|
 | | |
February
|
| | | Gulf
War Ends
|
| | |
3
April
|
| | | Resolution
687 passes in the UN. Saddam stays in power, economic sanctions remain.
Saddam must destroy weapons and allow inspection of all weapons facilities by a
special UN commission: UNSCOM. Iraq is given 15 days to provide a list of its
weapons of mass destruction.
|
| | |
4
April
|
| | | Iraqi
deception over weapons of mass destruction begins. 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.
|
| | |
6
April
|
| | | Iraq
formally accepts Resolution 687.
|
| | |
18
April
|
| | | Iraq
declares some chemical weapons and materials, as required under Resolution 687,
but states that it does not have biological weapons program.
|
| | |
19
April
|
| | | Swedish
diplomat Rolf Ekeus is appointed Executive Chairman of UNSCOM.
|
| | |
9
June
|
| | | UNSCOM
begins first inspection in Iraq.
|
| | |
23-28
June
|
| | | UNSCOM/IAEA
(International Atomic Energy Agency) tries to intercept Iraqi vehicles carrying
nuclear related equipment called calutrons. Iraqis fire warning shots in the
air to prevent inspectors from approaching vehicles. David Kay is chief UNSCOM
official for that inspection.
|
| | |
Summer
|
| | | Ekeus
arranges for a loan to UNSCOM of an American U2 plane to take surveillance
photos of Iraq. Many point to this event as the beginning of UNSCOM's reliance
on various national intelligence agencies for help in disarming Iraq.
|
| | |
2
August
|
| | | UNSCOM's
first biological inspection team is told by Iraq that any research into
biological weapons was "for defensive military purposes."
|
| | |
15
August
|
| | | UN
Security Council again demands Iraq to provide a full disclosure of its weapons.
|
| | |
September
|
| | | UNSCOM
determines that it needs to be more aggressive to uncover Iraq weapons. Former
U.S. Marine intelligence officer Scott Ritter is hired.
|
| | |
21-30
September
|
| | | IAEA
inspectors discover files on Iraq's nuclear weapons program. Iraqis confiscate
some documents from inspectors, but inspectors refuse to release other
documents. In response, the Iraqis block inspectors from leaving parking lot
for four days. Inspectors are freed only after UN Security Council issues a
threat of force.
|
| | |
|
| | |
18
February
|
| | | Special
Report of the Executive Chairman of UNSCOM details Iraq's refusal to abide by
Security Council disarmament resolutions.
|
| | |
19
March
|
| | | Iraq
declares existence of 89 ballistic missiles and chemical weapons, but also
states that they destroyed most of these materials unilaterally the previous
summer (in violation of resolution 687).
|
| | |
May-June
|
| | | Iraq
provides its first Full, Final and Complete Disclosure for its prohibited
weapons programs.
|
| | |
July
|
| | | UNSCOM
begins to destroy large quantities of Iraq's chemical weapons and production
facilities.
|
| | |
6-29
July
|
| | | Confrontation
at Ministry of Agriculture where UNSCOM believes there are important documents
on ballistic missiles. UNSCOM stages 17-day sit-in outside of building.
UNSCOM inspectors finally leave when their safety is threatened, and when UN
Security Council seems unwilling to support UNSCOM with a threat of force.
|
| | |
|
| | |
January
|
| | | Iraq
refuses to allow UNSCOM the use of its own aircraft to fly into Iraq. Iraq
also starts incursions into the demilitarized zone between Iraq and Kuwait and
increases its military activity in the no-fly zones.
|
| | |
19
January
|
| | | US
forces fire approximately 40 Tomahawk cruise missiles at a Baghdad factory
linked to Iraq's nuclear weapons program. Iraq then informs UNSCOM that it
will be able to resume its flights.
|
| | |
21
January
|
| | | Clinton
Inauguration.
|
| | |
18
June
|
| | | President
of Security Council protests Iraq's refusal to allow UNSCOM to place monitoring
cameras at two missile engine test stands.
|
| | |
26
June
|
| | | Clinton
warns Iraq over standoff.
|
| | |
27
June
|
| | | US
strikes Iraq intelligence headquarters, in retaliation for Iraqi complicity in
plot to kill former president George Bush during visit to Kuwait.
|
| | |
5
July
|
| | | UN
inspection team leaves Iraq. Iraq subsequently agrees to UNSCOM demands. The
inspection team returns.
|
| | |
|
| | |
10
February
|
| | | Joint
statement by Tariq Aziz of Iraq and Rolf Ekeus stating that significant
progress had been made in both political and technical areas of weapons
verification.
