Military Ethics addresses the moral issues raised by the employment of organized forces of mass destruction. These issues have been apparent to many cultures throughout the centuries. Western European thought on the ethics of war is embedded in just war theory, which can be defined as a military action that is justified as being permissible for legal or moral reasons
Jus Ad Bellum
Legitimate reasons why and when wars can be morally justified; criteria that render a war just. Contains several overlapping conditions that include right authority, just cause, appropriate means, no peaceful alternatives, and right intention.
Jus In Bello
Regulation on how wars are fought irrespective of the reasons for the conflict; what moral standards should or shouldn't govern the conduct of those engaged in war. Conditions include discrimination or noncombatant immunity, proportionality, and sometimes illegitimate means.