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July 17, 1990: Iraqi President Saddam Hussein has the fourth-largest army in the world and his program to build weapons of mass destruction is well under way. However, after its eight-year war with Iran, Iraq is billions of dollars in debt and angry with its Arab neighbors about the low price of oil, its chief source of cash. In a speech celebrating the 22nd anniversary of his party's rise to power, Hussein threatens Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates. Within two weeks of the speech, Iraq masses 100,000 troops at the Kuwaiti border. July 25, 1990: April Glaspie, U.S. ambassador to Iraq, is summoned to meet with Saddam. She expresses concerns about the Iraqi troops on the Kuwaiti border, but reflecting the official State Department position, she says, "We don't have much to say about Arab-Arab differences, like your border differences with Kuwait. ... All we hope is you solve these matters quickly." Aug. 2, 1990: Iraq invades Kuwait, which Saddam had accused of overproducing oil and pushing prices down. U.N. Security Council imposes trade embargo against Iraq and later authorizes use of force to liberate Kuwait. British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher encourages President George H. W. Bush to "draw a line in the sand" not only to protect Saudi Arabia, but to warn Saddam that an attack on Saudi Arabia will be considered an attack on the U.S. Less than 48 hours after the invasion, the U.S. and the Soviet Union issue an unprecedented joint statement condemning Iraq. On Aug. 5, Bush declares, "This will not stand, this aggression against Kuwait." Nov. 29, 1990: U.N. Resolution 678 says Iraq must comply fully with UNSCR 660 (regarding Iraq's illegal invasion of Kuwait) "and all subsequent relevant resolutions." It authorizes U.N. member states "to use all necessary means to uphold and implement Resolution 660 and all subsequent relevant resolutions and to restore international peace and security in the area." Jan. 12, 1991: U.S. House and Senate both adopt a resolution giving President Bush the authority to make war on Iraq. Jan. 17, 1991: U.S.-led coalition launches air war against Iraq. Ground offensive begins the next month and Iraqi troops are quickly overwhelmed. Feb. 26, 1991: Kuwait liberated. Feb. 28, 1991: After Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Colin Powell expresses concern that the allied rout of Iraqi forces would be seen as a massacre, Bush decides to end the war. A cease-fire takes effect. March 2, 1991: U.N. Security Council Resolution 686 lays down conditions, including destruction of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction and reparations for Kuwait. April 3, 1991: As a result of U.N. Resolution 687, Saddam stays in power, but economic sanctions remain. Saddam must destroy his weapons and allow inspection of all weapons facilities by a U.N. special commission, known as UNSCOM. Iraq is given 15 days to provide a list of its weapons of mass destruction. The next day, Iraqi nuclear scientists are ordered to hide nuclear weapons from inspectors, collect and move computer data and formulate a justification for the existence of Iraqi nuclear labs. April 6, 1991: Iraq formally accepts Resolution 687 and UNSCOM makes its first inspection in June. Aug. 15, 1991: U.N. Resolution 707 says Iraq must halt nuclear activities of all kinds until the Security Council deems Iraq in full compliance; make a full, final and complete disclosure of all aspects of its weapons of mass destruction and missile programs; allow U.N. and IAEA inspectors immediate, unconditional and unrestricted access; cease attempts to conceal or move weapons of mass destruction, and related materials and facilities; allow U.N. and IAEA inspectors to conduct inspection flights throughout Iraq; and provide transportation, medical and logistical support for U.N. and IAEA inspectors. June 26, 1993: Under orders from President Bill Clinton, the U.S. fires 23 Tomahawk cruise missiles at Iraqi Intelligence Service headquarters in Baghdad in response to a plot to assassinate former President Bush with a car bomb when he traveled to Kuwait the previous April. The plot is linked to Iraqi intelligence. Oct. 15, 1994: U.N. Resolution 949 condemns Iraq's recent military deployments toward Kuwait. It orders Iraq to not utilize its military or other forces in a hostile manner to threaten its neighbors or U.N. operations in Iraq; cooperate fully with U.N. weapons inspectors; and not enhance its military capability in southern Iraq. Aug. 7, 1995: Hussein Kamel, a high-ranking Iraqi general—and one of Saddam's sons-in-law—announces in Jordan that he has defected with his brother and their wives. Kamel had been in charge of hiding Iraq's weapons of mass destruction and he tells the chief U.N. arms inspector of a vast arsenal of weapons UNSCOM had failed to find and where the cache is hidden. (Nine months later, Kamel accepts Saddam's guarantee that he can safely return to Iraq. The moment they cross the border, Saddam's two daughters are separated from their husbands; Kamel and his brother are killed several days later.) March 27, 1996: U.N. Resolution 1051 orders Iraq to report shipments of dual-use items related to weapons of mass destruction to the U.N. and IAEA, and cooperate fully with U.N. and IAEA inspectors and allow immediate, unconditional and unrestricted access. June 12, 1996: U.N. Resolution 1060 deplores Iraq's refusal to allow access to U.N. inspectors and Iraq's "clear violations" of previous U.N. resolutions, and orders Iraq to cooperate fully with U.N. weapons inspectors and allow immediate, unconditional and unrestricted access. June 21, 1997: U.N. Resolution 1115 condemns repeated refusal of Iraqi authorities to allow access" to U.N. inspectors, which constitutes a "clear and flagrant violation" of UNSCR 687, 707, 715, and 