Blair could face international court over war conduct [View All]

[joeunderdog]

A panel of eight leading lawyers from the UK, Canada, France and Ireland will debate the question: "Was it legal to go to war?" and are expected to cover topics such as the use of cluster bombs and depleted uranium, the targeting of civilian buildings and the military occupation. The debate at the London School of Economics is open to the public.

snip

He said that the legality of the war was a key concern at the time and that the Attorney General was required to back the government with an opinion, but the way the war was conducted might also become a matter for the international criminal court. The UK is signed up to this court, although the US is not. Potentially the court could prosecute the UK for the use of cluster bombs or targeting civilians and the case might be looked on more seriously if the war was judged to have been illegal in the first place, said Dr Williams.

"If the strategy of conflict is authorised by government figures then that is where the buck stops. If there is an opinion that there is a case to investigate over the strategy and conduct of the war and occupation, that responsibility would have to lie at the head of government. It's not a question 'is Tony Blair guilty of war crimes?' - that would take us into the realms of campaigning which we are trying to avoid."

He added: "We want a reasoned and independent inquiry into these issues so that when a report is produced it will be treated seriously."

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http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1079225,00.html