War and propaganda

The Iraqi threat bogey rationalised Washington's acting in self-defence, pursuant to Article 51 of the UN Charter, although there was no evidence to prove that Iraq constituted a threat to the US in specific terms. Bypassing the charter, the US ­UK coalition resorted to using the doctrine of pre-emption as well as prevention ­ to destroy Iraq as a countervailing power to Israel in the Middle East. Saddam's patronisation of the Palestinian upsurge so flabbergasted Washington's Jewish lobby that the war became unavoidable. In an emotional rush towards the war, the US did not bother to show an iota of respect to Article 33 of the Charter that necessitates the obtainment of facts in any disputed situation where the claims of self-defence are made on one side and rebutted by the other. The US­UK coalition also violated Article 37(1) of the Charter that requires of disputing parties to refer the matter to the UNSC upon exhaustion of other means stipulated in Article 33 ­ such as negotiation, inquiry, mediation, conciliation, arbitration, etc.

Bush insisted on no talks with Saddam. As well, the US and the UK invoked the cease-fire resolution of April 1991 ((Resolution 687), in which the UNSC linked the easing or lifting of sanctions to the disarmament of Iraq. As it is evident now, Iraq did not possess any WMD to pose a threat to the US. The warmongers -- Bush and Blair -- find themselves nakedly exposed before the world.