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Jurist Pitt
Being that there is no central government in place to watch over the actions of states, international law can either be followed or not. The enforcement and establishment of international law can become difficult, especially in regards to the international norm that is, respect for the sovereignty of individual states.
So Why Do States Adhere to International Law?
States generally follow established laws in the international community because it is in their best interest to do so. A treaty between two states ending war is an example where the established law of proclaimed peace is in the best interest between the participating parties to follow international law. However, as was the case with the US invasion of Iraq, international law was broken; the US invaded without the support of the United Nations and in doing so also violated Iraq's sovereignty.