Timeline
- -02-05-03 U.S. Fails to Convince (MSNBC)
"While supporters of the Bush administration’s hard line on Iraq found U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell’s address to the U.N. Security Council compelling, there was no indication that it swayed skeptics of the need for military action if Saddam Hussein fails to account for the weapons of mass destruction that Powell charged he is hiding."
"Powell’s presentation received much better marks from U.S. lawmakers and policy shapers. But some said that it still had not persuaded them of the wisdom of military action by the United States and a small number of allies without support from the United Nations." 2-03
- -02-08-03 Military Mobilizes Commercial Aircraft (ABC News - Wolf)
"The Pentagon said on Saturday it was activating a rarely used program that would mobilize scores of U.S. commercial aircraft to meet heightened airlift needs ahead of a possible war with Iraq." 2-03
- -02-08-03 Timeline - Recent Timeline Towards War (Awesome Library)
Provides a timeline from August 2002 to February 2003 on the progression toward war against Iraq. 2-03
- -02-08-03 U.N. Chief Warns U.S. - Collective Approach Creates Safety (Bloomberg.com)
"United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan urged the U.S. to show patience in its drive toward war with Iraq, warning that unilateral action may harm overall efforts on terrorism and global disarmament. " 2-03
- -02-09-03 Nations United - More Inspections Needed (USAToday.com)
"The rift between the United States and key European allies over Iraq widened sharply Sunday as Germany and France crafted a proposal to the United Nations for expanded weapons inspections enforced by U.N. troops."
"Russian President Vladimir Putin, heavily courted by Bush as the U.S. military buildup nears completion, broke ranks Sunday after talks with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder. He said Russia, Germany, France and China agreed more inspections are needed." 2-03
- -02-09-03 U.N. Does Not Support Bush Demand for War Now (USAToday.com)
Provides the views of each of the fifteen members of the U.N. Security Council. The Security Council has the power to approve or disapprove the use of force or war in Iraq on behalf of the international community. Most nations believe that war should not be started unless inspections are found not to work. The judges of whether the inspections are working, according to the U.N. resolution that the U.S. sponsored, is the U.N. inspectors. 2-03
- -02-09-03 U.N. Inspectors Ask for More Time (USAToday.com)
"The U.N. chief weapons inspectors emerged from key talks with Iraq officials Sunday, saying they saw signs of a "change of heart" from Baghdad over disarmament demands and that further U.N. inspections were preferable to a quick U.S.-led military strike." 2-03
- -02-10-03 Countries Unite to Prevent U.S. from Starting a War (BBC)
Germany and France are developing a plan to disarm Iraq without war. "Der Spiegel says that, under the plan, Iraq would, in effect, become a UN protectorate with Saddam Hussein its ruler in name only." 2-03
- -02-10-03 France Vetoes NATO War Planning (CNN)
"France, Germany and Belgium all wanted to delay a decision on sending hardware for self-defense into Turkey, fearing such a move could undermine efforts to avoid war while the United States is leading the case to authorize giving Turkey the equipment as soon as possible."
"The French argue starting military preparations is premature and risks undermining U.N. efforts to end the Iraq crisis peacefully." 2-03
- -02-10-03 Iraq Agrees to Spy Planes (BBC)
"Iraq has agreed to allow U-2 surveillance flights - a key demand of United Nations weapons inspectors who want to see better co-operation from Baghdad." 2-03
- -02-11-03 Ignored and Vulnerable - 12 Million Children of Iraq (Independent - Doyle)
" 'They come from above, from the air, and will kill us and destroy us. I can explain to you that we fear this every day and every night.' – Shelma (Five years old)"
"It is not Saddam Hussein and his henchmen, but Iraq's 12 million children who will be most vulnerable to the massive use of force that the US plans to unleash against their country in the coming months." 2-03
- -02-11-03 Poll Shows U.S. Support for War Increasing (USAToday.com - Benedetto)
"Public support for going to war against Iraq grew after Secretary of State Colin Powell made the case to the United Nations Security Council last week, a USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup Poll shows."
