Do Soldiers Fight for a Cause?

[M-A Lagrange]

there are a percentage of hard core believers on both sides, and percentage in the middle that are drug into the fight for other than ideological reasons (perhaps pay or they're coerced). Granted there normally are true believers in every insurgency, but not all.

Sorry, but we are talking about professionals in western armies. I do not deny to any of them to fight for a cause but the status of professional is by definition lower the "cause" engagement. (do not miss understand me, I am not under estimating personnal engagement).

For insurgents, the cause is the main point as they have to build the both the object/project to defend or to fight for and the means. But I agree that you can have casual insurgents but no accidental insurgencies. Their again, reducing insurgent movement to banditry is reducing the political problem that caused the people to take arms.

This is linked with the denial of the justness of the adversary cause. I do not say we have to agree with our opponants but we have to achknowledge the fact that they do have also a just cause, especially in insurgencies. Or rather, like Schmitt, that we are facing a just opponent.
The question of jus at bellum is no more relevant in actual conflicts (apart from Bin Laden hunt) as there are no more ideological confrotation.

Through colonial and prehemptive war, "the good guys" have lost the monopole of Jus. So, yes, every side has the feeling or believes they are fighting a just war for a just cause but this is based no more on moral values but on political statement. So the justness of insurgents' cause will always look moraly more attractive.

However, it is clear to many of us we couldn't effectively fight this type of enemy within the pre-911 legal framework.

However 9/11 has never been a blank check for war crimes and use of torture. Geneva Convention were and are still applicable before and after 9/11. Jus in Bello is what makes the honor of the combattant. Recognizing the adversary as a jus opponant with rights is what preserves the justness of your cause. Otherwise, there are no difference between a soldier and a criminal.