-Caveat Lector- ... or is -- but what is "was" when it was not "is" ? The play-by-play recapitulation >From Irish Times ATTACK ON IRAQThursday, December 17, 1998<Picture> Chronology of events ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The following is a chronology of events leading to the air strikes launched by the United States and Britain against Iraq, which is accused of refusing to co-operate with U.N. arms inspectors. Jan 13, 1998 - Iraq prevents U.N. arms inspectors led by American Scott Ritter from working. Iraq says Ritter is a spy, a charge the American rejects. Jan 17 - Iraqi President Saddam Hussein threatens to halt U.N. weapons inspections. Feb 12 - Iraq says it will not accept demand for unfettered U.N. access to all presidential palaces. Feb 20 - U.N. chief Kofi Annan arrives in Baghdad, saying he has a sacred duty to try to defuse the crisis. U.N. Security Council more than doubles the amount of oil Iraq is allowed to sell to pay for imports of food and medicine. Feb 22 - Annan holds three-hour meeting with Saddam, and the U.N. chief's spokesman announces a deal on weapons inspections. Feb 23 - Annan says there are no time limits or deadlines in the pact. The agreement provides for a special group , comprising U.N. weapons experts and senior diplomats, to carry out inspections of eight key presidential sites. March 2 - Security Council members agree informally on a resolution warning Iraq of severest consequences if it again bars U.N. weapons inspectors from suspected sites. March 26 - U.N. arms monitors begin mission to inspect a presidential site for the first time in seven years' work. Accompanying diplomats praise Iraq's cooperation. April 9 - U.N. report says Iraq is still failing to provide a full account of its biological warfare programme and may still be trying to deceive U.N. weapons inspectors. April 28 - Iraqi foreign minister denies the agreement with Annan allowed unlimited inspections of presidential palaces. May 1 - Iraq warns U.N. Security Council that prolonging sweeping sanctions against it will lead to grave consequences . June 17 - Iraq's ambassador to the United Nations says Baghdad will force a last crisis if sanctions are still in place at the end of this year. June 23 - U.S. officials say tests showed Iraq put VX nerve gas on missile warheads before the 1991 Gulf War, prompting President Clinton to say sanctions must stay in place. Iraq says U.S. army laboratory report cannot be accurate. June 24 - The Security Council retains sanctions. July 23 - Richard Butler, head of U.N. Special Commission (UNSCOM) on Iraqi arms, complains to the Security Council that Iraq is refusing to hand over 10-year-old documents on munitions used in the 1980-1988 war with Iran. July 23 - Iraq condemns the United States over reports that the Clinton administration is seeking authority from Congress to mount covert operations against Saddam. July 27 - The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says it has no evidence Iraq has nuclear arms or related materials but that information on its past programmes is incomplete. July 29 - Russia proposes a Security Council resolution saying Iraq has complied with demands to destroy its nuclear arms facilities, splitting the 15-member body. July 31 - Iraq accuses an American member of a United Nations arms team of spying during an inspection. Aug 4 - Chief U.N. weapons inspector Butler leaves Baghdad after talks with Iraqi officials break down. He says Iraq has rejected his proposal to extend his team's work on missile and chemical weapons. Aug 5 - Iraqi parliament votes unanimously to freeze the work of U.N. arms inspectors in Iraq. Aug 9 - UNSCOM suspends inspections of new sites in Iraq after Baghdad's decision to halt co-operation with the U.N. Sep 9 - In a move to punish Iraq for defying inspectors, U.N. Security Council suspends periodic reviews of sanctions. Oct 31 - Iraq suspends all co-operation with United Nations weapons inspectors and monitors with immediate effect. Nov 11 - Butler orders inspection staff out of Iraq. More than 100 inspectors and support personnel head for Bahrain. Nov 12 - U.S. Defence Secretary William Cohen warns Baghdad any military strikes will be significant . Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tareq Aziz says there will be no peaceful solution unless U.S. agrees to the principle of lifting sanctions. Nov 13 - Russia says it categorically opposes use of force against Iraq but warns Baghdad it faces risk of air strikes. Nov 14 - President Clinton halts a first planned bombing attack with just one hour's notice when Iraq offers to resume U.N. arms inspections. A second planned attack is halted the next day after Clinton accepts Iraq's offer. Nov 17 - Eighty-six U.N. weapons inspectors return to Iraq following its climbdown over inspections after bombing threat. Nov 22 - Iraq says that provocative requests for documents by the chief U.N. weapons inspector are intended to provide the United States with a pretext for a military attack. Dec 16 - U.N. weapons inspectors withdraw from Baghdad one day after reporting Iraq was still not cooperating with their work. - U.S. launches air strikes just before 2200 GMT (1 a.m. Thursday in Iraq) against what President Bill Clinton calls Iraq's nuclear, chemical and biological weapons programmes and its military capacity to threaten its neighbours . - Russia, China and Iraq call for halt to the military strikes during a late night U.N. Security Council meeting convened in New York at Moscow's request. Dec 17 - Sirens in Baghdad sound all-clear at 6:40 a.m. (0340 GMT) after raids lasting about six hours. - U.S. sets about assessing the first round of strikes, which Defence Department officials say involved more than 200 cruise missiles followed by bombing raids by attack aircraft. Britain says it did not participate initially but adds its military contingent in the region will do so in the next stages. (- Reuters) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Front | Ireland | Finance | World | Sport | Opinion | Features | Letters Crosaire | Simplex | Dublin Live | Back Issues | Contacts | Feedback | History ------------------------------------------------------------------------ � Copyright: The Irish Times ~~~~~~~~~~~~ A<>E<>R The only real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes. -Marcel Proust DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. 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