Iraq mass graves: Was the war justified?

Thousands of bodies have been discovered in a mass grave near the city of Hilla, in central Iraq.

Desperate residents used their bare hands to dig up bones and clothing in order to find out what happened to loved ones, believed to have died when a Shia uprising was crushed after the Gulf War of 1991.

Human rights groups are calling on British and US forces to help, saying that as graves are disturbed, and remains taken away, crucial evidence of mass killings is being destroyed.

Does the discovery of large mass grave justify the war in Iraq? If you are anti-war, does it change your opinion? Or is the US partly to blame for encouraging but failing to support with military force the 1991 uprising against Saddam Hussein?

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This debate is now closed. Read a selection of your comments below:

War does not need any justification

Kathy Sawyer, USA

War does not need any justification. In case of the Iraq War main objectives of the Coalition of the Willing were: topple the regime of Saddam Hussein, liberate Iraq and disarm that country. Most of those goals have been already achieved, the only remaining are destruction of its WMD and democratization of Iraq (actually the most difficult part of the operation). By the way, do you seriously think that if we had not intervened a number of mass graves in Iraq would not have increased?
Kathy Sawyer, USA

The emerging proof of Saddam's reign of terror does not change the fact that the US has invaded and is occupying another country having acted under false pretext. All other reasons for the invasion were secondary, by the administration¿s case, to the positive existence of weapons of mass destruction. These weapons have not been found in spite the search that has been conducted. Our rational for invasion has proven false, our image to the rest of the world is now even worse than before and, so far, the Iraqi people are worse off than before we invaded. The US has failed to accept responsibility for aiding Saddam in taking power in Iraq and from supplying him with weapons of mass destruction during the Iran/Iraq war. As long as the US fails to act responsibly and fails to admit mistakes the world will continue down the road of spiralling violence, fear, and overall lack of safety.
Jim Clements, USA

We didn't go to Iraq to liberate the Iraqi people, or save them from an obvious tyrant. If that was the rationale we would have done it long ago. We went because we felt threatened. If Mugabe in Zimbabwe started making threats at the US and seemed able to back them up, we would probably rally the troops again in some way. But the fact that Mugabe and numerous other murderers rule countries all over the world is something one country, even the US, would be hard-pressed to do much about. The US is not the world's saviour. It has to look after itself first, but it does what it can, which is more than any other country in history. And it pays a steep price for its efforts.
DC, USA

Saddam needed to be taken from power, these graves just prove it even more

Kristine, USA

Yes, Saddam needed to be taken from power, these graves just prove it even more. However, don't you think Bush should have finished what he started in Afghanistan before attacking another country? Now we have two maniacs on the loose that we can't find, and our country is quickly running out on money to be spent fighting wars.
Kristine, USA

The blatant search for ANY reason to legitimize this war after the fact is ridiculous. Even the mere fact that this question is being asked is telling. Of course the US and UK spin-doctoring governments and complicit media (at least in the US) will keep at it to give the people at home that warm and fuzzy feeling. Let's focus on the fact that our government has used fear to get the people to support a war against an imaginary threat that just happens to be one of the greatest power grabs in recent history. And are we any safer today than before this war? I think not.
Anthony, US

Weren't all of these graves the result of Bush Sr. calling on the Shia to revolt after the first gulf war? If anything, these graves should be a resounding condemnation of Bush Sr's unwillingness to support the uprising he instigated!
Ron, USA

Heartbreaking as it is, it must be a relief to many Iraqis that war graves have been found

Kelly, UK

Heartbreaking as it is, it must be a relief to many Iraqis that war graves have been found. For those that were able to identify remains, they at least have closure. However, how many new graves have been created as a result of the war? What black irony, that having survived Sadaam's regime these people were killed by their liberators. The mourning process has only just begun for families of these victims.
Kelly, UK

The war was justified and these mass graves justify it more! I fail to see the logic in some of these comments which say that because the original reason was WMD that we can now not turn to the actually greater horrors perpetrated in that country.
Nick, United Kingdom

Had they found weapons of mass destruction in the graves, the war could have been justified a bit. These assassinations date back to 1991. At that time US didn't say a word despite having all the information since it was eyeing up the Iraqi oil! With each passing day, it's becoming more and more obvious that the issue of WMD was totally fake - and it was just an excuse for US to plunder Iraq.
Sachin, India

The discovery of large mass graves indicates only that many people were previously buried in the mass graves. It gives no indication of any ongoing killing, or evidence of plans for future killing. If the presence of old mass graves was justification for invasion, then it would be justified to invade most countries in the world, US and UK included.
V F Murphy, United Kingdom

Yes, Saddam was evil but what evil are we about to unleash?

