"Legitimate" governments in countries often come to power by assassination and revolt. Legitimate, under international law, usually just means the autocthonal government, as opposed to a seizure of power from an outside country. "Legitimate" has nothing to do with a "good" government, or a government that treats its citizens well. Legitimate simply means legal, or official, when it is used in connection with countries. (And legal just means de facto, imo, when applied to countries- so if you are in power, you are probably the legitimate government)
Coups and revolts can hardly be considered illegitimate in the ME or anywhere else- and since the US was formed by a revolution, it's kind of hard to see how anyone living in the US could argue they make a government per se illegitimate.
I think the war crimes angle and/or crimes against humanity was the strongest case to be made against Saddam, but we did not take the time to make such a case. Too bad, imo. Would have been a nice precedent- much better than the one we have now set in place. |
