Does the United States have a legal right to invade Iraq?
The Bush administration believes so. Many experts in international law believe not. The disagreement turns on ambiguities in various United Nations resolutions. After the liberation of Kuwait in 1991, the United Nations adopted a resolution requiring Iraq to “unconditionally accept the destruction … of all chemical and biological weapons.” In November, the Security Council adopted a resolution decrying Iraq’s “failure to cooperate,” warning Iraq that it would face “serious consequences” if it did not comply. U.S. and British officials say those resolutions authorize war, even without a new Security Council resolution. 2) How will this war be different from the first Gulf War? The goal of the first Gulf War was to expel Iraq from Kuwait. After five weeks of bombing, the ground war lasted a mere 100 hours. The U.S.-led coalition never had to send ground forces into Baghdad. This time the goal is “regime change,” a takeover and the capture of Baghdad. That could involve dangerous close-
