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In my personal opinion, yes.  My thoughts on this subject always revolve around Saint Thomas Aquinas' "Principles of a Just War" from his Summa Theologica:

• the damage inflicted by the aggressor on the nation or community of nations must be lasting, grave, and certain;
• all other means of putting an end to it must have been shown to be impractical or ineffective;
• there must be serious prospects of success;
• the use of arms must not produce evils and disorders graver than the evil to be eliminated. The power of modern means of destruction weighs very heavily in evaluating this condition.

In reply to #1:Humans and animals all are born with the instinct to protect themselves and their young. Therefore I would agree war is justified in that context.