The legality of the Anglo-American war upon Iraq

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POWs and the Geneva Convention

Unilateral action in Iraq ’would violate international law’: By Cynthia Banham, Sydney Morning Herald, 29 January 2003.Australia would unquestionably be breaching international law if it followed the United States into a war in Iraq without United Nations backing, and could be sued in the International Court of Justice (ICJ), a leading constitutional expert has warned.
Coalition of the willing? Make that war criminals: Sydney Morning Herald, 25 February 2003. The initiation of a war against Iraq by the self-styled coalition of the willing would be a fundamental violation of international law. International law recognises two bases for the use of force. Neither apply.
Bush and America’s Willing Executioners Would Be Guilty at Nuremburg: By Bob Fitrakis and Harvey Wasserman, The Free Press (Colombus, OH), Sunday 2 March 2003. If he launches an attack on Iraq without the approval of the United Nations Security Council, George W. Bush will be guilty of crimes on par with those committed by the infamous Nazi leaders who were tried at Nuremburg in 1948, after World War II.
UN questions legality of war: AAP, Sydney Morning Herald, Friday 7 March 2003. Mr Howard has said if the US and Britain fail to win UN Security Council support for a new resolution authorising a strike on Iraq, the previous Resolution 1441 contained enough legal backing for any conflict. But the U.N, General Assembly president said the UN would need to pass another resolution to sanction military action and make any strike legal under international law.
When Bombs Fall, U.S. Will Join Ranks of War Criminals: By Robert Scheer, Los Angeles Times 11 March 2003. The maiming or killing of a single Iraqi civilian in an attack by the U.S. would constitute a war crime, as well as a profound violation of the Christian notion of just war. That is because the recent report of the U.N. inspectors has made indelibly clear that disarmament is working and that Iraq at this time poses no direct threat to the well-being of the American people.
US and UK abandon international law: The Insider, 17 March 2003. The war against Iraq which will begin this week is certainly illegal under international law. Under the UN charter, military force is legally permitted only if it is sanctioned by the Security Council or in self-defence.
War in Iraq is aggression: Russian Information Agency (Novosti), 26 March 2003. The war on Iraq, unleashed by the United States and Great Britain, is undoubtedly an act of aggression in terms of international law, says Professor Oleg Khlestov, Deputy President of the Russian Association on International Law.
Belgium amends law to avoid prosecuting President Bush: Daily Times, 27 March 2003. The Belgian parliament on Tuesday amended a controversial law to prevent US President George Bush being prosecuted for war crimes over the conflict in Iraq. The law allows Belgian courts to try suspects for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, regardless of where the alleged acts took place or the nationality of the accused.