The War is ILLEGAL

By invading Iraq in 2003, the Executive Branch violated international treaties, which are the “supreme law of the land” according to our constitution. These treaties include the UN Charter and what emerged from the Nuremberg trials, which tried Nazi war criminals for making aggressive war. 2

Under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, to which the United States is a party, a nation's use of force is authorized under only two circumstances: in individual or collective self-defense, as outlined in Article 51, OR pursuant to a Security Council resolution, as outlined in Article 42.

The United States was not allowed to invade Iraq via the Security Council circumstance, nor via the circumstance of self-defense. The case made by the Bush administration, that Iraq posed an “imminent threat,” was based on lies and manipulations of intelligence to suit their desire for war with Iraq, as many experts agree. (see Article II under “3. Impeach Bush and Cheney”)

In addition to the overall illegality of the war because it is a war of aggression, the laws of war, found in the Geneva Conventions and other precedents, require certain responsibilities of the occupying force during war. The occupying power is obliged to restore and ensure public order, safety, and basic service provision, and is restricted from using weapons that cause unnecessary suffering, torture, and attacking medical units or journalists. The US has or is violating these and other laws of war, making this an illegal war in many ways.