War in the Ivory Coast - Legal? Illegal?

[Coito ergo sum]

Apr 5 (Bloomberg) — Forces constant to Ivory Coast President-elect Alassane Ouattara stepped adult their quarrel for control of Abidjan, as United Nations and French infantry pounded locations still tranquil by former personality Laurent Gbagbo.

French and UN helicopters dismissed on dual army bases, a presidential house and Gbagbo’s chateau after French President Nicolas Sarkozy certified his army to assistance UN soldiers forestall complicated weapons being used opposite civilians. Gbagbo is in talks with Ouattara’s administration to find a protected exit, pronounced Ally Coulibaly, Ouattara’s envoy to France.

http://www.cadabrapress.com/?p=5308

[MrJonno]

The recognised government of Ivory Coast invited the French so legal as the French don't deliberately target civilians or do similar actions.

UN was already there as a peace keeping mission which I assume there were previous resolutions for them to be there

[egbert]

Since when did anyone worry about the legality of war? Has anyone taken Henry Kissinger to court for secretly bombing Cambodia? Of giving the green light for East Timor?

[JimC]

Legality only becomes important in this context when it can be used as a lever in the game of international power plays...

Otherwise, "as strength goes"

(kudos to those who explicate the reference...)

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Ivory Coast: Gbagbo troops 'hit' Ouattara hotel HQ

[MrJonno]

Legality only becomes important in this context when it can be used as a lever in the game of international power plays...

Otherwise, "as strength goes"

(kudos to those who explicate the reference...)

Exactly legal is not the same as moral or just.

A nation cannot use military force outside self defence and be acting legally without a UN mandate even if it might be morally justified

[Gawdzilla Sama]

"Attack them, we'll make it legal after it's over."

[JimC]

Legality only becomes important in this context when it can be used as a lever in the game of international power plays...

Otherwise, "as strength goes"

(kudos to those who explicate the reference...)

Exactly legal is not the same as moral or just.

A nation cannot use military force outside self defence and be acting legally without a UN mandate even if it might be morally justified

What I was trying to infer is that, in a pragmatic sense, legality does not make much of a difference in some circumstances. A military action may be technically illegal, but if it has no consquences to the nation concerned, it will take no notice. If it suits the realpolitik of the time, the international community will also let it slide...

[Gawdzilla Sama]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/ ... a-13030543

[Svartalf]

Legal insofar as they aren't able to govern themselves or keep their own order and we should recolonize wholesale

[Coito ergo sum]

Since when did anyone worry about the legality of war? Has anyone taken Henry Kissinger to court for secretly bombing Cambodia? Of giving the green light for East Timor?

I suppose one could have saved a lot of newsprint and bandwidth throughout the years 2003 to 2008 with all the lamenting and handwringing over the legality of a certain war. Who knew that all anyone need do is respond, "Since when did anyone worry about the legality of war?" Would have ended a lot of threads on RDF and Rationalia without so much personal angst among debaters.

[klr]

FWIW, Gbagbo has now been arrested/"detained" (take your pick), either by rebels or French troops (take your pick again, each party is claiming the other party did it):

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13039825

As one of the linked articles shows, things are not so black-and-white in terms of the protagonist's histories:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12985617

[mistermack]

Asking legal or illegal is a silly question, unless you specify legal where.
Something can be legal in one jurisdiction, and illegal in another.

[Coito ergo sum]

Asking legal or illegal is a silly question, unless you specify legal where.
Something can be legal in one jurisdiction, and illegal in another.

It wasn't deemed silly in 2003 through 2008, for some reason.

[Coito ergo sum]

Ivory Coast...no imminent threat to any other nation, is it?