Is the IRAQ war "ILLEGAL"?

Question

I hear people say this all the time and yet no prominent democrat or newspaper editorial board - someone with a reputation to lose - ever says the war is 'illegal'.

You have seen the democrat debates, no one calls it illegal. Why is that?

Answer 1

Hey.. We don't need them to do that.

We have enough 'generals and Bush haters' right here to tell us all about how illegal it is. :)

Answer 2

Two questions here, I'll start by first showing how the war is illegal.

(Article VI, Section 2) of the US Constitution states that: "This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land . . ."

Now, we are members of the UN, which in effect means that we have a treaty with them. Pre-emptive war - that is, war in the absence of an imminent armed attack that renders the war justifiable self-defense - violates the U.N. Charter. There are only two exceptions to this rule: The war can be legal if it has U.N. approval, or if the purpose of the war is to stop ongoing genocide. Plainly, under these criteria, the Iraq War was illegal under international law. The U.S. did not claim - and could not have claimed -- that an armed attack was imminent, nor that a genocide was currently occurring in Iraq. And the U.N. had not given its approval for the U.S. attack. Therefore, under our own Constitution, the war in Iraq is a breach of the treaty with the UN, and hence illegal.

Now, why don't people with a reputation to lose claim it's illegal? Probably because they recognize that it's political suicide. Americans don't want to hear that an international body could possibly have veto power over elements of our own national security. No matter what the UN charter says. Like it or not, the American public doesn't want to ever hear that rules made by others have to be followed at all times. It's OUR decision to make, because we're stronger and richer and more free and just generally better. That's an American paradigm, and you ignore it at your peril.

Answer 3

Thats one thing I don't get... Why do people get mad at those who voted for the war. They voted for thinking it was for WMDs. Now that we found out that Iraq had none, we stayed anyways because of the violence here. If anyone remembers there has alwasy been violence over here. What makes Bush think we could've stopped that now. We already been here 4 years. I mean people wanted to impeach a president for what he did in his personal life that did not effect anyone but his own family and the girls family. But this president effected the lives of 3,000+ of my fellow sisters and brothers. Its easier for the people to not say anything about it because of fear of public scrunity. I think public srunity is a lot easier to deal with then us soldiers who fight IEDs and heat everyday. But that is just me. It shouldve been called illegal after we changed the mission from the original because we fond out the first mission was built on lies. Not exiting Iraq after that was discovered was just wrong.

Answer 4

No one from any party wants to paint the US as being an invading army. Not good for political PR, and not good for military families.

We know we have been played, but we still cling to some sort of honor when a casket is unloaded at our home town airport.

It's all we have left.

Answer 5

It's not illegal in the sence that the U.S. Congress gave Bush authority to make war on Iraq.

But beyond that, it constitutes an illegal invasion and the continued occupation would therefore be illegal as it appears to be against the will of the people of Iraq.

Answer 6

Yes, I believe that wars have to be approved by the UN.
It was part of the UN charter that the USA basically wrote.
Oh, by the way, ALL PREEMPTIVE WARS ARE ILLEGAL.
Democrats are politicians, also.
They voted for the war at the time because it was the popular thing to do. Its kind of like sleeping with the town sleeze and getting crabs. Everyone did it, everyone denies it (Except the guy who married her).

Answer 7

Because the war is not illegal. The libs know this and will notpush the envelope. Plus, the dems votedinfavor of thewar anyway. THey is why they talk about Bush lying or misleading. Because it is not illegal, but they need some reason to appeal to their kook base, so it is Bush lying, even though the kooks had the same intel. HA HA HA.

Answer 8

well the world in general agrees that theres a problem when you decide to preempt someone. But its a lost complaint. No one really cares.

Answer 9

Because those types of questions are best posed at your local courthouse.

Why don't you call them up?

Better, yet, go in personally.

Answer 10

We are not at war in Iraq; we are merely occupying the country, attempting to instill stability in a fragmented government.

The Iraqis are at war against each other.

Answer 11

The Zionist Jews control both parties. That is why both parties want to continue the war.... it is for Israel's behalf entirley, at the expense of the lives of American troops and billions of American taxdollars. It is the biggest ripoff of the American people in the history of their nation.