# So who did it first?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-did-it-first/321211>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 12, 2005, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-did-it-first/321211 "2005-09-12T05:41:49Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Bradlee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Bradlee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bradlee)\
**Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-did-it-first/321211/1 "2005-09-12T05:41:49Z")

</div>

This is a wierd question, but who exactly declared war first?  
U.S. or Iraq? I just wondered because it’s been such an issue and I honestly don’t remember. The question arose from a discussion over misapropriations of government funds and we began to recall events, and neither one of us could remember…  
Please, help!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\
**Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-did-it-first/321211/2 "2005-09-12T06:09:53Z")

</div>

Neither country made an official declaration of war. The U.S. Congress has not made an official declaration of war since World War II.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\
**Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-did-it-first/321211/3 "2005-09-12T06:14:31Z")

</div>

The UK parliament voted on the declaration of war: [http://www.publicwhip.org.uk/division.php?date=2003-03-18&number=118](http://www.publicwhip.org.uk/division.php?date=2003-03-18&number=118)

What on earth would make you think that Iraq declared war?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\
**Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-did-it-first/321211/4 "2005-09-12T06:19:23Z")

</div>

Because the U.S. and Britain invaded it?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\
**Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-did-it-first/321211/5 "2005-09-12T06:25:03Z")

</div>

Ahh, I think I see where some of the queries the OP has encounter may stem from…Iraq’s 1991 declaration of war was never formally revoked, as only a ceasefire (not a peace agreement) was signed. So it could be argued that the invasion was a continuation of that war. Whether it could be _successfully_ argued is a whole different matter.