It has not been a glorious chapter in the history of the United Nations. This is partly because, while it is understandable that it changed policy following the 11 September 2001 atrocities, in recent weeks the US Administration has taken a belligerent approach. Even allowing for the fact that this may have been designed to encourage the Iraqi Administration to accept the inevitable and avoid war, certain statements by Donald Rumsfeld and by the President about those who would oppose the immediate commencement of hostilities, were most intemperate. The attitude of the US Administration that it would go to war regardless of the decision made by the UN did nothing to support the constructive role the UN could have played.