Since the iraq mess is a hot topic at Madjack's, I thought I would post a timeline of the events that have led to the situation that the world is presently in:
Weapons of mass distraction: an inspections timeline
By Staff reporter
February 1991: Kuwait freed as Gulf War ends. Iraq subject to weapons inspections and UN sanctions
August 1991: UN Security Council requires Iraq to disclose all chemical, biological and nuclear weapons programs
July 1992: UNSCOM (United Nations Special Commission) inspection team refused access to the Iraqi Ministry of Agriculture
15 October 1994: UN orders Iraq to withdraw military units near Kuwait border
March 1996: UNSCOM teams denied access to five Iraqi sites
13 June 1996: Team denied access to military sites
November 1996: Iraq stops UNSCOM inspectors from taking missile components for analysis
February 1997: Iraq allows UNSCOM to remove missile components
21 June 1997: UN insists Iraq allow arms inspectors access to sites
29 October 1997 : Iraq expels US members of UNSCOM inspection team
20 November 1997: US members of UNSCOM return to Iraq
13 January 1998 : Iraq says UNSCOM team includes too many US and British members and accuses Scott Ritter of spying. The following week inspection teams are denied access to presidential sites.
February 1998: UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan negotiates arms inspection deal with Saddam Hussein
5 August 1998: Iraq demands that UN lifts the oil embargo and reorganises UNSCOM
31 October 1998: Iraq refuses to cooperate with UNSCOM
November 1998: Inspections resume
16 December 1998: UNSCOM personnel withdrawn from Iraq
30 June 1999: Richard Butler ends his time as executive chairman of UNSCOM
17 December 1999: UN replaces UNSCOM with the UN Monitoring Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC). Iraq rejects the resolution
1 March 2000: Hans Blix becomes executive chairman of UNMOVIC
November 2000: Iraq rejects new proposals for weapons inspections
3 May 2002: Talks between UNMOVIC and Iraqi officials
July 2002: Talks end without agreement on arms inspections
1 August 2002: Iraqi government invites Hans Blix for "technical talks" on disarmament issues
6 August 2002: UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan writes to the Iraqi leadership, asking them to accept inspections in accordance with UN resolutions
12 September 2002: President Bush argues for a new UN Security Council resolution on Iraq. The US pushes for action, warning that it is willing to act independently of the UN
16 September 2002: Iraq agrees to unconditional return of UN inspection teams
8 November 2002: UN Security Council resolution requires Iraq to submit a full weapons declaration and to cooperate with UNMOVIC and the IAEA. It warns of "serious consequences" for material breaches of the resolution.
13 November 2002: Iraqi government accepts UN resolution
18 November 2002: Weapons inspectors return to Iraq
9 January 2003: Weapons inspectors report to UN Security Council that Iraq illegally acquired engines and other missile components, but they do not believe these were used to try to develop nuclear weapons
17 January 2003: Inspectors uncover chemical shells in Iraq. Further tests may reveal if the 11 empty warheads are a "material breach" of UN resolutions
27 January 2003: Hans Blix' report criticises Iraq for not coming to a genuine acceptance of the disarmament demanded of it and not accounting for stockpiles of banned weapons
March 2003: Everybody knows the mess that we are in.
Weapons of mass distraction: an inspections timeline
By Staff reporter
February 1991: Kuwait freed as Gulf War ends. Iraq subject to weapons inspections and UN sanctions
August 1991: UN Security Council requires Iraq to disclose all chemical, biological and nuclear weapons programs
July 1992: UNSCOM (United Nations Special Commission) inspection team refused access to the Iraqi Ministry of Agriculture
15 October 1994: UN orders Iraq to withdraw military units near Kuwait border
March 1996: UNSCOM teams denied access to five Iraqi sites
13 June 1996: Team denied access to military sites
November 1996: Iraq stops UNSCOM inspectors from taking missile components for analysis
February 1997: Iraq allows UNSCOM to remove missile components
21 June 1997: UN insists Iraq allow arms inspectors access to sites
29 October 1997 : Iraq expels US members of UNSCOM inspection team
20 November 1997: US members of UNSCOM return to Iraq
13 January 1998 : Iraq says UNSCOM team includes too many US and British members and accuses Scott Ritter of spying. The following week inspection teams are denied access to presidential sites.
February 1998: UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan negotiates arms inspection deal with Saddam Hussein
5 August 1998: Iraq demands that UN lifts the oil embargo and reorganises UNSCOM
31 October 1998: Iraq refuses to cooperate with UNSCOM
November 1998: Inspections resume
16 December 1998: UNSCOM personnel withdrawn from Iraq
30 June 1999: Richard Butler ends his time as executive chairman of UNSCOM
17 December 1999: UN replaces UNSCOM with the UN Monitoring Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC). Iraq rejects the resolution
1 March 2000: Hans Blix becomes executive chairman of UNMOVIC
November 2000: Iraq rejects new proposals for weapons inspections
3 May 2002: Talks between UNMOVIC and Iraqi officials
July 2002: Talks end without agreement on arms inspections
1 August 2002: Iraqi government invites Hans Blix for "technical talks" on disarmament issues
6 August 2002: UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan writes to the Iraqi leadership, asking them to accept inspections in accordance with UN resolutions
12 September 2002: President Bush argues for a new UN Security Council resolution on Iraq. The US pushes for action, warning that it is willing to act independently of the UN
16 September 2002: Iraq agrees to unconditional return of UN inspection teams
8 November 2002: UN Security Council resolution requires Iraq to submit a full weapons declaration and to cooperate with UNMOVIC and the IAEA. It warns of "serious consequences" for material breaches of the resolution.
13 November 2002: Iraqi government accepts UN resolution
18 November 2002: Weapons inspectors return to Iraq
9 January 2003: Weapons inspectors report to UN Security Council that Iraq illegally acquired engines and other missile components, but they do not believe these were used to try to develop nuclear weapons
17 January 2003: Inspectors uncover chemical shells in Iraq. Further tests may reveal if the 11 empty warheads are a "material breach" of UN resolutions
27 January 2003: Hans Blix' report criticises Iraq for not coming to a genuine acceptance of the disarmament demanded of it and not accounting for stockpiles of banned weapons
March 2003: Everybody knows the mess that we are in.