Patrick, Manchester, England

I admit to originally thinking that this war was a necessary evil to rid the world of a potential danger to its security. It is only know I am beginning to realise that this war has opened a Pandora's box of problems and I admit to being very concerned. Yes, Saddam was evil but what evil are we about to unleash?
Patrick, Manchester, England

If this is a justification for war, how do we explain that the US supports so many other non-democratic and tyrannical regimes?
JP Denes, Houston, USA

The war was justified not because of the graves and not because of WMD but simply because it was yet another way to slow terrorism and show how serious of an issue we take terrorism.
Dan, USA

Media and people around the world seem somewhat 'surprised' by mass graves. Intelligence agencies and humanitarian agencies knew of what was happening to the Kurds prior to the first 'gulf war' and it was clear of the brutal downing of the uprising, which was initiated by the US. Question remains, why not then, and why try to resell it now when the premise of war was WMD?
Liam, Sydney Australia

Nobody regrets

Who supplied Saddam with weapons?

Ragnar, Norway

the fall of Saddam. What strikes me is the sudden attention to these war crimes against Iranians and Kurds. Who supplied Saddam with weapons and moral support in the period they occurred?
Ragnar, Norway

I find it strange that despite the fact that Saddam ordered 15,000 people to be killed its still US's fault. Yes, they were left out to dry but Bush didn't pull the trigger. If you go on that logic if Bush decided to fire on peace protestors it would have been Saddam's fault!
James, UK

What shocking cynicism to seek justification for the 2nd Gulf War in the mass graves of people who were massacred because the US betrayed them after the first Gulf War. Particularly since they were mainly pro-Iranian Shias who Washington would have been happy to see 'disappear' anyway.
Stuart W, UK

I'm just glad Saddam is gone. Thanks America.
Abir, Iraq

These mass graves are a reminder to us, that such atrocities were committed even during the pro American days of Saddam Hussein. Where were the liberators then? Wasn't it the US that armed him with chemical and biological weapons? Weren't they aware of the fact that way back in the 80's when he was pro American he used chemical weapons against the Iranian troops? All I can say is that Saddam Hussein is a monster created by the US that has gone out of their control.
Roniqk Khan, Lahore

We knew before the war Saddam was ruthless and used poison gas on his opponents. The purpose of this war was to please the American Christian Right, remove the terrorist threat to the equally oppressive Israelis and to liberate Iraqi oil. I'm glad he's gone but immense damage has been done to the concept of international order.
Paul Gill, UK

We blame the US when it takes certain step, but always want it to come to the rescue

Edmund Kwesi, Accra, Ghana

I believe the war was justified but the best people to say this are those who are now digging out their dead ones. I believe that those who were against the war should have demonstrated long ago against the killing and this would have saved those lives. We always blame the Americans when they take certain step, but always want them to come to the rescue in bad situations. They are not Angels!!!!
Edmund Kwesi, Accra, Ghana

This is one another excuse made by USA after failing to find any WMDs, the reason it gave to the whole world for causing havoc in Iraq. It's a monstrous act to get rid of monster by destroying the people of Iraq.
Satish Lakhera, India

Had Saddam not been ousted these graves may never have been found, surely this justifies the action.
Brian Moore, UK

In the first place this was never a war. I still strongly believe that in the near future, president Bush and his oily cabinet should be made accountable for war on humanity, and the destruction of innocent Iraqi lives. Two wrongs never makes a right.
Yinka, Nigeria

This war is justified, mass grave represent indiscriminate killing of human beings. Thanks to all those who laid their lives for this war to get this far for the good people of Iraq.
Kmo Mensah, Ghana

US / UK are using the mass graves as leverage on countries and organisation opposed to the war

