Don't quote so selectively Kevin, what I said put in context was:

"During the summer, autumn and winter of 2002, the world and its dog believed that Saddam Hussein and Iraq still possessed WMD, was running WMD research and development programmes and was working on development of missile delivery systems. Clear proof of that is the fact that UNSC Resolution 1441 was passed unanimously (even Syria voted for it)."

Your post does make a very important point about the workings of the UN Security Council and naivety. Everyone in the council chamber fully realised the urgency of the situation and what the intent of the Resolution tabled by the USA and the UK was.

On one hand you had the UK & USA & the coalition of the willing taking 1441 literally as Iraq's "Last Chance". On the other you had Saddam plus his major trading partners (The three remaining permanent Security Council Members) allaying all fears and advising that the US will not act. The wording of 1441 allowed for no "material breach" of its provisions - all in all there were seven such instances, while the Iraqis co-operated fully on matters relating to access, they were very reluctant when it came to the area of disclosure and Blix was still complaining about this in his last report to the Security Council.

Chirac of France bluntly told both the US and the UK that irrespective no second resolution would ever be put to a vote because France would use its Veto to block it. That in effect hamstrung the UN completely.

The UN sanctions by 2002 were a joke, and both France and Russia were supporting Iraqi suggestions that they be lifted.

During the summer of 2002 the existence of Iran's uranium enrichment plant became public knowledge. Anyone who seriously believes that these facilities, which were built on a massive scale in total secrecy, were constructed for purely peaceful purposes would have to be incredibly naive and trusting, fortunately the IAEA were neither.

Saddam would not let Iran become nuclear capable, Saddam also knew that the French, Russians and Chinese would be only be more than willing to rearm him. The US put the brakes on that situation by tackling the one side of the equation that they could do something about - Iraq and Saddam Husseain.