The "Bad Boy" Nation Chronology

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1906

Iran becomes a constitutional monarchy.

Ref: 5

1914

Abdel Karim Kassem general/premier/dictator of Iraq (1958-63), is born.

Ref: 5

1927

Iraq gains independence from Britain, but British troops remain.

Ref: 5

1931

Egypt signs treaty of friendship with Iraq.

Ref: 2

1935

Oil pipeline Iraq-Mediterranean goes into use.

Ref: 5

Faisal II King of Iraq (1939-58)/son of Ghasi I, is born.

Ref: 5

1937

Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein was born in the village of al-Oja near the desert town of Tikrit.

Ref: 70

1953

Faisal II installed as king of Iraq.

Ref: 5

1955

Pact of Baghdad between Iraq & Turkey signed.

Ref: 5

British government signs military treaty with Iraq.

Ref: 5

1958

Nuri ash Said becomes premier of Iraq.

Ref: 5

Iraqi army overthrows the monarchy of King Faisal II. A republic replaces the Hashemite dynasty.

Ref: 5

1959

Pro-Egyptian coup fails in Mosul Iraq.

Ref: 5

Abdel Wahab Shawwaf Iraqi Colonel/putschist, murdered.

Ref: 5

Iraq & USSR sign economic/technical treaty.

Ref: 5

Iraq withdraws from the Baghdad Pact.

Ref: 5

Iraq terminates military assistance pact with US due to neutrality.

Ref: 5

1961

Iraq announces that Kuwait is a part of Iraq (Kuwait disagrees).

Ref: 5

A Kuwaiti vote opposes Iraq's annexation plans.

Ref: 2

British troops land in Kuwait to aid against Iraqi threats.

Ref: 2

1963

First transmission of Clandestine Voice of Iraqi People (Communist).

Ref: 5

1968

Clandestine Radio Voice of Iraqi People (Communist) final transmission.

Ref: 5

Revolt in Iraq.

Ref: 5

1970

Iraq Ba'th Party recognizes Kurd nation.

Ref: 5

1972

USSR & Iraq sign friendship treaty.

Ref: 5

1974

Iran/Iraqi border fight breaks out.

Ref: 5

1975

Iran and Iraq announce that they have settled the border dispute.

Ref: 2

Iraq launches an offensive against the rebellious Kurds.

Ref: 2

Kurds end fight against Iraqi army.

Ref: 5

1976

Dr Patrick J Hillery elected President of Iraq.

Ref: 5

1978

Gunman shoots his way into the Iraqi Embassy in Paris.

Ref: 5

1979

Saddam Hussein became president of Iraq.

Ref: 70

1980

The Persian Gulf conflict between Iran and Iraq erupted into full-scale war when Iraqi troops seize part of Iran in a border dispute.

Ref: 5

Iran rejects a truce call from Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.

Ref: 5

1981

French government accord sends 60 Mirage fighter jets to Iraq.

Ref: 5

1982

Iran offensive against Iraq.

Ref: 5

1983

Iran opens an invasion in the southeast of Iraq.

Ref: 2

1984

500,000 Iranian soldiers move into Iraq.

Ref: 5

Britain and the U.S. send warships to the Persian Gulf following an Iranian offensive against Iraq.

Ref: 2

Iraq resumes air attack on Iran.

Ref: 5

Iran offensive against Iraq fails.

Ref: 5

US accuses Iraq of using poison gas.

Ref: 5

1986

Iran begins Fajr-8 offensive against Iraq.

Ref: 5

Iran conquerors Iraq peninsula Fao.

Ref: 5

Iran offensive against Iraqi islands of Shatt al-Arab.

Ref: 5

1987

US offers military protection to Kuwaiti ships in the Persian Gulf.

Ref: 5

37 American sailors were killed when an Iraqi warplane attacked the US Navy frigate "Stark" in the Persian Gulf. (Iraq and the US called the attack a mistake.)

Ref: 5

An Iraqi missile hits the American frigate USS Stark in the Persian Gulf.

Ref: 2

US began escorting re-flagged Kuwaiti tankers in Persian Gulf.