|
| | |
Spring
|
| | | UNSCOM/Israel
intelligence connection begins in earnest. Israel begins to provide UNSCOM
with U-2 photo interpretation.
|
| | |
June
|
| | | Weapons
inspectors Ritter and Smidovitch learn, through Israeli intelligence reports,
that Qusay Hussein, Saddam's younger son, is the key player in hiding and
preserving Iraq's special weapons. Qusay heads the Apparatus of Special
Security which is under the umbrella of the Special Security Organization (SSO).
|
| | |
June
|
| | | UNSCOM
completes destruction of large quantities of chemical warfare agents and
production equipment.
|
| | |
September-October
|
| | | Iraq
rejects appeals to withdraw threat to stop cooperating with UNSCOM and starts
deploying troops in direction of Kuwait. In response, US begins to deploy
troops to Kuwait.
|
| | |
8
October
|
| | | President
of UN Security Council states that Iraq's demands are unacceptable and that it
must withdraw troops deployed in direction of Kuwait.
|
| | |
15
October
|
| | | Iraq
states that it has withdrawn troops from border with Kuwait.
|
| | |
|
| | |
|
| | | UNSCOM
is close to declaring Iraqi weapons inspections completed.
|
| | |
March
|
| | | Iraq
provides the second Full, Final and Complete Disclosures of its prohibited
biological and chemical weapons programs.
|
| | |
Summer
|
| | | By
the middle of 1995, the unity of the UN Security Council begins to fray, as
certain countries, particularly France and Russia, becoming increasingly
interested in the financial opportunities of a post-sanctions Iraq.
|
| | |
1
July
|
| | | In
response to UNSCOM's evidence, Iraq admits for first time the existence of an
offensive biological weapons program, but denies weaponization.
|
| | |
July
|
| | | Iraq
threatens to end all cooperation with UNSCOM and IAEA if there is no progress
toward the lifting of sanctions and the oil embargo by 31 August 1995.
|
| | |
August
|
| | | Iraq
provides the third Full, Final and Complete Disclosure for its prohibited
biological weapons program.
|
| | |
August
|
| | | Israeli
intelligence report provided to Ritter reveals that Iraq was attempting to
purchase missile gyroscopes (guidance devices) from a Russian export company.
|
| | |
8
August
|
| | | Hussein
Kamel, Saddam's son-in-law and head of weapons of mass destruction (WMD)
programs, defects. Kamel informs UNSCOM and foreign intelligence agencies
about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction programs. In response, Iraq withdraws
its third Full, Final and Complete Disclosure for its prohibited biological
weapons, and turns over treasure trove of documents on its WMD programs. Iraq
claims no knowledge of this and say documents were held secretly by Hussein
Kamel.
|
| | |
November
|
| | | Iraq
provides the second Full, Final and Complete Disclosure of its prohibited
missile program.
|
| | |
10
November
|
| | | Operation
Teacup Mission #1: The search for banned missile gyroscopes. Operation Teacup
was a series of UNSCOM missions that utilized foreign intelligence to uncover
and intercept Iraqi attempts to reconstitute its missile programs. Scott
Ritter asked for US help in intercepting a shipment of gyroscopes, but they
refused. Israel helped instead. With the added help of Jordan, Ritter
intercepted 240 Russian gyroscopes and accelerometers en route to Iraq from
Russia. However, before UNSCOM could gain access to these gyroscopes, the CIA
intercepted them.
|
| | |
16
December
|
| | | Iraqi
scuba divers are directed by UNSCOM to dredge the Tigris River near Baghdad.
They find over 200 additional missile instruments and components. These items'
serial numbers suggest that they originated in Russia.
|
| | |
|
| | |
February
|
| | | Stepped
up intelligence gathering begins (as result of revelations by Hussein Kamel):
UNSCOM brings eavesdropping devices into Iraq. The information is delivered
to analysis centers in Britain, Israel, and the US.
|
| | |
|
| | | Hussein
Kamel, the defector and Saddam's son-in-law, returns to Iraq. Within days he
is murdered along with his brother, father, sister and her children.
|
| | |
March
|
| | | After
UNSCOM is denied access to five sites (and can enter them only after
significant delays) UNSCOM deploys its "Shake the Tree" tactic. Its goal is to
make the Iraqis paranoid and get them to inadvertently reveal their concealment
methods.
