[fintstone]

Originally posted by techweenie
Oh, yes. Our deep respect for the UN.

Of course. That explains everything.

You are aware, of course, that Resolution 1441 was one additional vote short of authorizing military action? No? Faux News didn't bother with that detail?

Yes, Dubya was concerned that the UN wouldn't take the final step, and his plans were all made. So he went ahead without the aid & support of the majority of the world's countries.

In fact, in January '03, Iraq had complied with 1441 and let the weapons inspectors back in and produced documentation showing that it had no WMD programs.

It's instructive to go to the source.

---------------from the UN website---------------
On 8 November, the Council unanimously adopted resolution 1441 (2002), by which it held Iraq in "material breach" of its obligations under previous resolutions, and decided to afford it a "final opportunity to comply" with its disarmament obligations, while setting up an enhanced inspection regime. The Council also decided it would convene immediately upon the receipt of any reports from inspection authorities that Iraq was interfering with their activities and recalled repeated warnings by the Council that Iraq would face "serious consequences" as a result of continued violations. The United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) would have "immediate, unimpeded, unconditional and unrestricted access" to any sites in Iraq, including presidential sites.

On 25 November, the first inspectors arrived in Baghdad and have been continually present there since then. On 7 December, one day before the deadline set by resolution 1442, Iraq handed over to the United Nations the required declaration "of all aspects of its programmes to develop chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons, ballistic missiles and other delivery systems". The Executive Chairman of UNMOVIC, Hans Blix, and the Director-General of the IAEA, Mohamed ElBaradei, briefed the Council in closed consultations on their initial assessment of the declaration and progress of inspections on 19 December.

--------------end excerpt-------------
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You are wrong. Iraq did ot comply with 1441, but rather 1442 as your quote indicated.

As far as it being "instructive to go to the source"...It is even more instructive if you do not omit what happened later. Iraq did not comply. This is the report (from the same UN site) the next March, just prior to military action:

I naturally feel sadness that three and a half months of work carried out in Iraq have not brought the assurances needed about the absence of weapons of mass destruction or other proscribed items in Iraq , ...I would like further to make some specific comments that relate to the Draft Programme. I am aware of ideas which have been advanced that specific groups of disarmament issues could be tackled and solved within specific time lines. The programme does not propose such an approach, in which, say, we would aim at addressing and resolving the issues of anthrax and VX in March and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and Remotely Piloted Vehicles (RPVs) in April. In the work we pursued until now we worked broadly and did not neglect any identified disarmament issues. However, it is evidently possible for the Council to single out a few issues for resolution within a specific time, just as the draft programme before you selects twelve key tasks progress on which could have an impact on the Council's assessment of cooperation of Iraq under resolution 1284 (1999). Whatever approach is followed, results will depend on Iraq's active cooperation on substance.
May I add that in my last report I commented on information provided by Iraq on a number of unresolved issues. Since then, Iraq has sent several more letters on such issues. These efforts by Iraq should be acknowledged, but, as I noted in this Council on 7 March the value of the information thus provided must be soberly judged. Our experts have found so far that in substance only limited new information has been provided that will help to resolve remaining questions....