Previous page | Contents | Next page
4.1  |  Iraq WMD assessments, pre-July 2002
In the light of sensitivities about their content and significance, publication of
documents on ‘Iraq’s Weapons of Mass Destruction’, ‘Weapons Inspections’ and
‘Abuse of Human Rights’ was postponed until the policy on Iraq was clearer.
The UK’s assessment of Iraq’s WMD capabilities pre-9/11
The legacy of the 1990s
4.  The conviction that Iraq had retained elements of its prohibited nuclear,
chemical, biological and ballistic missile programmes was the fundamental tenet
of UK policy towards Iraq throughout the 1990s.
5.  When Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in August 1991, Iraq had deployable stocks
of chemical and biological weapons, was developing long-range missiles and had an
active nuclear programme.
6.  Saddam Hussein had used chemical weapons during the 1980s, in breach of
international law, both against the Kurds and during the war with Iran. He did not,
however, use them during the 1991 Gulf Conflict.
7.  After the 1991 Conflict, the UN Security Council sought to contain Iraq’s military
capability and restore international peace and security. On 3 April 1991, the UN
Security Council adopted resolution 687 imposing a wide range of obligations on Iraq.
The obligations in relation to “weapons of mass destruction” are summarised in the
Box below.
Resolution 687 (1991): Iraq’s WMD obligations
Section C of resolution 687 invited Iraq (operative paragraph (OP) 7) to reaffirm
unconditionally its obligations under the 1925 Geneva Protocol and to ratify the Biological
and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC).
The Security Council decided (OP8) that “Iraq shall unconditionally accept the destruction,
removal or rendering harmless, under international supervision”, of all:
“chemical and biological weapons”;
“stocks of agents”;
“related sub-systems and components”;
“research, development, support and manufacturing facilities”;
“ballistic missiles with a range greater than one hundred and fifty kilometres”;
“related major parts”; and
“repair and production facilities”.
Iraq was required (OP9) to submit, within 15 days, “a declaration of the locations, amounts
and types of all items” specified in OP8, and agree to urgent on-site inspection.
9
Previous page | Contents | Next page