The Real Problem is That it is Illegal for One Country to Invade Another Country

[Canadian Socialist]

By Linda McQuaig

Much has changed in the way the mainstream media deal with the war in Iraq. Most commentators now acknowledge the war is a disaster and will hurt the Republicans badly in the upcoming U.S. midterm elections.

But one thing hasn't changed — the willingness to believe that the motives for war, however misguided, were basically honourable.

So the criticism centres instead on the Bush administration's inept handling of the war.

Canada's own Michael Ignatieff, the Liberal leadership front-runner, tries to slough off his former enthusiastic support for the war by now saying he hadn't "anticipated how incompetent the Americans would be."

But incompetence is a side issue. The real problem is, and always has been, that it is illegal — not to mention immoral — for a country to invade another country, in other words, to wage a war of aggression.

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GO LINDA!

[Nolo_Contendre]

1. Hence the Bush cabal lie about imminent threat of WMDs

They tried to argue that the invasion and occupation of sovereign Iraq was a matter of self-defense. They lied through their rotten teeth and now they should be made to pay for their war crimes on the gallows.

[USA_1]

2. Ben Ferencz Has Called For A Nuremburg Tribunal ...

... for Bush precisely for that reason.

[GreenArrow]

3. that's the problem, in a nutshell

None of the reasons offered were, in any way, honourable.

[Mythsaje]

4. Like Cheney and, in fact, this whole administration...

It's a "no-brainer."

[wuushew]

5. Our crusade in Aghanistan was wrong also.

n/t

[wtmusic]

9. Do you believe we had the right to go after bin Laden? nt

[BuyingThyme]

6. Hindsight is 20/20.

Unless a Puke is involved, that is. Because Pukes cover-up and lie. So even if they let you see what they did, they'll tell you you're seeing it all wrong.

Another thing about hindsight: It's the foundation of democracy.

[Peace Patriot]

7. Exactly right. We had no right to invade. We have no right to occupy

the country and to be calling the shots there now. It is all based on lies and violence. And the excuse for the continuing violence against Iraqis, and military occupation of their country--that "we broke it, we must fix" it--is gone. The Bushites had no interest in fixing it. Their sole interests have been, a) looting us and the Iraqis blind, and b) their scheme to grab and dominate Mideast oil fields by hopscotching from Iraq to Iran.

THIS is why all the "infrastructure" money that the Bush "pod people" in Congress (and some Dem colluders) have been pouring into the pockets of Cheney's retirement fund company, Halliburton, and other war profiteers, has yielded...zilch. Iraqis are now far, far worse off than they were under Saddam--electricity, water, hospitals, emergency services, civil order, all in chaos or non-existent. And this is why the Bush Junta doesn't give a crap about any of this. They never were interested in democracy or a decent life for Iraqis.

And that FALSE PREMISE for all the carnage and chaos the Bushites have created--that we have a right, and now an obligation, to be there--underpins every plan I've yet heard of for pullbacks or withdrawal. What we SHOULD DO--a) apology, pay reparations, and get out NOW, and b) put the entire matter in the hands of the UN--NOW--is never proposed. The illegal nature of what the Bush Junta did is NOT acknowledged. The closest thing to it is found in George McGovern's recently published plan to repairing this disaster. See

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x2511362

But even McGovern doesn't quite say it. And it would truly be a miracle if it happened--and the most amazing event in modern history: apology; reparations; asking those with relatively clean hands to take over.

Actually, it's not quite unprecedented: South Africa did something along these lines, with the "truth and reconciliation" commission after apartheid.

But reconciliation has to start with the truth--the missing element in all Iraq reconstruction/withdrawal plans.

[Peace Patriot]

8. Added thought: Why is it that America being big souled, having the

courage to admit mistakes and apologize, is somehow considered a weakness? We still have enough nukes to blow up the planet many times over, the biggest military machine in human history, and boffo wealth, compared to all others. What's weak about a powerful country acknowledging a wrong, and acting to repair it? Wouldn't that be a sign of STRENGTH, not weakness?

Maybe because this would foreclose other US fascist invasions, dominations and lootings? MISUSE of our military would become taboo?

That's probably what the war profiteers think--so they'll stick it out in Iraq to the last "cannon fodder" soldier. They don't want to yield the point. They NEED unjust wars to make PROFITS. And they are trying to prevent Iraq--like Vietnam--from becoming an example of what happens when war profiteers rule foreign policy.

[wtmusic]

10. Kennedy's approval soared after he 'fessed up to Bay of Pigs

We don't need to worry about that happening with W. ;-)