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Blair told Iraq occupation illegal

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

08:34 / 23.05.03

Haven't read the whole article yet, and unfortunately you have to pay to read it on their site, but there's what looks like a very interesting John Kampfner piece on the Attorney General's assertion that attempts to administrate post-war Iraq was illegal without a specific UN mandate (it also includes a full transcript of the warning) in this week's New Statesman.

Does this actually mean anything now, though, if it's blatantly obvious he's not going to have to face any legal consequences? Should we be feeling a warm "I told you so" glow, or stark terror that this changed nothing except to further weaken the rule of international law?

Lullaboozler

11:05 / 23.05.03

I would guess this has gone moot, as the UN rolled over and played dead on this matter yesterday (I think) and passed the required resolution unopposed.

Not that beaurocratic wrangling and worrying about international etiquette NOW is what we need - the Iraqis need running water/electricity etc. and the people best placed to do that are us and the Yanks.

Sigh.

Morlock - groupie for hire

11:44 / 23.05.03

True, though that's not saying much. I remember some camera-monkey using the garbage piled in the streets as an example of how not all Iraq's post-war problems could be solved by soldiers and tanks. Nah, no way you could solve that one just with burly men and women, trucks and...um...shovels.

In any case, I don't remember a single legal action being taken in the region since the first Gulf War. If they can get away with war I don't see how something so easily mislabelled as "humanitarian aid" is going to make much difference.

And somehow I can't shake the feeling Iraqis are going to get public utilities anytime soon...

bjacques

03:05 / 25.05.03

After a 6 week absence Salam Pax is back! I'll have to read all this later, since it's 6am and I'm at work and want a nap.

gingerbop

17:16 / 25.05.03

Well it made us lose Eurovision miserably... its AWFUL, and should be illegal.

SMS

23:59 / 25.05.03

... attempts to administrate post-war Iraq was illegal without a specific UN mandate...

This has to be one of the worst laws I've ever heard of. It said we were just to pick up our bags and say, "well, now that we took out your dictator, we'll be heading home"?

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