Just cause is the first and foremost primary decisive factor for any country to wage war against another country. A country must have a reason that is morally acceptable and sound to attack another country. Without a morally justifiable reason a cause, the reason to go to war is highly controversial and unjustified. The reason should undergo through analysis at the highest level before making a decision to go to war. The intent must be kept within the confines of the just or moral cause. Legitimate authority is the law a nation uses to limit the number of governmental leaders who may authorize the use of force.

Public declaration, proportionality, and reasonable hope of success tie just cause. Just Cause “Asks for a legitimate and morally weighty reason to go to war. Historically, nations waged war against another with the pretext of self-defense or reclaiming territory that the aggressor asserted belong legitimately to them, or for punishing the other for acts of aggression. (9/11 can be cited as punishing an aggressor). Some even quote that they are defending the population from misrule (the 1971 war between Pakistan and India which created Bangladesh is a good example).

However, President George Bush cited self-defense as the reason for attacking Iraq and asserted that it is not necessary to be attacked before you retaliate or take measure to defend yourself. This perception is quite old and is recognized all over the word. The most disturbing of the many reasons advocated by the Bush administration is its argument for preemptive or using force as a means of prevention.  International law recognizes that preemptive use of force is sometimes morally permissible, but only in the exceptional case where there is an imminent threat.

The Bush administration has taken the concept of preemptive use of force as an option to be used in exceptional cases and turned it into a new doctrine about the legitimacy of the independent use of deterrent war to deal not just with forthcoming threats, but with merely probable or impending dangers. President Bush had described Iraq as an evil state that expresses hostile intentions to world peace.  Bush took the first steps for national security in his 1 June 2002 West Point graduation speech, by calling upon all Americans “to be prepared for defensive action when required to defend liberty and lives of Americans.