UN and Iraq

[MsTattersall]

I want to thank Shaun and Olivier for sharing their views on the Iraq 
situation. It was very interesting, and I learned quite a lot! I wish 
more people here in the U.S. had as good an understanding of 
the "what" and "why" of Operation Iraqi Freedom as they do. Even 
though they disagree, the tone of the exchange was very civil. Bravo 
to both of you! 

After the distraction of the elections (oh God, please, soon!) I 
think the world will see positive action toward resolution.
MsTattersall

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at yahoogroups.com, olivier.fouquet+harry at m... 
wrote:
> I think Shaun and I have now stated our respective arguments with 
> enough clarity. For the sake of completeness, I will simply restate 
my 
> position.
> 
> Contrary to Shaun, I keep thinking that the war as it unfold was 
> illegal. I acknowledge Shaun's rationale that shooting at aircrafts 
in 
> the no-fly zone is technically a casus belli. I am in the opinion 
that 
> the US, UK and France, as the aggressors, had to prove first that 
> flying aircrafts above Iraq was legal. If casus belli they was, I 
think 
> an argument can be made that it was on their side.
> 
> It is certainly true that inspectors were not happy about their 
working 
> condition. However, Richard Butler, whom Shaun mentioned, Hans 
Blix, 
> Scott Ritter and Mohammed El Baradei all opposed the war and 
stressed 
> that though not perfect, the inspection regime was working. Indeed, 
no 
> weapons of mass destruction of any significant efficiency have been 
> found since.
> 
> I would like to outline one last time what my ideal situation would 
> have been. I would have liked the inspectors to be asked clearly if 
> they were in favor of invasion, limited strike (à la Desert Fox) or 
> simply continued inspections. In the case where they would have 
said 
> they were in favor of invasion, I would have liked the US and UK to 
> present a resolution clearly outlining what they were going to do, 
> including post-war situation. If France had vetoed such a 
resolution 
> (supported by the inspectors and voted by a majority of the 
Security 
> Council that is), I would have been the first to call it a shame.
> 
> However, what happened is so far away from my ideal world, that I 
must 
> confess I have some doubts about the real motivations of the 
invading 
> forces. Doubts I think many people share and that render the whole 
> discussion about whether the war was or wasn't legal a bit surreal.
> 
> But it is always a pleasure to listen to educated arguments. If 
only 
> for that reason, I would like to thank Shaun for this discussion.
> 
> Regards,
> Olivier