Iraq and weapons of mass destruction

The controversy over claims that Iraq retained prohibited chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons before the 2003 invasion, and the failure to find the stockpiles described in those claims.

Iraq disarmament crisis: The dispute over Iraq’s compliance with international disarmament demands after the 1991 Gulf War. This longer confrontation framed the prewar claims about prohibited weapons.
Colin Powell: U.S. secretary of state from 2001 to 2005 and a prominent advocate for action against Iraq. His 2003 Security Council presentation brought U.S. intelligence claims before the world.
Iraq intelligence commission: The 2005 U.S. commission that examined intelligence on Iraq’s weapons programs before the invasion. It identified failures in how U.S. agencies collected and judged weapons intelligence.
2003 invasion of Iraq: The U.S.-led military invasion that overthrew Saddam Hussein’s government in March and April 2003. The invasion proceeded without finding the prohibited stockpiles cited in its public case.
Iraq chemical weapons program: Iraq’s development and use of chemical weapons, including during the Iran–Iraq War and against Kurdish civilians. Documented past use was often conflated with the disputed claim of pre-invasion stockpiles.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 687: The 1991 resolution that set ceasefire terms and required Iraq to eliminate its weapons of mass destruction. It established the disarmament obligations at the center of the controversy.
George W. Bush: The 43rd president of the United States, who ordered the 2003 invasion of Iraq. His administration made the weapons claims a leading public case for war.
Senate Report on Iraqi WMD Intelligence: The 2004 U.S. Senate inquiry into intelligence assessments of Iraq’s weapons programs. It compared key prewar judgments with the evidence available to intelligence agencies.
Iraq War: The armed conflict that began with the 2003 invasion and continued through the withdrawal of U.S. forces in 2011. The weapons controversy shaped the war’s justification and its lasting political debate.
Iraq biological weapons program: Iraq’s past effort to develop biological agents and weapons, dismantled under international inspection after 1991. A genuine earlier program did not establish that active weapons remained in 2003.

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