Home>News Center>World
         
 

Feared Iraq war could be illegal - report
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-02-23 13:56

The British government's top lawyer warned less than two weeks before the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq that military action could be illegal, the Guardian newspaper reported on Wednesday.

Lord Goldsmith expressed his doubts to Prime Minister Tony Blair, Washington's staunchest ally in Iraq, in a document on March 7, 2003, the paper said.

The newspaper said the British government was so concerned about legal challenges to war that it set up a team of lawyers to prepare for any action in an international court.

The Guardian said it based its report on a book to be published this week called "Lawless World," by law professor and lawyer Philippe Sands, who shares the London offices of the prime minister's barrister wife, Cherie Booth.

"So concerned was the government about the possibility of such a case that it took steps to put together a legal team to prepare for possible international litigation," Sands wrote in an extract of his book published in the Guardian.

Goldsmith was not immediately available for comment.

He has previously denied opponents' claims he swallowed his own doubts about the case for war to give Blair legal cover after London and Washington failed to gain United Nations backing for a resolution authorizing military action.

The British government has only ever published a summary of his advice.

According to Sands's book, Goldsmith raised doubts about the legality of military action in advice given to Blair in a 13-page document.

Goldsmith warned: "If the argument were to come before a court of law it might well be unsuccessful, so the use of force could be found to be illegal."

However, Sands says that 10 days later, on March 17, Goldsmith said in answer to a parliamentary question that it was "plain" that Iraq was in breach of U.N. resolution 1441 which required it to comply with disarmament obligations.

"Plain to whom?" Sands asks in his book. "(This answer) was neither a summary nor a precis of any of the earlier advices which the attorney general had provided."

Blair, who is preparing to fight an election expected in May, has refused calls to publish the legal advice Goldsmith gave him.

The war in Iraq dragged down Blair's once sky-high public ratings and divided his ruling Labour Party.



 
  Today's Top News     Top World News
 

Beijing pushes for charter cargo flights across Straits

 

   
 

Bush threatens Europe on ending arms ban

 

   
 

Goliaths compete for nuclear plant pact

 

   
 

Strong quake strikes Iran, over 400 dead

 

   
 

US citizen accused of plotting to kill Bush

 

   
 

Medics venture into twilight zone

 

   
  Al-Jaafari likely to be next Iraqi PM
   
  Strong quake strikes Iran, over 400 dead
   
  South Korea, US, Japan to discuss nuclear strategy
   
  Europeans recall bad memories during Bush visit
   
  Aceh rebels drop demands for independence
   
  Al-Zarqawi tops U.S. list of most wanted
   
 
  Go to Another Section  
 
 
  Story Tools  
   
  Related Stories  
   
Al-Zarqawi tops U.S. list of most wanted
   
3 hostages freed by rebels enter Jordan
   
Al-Jaafari likely to be next Iraqi PM
   
Chalabi, Al-Jaafari to seek Iraq PM post
  News Talk  
  Are the Republicans exploiting the memory of 9/11?  
Advertisement
         
主站蜘蛛池模板: 一区二区精品视频| 亚洲黄色中文字幕| 亚洲av中文无码乱人伦| 看亚洲a级一级毛片| 国产精品免费一级在线观看| www.精品视频| 成人在线色视频| 久久久亚洲欧洲日产国码农村| 果冻传媒和91制片厂| 亚洲小说区图片区另类春色| 激情综合色五月丁香六月亚洲| 公和我在厨房好爽中文字幕| 老司机67194精品线观看| 国产精品成人va在线播放| 99精品热视频| 女人被男人躁到呻吟的 | 色偷偷成人网免费视频男人的天堂| 国产成人在线电影| 日本xxxⅹ色视频在线观看网站| 国产精品无码电影在线观看 | 亚洲精品国产综合久久一线| 破了亲妺妺的处免费视频国产| 啊灬啊别停灬用力啊公视频| 色爱无码av综合区| 国产乱子伦一区二区三区| 韩国三级中文字幕hd久久精品| 在车里被撞了八次高c| 一区二区三区波多野结衣| 成人一级片在线观看| 中文字幕影片免费在线观看| 无码精品黑人一区二区三区| 久久久久久亚洲av无码专区| 欧美日韩生活片| 亚洲精品自拍视频| 爱情岛论坛亚洲永久入口口 | 亚洲精品亚洲人成在线播放| 狠狠操视频网站| 亚洲香蕉久久一区二区| 特级做a爰片毛片免费看| 亚洲高清免费在线观看| 玩肥熟老妇BBW视频|