Why were Bush 43 and Cheney called “war criminals”?

[darklordoftech]

?

[TML]

This administration started the Iraq War. This war has been deemed as unjustified and unnecessary (it was started under the pretense that Iraq had substantial amounts of WMDs, when in reality the WMDs they actually had were negligible), and the "war criminal" designation comes from the fact that some of the casualties in the war were innocent civilians.

[Chips]

George W. Bush and Dick Cheney are widely considered war criminals by many for starting the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. There were many innocent civilians who died in both wars and this is where the war criminal part comes into play.

If we use this logic, Most American presidents become war criminals though. In fact. Most world leaders throughout history become war criminals. It's almost impossible to be a world leader and not be considered a war criminal by some. Especially if your country takes part in a war when you're the country's leader at the time.

[Cassandra]

George W. Bush and Dick Cheney are widely considered war criminals by many for starting the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. There were many innocent civilians who died in both wars and this is where the war criminal part comes into play.

If we use this logic, Most American presidents become war criminals though. In fact. Most world leaders throughout history become war criminals. It's almost impossible to be a world leader and not be considered a war criminal by some. Especially if your country takes part in a war when you're the country's leader at the time.

Most modern leaders have not started wars of aggression. US presidents are unique in this regard, which is a consequence of the US being a hegemonic, imperial power following World War II.

[SWE]

If we use this logic, Most American presidents become war criminals though.

Then the logic must be sound

[TheElectoralBoobyPrize]

(it was started under the pretense that Iraq had substantial amounts of WMDs, when in reality the WMDs they actually had were negligible),

Thank you for not being one of those obnoxious people who claim that NO WMDs were never found, when really it was just that NO STOCKPILES were ever found.

[foolcase]

The Iraq war was absolutely justified. Saddam Hussein needed to be removed because he was plotting to use weapons of mass detruction against the unuted states and had connections to Al Queda.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Let's be a bit more specific here. No, starting wars of aggression doesn't inherently make one a war criminal. A war criminal specifically someone who conducts war in ways that violate international law. So starting the Iraq War in itself doesn't make Bush and Cheney war criminals, but it's the way it was conducted (and specifically things like the torture program, which flies in the face of the Geneva Convention) that gives them that status.

The Iraq war was absolutely justified. Saddam Hussein needed to be removed because he was plotting to use weapons of mass detruction against the unuted states and had connections to Al Queda.

Were you frozen in 2003 and have now just been woken up?

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Let's be a bit more specific here. No, starting wars of aggression doesn't inherently make one a war criminal. A war criminal specifically someone who conducts war in ways that violate international law. So starting the Iraq War in itself doesn't make Bush and Cheney war criminals, but it's the way it was conducted (and specifically things like the torture program, which flies in the face of the Geneva Convention) that gives them that status.

Per standards established at the Nuremberg Trails, "conspiring to" and "waging the war of aggression", were distinct from "war crimes" and "crimes against humanity" (the two first being "crimes against peace"). But of course those alone are enough o classify them as criminals.

Sadly, we still live in the world where leaders of powerful states are never called into account.

[SInNYC]

George W. Bush and Dick Cheney are widely considered war criminals by many for starting the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. There were many innocent civilians who died in both wars and this is where the war criminal part comes into play.

If we use this logic, Most American presidents become war criminals though. In fact. Most world leaders throughout history become war criminals. It's almost impossible to be a world leader and not be considered a war criminal by some. Especially if your country takes part in a war when you're the country's leader at the time.

Iraq yes, Afghanistan no. We can debate whether going to war in Afghanistan was smart or whether it accomplished anything, but it was not a war crime to start the war after 9/11 given the Taliban's sheltering of Al Qaeda. Of course there are individual actions that are war crimes during any war, but the world normally treats these as casualties of war, especially when the perpetrators are rich powerful countries.

But Iraq is a war crime since its an offensive war that had nothing to do with us. They also had to make up false evidence, which made it a double war crime. It was also a stupid war that made the whole world worse off, but thats a different issue.