It seems pretty clear that under international law, any war without the approval of the UN Security Council would be (will be?) illegal, except in very limited circunmstances, which do not appear to apply in the case of Iraq at this time.

Hitler was doing things during the years leading up to 1939 which woudl have constituted a legal grounds for making war. Saddam is not, in the view, it appears, of the CIA and British Military Intelligence, according to reports which have come out this week.

In the circumstances it was perhaps prudent of Bush to work pretty successfully to exclude United States citizens from the scope of the International War Crimes Tribunal. On the other hand Blair and his advisers do not have not that protection.