Under ''jus ad bellum'', only legitimate authorities can wage war for the right reasons (usually this means a defensive war) and only as a last resort if every other peaceful means to avert war have been used to no avail.
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Under ''jus ad bellum'', only legitimate authorities can wage war for the right reasons (usually this means a defensive war) and only as a last resort if every other peaceful means to avert war have been used to no avail. A just war can only be waged if there is a serious evil that needsto be stopped. Further there must be a realistic chance that the evil can be stopped without starting a greater evil. If this happens the war reaches a just conclusion.
== ''Jus in bello'' - How must a just war be conducted? ==
== ''Jus in bello'' - How must a just war be conducted? ==