Originally Posted by airshifter
Arrows,
When the UN invokes the use of Chapter 7 of the UN Charter, they are declaring that other means have failed and authorizing use of more intense political means or force.
Article 39
The Security Council shall determine the existence of any threat to the peace, breach of the peace, or act of aggression and shall make recommendations, or decide what measures shall be taken in accordance with Articles 41 and 42, to maintain or restore international peace and security.
Article 42
Should the Security Council consider that measures provided for in Article 41 would be inadequate or have proved to be inadequate, it may take such action by air, sea, or land forces as may be necessary to maintain or restore international peace and security. Such action may include demonstrations, blockade, and other operations by air, sea, or land forces of Members of the United Nations.
Resolutions of the Security Council are made only within the scope of the UN Charter, and most of the time they cite the particular Chapters of the UN Charter they are using as authority for the resolution.
Resolution 1441 was the last in a line that declared Iraq was a threat to international peace and security in the region, reaffirmed all the other resolutions it was currently in violation of along with those that authorized member states to use "all necessary means" to uphold the previous and current resolution.
The UN, not the US or any individual coalition country, declared the things Iraq had done to warrant them a threat to peace. Those things are listed in 1441 and include humanitarian issues and conventional weapons violations along with WMDs.