The Iraq War: The Relationship Between Legal and Moral Rules and Collective Security

Abstract

This essay explores the complex relationship between legal and moral rules, and their impact on collective security, using the U.S-Iraq war as a case study. The paper argues that broken moral and legal rules, such as human rights violations and defiance of UN resolutions, led to concern for collective security, and ultimately, the necessity for conflict. The paper proposes that the basis for the war was humanitarian intervention, which is consistent with the purpose of the UN under these conditions. The essay also considers the role of occupying forces in maintaining stability and emphasizes the importance of adhering to international laws and regulations in promoting peace and security. The essay highlights Iraq's failure to comply with resolutions which stipulated that Iraq must cooperate with the destruction of all chemical and biological weapons and end the repression of Iraqi citizens, creating grave concerns for the international community's peace and security. Overall, the paper highlights the close interplay between legal and moral rules, and their impact on collective security, underscoring the need for humanitarian intervention and stability.