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[ Presenting plain-text part of multi-format email ] For Bert G: I found four LexisNexis entries for Goldsmith/Financial Times. Here is one: Agence France Presse October 7, 2002 Monday HEADLINE: An attack to oust Saddam would be illegal: press DATELINE: LONDON, Oct 7 BODY: British Prime Minister Tony Blair has been warned by his top legal advisers that any armed attack on Iraq aimed at ousting Saddam Hussein would breach international law, the Financial Times reported Monday. The legal warnings are the reason why Blair's government has been careful to avoid any suggestion that its military threats are designed to force Saddam out, the paper said. The British line has concentrated on the aim of getting rid of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, while Washington has repeatedly spoken of "regime change". Confidential advice from Attorney-general Lord Goldsmith and Solicitor General Harriet Harman sets out limited circumstances in which international law could allow military action in support of existing UN Security Council resolutions, and gives legal backing for action to enforce the fresh resolution under negotiation at the UN. But it rules out war to achieve regime change. Were the government to breach international law, it could find itself before the International Court of Justice facing charges for breaching the UN charter, the paper said. During an extraordinary debate on Iraq in the House of Commons last month, Blair promised that Britain would "always act in accordance with international law". But US President George W. Bush has repeated his wish for regime change in Baghdad and Blair is in an "impossible position" should Washington attack Iraq unilaterally without UN approval, according to a legal expert cited by the Financial Times. LOAD-DATE: October 7, 2002 _______________________________________________ Sent via the discussion list of the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq. To unsubscribe, visit http://lists.casi.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/casi-discuss To contact the list manager, email casi-discuss-admin@lists.casi.org.uk All postings are archived on CASI's website: http://www.casi.org.uk