--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The invasion of Iraq was illegal from the…" description: "\"The invasion of Iraq was illegal from the start.\" — Walter Cronkite" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ef/walter-cronkite-1759_illegal_the-invasion-of-iraq-was-illegal-from-th_907918.png" --- # The invasion of Iraq was illegal from the start. ![“The invasion of Iraq was illegal from the start.” quote by Walter Cronkite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ef/walter-cronkite-1759_illegal_the-invasion-of-iraq-was-illegal-from-th_907918.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ef/walter-cronkite-1759_illegal_the-invasion-of-iraq-was-illegal-from-th_907918.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ef/walter-cronkite-1759_illegal_the-invasion-of-iraq-was-illegal-from-th_907918.png) > “The invasion of Iraq was illegal from the start.” [Walter Cronkite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-cronkite/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He asserts that the Iraq invasion violated international law from its outset. **In simple terms:** Iraq invasion illegal from start. Key Takeaway Question legality of political actions. Themes politics law war Mood critical analytical Type political historical When to use this quote - policy debates - legal analysis - historical review Key Concepts international law government accountability Questions to Reflect On - What evidence supports this claim? - How should citizens respond to illegal wars? A Different Perspective Legal judgments can be contested over time. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Invasion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/invasion/) [Iraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/iraq/) [Israel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/israel/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) ## Related quotes > [The US-led invasion of Iraq was an illegal act that contravened the UN charter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/the-us-led-invasion-of-iraq-was-an-illegal-act-that-contravened-the/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [The invasion and occupation of Iraq is illegal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/the-invasion-and-occupation-of-iraq-is-illegal/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [The invasion of Iraq will surely go down in history as one of the most cowardly wars ever fought. It was a war in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/the-invasion-of-iraq-will-surely-go-down-in-history-as-one-of-the/) [Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/) > [As hideous and dumb as it sounds, I wouldn't be at all surprised by an invasion of Iraq on September II. I'll take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/as-hideous-and-dumb-as-it-sounds-i-wouldn-t-be-at-all-surprised-by-an/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [The world protested our invasion of Iraq, but the people of America were never made aware of that - through the censorship that goes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-ventura/the-world-protested-our-invasion-of-iraq-but-the-people-of-america/) [Jesse Ventura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-ventura/) > [I wrote a letter to our Australian newspaper about three weeks before the invasion and I said, "Osama bin Laden must be on his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-hawke/i-wrote-a-letter-to-our-australian-newspaper-about-three-weeks-before/) [Bob Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-hawke/) > [The invasion of Iraq was, in ways that have since become hard to dispute, a terrible mistake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-weisberg/the-invasion-of-iraq-was-in-ways-that-have-since-become-hard-to/) [Jacob Weisberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-weisberg/) > [The Second World War is and was constantly being drudged up by Blair and Bush to rationalize the invasion of Iraq.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fisk/the-second-world-war-is-and-was-constantly-being-drudged-up-by-blair/) [Robert Fisk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fisk/) > [I thought then, and I think now, that the invasion of Iraq was unnecessary and unjust. And I think the premises on which it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carter/i-thought-then-and-i-think-now-that-the-invasion-of-iraq-was/) [Jimmy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carter/) > [Sadly, a U.S. invasion of Iraq 'would threaten the whole stability of the Middle East' - or so Amr Moussa, secretary-general of the Arab…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-steyn/sadly-a-u-s-invasion-of-iraq-would-threaten-the-whole-stability-of/) [Mark Steyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-steyn/) > [The invasion of Iraq was simply a war crime. Straight-out war crime.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-invasion-of-iraq-was-simply-a-war-crime-straight-out-war-crime/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [ When something like this \[2003 invasion of Iraq\] takes place, the international law professionals have a complicated task. There is a fringe that just… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/when-something-like-this-2003-invasion-of-iraq-takes-place-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [The disastrous invasion of Iraq, something that I strongly opposed, has unraveled the region.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/the-disastrous-invasion-of-iraq-something-that-i-strongly-opposed-has/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [One year after the United States led the invasion of Iraq, the country remains extremely dangerous not only to our troops, but also to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-rockefeller/one-year-after-the-united-states-led-the-invasion-of-iraq-the-country/) [Jay Rockefeller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-rockefeller/) > [I wouldn't be at all surprised, as hideous and dumb as it sounds, at an invasion of Iraq.