"Even so, that support is conditional. One in three said they favor an invasion only if the United Nations passes a new resolution authorizing the action and 39% favor invading without a resolution." 2-03
- -02-11-03 U.N. Urged to Consider Human Costs of War (ABC News)
"Amnesty International urged the United Nations Tuesday to confront the human cost of war on Iraq and prepare for a humanitarian disaster that could be worse than during the 1991 conflict." 2-03
- -02-12-03 Inspectors to Destroy Banned Weapons (Foxnews.com)
U.N. inspectors plan to destroy banned weapons that were found years earlier and were known to have existed. Inspectors have not, however, found any new banned weapons.
"During the four-year U.N. absence, the Bush administration contends, Iraq revived banned weapons programs and has retained chemical and biological arms. But it has presented no proof, and in more than 500 inspections thus far, including at sites spotlighted in the U.S. allegations, the U.N. teams have found no major violations of the U.N. bans."
"The only banned weapons or components found have been the previously known mustard-gas shells, and 18 empty artillery rocket warheads designed for chemical agents. Those unfilled warheads were discovered at various times in two locations by both U.N. inspectors and the Iraqi government." 2-03
- -02-12-03 Iraqi Missile Exceeds Allowable Range (ABC News)
"Missile experts called in by U.N. arms inspectors have concluded that Iraq's Al Samoud 2 missile has a longer operational range than is permissible under U.N. resolutions and the missile's engines should probably be destroyed, diplomats said on Wednesday." 2-03
- -02-14-03 Massive Anti-War Protests Begin (CNN news)
"Hundreds of thousands of people are beginning to take to the streets across the globe this weekend in opposition to military action against Iraq." 2-03
- -02-14-03 Nations Respond to U.N. Inspectors (CNN)
While the U.S., United Kingdom, and Spain expressed a need for the U.N. to take swift action toward war against Iraq, all other nations who spoke at the U.N. Security Council supported the inspections process. French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin stated " 'No one today can claim the path of war will be shorter than the path of inspections. No one can claim that it would lead to a safer, more just, more stable world. For war is always the sanction of failure. Would this be our sole recourse in the face of the many challenges at this time? So let us give the United Nations inspectors the time they need for their mission to succeed.' " 2-03
- -02-14-03 U.N. Inspectors Challenge U.S. Claims (CBC News)
"While inspectors acknowledged there were disturbing gaps in the information provided by Iraq on its possession of banned weapons, they also called into question U.S. allegations that Iraq is systematically hiding weapons of mass destruction."
"On one hand, Blix pointed to the presence of banned missiles and missile engines in Iraq, with ranges that exceed that allowed under earlier arms agreements. He also noted Iraq’s failure to account for tons of chemical and biological agents it was known to have."
"However, both inspectors said they had found no evidence indicating that Iraq was trying to hide prohibited weapons and that Baghdad had demonstrated a new willingness to cooperate. The statement cast doubt on a presentation earlier in the week by U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell." 2-03
- -02-15-03 Millions Protest War (ABC News - Wulfhorst and Majendie)
"More than six million protesters took to the streets around the globe on Saturday to send a passionate message to President Bush not to invade Iraq and to give peace a chance."
"The largest outcries against war in Europe were in countries where leaders have vocally supported Bush's position."
"Some two million people turned out in Spain to rail against war, including nearly 1.3 million in Barcelona, making it the city's biggest protest ever, and 600,000 in Madrid, bringing the city center to a standstill."
2-03
- -02-15-03 War Spells Disaster for Children in Iraq (Independent - Buncombe)
"A US-led war against Iraq could trigger 'a humanitarian emergency of exceptional scale and magnitude', according to confidential United Nations planning documents."
