For if it were true, or even arguably true, that the war in Iraq waged by the US against Iraq was illegal, then by definition it would be an act of mass murder. Consequently it would become the solemn legal duty of the government of the United States, cognizant of its treaty obligations, and as the only government with the practical ability to do so, to bring those responsible for this sea of bloodshed to trial in an impartial, preferably international, court of justice. This is an allegation of MASS MURDER, not some trifle of improperly processed mortgage papers, stolen money, or secrets leaked to a newspaper. Crimes like this cannot go unpunished, or the existence of the law itself must be doubted.
Despite the seriousness of the allegation no such action has been taken by the US government. And none is currently proposed. There has not even been a formal review of the war policy as one might expect to see if there had been even doubts about its propriety or about the legal behavior of its leading figures. No "bipartisan blue ribbon commission" was ever announced to "get to the bottom of this mess". The war is not even controversial. It is regretted perhaps by some, or even by many. But no one cries Murder! Robbery! Rape and Murder!
Since it is abundantly clear and accepted by all camps of legitimate opinion that there is no principle more important to the United States in its domestic and foreign affairs than the rule of law, it must be clear that no infraction of the law ever took place. Else it would have been investigated and punished by now, as Bradley Manning is now being punished, and it would be pursued to the ends of the Earth, as Edward Snowden is now being pursued. Yet the perpetrators of this alleged crime travel about the United States freely with no apparent fear of being stopped by the police. Mr. Annan is simply making things up.
May I remind you that we have not only a lawyer as our President, but a scholar of the Constitution? He understands as well anyone who ever lived that treaty law has the same force as the Constitution, superseding any laws of states or acts of Congress. He has signed a number of such treaties himself and is proposing another one (still in the negotiation phase) that will likewise relieve our lawmakers of the burden of writing laws of the sort that the people would approve. If there had been any hanky panky going on with regard to that little war in Iraq, our President would have made sure any wrongdoing would be found out and punished! I would refer you again to the example of Bradley Manning. Why, our President is so zealous for the rule of law, that he could not even wait for the trial of Pfc. Manning to start before he pronounced him guilty before the cameras and microphones of the media. Do you think a stickler for propriety like President Obama would let a MASS MURDERER walk free? When people are innocent, as President Obama declared the banks to be in the matter of the mortgage derivatives meltdown, he is NOT AFRAID to say so, even when the vast majority of the electorate disagrees! He would be guided only by his sense of right and wrong, and by his superior knowledge of the law. No, there was no crime in Iraq. None at all.
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