The Military action by the Coalition forces of the United States 9US) and the United Kingdom (UK) against Iraq is fully consistent with the relevant United Nations Security Council Resolutions (UNSCR).
The UNSCR already adopted by the Council provided authority under international law for use of force against Iraq. A joint statement issued in Accra on Wednesday by the American Embassy and the British High Commission in Ghana on the Military operations in Iraq said ” the US, UK and other military forces operating in Iraq are supported by a broad coalition of other UN member states not just the US and UK”.
The statement was in response to questions from the Ghanaian media and other reported comments on the war. It said before the Gulf War, the Security Council adopted UNSCR 678 that authorised the use of “all necessary means” to uphold UNSCR 660 that demanded Iraq’s withdrawal from Kuwait and subsequent resolutions to restore international peace and security in the area.
“This was the basis for use of force against Iraq during the Gulf War”, it added. The statement said in April 1991, the Security Council imposed obligations on Iraq to dispose of its Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) as a condition of the ceasefire declared under UNSCR 687.
It said because Iraq had materially breached these WMD obligations, which were essential to the restoration of peace, and security in the area, the basis for the ceasefire had been removed and the use of force was authorised under UNSCR 678.
The statement said in 2002 under UNSCR 1441, the Security Council unanimously decided again that Iraq had been and remained in material breach of its obligations under the relevant resolutions including Resolution 687.
In the same Resolution, the Security Council recalled that it had warned Iraq repeatedly that it would face serious consequences as a result of its continued violations of its obligations. The statement said every possible care was being taken to minimise civilian casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure.
It gave the assurance that US and UK governments were keen to ensure the best possible post-conflict future for Iraq. “We are working closely together, and with other key partners including the UN and NGO’s to provide immediate emergency and humanitarian aid and to push forward a new political framework based on the principles of democracy and respect for human rights”, the statement said.
Source: GhanaWeb