"They warn that 30 per cent of Iraqi children under the age of five could die from malnutrition and that attacks on electricity and transportation would severely hamper UN efforts to help those affected." 2-03
- -02-16-03 Rice and Clark Speak Out on the Need for War With Iraq (NBC News - Meet the Press)
Tim Russert of NBC News interviews Dr. Condoleezza Rice, National Security Adviser, and General Wesley Clark (Retired), Former NATO Supreme Allied Commander.
Dr. Rice commented on the U. N. Security Council meeting held February 14, 2003: "Well, any time you have a situation in which you are calling for more time, rather than calling for Iraq to immediately comply, it plays into the hands of Saddam Hussein. And what Secretary Powell and Minister Straw and the Spanish foreign minister were saying is if you want a peaceful resolution to this crisis, the way to get it is to not take the pressure off Saddam Hussein, not to give him the view that he can somehow continue to play cheat and retreat, but to let him know that the Security Council is going to stand united this time, it is going to enforce its resolutions this time, and that he’d either better comply and disarm or the world will disarm him."
Russert asked Clark what the Bush administration should have done differently, rather than pursue war with Iraq right now. General Clark replied: "Somehow, we’ve become divided from Europe. So I would have focused on al-Qaeda. I would have used the United Nations and NATO against al-Qaeda. Then I would have drawn NATO into it. Then when it comes time to work against Iraq, or Iran, or North Korea, you’ve got a strong, committed group of allies. As long as the United States stands with Europe, we can move the world. When we become at odds across the Atlantic, everything becomes more difficult."
Russert also asked General Clark if Iraq is a necessary war. Clark said that it probably is not. He added: "But it’s the balance that’s important. And when you’re contemplating a $100 billion resource expenditure against Iraq, but you can’t put another $5 billion into Homeland Security to protect the American people, you have to ask: Which strategy best protects America?" 2-03
- -02-19-03 Nations Urge U.S. to Allow Inspections to Work (Bloomberg - Varner)
"Thirty more United Nations members called for UN arms inspections in Iraq to continue, even as the U.S. and U.K. prepared a UN resolution authorizing war and may set a deadline for Iraq to cooperate." "Envoys speaking on behalf of more than 100 nations voiced similar opinions yesterday." 2-03
- -02-22-03 Blix Orders Iraq Missiles Destroyed by March 1 (CNN)
"The chief U.N. weapons inspector has ordered the Iraqi government destroy a controversial missile system, which weapons experts say violates the range limit imposed by the Security Council."
"In a key test of Baghdad's compliance, Hans Blix on Friday handed a letter to Iraq's U.N. ambassador, Mohammed Aldouri, mandating that the supervised destruction of Al Samoud-2 missiles begin by March 1." 2-03
- -02-22-03 Blix Orders Iraq Missiles Destroyed by March 1 (CNN)
"The chief U.N. weapons inspector has ordered the Iraqi government destroy a controversial missile system, which weapons experts say violates the range limit imposed by the Security Council."
"In a key test of Baghdad's compliance, Hans Blix on Friday handed a letter to Iraq's U.N. ambassador, Mohammed Aldouri, mandating that the supervised destruction of Al Samoud-2 missiles begin by March 1." 2-03
- -02-23-03 Blix : "Odd" Iraq Cannot Prove Weapons Destruction (Yahoo - Mroue)
"Amin repeated Iraq's claims that it is 'clean' of weapons of mass destruction, and said Iraq is cooperating with the inspectors in an attempt to prove it."
"An example, he said, can be seen in trenches Iraqi has begun to dig at sites where it says it unilaterally destroyed chemical and biological weapons. He said a U.N. team will come to Iraq on March 2 to check the soil for proof of the weapons' destruction."