Matthew, UK

I don't remember mass graves being cited as a reason to go to war. I also note the sickening way in which the US and UK governments are allowing the evidence to be destroyed and tampered with whilst blaming other countries and organisations for not being in control of Iraq. In other words the US and UK are actually using the mass graves as leverage on those countries and organisation opposed to the war. If one were really cynical, however, one might wonder why the US and UK governments are not so concerned at retaining the evidence necessary to investigate who actually committed these crimes. Possibly because many who committed these crimes will be used to help govern Iraq for the US.
Matthew, UK

Yes, but the graves did not justify this war, the dictator and his gang of killers dominating and killing the people of Iraq being removed was justification enough.
Nathanial, USA

No way...let us not forget no WMD have been found, and it is clear that Iraq did not and does not have them. We did not try other ways so we will never know how it would have been...may be they were better with less suffering to the common people. From what one can see on TV and in the media one cannot say Iraqis were oppressed. Small faction yes... but it's like that in every country. Don't forget that the history is written by victors...so we will never know the true picture..
Kirit Barot, Kuwait

Just because the Shias had an uprising against Saddam does not justify him being allowed to kill them, even if the uprising was encouraged by the USA. The fact that Saddam killed people who disagreed with him, and would have killed many more if they had not fled the country, was a good enough reason for war.
Louise, Sydney, Australia

This just proves the regime itself was a weapon of mass destruction - to its own people no less.
Tim Smith, South Korea

Heck no! We've known all along that the former regime in Iraq did many unspeakable crimes, but they were not the original justification for taking over their country. I'm afraid that there are skeletons in just about every country's closet that, if brought to the light of day, could be used as a cause for just about anything!!!
Steve Tuch, USA

Retrospective justification is never a good look. But the industrial scale murder committed by Saddam's regime must, surely, prick the conscience of even the most rabid anti-war activists.
Mario, New Zealand

We live in a world where we can no longer tolerate violent and cruel despots

Jeff, USA

Even without the mass graves it was justified, but the discovery of the thousands of dead bolsters the argument that prosecuting the war was the right thing to do. We live in a world where we can no longer tolerate violent and cruel despots; not in the Middle East, nor in Africa, Asia, or South and Central America.
Jeff, USA

The leaders of our country are to blame! They encouraged a revolt, but had no courage to stand by what they had started. This is a desperate attempt to 'mask' their errors for starting the present 'war'. Will not the world see Bush for what he really is? War monger, liar, self centred and ignorant?
Daniel, USA

Saddam Hussein's existence was all the justification the US and UK needed for that war. It was all the justification any reasonable person needed.
Phil, New Zealand

Where is the outrage over the discovery of these mass graves in the famed "Arab Street"? We were fed a non-stop diet of critics claiming this was a "war against Islam", but in actual fact these horrible discoveries should remind everyone that the US and UK have rid the Middle East of the single biggest murderer of Muslims who ever walked the Earth. The war was indeed justified, and there is no denying the US and UK did the Islamic world a great and generous service by destroying Saddam.
Robert , USA

It seems that the US administration is desperately trying to distract world opinion by trying to expose whatever discoveries in Iraq that can be seen as justification for waging war. Yet the main issue of going to war is still not being found i.e. WMDs. Until this is found the war is still being regarded by world opinion as an illegal war that defies international law and the US is responsible for the crime against the Iraqi people.
Kamarudin, Malaysia

The War was not justified. Bush & Blair brainwashed us to believe that this was to pre-empt biological war. Where are the weapons of Mass Destructions?
Ajthaha, Sri Lanka

I think the only people qualified to state so emphatically whether or not the war was justified in light of the discovery of these mass graves are those Iraqis who have actually lived through Saddam's reign of terror and are currently unearthing the remains loved ones murdered by the regime. No one, not even Iraqis living in the free West and enjoying uncontested freedoms which their countrymen in Iraq could only dream of under Saddam, can honestly say they're qualified to decide that question for the oppressed people of Iraq.
Jason, USA

Responsibility for the mass graves must lie as much with the Whitehouse as with Saddam

Umesh Kumar Sharma, Singapore

It is yet another example of US foreign policy failure. They instigated the Shias to rise against Saddam after the Kuwait war but chickened out at the last moment leaving the proxy to die. Responsibility for the mass graves must lie as much with the Whitehouse as with Saddam. Americans went to war for WMDs and not for mass graves. A reason is given before embarking on a mission; everything afterwards is nothing more than an exit route.
Umesh Kumar Sharma, Singapore

