The UNMOVIC inspections in Iraq threatened Bush's invasion.

In the months leading to the American invasion of Iraq UNMOVIC (the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection team)was conducting unrestricted inspections of likely sites for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. UN resolution 1441 mandating the inspections was passed November 8, 2002, and the first inspection occurred 19 days later on November 27th. From Alternet:

On February 14th, UNMOVIC reported to the UN that 200 chemical and 100 biological samples had been analyzed and concluded that "the results to date have been consistent with Iraq's declaration." Inspections were conducted without notice and full cooperation -- "industrial sites, ammunition depots, research centers, universities, presidential sites, mobile laboratories, private houses, missile production facilities, military camps and agricultural sites .... At certain sites, ground-penetrating radar was used to look for underground structures or buried equipment." In a word -- thorough.

The author concludes that with these solid and reliable inspections of all the most likely sites in Iraq that the Iraqis had actually complied with agreements that ended the Persian Gulf War. Every day that passed the inspections clearly were undercutting the need to go to war in Iraq.

So what was the Bush administration reaction to such good news? They cut off the inspections by speeding up the invasion itself. They didn't want proof that Saddam had complied with the requirements to divest the weapons of mass destruction. They wanted to invade Iraq for any reason that could be cobbled together.

We have yet to get any admission for what the real reasons Bush and Cheney wanted to invade Iraq. Everything so far is just speculation. So we don't know the real reasons for the war, but we damned sure are learning the real costs.