"Blix expressed skepticism over Iraq's claims to have destroyed the stocks of anthrax and VX nerve agent. Blix told Time magazine in an interview to be published Monday that he found it "a bit odd" that Baghdad, with 'one of the best-organized regimes in the Arab world,' would claim to have no records of the substances' destruction." 2-03
- -02-23-03 Pope Opposes War - Calls for Fasts (ABC News)
"Pope John Paul II called on Catholics to fast on Ash Wednesday in the name of peace and said again on Sunday he worried a U.S.-led war against Iraq could unsettle the entire Middle East."
"Looking wan and tired, John Paul opened his traditional Sunday remarks from his studio window overlooking St. Peter's Square by denouncing war as a way to resolve the conflict."
" 'It is the duty of all believers, to whichever religion they belong, to proclaim that we can never be happy pitted one against the other; the future of humanity will never able to be secured by terrorism and by the logic of war,' John Paul said." 2-03
- -02-24-03 Bush a Threat to World Peace? (MSNBC - Kessler and Allen)
"The messages from U.S. embassies around the globe have become urgent and disturbing: Many people in the world increasingly think President Bush is a greater threat to world peace than Iraqi President Saddam Hussein." 2-03
- -02-24-03 Iraq Not Planning to destroy Missiles (ABC News)
"Iraqi President Saddam Hussein has challenged President Bush to a live, international television debate about the Iraq crisis, CBS News reported on Monday."
.."The Iraqi leader also made clear that he would not accept demands that he destroy missiles which the United Nations says have a longer than permitted range." 2-03
- -02-24-03 U.S. and Britian: Iraq Missed Final Opportunity (BBC News)
Provides the full text of the U.S. and British proposal to the U.N. Security Council for a resolution on Iraq.
.."Determined to secure full compliance with its decisions and to restore international peace and security in the area,"
.."Acting under Chapter VII of the charter of the United Nations,"
.."Decides that Iraq has failed to take the final opportunity afforded to it in Resolution 1441 (2002),"
.."Decides to remain seized of the matter." 2-03
- -02-25-03 Bush's Postwar Vision (MSNBC - Mitchell)
"The president was expected to give a speech Wednesday outlining his vision of a democratic Iraq, while military brass laid out their ideas of how the country would be run after the Iraqi regime was toppled, including an initial occupation force of several hundred thousand soldiers." 2-03
- -02-27-03 Bush Outlines Plans for Iraq (MSNBC)
"President Bush on Wednesday outlined a future without Saddam Hussein, vowing that the United States would stay in Iraq as long as necessary after a war in a reconstruction effort he likened to the campaign to rebuild Europe and Japan after World War II." 2-03
- -02-28-03 Estimates of War Costs Rise (BBC - Schifferes)
"Pentagon planners are now expected to ask Congress for a supplemental appropriation of $95bn to pay for the war if hostilities break out, up from previous estimates of around $60bn."
.." 'The government is going to have to borrow the money to finance this war,' said Senator Robert Byrd, 'overwhelming a federal budget which is already sliding into deep deficit and warping the US economy'. "
.."The increased costs of the war reflect uncertainty about the duration of the conflict, as well as additional costs for reconstruction and aid to key allies such as Turkey."
.."President Bush's ambitious goal of rebuilding democracy in Iraq implies that a large occupation force would be needed, staying at least several years."
.."And Washington plans to appoint a prominent US official to help run the country to ensure that 'one brutal dictator is not replaced by another'."
.."Another uncertainty, however, is to what extent US allies will pay for part of that bill - or directly aid the reconstruction efforts." 2-03
- -02-28-03 Iraq Agrees to Destroy Missiles (CNN)
"Iraq is expected to begin the process of destroying its Al Samoud 2 missiles on Saturday, as demanded, U.N. chief weapons inspector Hans Blix said."
.."U.S. and British officials dismissed the announcement, saying Iraq needed to disarm completely."
.."But French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin called Iraq's decision an important step that showed inspections were working."
.."Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov said Friday that Moscow is prepared to use its veto power in the U.N. Security Council to strike down a second resolution on Iraq if it were necessary for 'maintaining world stability.' " 2-03
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