Mass Graves from 1991 are a result of the first Bush administrations decision not to end Saddam Hussein's regime after its killing of Kurds and the invasion of Kuwait. Ultimately Hussein's removal had long ago been justified in my mind. But this war, its causes and its means seem all wrong, in that the USA's credibility and moral authority has been severely damaged and security has not been enhanced.
Bruce, USA

The war was justified. I'm glad I'm not over there digging my relatives out of the ground after they go missing for a few years. I take it for granted that the government works for my best interests.
Allan, Australia

As an American who supported the war, I'm a bit taken back by no discovery of weapons of mass destruction. The saddest thing my country has done (or not done) was help protect the Shias after the first US/Iraq war. American public support was strongly for it, yet Bush (the father) let Saddam's helicopters wipe the Shias out. Very sad.
Gary, USA

I'm glad we finally have a reason for the war. It doesn't matter that those bodies are there because of us and our lack of support for the oppressed peoples but hey we're here now. Better late than never I say!
J. Henson, United States

Was the West unaware of such development?

Hari Rokaya, Nepal

The Iraqi mass graves are a result of ruthless killing by the Hussein regime, no doubt. But was the West unaware of such development, since Saddam was in political arena since 1968? In addition, they knew what Saddam did to Kurds in the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war. Despite knowing all the ills, the West kept its mouth shut, simply for what-Iraqi oil? This is simply a covert up issue to secure the western desire, more severe than the Hussein regime.
Hari Rokaya, Nepal

The war was justified because no one deserves to live under tyranny for over 25 years.
Elsa Cardenas, Israel

If this had been the reason for going to war (and with the UN approval) I would say YES this war was justified. But this was never the reason for waging war against Iraq. To say such findings justify that bloody war would be to give countries such as the US a blank cheque for waging war on the basis of mere speculations. Imagine what they would do if it later turns out that they had lied to the world. Would they not try to fabricate evidence?
Reg. Mod, Botswana

How does finding graves that are the result of broken promises from the US justify the US bombing, invading, and commandeering a country? Aren't they bereft enough already? They knew they had a problem with Saddam. Maybe if they had not been falsely led to believe that the US was going to help them, and they had not been crippled by 12 years of dreadful, isolating sanctions, the Iraqi people would have been strong enough to have dealt with him BEFORE he murdered so many.
Carla, USA

Both US and UK had urged the world community to support their war efforts in eradicating the threat of WMD from Iraq and its regime. Where are the WMDs now? The fabrication of trumped up charges by trigger happy Powers would continue to erode credibility of both the Administrations as well as the issue of moral complacence by the world community.
Vijay K Sharma, Kuwait

I was shocked because everything happened in front of them

Sahib Alhisnawi, Australia

In 1991 I was in the uprising in my city Kerbela. I have witnessed with my own eyes hundreds of friends been executed by Hussain Kamil, Saddam`s son in law. I was lucky to escape; I walked three days to reach the American forces in Alnasiria, south of Iraq. When I got there I was shocked because everything happened in front of them. I think the UN rules should be changed to allow getting rid of the regimes like Saddam's before more innocents are killed.
Sahib Alhisnawi, Australia

My big problem was why this action wasn't carried out 12 years ago when the entire world would have supported the actions??? This war was justified just to get Saddam out of power; any questions about whether any weapons of mass destruction existed or not are irrelevant.
John, Nederland

Once again the pro-war camp infers that those opposed to the war are Saddam apologists. The war was not instigated by the US because of any emotional or moral attachment to the suffering of the Iraqi people. Years of sanctions have helped to hurt ordinary Iraqi's. Rather it was due to the implied threat of, specifically, WMDs, against the US and its interests. This was not and has not been proven, which has led an international group of lawyers to call it an illegal war. The invasion and the reasons behind it cannot therefore be excused by crying about the obviously genocidal and twisted regime of Saddam Hussein.
Chris C, UK

George Bush & Tony Blair have succeeded in doing what should have been done many years ago. If the UN or World Court had any credibility whatever, they should have taken some action themselves.
Paul, U.S.A