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/i-wouldn-t-be-at-all-surprised-as-hideous-and-dumb-as-it-sounds-at-an/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) ## More by Walter Cronkite > [I'm a liberal, but I'm not biased. Seriously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-cronkite/i-m-a-liberal-but-i-m-not-biased-seriously/) [Walter Cronkite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-cronkite/) > [I've gone from the most trusted man in America to one of the most debated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-cronkite/i-ve-gone-from-the-most-trusted-man-in-america-to-one-of-the-most/) [Walter Cronkite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-cronkite/) > [I do think that the success, although still not complete... in the recognition of equal rights... to all Americans, regardless of color, creed and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-cronkite/i-do-think-that-the-success-although-still-not-complete-in-the/) [Walter Cronkite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-cronkite/) > [Be kind to an old man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-cronkite/be-kind-to-an-old-man/) [Walter Cronkite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-cronkite/) > [I learned early on that in the real world, the masks of tragedy and comedy adorn the proscenium of every life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-cronkite/i-learned-early-on-that-in-the-real-world-the-masks-of-tragedy-and/) [Walter Cronkite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-cronkite/) > [It is clear that military force and our policy of preemption are alone insufficient to make us safe. But help is on the way.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-cronkite/it-is-clear-that-military-force-and-our-policy-of-preemption-are/) [Walter Cronkite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-cronkite/) > [In all my years as a news commentator I was never once, able to tell the truth, about anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-cronkite/in-all-my-years-as-a-news-commentator-i-was-never-once-able-to-tell/) [Walter Cronkite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-cronkite/) > [I think people make way too much of ratings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-cronkite/i-think-people-make-way-too-much-of-ratings/) [Walter Cronkite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-cronkite/) > [I grew my mustache when I was nineteen in order to look older. I never shaved it off even though it overran its usefulness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-cronkite/i-grew-my-mustache-when-i-was-nineteen-in-order-to-look-older-i-never/) [Walter Cronkite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-cronkite/) > [I'm so tired of stories starting, 'Maud Jones was walking her dog down Broadway.' You've got to go over to the back page somewhere…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-cronkite/i-m-so-tired-of-stories-starting-maud-jones-was-walking-her-dog-down/) [Walter Cronkite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-cronkite/) > [All through my life, I have never disguised my sentiments about politics in general.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-cronkite/all-through-my-life-i-have-never-disguised-my-sentiments-about/) [Walter Cronkite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-cronkite/) > [The battle for the airwaves cannot be limited to only those who have the bank accounts to pay for the battle and win it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-cronkite/the-battle-for-the-airwaves-cannot-be-limited-to-only-those-who-have/) [Walter Cronkite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-cronkite/) > [The successful landing on the moon, very probably, is the best story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-cronkite/the-successful-landing-on-the-moon-very-probably-is-the-best-story/) [Walter Cronkite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-cronkite/) > [If, as they say, the threat of the hangman's noose has a powerful way of focusing one's attention, the same can be said of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-cronkite/if-as-they-say-the-threat-of-the-hangman-s-noose-has-a-powerful-way/) [Walter Cronkite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-cronkite/) > [We must strengthen the United Nations as a first step toward a World Government, patterned after our Own Government with a legislature, executive and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-cronkite/we-must-strengthen-the-united-nations-as-a-first-step-toward-a-world/) [Walter Cronkite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-cronkite/) [Explore all 210 Walter Cronkite quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-cronkite/) ## More Illegal quotes > [It might interest you that just as the U.S. was ramping up its involvement in Vietnam, LBJ launched an illegal invasion of the Dominican…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/it-might-interest-you-that-just-as-the-u-s-was-ramping-up-its/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [I don't think marijuana should be illegal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/i-don-t-think-marijuana-should-be-illegal/) [Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/) > [ \[Could you show us how Lana Del Rey dances in a club?\] That would be illegal. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lana-del-rey/could-you-show-us-how-lana-del-rey-dances-in-a-club-that-would-be/) [Lana Del Rey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lana-del-rey/) > [Stupid is not illegal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-ramsey/stupid-is-not-illegal/) [Dave Ramsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-ramsey/) > [The Chinese describe themselves as political refugees. Many base that claim on China's strict population laws, which allow them to have only one child.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-koch/the-chinese-describe-themselves-as-political-refugees-many-base-that/) [Ed Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-koch/) > [On March 12, 2004, acting attorney general James B. Comey and the Justice Department's top leadership reached the brink of resignation over electronic surveillance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barton-gellman/on-march-12-2004-acting-attorney-general-james-b-comey-and-the/) [Barton Gellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barton-gellman/) > [Even the Supreme Court, back when it used to makes sense, the Supreme Court has never ruled that a baby born to illegal aliens…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/even-the-supreme-court-back-when-it-used-to-makes-sense-the-supreme/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [I think we have two conflicting traditions in this country. I think it's important for us to recognize that we've got a tradition of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-think-we-have-two-conflicting-traditions-in-this-country-i-think-it/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ Before the Freedom of Information Act, I used to say at meetings "The illegal we do immediately. The unconstitutional takes a little longer." \[...\]… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/before-the-freedom-of-information-act-i-used-to-say-at-meetings-the/) [Henry A. 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