Ref: 5

1988

Iraq says it launched 16 missiles into Tehran.

Ref: 5

Iran says Iraq uses poison gas.

Ref: 5

Iran-Iraq begin a cease-fire in their 8-year-old war (11 PM EDT).

Ref: 5

1989

Ruins of Mashkan-shapir (occupied 2050-1720 BC) found in Iraq.

Ref: 5

1990

Saddam Hussein's Revolutionary Day speech claims Kuwait stole oil from Iraq

Ref: 5

Iraq massed tens of thousands of troops and hundreds of tanks along its border with Kuwait.

Ref: 70

US Ambassador tells Iraq, US won't take sides in Iraq-Kuwait dispute

Ref: 5

Iraq pulls out of talks with Kuwait.

Ref: 5

Iraq invades Kuwait with 100,000 troops and takes it in under a day.

Ref: 70

Radio Kuwait goes off the air, due to the Iraqi invasion.

Ref: 5

US announces commitment of Naval forces to Gulf regions.

Ref: 5

European community proposes a boycott of Iraq.

Ref: 5

U.S. troops leave for Saudi Arabia to enact Operation Desert Shield which intends to protect the Saudi oil fields from attacks by Saddam Hussein's Iraqi forces. (XDG, p 4A, 8/7/2000)

This was a watershed day in the Middle East. Iraq announced that it had annexed the kingdom of Kuwait -- moving over 200,000 troops into the tiny, oil-rich country. As Iraq declared Kuwait to be its 19th Providence, US President George Bush (I) warned Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, �A line has been drawn in the sand,� and American forces began moving into Saudi Arabia.

Ref: 4

Egypt & Morocco troops land in Saudi Arabia to prevent Iraqi invasion.

Ref: 5

Staff Sgt John Campisi of West Covina CA dies after being hit by a military truck in Saudi Arabia, becoming the first US casualty in the Persian Gulf Crisis. (XDG, p. 4A, 8/12/2000)

Iraq President Saddam Hussein says he is ready to resolve the Gulf crisis if Israel withdraws from occupied territories.

Ref: 5

Iraq moves Western hostages to military installations (human shields).

Ref: 5

President Bush signs an executive order calling up reservists to bolster the US military buildup in the Persian Gulf. (XDG, p 4A, 8/22/2000)

Iraqi troops surround the US & other embassies in Kuwait City.

Ref: 5

The United Nations gives the world's navies the right to use force to stop vessels trading with Iraq. (XDG, p 4A, 8/25/2000)

Iraq declares Kuwait its 19th province

Ref: 5

Saddam Hussein declares America can't beat Iraq.

Ref: 5

Iraqi Pres Saddam Hussein urges Arabs to rise against the West.

Ref: 5

Iraqi troops storm the residence of French ambassador in Kuwait.

Ref: 5

France announce it will send 4,000 troops to the Persian Gulf.

Ref: 5

Iraq televises an 8 minute uncensored speech from George Bush.

Ref: 5

Saddam Hussein demands US networks broadcast his message.

Ref: 5

Iraq threatened to destroy Middle East oil fields and attack Israel if other nations tried to force it from Kuwait.

Ref: 70

Saddam says he will destroy Israel.

Ref: 5

Saddam Hussein warns US will repeat Vietnam experience.

Ref: 5

UN Security Council vote 14-1 to impose air embargo against Iraq.

Ref: 5

The exiled emir of Kuwait visits the White House, where he tells President Bush the Iraqis were destryoing and looting his country. (XDG, p 4A, 9/28/2000)

Pres Bush at the UN, condemns Iraq's takeover of Kuwait.

Ref: 5

Saddam threatens to hit Israel with a new missile

Ref: 5

US forces reach 200,000 in the Persian Gulf.

Ref: 5

US forces reach 200,000 in the Persian Gulf.

Ref: 5

Antiwar protest marches begin in 20 US cities (US-Iraq).

Ref: 5

Iraq announces release of 330 French hostages.

Ref: 5

Rhetoric escalates as Bush likens Saddam to Hitler.

Ref: 5

Iraq says it is preparing for a "dangerous war".

