Even More on the Legality of the Iraq War: A UK Lawyer’s Perspective

Euan Macdonald of the Transatlantic Assembly has a much more detailed discussion of the Goldsmith memo discussed below. He usefully notes that (1) Goldsmith plainly rejects the U.S. doctrine of preemptive self-defense, at least as articulated by the Bush Administration; and (2) the Goldsmith opinion supports Blair’s claim that he did have legal advice assuring him that the Iraq War would not violate international law. He also has a very interesting analysis on the possible political consequences of this memo’s release.