Iraq War and The Use Of Force in International Law

The United States invaded Iraq in 2003 with the stated goal of eliminating Saddam Hussein's dictatorship and his country's arsenal of weapons of mass destruction. Since the use of force is generally prohibited under the United Nations Charter, except in the case of self-defence (Article 51) or if the Security Council determines the existence of any threat to the peace, the legitimacy of the use of force in this war under international law remains a subject of debate and disagreement.
Iraq was defeated by a U.S.-led coalition in the Persian Gulf War after it invaded Kuwait in 1990. However, Saddam Hussein's Ba'ath Party in Iraq was able to stay in power by brutally putting down revolts by the country's Kurdish minority and Shi'a Arab majority. …