The UN Security Council criticizes Iraq for its intransigence, but does not
threaten immediate military action.
|
| | |
May-June
|
| | | UNSCOM
supervises the destruction of Al-Hakam, Iraq's main facility for the production
of biological warfare agents. (Read a report on this facility)
|
| | |
June
|
| | | Iraq
again denies UNSCOM teams access to sites.
|
| | |
June
|
| | | US
fails in its attempt to marshal support for military action in the UN Security
Council.
|
| | |
19-22
June
|
| | | Rolf
Ekeus negotiates with Iraq, gaining the right for UNSCOM to inspect "sensitive"
sites, but on what appears to be the Iraqi's terms. Only four inspectors will
be allowed in to each of these sites.
|
| | |
June
|
| | | Iraq
provides the third Full, Final and Complete Disclosure of its prohibited
biological weapons program.
|
| | |
June
|
| | | Iraq
provides the third Full, Final and Complete Disclosure of its prohibited
missile program.
|
| | |
July
|
| | | Ritter's
attempts to conduct surprise inspections on the Republican Guard facility at
the airport is blocked by Iraqi officials. By the time he and his team are
allowed into the facility a few days later, they find nothing.
|
| | |
Summer
|
| | | The
UN Security Council expresses unease with UNSCOM's confrontational tactics.
They want UNSCOM to move their mission toward some sort of conclusion.
|
| | |
August
|
| | | Iraqi
forces attack the city of Irbil in Northern Iraq (known as part of
"Kurdistan"). President Clinton responds by expanding the no-fly zones to the
southern suburbs of Baghdad, but does not attack Iraqi forces in the north.
|
| | |
September
|
| | | Increasing
tension between UNSCOM and the CIA. Rolf Ekeus meets with CIA Director John
Deutch, expressing frustration that the CIA is not sharing sufficient data.
Ekeus also requests more advanced technical help from the CIA for future
operations.
|
| | |
November
|
| | | UNSCOM
inspectors uncover buried missile parts, but are prevented by Iraqi officials
from removing these parts for outside analysis.
|
| | |
9
December
|
| | | The
UN Security Council allows Iraq to make limited oil sales for the purpose of
purchasing food and medicine.
|
| | |
30
December
|
| | | The
UN Security Council deplores Iraq's intransigence on the missile parts.
|
| | |
|
| | |
February
|
| | | Iraq
allows UNSCOM to remove missile parts.
|
| | |
26
March
|
| | | Madeleine
Albright delivers speech at Georgetown University in which she argues that
sanctions likely will not end until Saddam is replaced. Many observers regard
this speech as undercutting UNSCOM's ability to gain Iraqi cooperation.
|
| | |
June
|
| | | Iraq
interferes with UNSCOM's helicopter operations, threatening the safety of the
aircraft and their crews.
|
| | |
18
June
|
| | | The
Security Council expresses concern over Iraqi actions against UNSCOM helicopters.
|
| | |
21
June
|
| | | Iraq
again blocks UNSCOM's teams from entering certain sites.
|
| | |
21
June
|
| | | The
Security Council passes a resolution condemning Iraq's actions, but no action
is taken.
|
| | |
July
|
| | | Australian
diplomat Richard Butler succeeds Rolf Ekeus as Executive Chairman of UNSCOM.
|
| | |
September
|
| | | Iraq
provides the fifth Full, Final and Complete Disclosure for its prohibited
biological weapons program.
|
| | |
25
September
|
| | | UNSCOM
inspects a food laboratory. One of the inspectors, Dr.Diane Seaman, enters
through the back door and catches men running out with suitcases. These
suitcases contain log books for the creation of bacteria and chemicals. The
letterhead comes from the president's office and from the Special Security
Office (SSO).
|
| | |
|
| | | UNSCOM
tries to inspect the SSO headquarters but is blocked.
|
| | |
23
October
|
| | | UN
Security Council passes a resolution demanding that Iraq cooperate with UNSCOM,
continues the suspension of the periodic sanctions review that it had suspended
earlier this year, and foreshadows additional sanctions pending a further
report on Iraq's cooperation with UNSCOM.
|
| | |
October
|
| | | UNSCOM
completes the destruction of more large quantities of chemical weapons and
related equipment. Iraq only had admitted that some of this equipment had been
used to produce VX gas in May 1997.
|
| | |
29
October
|
| | | Crisis
begins: Iraq claims it will throw out US inspectors and will shoot down U2
surveillance planes.
|
| | |
November
|
| | | Scott
Ritter claims that the CIA begins to withhold significant information from
UNSCOM.
|
| | |
2
November
|
| | | Iraq
bars three American weapons experts from entering the country.
|
| | |
12
November
|
| | | UN
Security Council passes a resolution condemning Iraq's actions.
