Define "credible legal scholar."
Senator Kerry probably had better and more complete information than those "credible legal scholars."
What evidence? Dude we are both arm chair QBs.
I can read what Congress had to say about the war. Sounds crystal clear to me. They obviously didn't think the prez broke the law if they endorsed his conduct.
Credible = any expert with experience in foreign affairs and/or a degree in international law/relations from an accredited university.
What Kerry thought or what Congress thought is irrelevant to whether the president broke the law by ordering the invasion contrary to the requirements of UN Res. 1441. Here's the resolution.
http://www.un.int/usa/sres-iraq.htmDoes the U.S. have the right to invade Iraq?
No. The UN resolution passed in November 2002 sent arms inspectors back into Iraq to verify Iraq's disarmament, the final requirement before lifting sanctions. The resolution says there will be "serious consequences" if there is a "material breach" of the resolution, but it specifically does not identify what those consequences should or might be. The resolution states that a finding of "material breach" requires both omissions or lies in Iraq's arms declaration and non-compliance with inspectors.
It reserves for the Council as a whole, not any individual country, authority to make those determinations. When the resolution was passed, every Council ambassador other than Washington's made clear the resolution provides no authorization for war. According to Mexico's Ambassador, Adolfo Aguilar Zinser, force could only be valid, "with the prior, explicit authorization of the Security Council." The U.S. may decide to go to war without the Security Council's OK, and regardless of what the UN inspectors find or don't find. But the terms of the UN resolutions are very important considerations for Security Council countries such as France, Mexico, Germany and others, whose governments must balance their desire to join Bush's war with widespread public anti-war sentiment.
http://www.ips-dc.org/iraq/primer2.htmI will ask again, if Iraq was complying w/ inspections and Bush was seeking to use force in accordance with Res. 1441, is it legal for Bush (and Bush alone) to order the invasion?
If anyone can answer that question adequately, I will change my allegation that Bush is a criminal.