Did the UN authorize our 2003 invasion of Iraq?

[Proud Liberal Dem]

10. If memory serves

The UN Resolution that put the inspectors back in Iraq (1441?) stated something about "serious consequences" if it did not comply. Iraq, of course, DID comply with the UN and allowed the inspectors back in and they found no evidence of new/recent WMD activity. My understanding was that Bush/Cheney wanted to go back to the UN for a second resolution explicitly authorizing war but, as I recall, nixed the idea because they believed that they would not win it (and why would they since Iraq was actually in compliance per the UN weapons inspectors?) and decided to go into Iraq anyway as Bush/Cheney believed they had the authority. So, no, the UN did not explicitly authorize war and even if you take the "serious consequences" line in the initial resolution to be defined as war, Iraq was found by the UN to be in compliance with the resolution, so any kind of military action or other "serious consequences" should not have been imposed. Like with the IWR in Congress, it's all real "fuzzy" legally speaking, as to what was "approved". Of course, "fuzzy" was just the way the Bush (mis-)administration liked things, so..............