Howard legal advice on Iraq war flawed - experts
'Two Australian legal academics, Professor Hilary Charlesworth and Associate Professor Don Rothwell, said the advice to the Howard and Blair governments was flawed, because existing resolutions only authorised the use of force in the event of a further invasion by Iraq of Kuwait. "To trace original authority for the use of force in 678 to current circumstances goes against the plain meaning of words and against the whole fabric of the UN charter," Professor Charlesworth said.

'She accused the Governments' lawyers of selectively using phrases from UN resolutions to support their case. Professor Rothwell said resolution 1441 had expressly left it to the Security Council to determine whether there had been a breach by Iraq severe enough to justify the use of force.'

Howard legal advice on Iraq war flawed - experts
'Two Australian legal academics, Professor Hilary Charlesworth and Associate Professor Don Rothwell, said the advice to the Howard and Blair governments was flawed, because existing resolutions only authorised the use of force in the event of a further invasion by Iraq of Kuwait. "To trace original authority for the use of force in 678 to current circumstances goes against the plain meaning of words and against the whole fabric of the UN charter," Professor Charlesworth said.

'She accused the Governments' lawyers of selectively using phrases from UN resolutions to support their case. Professor Rothwell said resolution 1441 had expressly left it to the Security Council to determine whether there had been a breach by Iraq severe enough to justify the use of force.'