You are right about technical legal cover. And you are right about materials (jveritas be praised). And you are right about the UN being a severe pain in ass.
The administration made a calculation that it would help them, then in hindsight its become clear they might as well have gone for it. But again, all of that is in hindsight and it's just too easy to identify where things went wrong. Out of curiosity (and you don't have to answer if you need to go) did you believe that way at the time? Or is your current position a response to that experience?
Out of curiosity (and you don't have to answer if you need to go) did you believe that way at the time? Absolutely. I lived on the streets of Oakland for a decade. The behavior of our enemy is no less opportunistic and ruthless than any drug gang, and a good bit more clear-headed (but for blind hatred).
The only thing I allowed at the time that operated on the converse was the time it would take to move troops by sea for an invasion, but as far as strafing columns of trucks goes, we had control of the no-fly zone in Kurdistan so IMO, there was no excuse to let the convoys get out of the country.