long comment on this Very excellent post by Jonathan Schwarz

I know it is frustrating that people who make false claims on matters of documented fact are treated as experts while you, who describe the actual facts, are therefore marginalized. Still I am sure the truth will come out in the end (don't know how many will die in the mean time but fewer than would die if you gave up).

I would add one point. You note that 1441 clearly did not authorize an invasion based on a decision by the US (or any member country) that Saddam Hussein was violating it. I think you should also stress that Saddam Hussein absolutely obeyed every imperative in resolution 1441. The widespread guess that Iraq was in material breach was based on the false guess that Iraq had hidden chemical and/or biological weapons and/or chemical, biological, and/or nuclear weapons programs. When we discoverd that Iraq had no such weapons or programs we discovered there was no way to argue that the invasion was allowed under international law.

The "I honestly thought that they were doing something forbidden" standard is clearly unacceptable. Anyone can claim to believe anything. If George Bush's violation of international law can only be proven by reading his mind, any violation of international law can never be demonstrated and the whole business is pointless.

Cohen must know this. The fact you note are all well known by anyone who read the papers at the time (except maybe the infiltration of the inspectors and use to try to kill or overthrow Saddam Hussein). No one can seriously argue that the invasion wasn't a violation of international law. Cohen is clearly dishonest.