The first Iraq war was concluded only by the Saddam regime signing an armistice agreement with the US and allied forces. Terms of that agreement held Iraq to specific actions on penalty of the re-starting of hostilities. In the subsequent decade Iraq proceeded to break most of its agreements - including the routine firing on US and allied planes conducting UN mandated flights to enforce a "no fly zone" in Iraqi airspace. Shooting at aircraft whose flights are mandated by the UN is an act of war - and a breech in the terms of the armistice. Therefore the USA was within its rights to re-start hostilities. That it decided not to in the 1990's does not mean it did not have that right as per the original agreement.
Thus the Second US war with Iraq is legal; they shot at us and did more than that besides via proxies. Invading them to take down their regime was within our rights, was moral then and is moral now. Those who would have us pull out are the ones wishing for genocide and bloodshed.
With respect to Afghanistan, again the regime allowed a known terror group to prosper and use its territory to plot the 9/11 attack on US soil. It was given a chance to turn over Al Qaeda terrorists and decided not to. Our invasion via the Northern Alliance proxies, subsequent standing up of an independent government is not 'an occupation' and was, is and will be conducted according to the highest stardard of just war conduct - standards our enemy does not follow. But again, those who would have us pull out of Afghanistan don't care about civilians, civilization, or this vaunted 'rule of international law' they talk so much about.... if they did, they'd be massing non-US troops in Darfur to stop that genocide. That no non-US force is in the offing and none with teeth enough to stop Sudan's proxy guerillas is evidence enough that international law has no teeth. We are the world's Police. Get used to it.
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Cited in this piece, was a cadre in the Lyndon LaRouche cult back in the 70's and 80's. See his... [MORE]
Michael Pugliese
Oct 25, 2007 14:10
These liberal groups have always been another way for lefties to hurl jabs at the current administration. They wrapped themselves... [MORE]
Steve
Oct 25, 2007 09:22
That we invaded a country without just cause is bad enough, but pouring more American lives into that misbegotten ventuire... [MORE]
Kathleen Grasso Andersen
Oct 25, 2007 09:09
Ron Paul's supporters are so danged annoying, I wouldn't vote for the guy for all the tea in China. [MORE]
Mark Kuzelka
Oct 25, 2007 06:09
vote democ ratic and lose a war(Vietnam comes to mind)
vote democratic and pay more taxes(pay attention to what they are... [MORE]
cbutter
Oct 24, 2007 22:37
One quibble: although a lot of the Code Pinkers are "senior citizens" and greying leftovers from the Vietnam protest era,... [MORE]
KL
Oct 24, 2007 21:13
This is an exercise in sophistry. It is highly doubtful that if there WERE advocacy of withdrawal plans, or a... [MORE]
Cloudy
Oct 24, 2007 17:31
Why don't the Democrats block any further war funding and force the Republicans to filibuster and close down the government?... [MORE]
Mike Seidel
Oct 24, 2007 16:01
One reason the Democrats cannot scrape up the votes to end the campaigns in Iraq & in Afghanistan in the... [MORE]
Sinoe Man
Oct 24, 2007 15:48
Not much to say but you sir are a glittering jewel of colossal ignorance. Given how deeply you feel on... [MORE]
A-Wild
Oct 24, 2007 14:34
Thank you for your insight. There's a reason why the WWII generation is called the "Greatest Generation" and we're not.... [MORE]
Lacy Houk
Oct 24, 2007 14:00
As a vet of both the military and the peace effort I remember all this stuff concerning the death of... [MORE]
Robert C VanHorn
Oct 24, 2007 13:44
The true failure here is our democratic system. We now have an executive branch that refuses to comply with statutes,... [MORE]
John Hejduk
Oct 24, 2007 13:18
James Monroe, one of the Framers of the U.S. government was deeply afraid of an inescapable abuse that had plagued... [MORE]
Tory
Oct 24, 2007 12:54
You missed a very critical piece of the discussion, as do most "analysts" who conclude that we can't "cut and... [MORE]
Dick
Oct 24, 2007 12:34
I find it curious that the left continues to brand this war as illegal and unconstitutional when it absolutely clear... [MORE]
Chris
Oct 24, 2007 13:07
Dick,
Do you really think the president and his administration were not apprised of the legalities involved in an attack on... [MORE]
Eric
Oct 24, 2007 13:15
Dick-
Your posting is so senseless and inane that I cant believe you are educated or live in the real world.... [MORE]
Duhize
Oct 24, 2007 13:25
Some good dialogue with military leaders, among the peaceniks:http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2007/11/iraq-war-index.html [MORE]
Bandolier
Oct 24, 2007 13:48
Dick is wrong on so many levels. Let's start with Iraq. Hussein invaded Kuwait. The US and it's allies removed... [MORE]
boatusn
Oct 24, 2007 14:18
"Neither Iraq nor Afghanistan attacked the US."
I guess you missed that little 9/11 thing carried out by the Taliban's henchmen,... [MORE]
Tallda
Oct 24, 2007 14:29
Both the war in Afghanistan and the current mission in Iraq have been sanctioned by the U.N. There are many... [MORE]
Mike Sorensen
Oct 24, 2007 14:41
Sadly quite a lot has been missed. The invasion of Afghanistan was illegally funded (doubt it? google it). ...And, I... [MORE]
Obwon
Oct 24, 2007 15:12
"UN Charter, which the US signed (and, in fact, wrote) and was adopted by the US Senate, clearly states that... [MORE]
Marty Plazo
Oct 24, 2007 15:49
Since many commentators are quick to claim violations of "international law", I wonder if someone could tell me who makes... [MORE]
Steve
Oct 24, 2007 16:16
The first Iraq war was concluded only by the Saddam regime signing an armistice agreement with the US and allied...
John
Oct 24, 2007 16:31
Dick states that the attack on Afghanistan was unjustified because it was not Afghanistan as a sovereign entity that attacked... [MORE]
groweg
Oct 24, 2007 17:45
"The UN Charter, which the US signed (and, in fact, wrote) and was adopted by the US Senate, clearly states... [MORE]
eliXelx
Oct 24, 2007 18:42
Considering all of the above, "You Missed Something", the first order of business for the newly elected mid term Congress... [MORE]
Maureen Murphy
Oct 24, 2007 21:33
Wow! Reading the libs' talking points in the Sun. I guess the Times' website is like preaching to the choir.... [MORE]
You missed something
Oct 24, 2007 22:03
Your blatant mischaracterization of the law here makes the anti-war movement look like a bunch of liars as well as... [MORE]
Ken McCracken
Oct 25, 2007 04:26
It's funny how you go on to quote the UN Charter while completely ignoring standards of geopolitics and UN Resolutions.... [MORE]
Durban
Oct 25, 2007 17:11
Interesting news if the wackiest of the left are admitting defeat. Maybe they can find someone like poor Cindy Sheehan... [MORE]
C J Dunmore
Oct 24, 2007 11:48
How many of these supposedly committed anti-war people of the left would be willing to support a Pro-Life Republican named... [MORE]
Mike Nash
Oct 24, 2007 10:32
Who's wacky here? Another thing the author misses (in addition to the illegality of the war in the first place)... [MORE]
Lynn Jaeger
Oct 24, 2007 15:05
The peace movement should try to affect the root causes of the violence in Iraq. It might be a good... [MORE]
Mike Sorensen
Oct 24, 2007 09:46
Didn't the Dems run in 2006 on ending the war? Looks like the Peaceniks got shoved under the bus. [MORE]
JP
Oct 24, 2007 09:15
Wonderful article and very well written!! BRAVO! [MORE]