Shane Hensinger Issues of Legality Surrounding the US-led Invasion of IraqInternational Law New York UniversityProfessor Veena Thadani

Introduction..........................................................................................................................3UN Resolutions, Charter and Laws.....................................................................................3Customary International Law – Interceptive/Anticipatory Self-defense...........................13Terrorism............................................................................................................................15Conclusion.........................................................................................................................17Bibliography......................................................................................................................192

Introduction

The 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq began in a fog of controversy over the issue of thewar’s legality, timing and rationale. Distinguished jurists, statesmen/women and othersaround the globe have added their voices to the din surrounding the issue of legality vs.illegality which today remains unanswered and without definitive conclusion. This paper will explore the issues surrounding the legality of the invasion and will do sousing the IRAC format used in law school to answer questions with competing answers.IRAC: I – Issue. R – Rule. A – Argument. C – Conclusion.

UN Resolutions, Charter and Laws

The United Nations Security Council had passed over 17 resolutions dealing with thesituation in Iraq prior to the US-led invasion in 2003. The first was resolution 660, whichdealt with the initial Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. The following resolution, 661, specificallymentioned Chapter VII of the UN Charter, which states in part in Article 39:The Security Council shall determine the existence of any threat to the peace, breach of the peace, or act of aggression and shall makerecommendations, or decide what measures shall be taken in accordancewith Articles 41 and 42, to maintain or restore international peace andsecurity.3