Comments on: How and Why International Law Matters – Lessons from the UK’s Iraq Inquiry http://www.ejiltalk.org/how-and-why-international-law-matters-lessons-from-the-uks-iraq-inquiry/ Blog of the European Journal of International Law Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:55:12 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Giusy http://www.ejiltalk.org/how-and-why-international-law-matters-lessons-from-the-uks-iraq-inquiry/comment-page-1/#comment-4800 Giusy Mon, 24 Jan 2011 12:46:24 +0000 http://www.ejiltalk.org/?p=1891#comment-4800 Dear Dapo, thank you so much for your post. It has helped me a lot. I would like to ask you some information: In the letter dated 6 February 2003, Straw refers to a letter sent to Elizabeth Wilsmhurst dated 30 January 2003 ( "I have seen your office’s helpful letter of January 30 to Eliszabeth Wilmshurst confirming that both 'explicit' and 'implicit' versions of the draft we have developed would provide the necessary legal authority for military advice.") I have searched for this letter, without results. I would like to ask you if you have read it, if you have found it. It would be very important for me. Thank you! Dear Dapo,
thank you so much for your post. It has helped me a lot.

I would like to ask you some information:

In the letter dated 6 February 2003, Straw refers to a letter sent to Elizabeth Wilsmhurst dated 30 January 2003 ( “I have seen your office’s helpful letter of January 30 to Eliszabeth Wilmshurst confirming that both ‘explicit’ and ‘implicit’ versions of the draft we have developed would provide the necessary legal authority for military advice.”)
I have searched for this letter, without results. I would like to ask you if you have read it, if you have found it.

It would be very important for me.
Thank you!

]]> By: Isha http://www.ejiltalk.org/how-and-why-international-law-matters-lessons-from-the-uks-iraq-inquiry/comment-page-1/#comment-1098 Isha Thu, 04 Feb 2010 13:01:36 +0000 http://www.ejiltalk.org/?p=1891#comment-1098 Dear Dapo, A very insightful and well-argued post, thank you. However, in relation to your suggestion for international realists to take note of the Iraq inquiry, two points. First, realists are not incompatible with the idea of the importance of international law; in fact international law can be used as a tool to increase the power/security (Waltz) of nation-states, which, of course, opens a whole new can of worms. This relates to my second point - whatever the Iraqi enquiry concludes (and with Dame Higgins as the only international lawyer on the bench as you point out and not an entirely unorthodox one at that), I am not sure that it will necessarily clarify the importance of international law, per se or merely the disguising of further instances of 'use of force' in the cloak of international law. Which is really the last thing we need right now. Best, Isha Dear Dapo,

A very insightful and well-argued post, thank you. However, in relation to your suggestion for international realists to take note of the Iraq inquiry, two points.

First, realists are not incompatible with the idea of the importance of international law; in fact international law can be used as a tool to increase the power/security (Waltz) of nation-states, which, of course, opens a whole new can of worms. This relates to my second point – whatever the Iraqi enquiry concludes (and with Dame Higgins as the only international lawyer on the bench as you point out and not an entirely unorthodox one at that), I am not sure that it will necessarily clarify the importance of international law, per se or merely the disguising of further instances of ‘use of force’ in the cloak of international law. Which is really the last thing we need right now.

Best,
Isha

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