make war crimes tribunals, not war

With respect to whose credibility may or may not be on the line, neither the Charter of the United Nations, the Geneva Protocol, nor the Chemical Weapons Convention seems to authorize a signatory to bombard another nation not immediately threatening it.

I don't see anybody else standing at podium upon podium advocating that course.



The Geneva Protocol (1925):

That the High Contracting Parties, so far as they are not already Parties to Treaties prohibiting such use, accept this prohibition (of the use in war of asphyxiating, poisonous or other gases, and of all analogous liquids, materials or devices), agree to extend this prohibition to the use of bacteriological methods of warfare and agree to be bound as between themselves according to the terms of this declaration. 

Chemical Weapons Convention (1993), Article I:

Each State Party to this Convention undertakes never under any circumstances:
(a) To develop, produce, otherwise acquire, stockpile or retain chemical weapons, or transfer, directly or indirectly, chemical weapons to anyone;
(b) To use chemical weapons;
(c) To engage in any military preparations to use chemical weapons;
(d) To assist, encourage or induce, in any way, anyone to engage in any activity prohibited to a State Party under this Convention. 

Chemical Weapons Convention, Article XII:

3. In cases where serious damage to the object and purpose of this Convention may result from activities prohibited under this Convention, in particular by Article I, the Conference may recommend collective measures to States Parties in conformity with international law.
4. The Conference shall, in cases of particular gravity, bring the issue, including relevant information and conclusions, to the attention of the United Nations General Assembly and the United Nations Security Council.

The Charter of the United Nations, Article 2(4):

All Members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations. 

The Charter of the United Nations, Article 2(7):

Nothing contained in the present Charter shall authorize the United Nations to intervene in matters which are essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of any state or shall require the Members to submit such matters to settlement under the present Charter; but this principle shall not prejudice the application of enforcement measures under Chapter Vll.