Editing Casus belli (section)

=== 2003 invasion of Iraq ===
{{Main|Rationale for the Iraq War}}
[[File:Colin Powell anthrax vial. 5 Feb 2003 at the UN.jpg|thumb|240px|February 5, 2003&nbsp;– U.S. Secretary of State [[Colin Powell]] holding a model vial of [[anthrax]] while giving the presentation to the [[UN Security Council]].]]
When the United States [[2003 invasion of Iraq|invaded Iraq in 2003]], it cited Iraq's non-compliance with the terms of cease-fire agreement for the 1990–1991 [[Gulf War]], as well as planning in the [[List of United States presidential assassination attempts and plots#George H. W. Bush|1993 attempted assassination]] of former president [[George H. W. Bush]] and firing on coalition aircraft enforcing the [[Iraqi no-fly zones|no-fly zones]] as its stated ''{{lang|la|casus belli}}''.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2002/10/20021002-2.html | title=Joint Resolution to Authorize the Use of United States Armed Forces Against Iraq | publisher=Office of the Press Secretary | date=October 2, 2002}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.milnet.com/public-law-102-1.html |title=Archived copy |access-date=2008-09-28 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081017075722/http://www.milnet.com/public-law-102-1.html |archive-date=2008-10-17 }}</ref>

Cited by the [[Presidency of George W. Bush|George W. Bush administration]] was [[Saddam Hussein]]'s [[weapons of mass destruction]] (WMD) program. The administration claimed that Iraq had not conformed with its obligation to disarm under past UN Resolutions, and that Saddam Hussein was actively attempting to acquire a nuclear weapons capability as well as enhance an existing arsenal of chemical and biological weapons. Secretary of State [[Colin Powell]] [[Colin Powell's presentation to the United Nations Security Council|addressed a plenary session]] of the [[United Nations Security Council]] on February 5, 2003, citing these reasons as justification for military action.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://2001-2009.state.gov/secretary/former/powell/remarks/2003/17300.htm|title=Remarks to the United Nations Security Council|date=4 February 2005}}</ref> Since-declassified National Intelligence Estimates (NIE's) indicate that any certainty may have been overstated in justification of armed intervention; the extent, origin and intent of these overstatements cannot be conclusively determined from the NIE.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/the-cia-just-declassified-the-document-that-supposedly-justified-the-iraq-invasion/ | title=The CIA Just Declassified the Document That Supposedly Justified the Iraq Invasion | publisher=Vice News | date=March 15, 2015}}</ref>