If the British and the Americans had finished what they started in the first Gulf War a lot of the people lying in those graves would probably still be alive.
Petula, Northern Ireland

I do take great umbrage at those who have no qualms about stating that those of us who were against this war "supported a totalitarian regime" - I find it extremely insulting. I'm sure I'm not the only anti-war person who has been concerned (and INVOLVED) in matters regarding Iraq for a good number of years. No ... this has not changed my mind. The issues of substance remain the same.
Sue, France

US/UK intervention is more than justified

Marie de Vigny, Belgium

It's a shame that France and her followers have not joined US/UK forces. They all knew what was going on in Iraq. By opposing to war they covered for murderer Saddam. US/UK intervention is more than justified. They were courageous.
Marie de Vigny, Belgium

There need not be any justification after the fact. When might is right everyone else is wrong.
Arnold, Austin, USA

There were two occasions in the past to finish with Saddam, the Iran-Iraq war and the uprising of Shia in the southern Iraq. Unfortunately US and the West were on the side of Saddam. They helped him in the war against Iran and they let him do whatever he wants to put down the 1991 uprising. US, UK and France betrayed the Shia in 1991. This treason resulted in all these mass graves. I think all Iraqis know this and in a long term they will turn against US-UK. The Resistance scenario against Israeli occupation of South Lebanon will be repeated in Iraq.
Hassan Mourad, Canada \ South Lebanon origin

It is unclear why this was allowed to go on for so long if we were truly concerned with human rights. This happened in 1990's, so why wait so long? Using such abhorrent events to justify a war that conceivably caused and continues to cause suffering to the people of Iraq is a move more in tune with Saddam's thinking than a democratic western government.
Waleed, UK

For all who are criticizing Bush Senior for not helping the Iraqis in the 1991 uprising, you fail to remember it was the UN that would not allow the forces to go into Baghdad and get Saddam. Another failure of the UN, not the USA. The USA only abided by the resolution of driving Saddam out of Kuwait. The same people that wanted to give the weapon inspectors more time to inspect for weapons are now demanding the coalition forces to produce results immediately. Hypocrites.
Mbodary, USA

In reply to Mbodary, USA: Bush Snr called the ceasefire in 1991, the UN had nothing to do with it. Also as US forces were already in Shia regions of southern Iraq why did they do nothing?
Robbo, Australia

This war should have been carried out thirty years ago to spear so much killing and humiliation of mankind.
Samir Aziz Kerzzo, Ireland

I don't think it is the time to dig up graves merely to try to justify a war

Leslie Chew, Singapore

While the priority right now is to resolve the anarchy and humanitarian situation all efforts and resources should be focused on saving lives and not dig up graves of dead men. Digging up graves can be carried out once the situation in Iraq returns to normal. It is the duty of the US as an occupying force to ensure that limited resources are directed at the right activities. I don't think it is the time to dig up graves merely to try to justify a war. Finding mass graves does not justify the war - only finding weapons of mass destruction does!!
Leslie Chew, Singapore

The US is partly to blame for the war, after all they were the ones who caused so much trouble, but the UN should have given the US their consent to go to war! However Iraq is also to blame!
Jul, Sri Lanka

The Americans justified this by using the excuse of WMD, well they didn't find any for some reason or another. This war will only be justified when we all see Saddam Hussein, his sons, his relatives and henchmen in chains. The mass graves give a strong reason for this, don't you think.
Selim Gamal, Cairo, Egypt

As an Iraqi, we know what Saddam did but we also know who gave him the green light to do what he had done for the past 30 years - it is the USA. The US was far worse than Saddam by insisting on placing the murderous sanctions for the past 13 years that did more damage to the fabric of the society, people, culture and more then Saddam ever did.
Falah, Iraq

The evidence of mass graves should be no surprise to anyone. I supported the invasion from the start, as the evidence of mass arrests and "disappearances" among other abuses have been well documented for many years. Whether or not weapons of mass destruction are located, my opinion is that the war was justified on these grounds alone.
Ian, Australia

Every killing is criminal no matter who commits it. The Americans are using the mass graves as propaganda to justify their occupation of Iraq. The war was wrong and I will not be surprised if one day Bush and Blair appear before the war crimes tribunal. Secondly the war was to find weapons of mass destructions and not mass graves.
Yaw Oware, Ghana

