The consequences of the Iraq invasion have been horrendous.Credit:Kate Geraghty
Tuesday marks the 15th anniversary of the catastrophic US decision to invade Iraq and Australia’s foolhardy decision to participate in that illegal invasion.
Clearly,prime minister John Howard had taken the decision to commit our troops well before March 20,2003,but he had never taken the matter to the Parliament.
We need a better mechanism involving our national Parliament before such a decision is taken in the future.
Fifteen years on,we have still not had the searching equivalent of the UK’s Chilcot Inquiry.
We also need such an inquiry.
The consequences of that Iraq invasion have been horrendous. Almost 300,000 violent deaths resulted,more than two thirds of which were civilians.
The resultant instability because of the absolute failure of an exit plan saw the rise of Islamic State with the ongoing horror and instability in the Middle East.
The decision to invade was not based on sound evidence. If it was to be taken at all,it was premature and it was illegal. The UN weapons inspectors wanted more time. The best legal advice available said a further UN Security Council resolution was required to go to war.
I released that legal advice on March 20. Prior to that,on February 26,43 experts on international law and human rights published a letter saying that a war initiated by the “coalition of the willing” would be a violation of international law.