Iran... ok, now we have a problem.

[DanaC]

Well put HM.

Thus, Yugoslavia was illegal and unjustified.

The action against Yugoslavia was not taken because Milosevic was a dictator. It was taken in order to stop ethnic cleansing and prevent what may have been edging into genocide.

The mere fact that a country is ruled by a dictator, however unpleasant that might make life in that country, is not alone justification for invasion.

Iraq was more of a threat than Yugoslavia, by anyone's measure, but it's NOT OK since it was sold as a threat.

More of a threat to whom? To America? Oh come on, who are
you kidding?.....to the UK? I really don't think so. To its neighbours? Well maybe, but if we invade every country that is a threat to its neighbours, then we'd better get a fucking big task force over to some of the African countries. Iraq was not a threat to us, it was merely sold as a threat to us in order to justifiy military action. Yugoslavia was not a threat to us, but nor did anybody try to tell us otherwise.

[Undertoad]

Originally Posted by DanaC

More of a threat to whom? To America? Oh come on, who are you kidding?.....to the UK?

Yes and yes, Iraq was more of a threat than Yugoslavia, both to the US and the UK.

An existential threat, maybe not. But as a bad actor? Sure.

Iraq was a terrible threat to "international law", as a system of sanctions devolved into Iraqi poverty, and a UN scandal involving billions upon billions of dollars in oil contracts scuttled any interest in cutting Gordian's knot.

And Iraq was indeed a heavy sponsor of terrorism; see Abu Nidal organization, payments to suicide bombers, and the sorta-not-disputed Salman Pak for just three examples.

[Flint]

You know that we don't invade every country that is "a terrible threat to international law" or "a heavy sponsor of terrorism."