This article discusses the views and opinions of American experts in the field of international law and international relations, devoted to a very ambiguous concept of “just war”. However, this concept raises many questions about its compliance with the contemporary international law, particularly in the context of the principle of non-use of force or a threat of force, which is fixed in the UN Charter. The subject of research is a range of works of American international lawyers on the substantive content and the legal aspects of “just war” concept. As research methods were used common scientific methods, such as induction, generalization, deduction, as well as comparative legal, historical, structural-functional methods. Reference to the concept of “just war” is often use in the speeches of American politicians, so it has a significant impact on the U.S. foreign strategy. Thus, the legal assessment of the “just war” concept is necessary in the context of the current international legal framework. In the Russian doctrine of international law the concept has practically no coverage, so the article is intended to fill this gap.
Comparative law, “just war”, international law, American doctrine, concept, use of force, terrorism, moral, selfdefense, the USA.
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