I'm disturbed by the turn to war. John Howard may sincerely think the US alliance is the only benchmark for Australia's foreign policy but he really should be asking himself if destroying the UN is a good price for maintaining the US alliance.

What disturbs me most is the absurd claim by the Bush administration and the Howard government that they can enforce resolutions of the Security Council against the wishes of the Security Council. This is just spin of the first water. The US and Australia have both ratified the Charter of the United Nations. They should read:

Article 48
1. The action required to carry out the decisions of the Security Council for the maintenance of international peace and security shall be taken by all the Members of the United Nations or by some of them, as the Security Council may determine.

2. Such decisions shall be carried out by the Members of the United Nations directly and through their action in the appropriate international agencies of which they are members.

How is the coalition of the billing carrying out measures to enforce Resolution 1441 as the Security Council may determine if the Security Council determines otherwise?

Article 51
Nothing in the present Charter shall impair the inherent right of individual or collective self-defence if an armed attack occurs against a Member of the United Nations, until the Security Council has taken measures necessary to maintain international peace and security. Measures taken by Members in the exercise of this right of self-defence shall be immediately reported to the Security Council and shall not in any way affect the authority and responsibility of the Security Council under the present Charter to take at any time such action as it deems necessary in order to maintain or restore international peace and security.

Where is Iraq's armed attack to trigger the right of self-defence under Article 51?

If neither government can show us an armed attack by Iraq they should stop claiming to be acting under international law and admit that this is just an exercise in might makes right. It might be hopelessly quixotic to expect those people to observe international law but that is what both governments already claim they are doing.

For that matter John Howard might even get get daring and call Parliament together to debate whether Australia should join this foolish and aggressive war.