The March 22 letter “Are there no red lines when it comes to the Middle East?” contained many persuasive declarations. One such declaration was: “… the U.S. is once again engaged in all-out, illegal and immoral war.” A modicum of research in the right direction could nullify such rhetoric. 

Illegal, the war is not. The War Powers Act (1973) gives presidents the time limit of 60 days to wage war without congressional approval. President Obama went over the 60-day limit to wage unauthorized war to depose the Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi. President Trump is following the same limit to depose Iran’s dictator regime. 

Immoral, the war is not. The Constitution doesn’t have a justified-war definition, but the Catholic Catechism does:

• “The damage inflicted by the aggressor on the nation or community of nations must be lasting, grave and certain.” Since 1979, Iran and its proxies have conducted guerrilla warfare in the Middle East, resulting in one thousand American deaths.
• “All other means of putting an end to it (hostilities) must have shown to be impractical or ineffective.” For 47 years, no U.S. president could broker peace with Iran.
• “There must be serious prospects of success.” The early evidence of decimating Iran’s military leadership, obliterating its navy and ruling the Iranian airspace shows the end is near.
• “The use of arms must not produce evil and disorders graver than the evil to be eliminated.”  The evils of Iran are well documented. 

Dan Pryor
Gorham