| • Science | • People | • Locations | • Timeline |
The full text is available on WikiSource.
Although Iraq was given until November 15 to accept the resolution, they agreed on November 13. Weapons inspectors, absent from Iraq since December 1998, returned later that month, led by Hans Blix of UNMOVIC and Mohamed ElBaradeiMohamed ElBaradei (born 1942) is the Director General of the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), an inter-governmental organization under the auspices of the United Nations. He has held the position for two terms since December 1, 19 of the IAEA.
In early DecemberDecember is the twelfth and last month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 31 days. From the Latin decem for " ten" (it was originally the tenth month of the year, before January and February were inserted). The winter solstice falls in December., 2002, Iraq filed a 12,000-page weapons declaration with the UN in order to meet requirements for this resolution. The UN and the US said that this failed to account for all of Iraq's chemical and biological agents.
Hans Blix and Mohamed ElBaradei presented several reports to the UN detailing Iraq's level of compliance with Resolution 1441. On January 30January 30 is the 30th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. There are 335 days remaining, (336 in leap years). Events 1595 William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is performed for the first time. 1649 King Charles I of England is beheaded. 1781 Artic, 2003 Blix said that Iraq had not fully accepted its obligation to disarm, and the report was taken broadly negatively. However the report of February 14February 14 is the 45th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. There are 320 days remaining, 321 in leap years. Events 1014 Pope Benedict VIII recognizes Henry of Bavaria as King of Germany. 1076 Pope Gregory VII excommunicates Henry IV, Holy Roman Em was more encouraging for Iraq, saying that there had been significant progress and cooperation; however the issues of anthraxAlternate meanings in Anthrax (disambiguation Anthrax is an acute infectious disease caused by the bacteria Bacillus anthracis and is highly lethal in its most virulent form. Anthrax most commonly occurs in wild and domestic herbivores, but it can also oc, the nerve agent VXThe VX nerve gas is the most well-known of the V-series of nerve agents. Its chemical name is O-ethyl S-(2-diisopropylaminoethyl) methylphosphonothioate. The only countries known to possess VX gas are the US, France and Russia. VX gas is considered a weap and long-range missileA missile (British English: "miss isle"; U. English: "missl") is, in general, a projectile—that is, something thrown or otherwise propelled. Missiles can range from a rock thrown from a slingshot, through a crossbow or ballista bolt, to a Minuteman III ins were not resolved. France, Germany and other countries called for more time and resources for the inspections. The March 7 report was again seen as broadly positive, but Blix noted that disarmament and the verification of it would take months, rather than weeks or days.
By mid-March, Resolution 1441 had become crucial in the Iraq disarmament crisis. Under furious debate was whether a further Security Council resolution (the so-called "second resolution") was necessary to authorize war, or whether 1441 and preceding resolutions sufficed to legitimize military enforcement of the UN's disarmament aims. UK prime minister Tony Blair had for several weeks been under significant domestic pressure to obtain the "second resolution", and he led efforts for a unanimous resolution authorizing force. Of the permanent, veto-holding members of the Security Council, France, Russia, and the People's Republic of China wished the inspection period to be extended, and for no military action to go ahead without a further UN resolution. On the other hand, the USA and Britain, while admitting that such a resolution was diplomatically desirable, insisted that Iraq had now been given enough time (noting also the time since the first disarmament resolutions of 1991) to disarm or provide evidence thereof, and that war was legitimized by 1441 and previous UN resolutions. Non-permanent Security Council member Spain declared itself with the USA and Britain. On March 10, French president Jacques Chirac declared that France would veto any resolution which would automatically lead to war. This caused open displays of dismay by the US and British governments. The drive by Britain for unanimity and a "second resolution" was effectively abandoned at that point.
At the Azores conference of March 16, Tony Blair, George W. Bush, and Spanish prime minister José María Aznar announced the imminent deadline of March 17 for complete Iraqi compliance, with statements such as "Tomorrow is a moment of truth for the world". This was seen as meaning war would almost certainly start very soon after that date. On the 17th, speeches by Bush and UK foreign secretary Jack Straw explicitly declared the period of diplomacy to be over, and that no further authorization from the UN would be sought before an invasion of Iraq (see 2003 invasion of Iraq).
More information is found in United Nations actions regarding Iraq.