Nobody ever had a doubt about Saddam being a criminal of the worst kind. Revealing evidence after the execution, however, demonstrates nothing but the 'bonus' status of humanitarian concerns in this whole war.
Erwan Deverre, France

The discovery is evidence this was a war of Liberation

Latef Berzenji, Sweden

Saddam and the Ba'ath Party turned Iraq into a big prison since 1968, and they have been massacring for decades while the whole world kept deaf to the wailing of the innocent Iraqis. The discovery of the mass graves is evidence that this was a war of Liberation and that all those who stood against this war were utterly wrong and have to apologise for their support of that totalitarian regime.
Latef Berzenji, Sweden

I always thought you went to war for a reason. Not to make up one afterwards.
Frank Geurts, Netherlands

Those of us who were (and are) against the war were saying 2 things: The WMD were a bogus red herring (proved right). The US intended to seize Iraq's oil assets (also proved right). The massacres that followed the uprising of '91 are the responsibility of the Bush I administration as they decided to back Saddam rather than see his regime fall to the Shia insurgents (that they had persuaded to rise up in the first place). These massacres were as much the work of the Bush family as their old buddies, the Husseins.
Paul, England

Bush and Blair lied to the world to justify the war in Iraq. Now that their lies have been exposed, they are desperate to find some other rationale. It has been well-known since 1991 that thousands of Iraqis were murdered when the US abandoned the Shias. Horrible, yes, but now a retroactive justification for killing thousands more Iraqis in this illegal war? I think not.
Peter P. Mahoney, USA

From the beginning, I've felt that deposing Saddam is/was the right thing to do. That said, the way the USA justified the war was incompetent at best and deceitful at worst. The Bush administration seemed to want this war so badly that no price was too high to pay.
P. Nikula, Finland

Considering that during the uprising post war 1991 the US allowed Saddam to use helicopters to crush the uprising I would say no, but I'm sure the US and UK governments will use this as a PR exercise to show the brutality of Saddam but will not state their support for the mass slaughter of these people.
Charles st George, Ireland

USA & UK accidentally kill a few hundred civilians and it's considered virtual genocide by the anti war element. But show them 15000 bodies in a mass grave and that is "crowd control". The second irony is they still consider Saddam more trustworthy than George and Tony. Shame they were not forced to live it instead of paying lip service from the comfort of their condos.
Gary, UK

No it is not an excuse for the war

Christer Nikander, Finland / Germany

No it is not an excuse for the war. Official reason is the links to al-Qaeda and the WMD. So far not proven. The reason that there are mass graves are partly to blame on the US-led coalition that provoked the Shias to revolt and then left them on their own to get Saddam's revenge.
Christer Nikander, Finland / Germany

Absolutely. This is the sort of "mass destruction" all dictators must be prevented from committing.
Tony Wood, Zimbabwe

Partly to blame? The US is 100% to blame for the slaughter of the Shias in 1991, by encouraging, and then failing to support the uprising. It's not as if finding these mass graves is a surprising new revelation, so why should the discovery change anyone's opinion on whether they were for or against the war in Iraq?
Jonathan Michaud, UK

No, the discovery of these mass graves comes as no surprise to us Iraqis. Also, the brutality by which the Saddam & Ba'ath regime ruled Iraq for the past 30 years was both known and accepted by the US and other Western powers. Western governments and Intelligence agencies were well aware of our plight. Our life and blood is still cheap as it was then. We Iraqis will never trust the US and know perfectly well what their intentions are in Iraq and the Middle East.
Sajad Haider, Switzerland

It doesn't change the fact that this war seems to have been waged under false pretences. It's like Mexico invading Texas claiming Texans planned to nuke Mexico and then justifying it by pointing out all the people Texas has executed.
David, United States

Yes. In short, all the people who always advocated leaving Saddam (and like tyrants) alone must take responsibility for thousands of needless innocent deaths that result. What do people think tyrants like Saddam, Mugabe and others do when they are left alone to their own devices? If you believe in basic human rights and freedoms for all, you do not allow those rights and freedoms to be traded for political and financial gains.
Tracy White, Italy