Well, my point wasn't that the Iraq war wasn't declared legally but that the anti-war crowd is a bit disingenuous when harping on the legal aspect of the war. To my knowledge there is no authoritative body that sits around declaring wars legal or illegal (except the UN... ha). Maybe that will be one of the ICC's roles. Reminds me of a joke: "The slogan of the ICC should be 'Bringing kangaroo courts into the 21st century.'"
Bush´s war against Iraq is clearly an illegal war of aggression read about the legality of wars here http://www.un.org/aboutun/charter/
Provide evidence, chapter and verse, that the USA, which is acting in support of enforcing the UN's existing resolutions to disarm Iraq, is in violation of UN rules. They are simply enforcing the disarmament of Iraq. The USA isn't using UN troops. There have been no UN resolutions denouncing the war. We have various countries squawking, but why don't they put together a resolution to officially denounce the actions? If it is so wrong, and illegal, let the UN try to stop us. Let them send in UN troops to defend Iraq. Let them pass sanctions against the US. The UN acts like a bunch of old women. Weak, spineless diplomacy.
Yeah, I especially liked this part: to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small, and to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,
Article 42 Should the Security Council consider that measures provided for in Article 41 would be inadequate or have proved to be inadequate, it may take such action by air, sea, or land forces as may be necessary to maintain or restore international peace and security. Such action may include demonstrations, blockade, and other operations by air, sea, or land forces of Members of the United Nations.
IPPNW Statement on the Launch of War Against Iraq The United States-led war against Iraq was launched despite overwhelming global opposition and a clear determination within the United Nations to continue and intensify the inspections-based process of disarmament in Iraq. IPPNW and its 58 affiliates condemn this war as a violation of international law and the UN Charter. This unwarranted, pre-emptive military assault against Iraq is also an assault against the UN system upon which the world relies for peaceful and just solutions to regional and global conflicts. Now that the war has begun, its prosecutors -- in particular the United States -- must fully comply with and respect the Geneva Conventions and international humanitarian law and therein make every effort to protect civilians, the environment, and civilian infrastructure from harm. The Iraqi government and military, in defending Iraq against this invasion, has an equal obligation to do so within the norms of international law. Any use of weapons of mass destruction or other weapons with indiscriminate effects must be avoided. This applies especially to nuclear weapons of any size or yield. Such weapons must never be used in war for any purpose. IPPNW also condemns any use of chemical or biological weapons (including chemical incapacitating agents and chemical riot-control agents, which have been banned under international law), depleted uranium weapons, cluster bombs, anti-personnel landmines, and massive conventional ordnance near civilian populations. All such weapons have contributed to or would contribute to large-scale civilian casualties, both during and after armed conflict, and we call upon the parties to the conflict to renounce their use. Our overriding concern has always been and continues to be the health and security of the people of Iraq, who deserve neither the brutal regime of Saddam Hussein nor the massive show of military force against their country that has been undertaken without just cause by the Bush administration and its allies in the war. The US cannot now walk away from its responsibility to help the Iraqi people rebuild a society that serves their needs and interests, whether or not those interests coincide with the Bush administration's ambitions for the region. We urge the US -- even at this late date -- to call an end to this war and to return responsibility for the disarmament of Iraq to the UN where it rightfully belongs. Once this war has ended, the attention of the world must turn to repairing the damage that has been done not only to Iraq but to the UN system. No one country -- not even a superpower with a few reluctant partners -- has the moral or legal right to determine what is best for the world and then use unmatchable military force to impose its vision of a proper world order. A recommitment to -- and a strengthening of -- collective frameworks for peace, justice, and security in which all voices are heard and all interests are considered is the only acceptable outcome of this war. March 20, 2003 http://www.ippnw.org/IraqWar.html http://www.ippnw.org/IPPNWNobel.html