|
| | |
13
November
|
| | | UNSCOM
withdraws all weapons inspectors because of Hussein's order to expel all
American arms experts.
|
| | |
14
November
|
| | | Military
strikes against Iraq seem likely.
|
| | |
18
November
|
| | | Boris
Yeltsin meets with Aziz. War is averted.
|
| | |
20-22
November
|
| | | Saddam
Hussein agrees to allow UN weapons inspectors to return to Iraq after 3 week
suspension.
|
| | |
24-25
November
|
| | | New
struggle begins over UNSCOM's inspection of Iraqi Presidential Palaces.
|
| | |
December
|
| | | UNSCOM
continues aggressive inspections, including at the Special Security Office,
Saddam's personal security force, which UNSCOM believes also is coordinating
Iraq's weapons concealment activities. Washington presses UNSCOM to call these
inspections off after the first one is vehemently opposed by the Iraqis.
|
| | |
12-16
December
|
| | | Richard
Butler meets with Tariq Aziz in Iraq over Iraq's refusal to grant inspections
of sensitive sites. Butler leaves without an agreement. Clinton reserves
right to "consider other options."
|
| | |
|
| | |
January
|
| | | Iraq
wants Scott Ritter's team out. They claim that the inspections team is too
American-dominated, that "sensitive" sites such as Presidential palaces are off
limits, and they say that Ritter is a spy.
|
| | |
12
January
|
| | | US
responds by threatening force.
|
| | |
15
January
|
| | | Ritter
gets a call from Butler the night before a surprise inspection at SSO. Butler
tells him that US Ambassador to the UN Bill Richardson wants Ritter to call it
off and wants him to go back to Bahrain.
|
| | |
22
January
|
| | | Monica
Lewinsky story breaks.
|
| | |
23
January
|
| | | Brink
of war: serious threat of military force in the air.
|
| | |
31
January
|
| | | Military
force likely. Aircraft carrier USS George Washington is off Bahrain coast,
poised for military action.
|
| | |
18
February
|
| | | Albright,
William Cohen, and Sandy Berger visit Ohio for internationally televised "town
hall" meeting on Iraq. Angry audience members disrupt the meeting.
|
| | |
20
February
|
| | | The
UN Security Council passes a resolution that permits Iraq to double its "oil
for food" sales, to $5.25 Billion every six months. [By January 1999, The New
York Times is reporting that Kofi Annan is convinced that the Iraqi leadership
is not spending the money to alleviate hunger and medical emergencies in his
country, and instead continues to blame the suffering of the Iraqi people on
sanctions.]
|
| | |
22-24
February
|
| | | Crisis
defused when UN Secretary General Kofi Annan reaches deal with Saddam, who
promises unconditional co-operation with inspection team. Inspections resume.
Saddam agrees to the inspection of the eight so-called presidential sites.
[Ritter claims that Annan secretly promised Iraq that the confrontational
inspections of sensitive sites would occur only once: sometime in the next
four months.]
|
| | |
March
|
| | | US
Intercepted communications are sent by satellite relay to the NSA in Fort Meade.
|
| | |
2
March
|
| | | US
Secretary of State Madeleine Albright urges Richard Butler to keep Scott Ritter
from heading the inspection team that is to enter Iraqi "sensitive" sites.
After other leaders of UNSCOM inspection teams back Ritter in a memo to the
Executive Chairman, Ritter returns to Iraq.
|
| | |
20-23
March
|
| | | Butler
states publicly that the agreement UN General Secretary Kofi Annan strikes with
the Iraqis has helped to create a sense of cooperation with the Iraqis.
|
| | |
April
|
| | | Scott
Ritter complains to Richard Butler that the US, Israel, and Great Britain have
stopped providing intelligence reports, and that the Americans have taken over
UNSCOM's operation. American officials disagree, stating that only Ritter was
cut off from information because he was needlessly complicating UNSCOM's work.
|
| | |
4
April
|
| | | UNSCOM
completes initial inspection of eight Presidential sites.
|
| | |
8
April
|
| | | UNSCOM
reports to the Security Council that Iraq's declaration on its biological
weapons program is incomplete and inadequate.
|
| | |
15
May
|
| | | Operation
Teacup: Romania. An Iraqi delegation goes to Bucharest to meet with
individuals who could provide missile guidance systems. UNSCOM sets a trap
with the intent of presenting this information to the UN Security Council. But
UNSCOM is never able to get this information to the Council.