1060. Nov. 12, 1997: U.N. Resolution 1137 "condemns the continued violations by Iraq" of previous U.N. resolutions, including its "implicit threat to the safety of" aircraft operated by U.N. inspectors and its tampering with U.N. inspector monitoring equipment. It reaffirms Iraq's responsibility to ensure the safety of U.N. inspectors, and says Iraq must cooperate fully with U.N. weapons inspectors and allow immediate, unconditional and unrestricted access. Feb. 22-24, 1998: U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan travels to Baghdad and negotiates a compromise in which Saddam allows the inspectors to return to Iraq, but restricts their access to sensitive sites. Saddam agrees to allow inspectors to visit eight disputed "presidential sites" with diplomatic escorts. March 2, 1998: U.N. Resolution 1154 orders Iraq to cooperate fully with U.N. and IAEA weapons inspectors and allow immediate, unconditional and unrestricted access, and notes that any violation would have the "severest consequences for Iraq." Sept. 9, 1998: U.N. Resolution 1194 condemns the decision by Iraq of 5 August 1998 to suspend cooperation with U.N. and IAEA inspectors, which constitutes "a totally unacceptable contravention" of its obligations under UNSCR 687, 707, 715, 1060, 1115, and 1154. Dec. 16, 1998: U.N. weapons inspectors withdrawn from Iraq, which is accused of failing to cooperate with international attempt to find and destroy its nuclear, chemical and biological weapons programs. Hours later, four days of U.S.-British air and missile strikes on Baghdad begin. Dec. 17, 1999: U.N. Security Council issues Resolution 1284 creating a new Iraqi disarmament commission, the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspections Commission (UNMOVIC). Jan. 27, 2000: Iraq says it will not deal with new chief U.N. weapons inspector Hans Blix. Sept. 11, 2001: In his address to the nation following the terrorist attacks that destroyed the World Trade Center in New York and severely damaged the Pentagon near Washington, DC, President George W. Bush announces that the U.S. will "make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them." Oct. 11, 2001: Responding to a reporter's question about widening the war on terrorism to include Iraq, President Bush says, "There's no question that the leader of Iraq is an evil man. After all, he gassed his own people. We know he's been developing weapons of mass destruction. And I think it's to his advantage to allow inspectors back in the country." Jan. 29, 2002: In his State of the Union speech, President Bush lists Iraq, Iran and North Korea and says, "States like these, and their terrorist allies, constitute an axis of evil, arming to threaten the peace of the world." Sept. 12, 2002: Bush urges the United Nations to confront and disarm Iraq and back previous U.N. resolutions ordering disarmament. Oct. 10-11, 2002: Congress votes to give the president authority to use force against Iraq. House vote was 296-133; Senate was 77-23. Nov. 8, 2002: U.N. Security Council unanimously approves Resolution 1441 threatening Iraq with "serious consequences" if it does not disarm. Nov. 27, 2002: U.N. experts begin work in Iraq under Resolution 1441. Dec. 7, 2002: Iraq delivers to United Nations declaration denying it has weapons of mass destruction; later, United States says declaration is untruthful and United Nations says it is incomplete. Jan. 27, 2003: Chief U.N. weapons inspector Hans Blix tells the Security Council that Iraq has not genuinely accepted demands to disarm and should cooperate more. Feb. 14, 2003: In his second report to the Security Council, Blix gives Iraq's response to weapons inspections mixed reviews, but says the country has taken some positive steps. Feb. 15, 2003: Millions turn out in cities worldwide to protest the United States' threatened war with Iraq. Bush would later say the size of the protests is irrelevant to his decision. March 1, 2003: Iraq begins destroying banned Al Samoud 2 missiles. Turkish parliament votes not to allow U.S. troops to use Turkey to open a northern front against Iraq. March 5, 2003: In advance of a Security Council meeting on March 7, France, Germany and Russia issue a joint statement declaring, "We will not let a proposed resolution pass that would authorize the use of force" against Iraq. They call for more active cooperation by Iraq and the acceleration of "increasingly encouraging" inspections. March 6, 2003: Bush said weapons inspections have become a "willful charade" and makes clear the United States would act to disarm Iraq even if the U.N. Security Council votes against a resolution authorizing force. Still, Bush said he would seek a council vote to put countries on record to "let the world know where they stand" on Saddam. March 7, 2003: Deep divisions at the Security Council hardened following a Blix report that Iraq is improving its cooperation. Blix says disarmament could be done in months. United States, Britain and Spain propose ordering Saddam to give up banned weapons by March 17 or face war; other nations led by France on polarized U.N. Security Council oppose any new resolution that would authorize military action. March 17, 2003: United States, Britain and Spain withdraw proposed resolution, saying time for diplomacy has run out. Bush declares Saddam must flee Iraq or face a U.S.-led invasion. March 18, 2003: Iraq's leadership rejects Bush's ultimatum. March 20, 2003: U.S. forces launch a surgical military strike against a "target of opportunity" near Baghdad. White House announces, "The opening stages of the disarmament of the Iraqi regime have begun." This chronology is based on chronological information that originally appeared in the following web sites: PBS’s Frontline, http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/longroad/ The White House, http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/iraq/index.html. |