There's another benefit, too, of relying on the rule of law. Doing so would strengthen the institutions, like the United Nations and the International Criminal Court, designed to settle conflict without violence. That would mean we'd have more effective options available when future despots threaten to commit war crimes and crimes against humanity.
To follow this path with credibility, though, the United States must itself live within the rule of law. That means, at the very least, refraining from launching into a war that violates international law. Only when a country is attacked, or when it has the support of a Security Council resolution, is a military assault on another country permitted.
It might seem naïve to press for peace in a world where there is so much violence. But the belief that a few bombing missions and a quick exit could make a positive difference is in fact the naïve view. And Americans—traumatized, exhausted, and impoverished by war—have no stomach for the protracted military conflict with uncertain aims that is the more likely outcome. Syria: Six Alternatives to Military Strikes by Sarah van Gelder
Some background on relevant rule of law (IANAL):
Joseph Grew, acting secretary of state, also lauded the Senate’s action, noting that “millions of men, women and children have died because nations took to the naked sword instead of the conference table to settle their differences.” Senate Ratifies United Nations Charter, July 28, 1945
August 8, 1945, was a busy day in the history of World War II. The United States dropped a second atomic bomb on Japan, devastating the city of Nagasaki. The Soviet Union, following through with an agreement made earlier in the war, declared war on Japan. All observers agreed that the combination of these two actions would bring a speedy end to Japanese resistance. At the same time, in Washington, D.C., President Truman took a step that many Americans hoped would mean continued peace in the post-World War II world. The president signed the United Nations Charter, thus completing American ratification of the document. Truman signs United Nations Charter
As a charter, it is a constituent treaty, and all members are bound by its articles. Furthermore, Article 103 of the Charter states that obligations to the United Nations prevail over all other treaty obligations. United Nations Charter
The UN Charter's prohibition of member states of the UN attacking other UN member states is central to the purpose for which the UN was founded in the wake of the destruction of World War II: to prevent war. This overriding concern is also reflected in the Nuremberg Trials' concept of a crime against peace "starting or waging a war against the territorial integrity, political independence or sovereignty of a state, or in violation of international treaties or agreements..." (crime against peace), which was held to be the crime that makes all war crimes possible. Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter
This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; ...
The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; Article Six of the United States Constitution
Alternatives to Military Strikes:
The article at the beginning of this post lists six alternatives that specifically address Syria. I won't quote more in the interest of copyright and fair use but I encourage you to click the link and read that article:
Syria: Six Alternatives to Military Strikes by Sarah van Gelder.
The amount of wealth we have available is limited. How we choose to spend it matters. Money spent on war can not be spent elsewhere. In addition to alternatives that directly address Syria there are other ways to spend money that could have a positive impact impact on the greater good. Here are just a few such alternatives, I'm sure this community can come up with hundreds of other uses for our wealth besides waging illegal war:
Today 850 million people are hungry and malnourished. Over half of them are children. 18,000 children die every single day because of hunger and malnutrition," Morris said. "This is a shameful fact — a terrible indictment of the world in 2007, and it's an issue that needs to be solved. 18,000 children die every day of hunger, U.N. says
The study, conducted at Harvard Medical School and Cambridge Health Alliance, found that uninsured, working-age Americans have a 40 percent higher risk of death than their privately insured counterparts, up from a 25 percent excess death rate found in 1993. New study finds 45,000 deaths annually linked to lack of health coverage
Water is life. Yet 768 million people do not have access to safe, clean drinking water, and 2.5 billion people live without proper sanitation. When water is unsafe and sanitation non-existent, water can kill. Across the globe, every day, nearly 2,000 children die from diseases directly linked to unsafe water or a lack of basic sanitation facilities.
A 2006 follow-up to the IOM study found that medication errors are among the most common medical mistakes, harming at least 1.5 million people every year. According to the study, 400,000 preventable drug-related injuries occur each year in hospitals, 800,000 in long-term care settings, and roughly 530,000 among Medicare recipients in outpatient clinics. The report stated that these are likely to be conservative estimates. In 2000 alone, the extra medical costs incurred by preventable drug related injuries approximated $887 million—and the study looked only at injuries sustained by Medicare recipients, a subset of clinic visitors. None of these figures take into account lost wages and productivity or other costs. Medical error
At least 200,000 deaths each year from cardiovascular disease could be prevented. More than half of those deaths involve people under the age of 65. CDC: 200,000 heart disease deaths could be prevented each year
John F Kennedy said:
War will exist until that distant day when the conscientious objector enjoys the same reputation and prestige that the warrior does today. ON LANGUAGE; Warrior