The UN is a relatively good idea if you you believe in some sort of neodemocratic planet wide unification. It's ineffective, but a step in the right direction.
If you don't it's a bunch of bitchy poor countries asking the overbearing rich countries to fight their battles.
As far as Saddam goes, that evil bastard has been asking for it since the Gulf War. He orders his pilots to CONSTANTLY test their "no fly zone" boundaries. He shoots SAMs at any allied plane patrolling those zones. And has offered a $50,000 reward for any American pilot patrolling the no fly zone.
If there was a line not to be crossed, Saddam is dancing on it.