Israel has wanted to send the message that it will not tolerate the kidnapping of its nationals, as a resource of war, and it has also made it known that its doctrine is to never abandon one of its nationals who falls into the hands of the enemy. That we understand. What we don’t understand is that from the very beginning it has opted for the ravaged land, devastating the infrastructure and annihilating the civil population in the country harbouring its enemies.

In Vietnam we had an example of a devastating war and yet, the victims were the ones who were triumphant, in other aspects as well, because in the end, the dreadful horrors suffered by the civil population not only infuriated the Vietnamese people, but the entire world, which for moral reasons, emphatically condemned the atrocities of that war, thus delegitimising the destructive army.

[1]  Federico Mayor:" Un Mundo Nuevo" (A New World). Page 560

[2] Charles Dobbie, quoted by Mary Kaldor "Las Nuevas Guerras. Violencia Organizada en la Era Global” (The New Wars. Organised Violence in the Global Era). Kriterios Tusquets Publishing Company. Barcelona, 2001 . Page 165

Dr. Rubén Silié Valdez is the Secretary General of the Association of Caribbean States. The opinions expressed are not necessarily the official views of the ACS. Comments and reactions can be sent to mail@acs-aec.org

July 31, 2006