HeXp£Øi±
Well-Known Member
Staff and agencies
Monday March 17, 2003
Sunday 16 March
1835: With the eyes of the world upon them, Tony Blair, George Bush and Jose Maria Aznar emerge from their summit in the Azores to announce a final 24-hour deadline for a diplomatic solution to the Iraq crisis.
President Bush says the "moment of truth" has come and puts his country on a war footing - warning that if UN-sponsored diplomacy fails, military action could be launched as early as Tuesday.
1915: Saddam Hussein says US claims that Iraq possesses banned weapons are "a great lie" and warns that Iraq would respond to an attack "wherever there is sky, land and water in the entire world".
2200: Chief UN weapons inspector Hans Blix says he finds the message from (the Azores) "slightly divided". "President Bush seems to be talking mainly about how to liberate Iraq while Blair and Aznar on the other hand are giving more weight to having a last chance to unite the world and give Saddam an ultimatum."
Monday 17 March
0001: President Jacques Chirac re-affirms his opposition to a US-led war in Iraq, saying in an American TV interview that France "will naturally go to the end" in refusing to endorse military action.
0130: The US removes its non-essential diplomats from Kuwait, Israel and Syria "due to the threat of military action in Iraq."
0430: Following a telephone briefing from President Bush, the Australian prime minister, John Howard, said his country's participation in a war with Iraq is growing "more likely".
0515: UN observers cease all operations on Iraq-Kuwait border, as UN moves its staff in the region to a higher state of security alert. More than 100 inspectors remain in Iraq.
0630: The Foreign Office advises all Britons in Kuwait except diplomatic staff to leave the country "urgently".
0720: The French foreign minister, Dominique de Villepin, reiterates veto threat, saying "France cannot accept the resolution that is on the table in New York... which poses an ultimatum and which envisages an automatic use of force."
0815: The Russian deputy foreign minister, Yuri Fedotov, warns that a US-backed resolution opening the way to military conflict would have "no chance" of success.
0845: China's foreign minister, Li Zhaoxing, says war must be avoided in Iraq and that he was "keeping his fingers crossed" for peace. China, one of the five veto-wielding permanent members of the security council, has yet to reveal how it would vote on a new resolution on Iraq.
0920: As Germany closes its embassy in Baghdad, Chancellor Gerhard Schröder says his country could not agree to a United Nations resolution legitimising a war against Iraq.
0950: France calls for an emergency UN ministerial meeting to be held on Tuesday to set a timetable for Iraq's peaceful disarmament, ignoring the Monday deadline set by the US, UK and Spain.
1030: EU president Greece urges the world to work until "the last moment" to find a peaceful settlement through the UN.
1115: Russian President Vladimir Putin says war would be "a mistake".
1400: The attorney general, Lord Goldsmith, spells out the government's legal basis for military action in a parliamentary written answer. He argues that the combined effect of previous UN resolutions on Iraq dating back to the 1990 invasion of Kuwait allowed "the use of force for the express purpose of restoring international peace and security".
1505: The United States, Britain and Spain withdraw their resolution, abandoning efforts to win UN backing for a war with Iraq.
The British ambassador, Jeremy Greenstock, blames France for threatening to veto the resolution which would have issued Iraq with an ultimatum to disarm by Monday or face military action.
1515: White House says "diplomatic window has closed" on Iraq disarming
1600: Commons leader Robin Cook tells Tony Blair he is resigning from government - minutes before an emergency meeting of the Cabinet.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,916007,00.html
Monday March 17, 2003
Sunday 16 March
1835: With the eyes of the world upon them, Tony Blair, George Bush and Jose Maria Aznar emerge from their summit in the Azores to announce a final 24-hour deadline for a diplomatic solution to the Iraq crisis.
President Bush says the "moment of truth" has come and puts his country on a war footing - warning that if UN-sponsored diplomacy fails, military action could be launched as early as Tuesday.
1915: Saddam Hussein says US claims that Iraq possesses banned weapons are "a great lie" and warns that Iraq would respond to an attack "wherever there is sky, land and water in the entire world".
2200: Chief UN weapons inspector Hans Blix says he finds the message from (the Azores) "slightly divided". "President Bush seems to be talking mainly about how to liberate Iraq while Blair and Aznar on the other hand are giving more weight to having a last chance to unite the world and give Saddam an ultimatum."
Monday 17 March
0001: President Jacques Chirac re-affirms his opposition to a US-led war in Iraq, saying in an American TV interview that France "will naturally go to the end" in refusing to endorse military action.
0130: The US removes its non-essential diplomats from Kuwait, Israel and Syria "due to the threat of military action in Iraq."
0430: Following a telephone briefing from President Bush, the Australian prime minister, John Howard, said his country's participation in a war with Iraq is growing "more likely".
0515: UN observers cease all operations on Iraq-Kuwait border, as UN moves its staff in the region to a higher state of security alert. More than 100 inspectors remain in Iraq.
0630: The Foreign Office advises all Britons in Kuwait except diplomatic staff to leave the country "urgently".
0720: The French foreign minister, Dominique de Villepin, reiterates veto threat, saying "France cannot accept the resolution that is on the table in New York... which poses an ultimatum and which envisages an automatic use of force."
0815: The Russian deputy foreign minister, Yuri Fedotov, warns that a US-backed resolution opening the way to military conflict would have "no chance" of success.
0845: China's foreign minister, Li Zhaoxing, says war must be avoided in Iraq and that he was "keeping his fingers crossed" for peace. China, one of the five veto-wielding permanent members of the security council, has yet to reveal how it would vote on a new resolution on Iraq.
0920: As Germany closes its embassy in Baghdad, Chancellor Gerhard Schröder says his country could not agree to a United Nations resolution legitimising a war against Iraq.
0950: France calls for an emergency UN ministerial meeting to be held on Tuesday to set a timetable for Iraq's peaceful disarmament, ignoring the Monday deadline set by the US, UK and Spain.
1030: EU president Greece urges the world to work until "the last moment" to find a peaceful settlement through the UN.
1115: Russian President Vladimir Putin says war would be "a mistake".
1400: The attorney general, Lord Goldsmith, spells out the government's legal basis for military action in a parliamentary written answer. He argues that the combined effect of previous UN resolutions on Iraq dating back to the 1990 invasion of Kuwait allowed "the use of force for the express purpose of restoring international peace and security".
1505: The United States, Britain and Spain withdraw their resolution, abandoning efforts to win UN backing for a war with Iraq.
The British ambassador, Jeremy Greenstock, blames France for threatening to veto the resolution which would have issued Iraq with an ultimatum to disarm by Monday or face military action.
1515: White House says "diplomatic window has closed" on Iraq disarming
1600: Commons leader Robin Cook tells Tony Blair he is resigning from government - minutes before an emergency meeting of the Cabinet.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,916007,00.html
