Greenpeace seeks Iraq war legal advice

[T_i_B]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/03/09/uiraq.xml&sSheet=/portal/2004/03/09/ixportaltop.html&secureRefresh=true&_requestid=77663

A group of 14 Greenpeace activists are expected to try to summon the Attorney General to court to reveal his guidance on the legality of war in Iraq.

The anti-war campaigners were due to go on trial at Southampton Magistrates Court for allegedly chaining themselves to tanks and trucks awaiting transportation to the Gulf at Marchwood Military Ports, Southampton, on February 3 last year.

Greenpeace has demanded access to Lord Goldsmith's advice to ministers so it can defend the 14 activists and has called for the Government's senior law officer to appear in court as a witness.

The group has argued throughout that their actions were necessary to prevent the loss of life and have lodged a defence of necessity, in the same vein as whistleblower Katharine Gun.

[indepat]

1. Don't recall what advice the AG might have given on the legality of our

pre-emptive war against Iraq, but surely the thought of just 'splaining any legal opinion/theory he might have rendered would not cause gallstones/pancreatitis. Get well soon Mr. AG and then you can make a statement should you so choose.

[T_i_B]

2. Lawyer who quit over Iraq to testify at anti-war trial

http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/story.jsp?story=499662

The controversy over the legality of the war on Iraq looked certain to be reignited last night after it emerged that a former Government lawyer will be called as a witness in a key court case on the conflict.

Elizabeth Wilmshurst, the former deputy legal adviser at the Foreign Office, will be called by Greenpeace as part of its defence of 14 activists arrested for chaining themselves to tanks at a military base.

Ms Wilmshurst, who quit her post on the eve of war because she disagreed with the Attorney General's advice on its legality, has to date refused to talk in detail about her views.

But Tim Owen QC, acting for Greenpeace, told Southampton magistrates' court yesterday that his call for her to give evidence "would not be resisted".

[Zhade]

3. Of course, the war was just as illegal as Hitler's invasion of Poland.

Don't count on the administrations of the Imperial Triumvirate - U.S., Great Britain, Australia - to actually admit this, however.

It's way past the time for people to stop expecting their government to do the right thing. It won't.