"The United States' attack on Afghanistan met none of the standard international moral and legal criteria for justifiable self-defense and occurred without reasonable consultation with the United Nations Security Council.
'The invasion of Afghanistan was as illegal as the invasion of Iraq,' prominent legal scholar Marjorie Cohn noted in July of 2008.
"The U.N. Charter requires member states to settle international disputes by peaceful means.
"Nations are permitted to use military force only in self-defense or when authorized by the Security Council.
"After 9/11, the Council passed two resolutions, neither of which authorized the use of military force in Afghanistan.
"Assaulting that country was not legitimate self-defense under article 51 of the Charter since the jetliner assaults were criminal attacks, not 'armed attacks' by another country.
"Afghanistan did not attack the U.S. and 15 of the 19 9/11 hijackers came from Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, there was no 'imminent threat of an armed attack' on the United States after September 11 or Bush would not have waited three weeks before initiating his October 2001 bombing campaign.
"As Cohn added, 'The necessity for self-defense must be instant, overwhelming, leaving no choice of means, and no moment for deliberation.' This classic principle of self-defense in international law has been affirmed by the Nuremberg Tribunal and the U.N. General Assembly.'[4]
ZCommunications | The Deeper Crime: the Invasion Itself by Paul Street | ZSpace
'The invasion of Afghanistan was as illegal as the invasion of Iraq,' prominent legal scholar Marjorie Cohn noted in July of 2008.
"The U.N. Charter requires member states to settle international disputes by peaceful means.
"Nations are permitted to use military force only in self-defense or when authorized by the Security Council.
"After 9/11, the Council passed two resolutions, neither of which authorized the use of military force in Afghanistan.
"Assaulting that country was not legitimate self-defense under article 51 of the Charter since the jetliner assaults were criminal attacks, not 'armed attacks' by another country.
"Afghanistan did not attack the U.S. and 15 of the 19 9/11 hijackers came from Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, there was no 'imminent threat of an armed attack' on the United States after September 11 or Bush would not have waited three weeks before initiating his October 2001 bombing campaign.
"As Cohn added, 'The necessity for self-defense must be instant, overwhelming, leaving no choice of means, and no moment for deliberation.' This classic principle of self-defense in international law has been affirmed by the Nuremberg Tribunal and the U.N. General Assembly.'[4]
ZCommunications | The Deeper Crime: the Invasion Itself by Paul Street | ZSpace
