Morality in warfare

The former Commander of the Desert Rats will deliver a public lecture at the University of St Andrews today.

Major General Patrick Cordingley, who commanded the Desert Rats during the 1990-91 Gulf War, will lecture on the subject of weaponry and morality in warfare.

Major General Cordingley, who led the Allied Forces into Iraq in 1991, has previously spoken out against a further Gulf War. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for his bravery and leadership, worked as a Military Advisor to the Sultan of Oman and retired from service in 2000. A published author, his 1996 critically acclaimed account of leading the troops into Iraq ‘In The Eye Of The Storm’ was a best- seller.

He said: “Western armies train to fight wars of high intensity working on the principle that you can cope with any situation if ready for the most sophisticated enemy. Is this really realistic? Can an army control the use of force once committed to war and the situation is not as complex as planned for? Did the American and British Armies use excessive force in Iraq? Where does the responsibility lie for these complex moral and practical decisions?”

Major General Cordingley will deliver the lecture as part of the Religion and Politics Lecture Series at the University’s recently established Centre for the Study of Religion and Politics (CSRP).

Dr Mario Aguilar, Director of CSRP, said: “The relation between war and morality is an important area of public concern, and I am very pleased that Major General Cordingley has taken the lead in this public discussion by delivering the first Religion and Politics Lecture at the University of St. Andrews. Issues of ethics within international conflicts constitute a central issue for Scotland today, particularly because Scottish soldiers are engaged in military operations in Iraq as part as the British Army presence there.”

“Morality in Warfare”, a lecture by Major General Patrick Cordingley will take place on 5 May 2005, at 11am at Parliament Hall, South Street, St. Andrews. The lecture is open to the public.

Weblinks: CSRP www.st- andrews.ac.uk/divinity/csrp.html

ENDS

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