IRAQ AND THE UNITED NATIONS

U.N. Inspections: As a new United Nations-imposed deadline loomed, Saddam Hussein accepted a new Security Council resolution on Nov. 13, 2002 ordering weapons inspectors back into Iraq with unfettered access to all sites. It was the latest in a series of chess moves between the U.N., the U.S. and the Iraqi government in the continuing fight to rid the Gulf War state of weapons on mass destruction. (FULL STORY)

Sanctioning Iraq: Despite the shifting strength of United Nations sanctions over the past decade, humanitarian agencies continue to struggle to help the Iraqi people rebuild the pieces of a once affluent society from the ruins of war. The U.N. Security Council's economic sanctions on Iraq were implemented following the country's 1990 invasion of neighboring Kuwait and have continued due to its refusal to grant U.N. weapons inspectors unfettered access to weapons facilities. (FULL STORY)

Iraq and Weapons of Mass Destruction: In accepting the terms of the 1991 Gulf War cease-fire, Iraq's leaders agreed to "destroy or render harmless" all weapons of mass destruction. Iraq's continued refusal to allow unfettered United Nations weapons inspections has made it a challenge to know what weapons Saddam Hussein has at his disposal. (FULL STORY)

U.N. Resolutions on Iraq
Resolution 687:
Calling for a formal cease-fire to end the Gulf War, the Security Council demands that Iraq allow for the destruction of all its chemical and biological weapons. It also forced Iraq to unconditionally agree not to develop weapons of mass destruction. To oversee compliance of the resolution, the council establishes a special commission (UNSCOM) to conduct inspections of biological and chemical weapon sites and authorizes the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to investigate Iraq's nuclear weapons capabilities. The resolution also re-imposes sanctions, linking their removal to Iraq's compliance with disarmament.

Resolution 706:
"Concerned by the serious nutritional and health situation" of the Iraqi people, the Security Council allows countries to buy oil (not to exceed $1.6 billion) from Iraq. Iraq is ordered to use the money to pay for humanitarian supplies, inspections and reparations to Kuwait.

Resolution 1441:
The latest resolution, jointly sponsored by Britain and the United States, gives United Nations inspectors the "immediate, unimpeded and unconditional" right to search the country for chemical, biological or nuclear weapons. This includes President Saddam Hussein's palaces. The resolution threatens Iraq with "serious consequences" should it fail to cooperate, alluding to the use of force by the United States.