What is New in New Wars?

The security challenges of today have made western liberal democracies go to war four times during the last 20 years. The same countries have been, and still are, participating in a variety of peacekeeping, peace enforcing, and stability operations globally. The ability to use force as a political tool is important, and it is needed to provide security for many people in the world. But this ability is being challenged. During the last 20 years we have experienced the limitations and consequences of our use of violence. In the Balkans, Iraq, and Afghanistan we have identified shortfalls and failures. In Africa, human suffering and violence have been left unattended. Some scholars and practitioners have argued that the old classical theory on war is obsolete, and that we need new theories to deal properly with these new wars. This paper will analyze three important dimensions connected to the classical theory on war in relation to new wars. The aim of the analysis is to search for a more comprehensive understanding of possibilities, challenges, and limitations connected to war as a political tool today.