|
| | |
Spring
|
| | | An
inspection team discovers a dump full of destroyed Iraqi missiles. An analysis
of the parts proves that Iraq had made a weapon containing VX.
|
| | |
11-15
June
|
| | | Butler
meets with Tariq Aziz to develop roadmap for concluding inspections.
|
| | |
2
August
|
| | | UNSCOM
begins a planned series of surprise inspections.
|
| | |
3
August
|
| | | Butler
meets with Tariq Aziz who demands that inspections must end and that Iraq must
be certified as free of weapons of mass destruction. Butler says he cannot do
that. Aziz suspends talks.
|
| | |
5
August
|
| | | Iraq
suspends all co-operation with UNSCOM.
|
| | |
7
August
|
| | | US
embassies in East Africa are bombed.
|
| | |
17
August
|
| | | Clinton
admits affair with Lewinsky.
|
| | |
18
August
|
| | | Brink
of war with Iraq.
|
| | |
20
August
|
| | | US
bombs terrorist training camp in Afghanistan and a factory in Sudan in retaliation against Osama bin Laden, the accused mastermind of the East
Africa embassy bombings.
|
| | |
25
August
|
| | | Butler,
according to Ritter, asked Ritter to "redefine" his team--meaning Butler wants
Ritter to back off from confrontational inspections.
|
| | |
26
August
|
| | | Ritter
resigns from UNSCOM. He accuses the US of undercutting UNSCOM. He calls the
UN response to Iraq "a surrender to the Iraqi leadership" and says he will not
be a part of it.
|
| | |
9
September
|
| | | UN
Security Council passes a resolution which condemns Iraq's lack of cooperation.
|
| | |
22-23
October
|
| | | UNSCOM
convenes a meeting to discuss the 1998 analysis of samples taken from remnants
of Iraq's special warheads. The US charges that these warheads contained
traces of chemical weapons.
|
| | |
31
October
|
| | | Iraq
shuts down all UNSCOM inspections.
|
| | |
13-14
November
|
| | | Clinton
orders airstrike on Iraq. Then calls it off at the last minute when Iraq
promises unconditionally to co-operate with UNSCOM.
|
| | |
18
November
|
| | | UNSCOM
inspectors return to Iraq.
|
| | |
23-26
November
|
| | | Iraq
makes it clear that it will not cooperate with UNSCOM inspectors, alternately
intimidating and withholding information from them.
|
| | |
30
November
|
| | | Butler
meets with US National Security Advisor Sandy Berger to coordinate time lines
for possible military strike against Iraq.
|
| | |
9
December
|
| | | UNSCOM
inspectors show up for an unscheduled search of Saddam Hussein's Ba'ath Party
headquarters. Only four inspectors are allowed to enter. Butler then calls
off the inspection.
|
| | |
11
December
|
| | | Iraq
announces that inspections can no longer take place on Friday, the Muslim day
of rest. They refuse to provide test data from the production of missiles and
engines.
|
| | |
13
December
|
| | | Clinton
secretly approves attack on Iraq.
|
| | |
15
December
|
| | | Richard
Butler provides a report to the UN Security Council which argues Iraq is still
blocking inspections. This report serves as the basis for a military strike.
|
| | |
16
December
|
| | | UNSCOM
withdraws all weapons inspectors from Iraq.
|
| | |
16-19
December
|
| | | Operation
Desert Fox: bombing commences against Iraq. The House vote on impeachment is
delayed.
|
| | |
17
December
|
| | | Some
members of the UN Security Council attack Butler, saying that he manipulated
the report that the US used to justify the attack against Iraq. Butler
vehemently denies the charges.
|
| | |
19
December
|
| | | Just
before bombing ceases, Iraqi vice-president Taha Yassin Ramadan announces that
Iraq will no longer co-operate. He declares UNSCOM's "mission is over."
|
| | |
21
December
|
| | | Three
of the five permanent members of the Security Council (Russia, France, and
China) call for lifting the eight-year oil embargo, recasting or disbanding
UNSCOM, and firing Butler. A US official (unnamed) indicates that the US will
use its Security Council veto against any such measures.
|
| | |
|
| | |
4
January
|
| | | The
Washington Post reports that Kofi Annan obtained evidence that the US collected
eavesdropping intelligence through UNSCOM with the UN's permission.
|
| | |
7
January
|
| | | US
officials confirm their role in the monitoring operation of communications in
Iraq. They say that intelligence agents from several countries, including the
US, were assigned to work on inspection teams.
|
| | |
4
February
|
| | | Richard
Butler tells CNN that when his term expires on June 30, 1999, he will resign.
|
| | |
