Timeline: The road to war in Iraq

1990 Aug. 2 - Iraq invades Kuwait. The UN Security Council calls for a full withdrawal.

1990 Aug. 6 - UN imposes economic sanctions on Iraq.

1990 Nov. 29 - UN orders Iraq to withdraw from Kuwait by Jan. 15, 1991.

1991 Jan. 17 - The Gulf War starts as coalition forces begin bombing Iraq.

1991 Feb. 24 - Ground invasion of Iraq and Kuwait commences. Kuwait is liberated three days later.

1991 Mar. 3 - Iraq accepts the cease-fire. The primary cease-fire resolution requires Iraq to end its programs for weapons-of-mass-destruction (WMD), recognize Kuwait, account for missing Kuwaitis, return Kuwaiti property, and end support for international terrorism.

1991 Mid-March/early April - Iraq suppresses Shiite uprisings in the south and Kurdish uprisings in the north, creating a humanitarian disaster on the borders with Turkey and Iran.

1991 April 7 - The US and coalition partners establish the no-fly zone over northern Iraq.

1991 April 8 - A plan for the establishment of a UN haven in northern Iraq for Kurds is approved by the European Union. The US orders Iraq to end military action in this area.

1991 April - Working with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN Special Commission (UNSCOM) is established to ensure Iraq is free of WMD.

1992 August 26 - A no-fly zone is established in southern Iraq and patrolled by British, French and US aircraft.

1993 June 27 - US forces fire Cruise missiles at an Iraqi intelligence building in Baghdad, in response to the attempted assassination of former President George Bush in Kuwait in April.

1995 April 14 - The UN allows the partial resumption of Iraq's oil exports to buy food and medicine as part of an "oil for food" program.

1996 March-June - UN inspection teams are denied access to militarily sensitive areas.

1996 June - A CIA-backed coup attempt against Saddam Hussein is foiled. Participants are executed.

1997 Oct. 29 - Iraq demands that Americans on the UN inspection team leave; they go but return on Nov. 20.

1998 Jan 13-22 - Iraq withdraws cooperation with UN inspectors, claiming some are British and American spies.

Feb. 23 - Iraq promises UN inspectors unrestricted access.

Oct. 31 - Iraq ends cooperation with UNSCOM.

Nov. 14 - Iraq allows inspections to resume.

Dec. 16 - UN inspection teams are withdrawn, after concluding that Iraq is not cooperating fully.

Dec. 16-19 - US and Britain launch a bombing campaign "Operation Desert Fox," to destroy suspected WMD.

Dec. 17 - UN creates the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) to replace UNSCOM. Iraq rejects the new body.

2000 August - Baghdad Airport reopened, resulting in a stream of flights by countries and organizations to campaign against sanctions.

October - Commercial air links reestablished between Iraq and Russia, Ireland, and the Middle East.

November - Iraq rejects new weapons-inspections proposals.

2001 Free-trade zone agreements set up with neighboring countries. Rail link with Turkey reopened in May.

February - Britain and US planes launch raids to try and disable Iraq's air defense network.

2002 Jan. 30 - President Bush says Iraq is part of an "axis of evil" during his State of the Union address.

May - UN overhauls the prohibited-goods list, creating "smart sanctions" which focus on military and dual-use equipment.

Aug. 2 - In a letter to the UN secretary-general, Iraq invites Hans Blix to Iraq for talks on remaining disarmament issues.

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