Jennifer Brewer Bottoms
A List
4/5/10

'Just War' Theory Discussed By Army Major In Talk At St. Lawrence

CANTON - U.S. Army Major Jennifer Brewer Bottoms will give a talk titled "Just War: Relic or Guide? Its Development and Place in the 21st Century" on Monday, April 12, at 7 p.m. in Herring-Cole at St. Lawrence University. The event is open to the public, free of charge; a dessert reception will follow.

From Aristotle to Obama, philosophers, theologians, soldiers and statesmen have studied the notion of a "just war," frequently invoking it and shaping it into a coherent philosophical doctrine. Whether practiced or merely preached, the Western world and much of the Eastern world throughout history have acknowledged its importance. What difference can an old doctrine, developed when soldiers carried spears, not shoulder-fired missiles, make? Some assert that it makes no difference at all; the doctrine is outdated for modern conflict or rendered obsolete by the United Nations Charter. Others insist that it remains viable, but only when both sides observe its tenets. Still others urge that, regardless of the type of conflict, it is both obligatory and adaptable.

Brewer Bottoms, an officer in the U.S. Army for 15 years, says, "I am convinced that the just war doctrine is both obligatory and adaptable." In the talk, she will provide contemporary examples of rhetoric and action, and discuss their continuity (or discontinuity) with the just war doctrine.

Her 15 years of service included nine years as an attorney in the Army Judge Advocate General's Corps (JAG). In 1997, she deployed to Sarajevo, Bosnia, as part of the NATO commander's personal staff. From 2003-2004, she deployed to Tikrit, Iraq, serving as the Chief of Administrative Law for 1st Infantry Division. She has also has been assigned to Fort Knox, Kentucky; Charlottesville, Virginia, and various locations throughout Germany. Brewer Bottoms is currently stationed in Arlington, Virginia, where she represents the Army in civil lawsuits. She graduated with honors from the United States Military Academy, West Point, earned the J.D. from the College of William and Mary and the L.L.M. with honors from The Judge Advocate General's School in Charlottesville, Virginia.

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