State Responses

  • Carl Wellman
Chapter
First Online:
Part of the SpringerBriefs in Law book series (BRIEFSLAW, volume 9)

Abstract

Measures of counterterrorism by nation states can be justified as necessary to self-defense, to the preservation of national sovereignty, and to the protection of its citizens from serious harm or the violation of their human rights. However, there are also moral limits to state responses. Surveillance should respect the human right to privacy. Detention is limited by the human right to liberty. Interrogation ought not to include torture as a means of exacting information. Trials should be conducted with adequate due process of law. Targeted killing of terrorist leaders in justified only when it is absolutely necessary to prevent an imminent attack and there is strong reason to believe that it will be effective. Intrusion into or invasion of another nation state can be justified only when it is necessary to defend the vital interests of a state or protect its citizens from very serious violations of their human rights. In addition, states have a moral obligation to alleviate the injustices that often generate terrorism. What matters for the justification of each state response is not some overall balancing of national security against moral rights, but the contribution of each response to the prevention of harm and the protection of rights weighed against the relevant moral limits on this sort of response.

Keywords

National security Surveillance Privacy Detention Liberty Interrogation Torture Trials Due process Targeted killing Right to life Intrusion Invasion Sovereignty Self-defense Human rights Just cause 
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Copyright information

© The Author(s) 2013

Authors and Affiliations

  • Carl Wellman
    • 1
  1. 1.Department of PhilosophyWashington University - St LouisSaint LouisUSA

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