Iraq Disarmament Crisis
The issue of Iraq's disarmament reached a crisis in 2002-2003, when U.S. President George W. Bush demanded a complete end to what he alleged was Iraqi production of weapons of mass destruction and that Iraq comply with UN Resolutions requiring UN weapons inspectors unfettered access to areas those inspectors thought might have weapons production facilities. Iraq had been banned by the United Nations from developing or possessing such weapons since the 1991 Gulf War. It was also required to permit inspections to confirm Iraqi compliance. Bush repeatedly backed demands for unfettered inspection and disarmament with threats of invasion.
On 20 March 2003, an alliance of primarily U.S. and British forces invaded Iraq (see 2003 invasion of Iraq). After the war, a number of failed Iraqi peace initiatives were revealed.
Read more about Iraq Disarmament Crisis: Background, 2002-2003, UNSC Disagreement, Criticism of U.S. Policy, Aftermath
Famous quotes containing the word crisis:
“It is necessary to turn political crisis into armed crisis by performing violent actions that will force those in power to transform the military situation into a political situation. That will alienate the masses, who, from then on, will revolt against the army and the police and blame them for this state of things.”
—Carlos Marighella (d. 1969)