Blix speaks out

War in Iraq was illegal, claims former UNMOVIC Director.
Hans Blix, the former director of the UNMOVIC weapons inspection teams in Iraq, has claimed in an interview to the UK's The Independent newspaper that the war against Iraq was illegal.

The former chief weapons inspector of the United Nations Organization, Hans Blix, claimed in the interview with this British daily that the resolution to go to war had necessarily to pass through the United Nations Security Council for a second resolution and added that any non-compliance by Iraq did not validate a war under international law.

"It is the Security Council that is party to the ceasefire, not the United Kingdom and the United States individually", declared Hans Blix.

Under the United Nations Charter, signed on 26 June 1945, and which came into force on 24th October the same year, Under Article 1 Paragraph 1, member states promise to uphold the following principle:

Article 1
The Purposes of the United Nations are:
1. To maintain international peace and security, and to that end: to take effective collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to the peace, and for the suppression of acts of aggression or other breaches of the peace, and to bring about by peaceful means, and in conformity with the principles of justice and international law, adjustment or settlement of
international disputes or situations which might lead to a breach of the peace;

Under Article 2, Paragraph 3:

All Members shall settle their international disputes by peaceful means in such a manner that international peace and security, and justice, are not endangered.

Under Article 2, Paragraph 4:

All Members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations.

CHAPTER VII deals with "action with respect to threats to the peace, breaches of the peace, and acts of aggression" and it is worth reading the contents of Articles 39, 40, 41 and 42.

Article 39
The Security Council shall determine the existence of any threat to the peace, breach of the peace, or act of aggression and shall make recommendations, or decide what measures shall be taken in accordance with Articles 41 and 42, to maintain or restore international peace and security.

Article 40
In order to prevent an aggravation of the situation, the Security Council may, before making the recommendations or deciding upon the measures provided for in Article 39, call upon the parties concerned to comply with such provisional measures as it deems necessary or desirable. Such provisional measures shall be without prejudice to the rights, claims, or
position of the parties concerned. The Security Council shall duly take account of failure to comply with such provisional measures.

Article 41
The Security Council may decide what measures not involving the use of armed force are to be employed to give effect to its decisions, and it may call upon the Members of the United Nations to apply such measures. These may include complete or partial interruption of economic relations and of rail, sea, air, postal, telegraphic, radio, and other means of communication, and the severance of diplomatic relations.

Article 42
Should the Security Council consider that measures provided for in Article 41 would be inadequate or have proved to be inadequate, it may take such action by air, sea, or land forces as may be necessary to maintain or restore international peace and security. Such action may include demonstrations, blockade, and other operations by air, sea, or land forces of Members of the United Nations.

One has only to read the UN Charter to see the point Hans Blix is making and to see very clearly that the USA and the UK breached international law by disregarding the fundamental principles of the Charter they signed.