Why did the US attack Iraq in March 2002?

Why did the US attack Iraq in March 2002?

According to U.S. President George W. Bush and UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, the coalition aimed “to disarm Iraq of weapons of mass destruction, to end Saddam Hussein’s support for terrorism, and to free the Iraqi people.”

Who opposed the USA and its allies attack on Iraq?

France, Germany and Russia were from the very outset publicly opposed to a US-led war. As the US took a more militaristic position, these three nations’ governments became increasingly outspoken in opposition to the invasion.

Was Iraq an illegal war?

The invasion of Iraq was neither in self-defense against armed attack nor sanctioned by UN Security Council resolution authorizing the use of force by member states and thus constituted the crime of war of aggression, according to the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) in Geneva.

Was the invasion of Afghanistan legal?

Disputed legality of the U.S. invasion The UN Charter is a treaty ratified by the United States and thus part of US law. Under the charter, a country can use armed force against another country only in self-defense or when the Security Council approves. The US war in Afghanistan is illegal.

Is white phosphorus a war crime?

The munitions allegedly contained white phosphorus—a self-igniting chemical that can burn at upwards of 4,800 degrees Fahrenheit once it makes contact with air. “It’s a horrific weapon. And yet, although the use of white phosphorus may be considered a war crime if used against civilians, typically it is not.

Why is white phosphorus illegal in war?

If on the other hand the toxic properties of white phosphorus are specifically intended to be used as a weapon, that, of course, is prohibited, because the way the convention is structured or applied, any chemicals used against humans or animals that cause harm or death through the toxic properties of the chemical are …

How do you make white phosphorus?

The white allotrope can be produced using several different methods. In the industrial process, phosphate rock is heated in an electric or fuel-fired furnace in the presence of carbon and silica. Elemental phosphorus is then liberated as a vapour and can be collected under phosphoric acid.

Did the US use chemical weapons in Fallujah?

Peter Popham US forces ‘used chemical weapons’ during assault on city of Fallujah, The Independent 8 November 2005.

Did the US use depleted uranium in Iraq?

Only the US and the UK have acknowledged using DU weapons. In a three-week period of conflict in Iraq during 2003, it was estimated that between 1,000 and 2,000 tonnes of depleted uranium munitions were used. More than 300,000 DU rounds were fired during the 2003 war, the vast majority by US troops.

Who bombed Fallujah?

Ahmad Hashim Abd al-Isawi