Description: A sophisticated and intellectually powerful analysis of culpability and moral responsibility in war, Accountability for Killing focuses on the causes of many episodes of foreseeable collateral damage. Why was there so much unintended killing of civilians in the U.S. wars zones in Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan? Is 'collateral damage' simply an unavoidable consequence of all wars? Why, when the U.S. military tries so hard to limit collateral damage, does so much of it seem to occur? Trenchant, original, and ranging across security studies, international law, ethics, and international relations, Accountability for Killing will reshape our understanding of the ethics of contemporary war.
Review Quotes: "Focusing on the issue of foreseeable systemic collateral damage that most Just War theorists neglect, Crawford combines organization theory and moral theory to develop a perceptive and promising account of military organizations as imperfect moral agents."--Henry Shue, Senior Research Fellow, Centre for International Studies, University of Oxford; and Fellow Emeritus, Merton College, Oxford
"In a magnificent new and uncannily timely work, Professor Crawford has skillfully, as she puts it, 'pushed the boundaries of theorizing about moral responsibility in war.' Her work is fresh, well-researched, and readable. Most importantly, it is engagingly provocative and is sure to generate thoughtful discussion. A 'must have' for any serious scholar, soldier, or policymaker."--Charles J. Dunlap, Jr., Major General, USAF (Ret.)Executive Director, Center on Law, Ethics and National Security and Professor of the Practice of Law, Duke University School of Law
"Crawford's deeply reasoned and carefully researched book is an essential read for anyone grappling with how to enhance moral and political responsibility for civilian killing in modern war."--Kathryn Sikkink, McKnight Presidential Chair in Political Science, University of Minnesota