Ref: 5

Secretary of State James Baker visits US troops in Saudi Arabia.

Ref: 5

Saddam fires his army chief & threatens to destroy Arabian peninsula.

Ref: 5

100,000 additional US troops are sent to the Persian gulf.

Ref: 5

President Bush announces DOUBLING of US forces in Gulf

Ref: 5

Saddam offers to free an estimated 2,000 men held in Kuwait.

Ref: 5

Iraq announces it will free all German hostages.

Ref: 5

George Bush visits US troops in Saudi Arabia during Thanksgiving.

Ref: 5

Mikhail Gorbachev tells Iraq to get out of Kuwait.

Ref: 5

The U.N. Security Council voted 12-2 to authorize military action if Iraq did not withdraw its troops from Kuwait and release all foreign hostages by Jan. 15, 1991.

Ref: 70

Bush proposes US-Iraq meeting to avoid war.

Ref: 5

Iraq accepts Bush's offer for talks.

Ref: 5

Iraq announces it will release all 3,300 Soviet hostages.

Ref: 5

Saddam anounces release of all foreign hostages.

Ref: 5

Iraqi parliament endorses Saddam's decision to free hostages.

Ref: 5

US accuses Iraq of dragging its feet on dates for talks.

Ref: 5

US ambassador to Kuwait, Nathaniel Howell leaves Kuwait.

Ref: 5

Pentagon warns Saddam Hussein that US air power is ready to attack on 1/15.

Ref: 5

Iraq announces it will never give up Kuwait.

Ref: 5

Saddam says Israel will be Iraq's first target.

Ref: 5

Iraq begins a military draft of 17 year olds.

Ref: 5

1991

Iraq rejects peace proposal from Egyptian President Hosi Mubarak.

Ref: 5

Iraq agrees to send Aziz to Geneva to meet Baker on Jan 9th.

Ref: 5

Congress empowers Bush to order attack on Iraq.

Ref: 5

The House and Senate, by a vote of 250-183 and 52-47, respectively, to authorize the president to use US troops to force Iraq to withdraw from Kuwait. (USA Today, p 5A, 10/08/2002)

Ref: 13

UN Secretary General Javier Perez de Cuellar meets with Saddam Hussein in Baghdad.

Ref: 5

UN's deadline for Iraq to withdraw from Kuwait passes (they don't).

Ref: 5

Operation Desert Storm begins US & 27 allies attack Iraq for occupying Kuwait (air war begins January 17 at 2:38AM (local time) or January 16 at 6:38PM EST due to an 8 hour time difference, with an Apache helicopter attack).

Ref: 5

Iraq fires 8 SCUD missiles on Israel first US pilot shot down (Jeffrey Zahn).

Ref: 5

In the first day of Operation Desert Storm, U.S.-led forces hammered Iraqi targets in an effort to drive Iraq out of Kuwait; a defiant Iraqi President Saddam Hussein declared that the "mother of all battles" had begun.

Ref: 70

Iraq starts firing Scud missiles at Israeli cities.

Ref: 2

Iraq parades captured Allied airmen on TV.

Ref: 5

US Patriot missiles begins shooting down Iraqi missiles.

Ref: 5

CBS News correspondent Bob Simon captured by Iraqis in Persian Gulf.

Ref: 5

World's largest oil spill, caused by embattled Iraqi forces in Kuwait.

Ref: 5

Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Gen. Colin Powell said allied forces had achieved air superiority in the Gulf War and would focus air fire on Iraqi ground forces around Kuwait.

Ref: 70

Iraqi forces attack into Saudi Arabian town of Kafji, but are turned back by Coalition forces.

Ref: 2

The first major ground battle of the Gulf War was fought at the frontier port of Khafji in Saudi Arabia; 11 U.S. Marines were killed, seven of them by "friendly fire."

Ref: 70

Battle for Khafji in Saudi Arabia (ends after 3 days).

Ref: 5

Hundreds of Iraqi civilians were killed when a pair of laser-guided U.S. bombs destroyed an underground facility in Baghdad identified by U.S. officials as a military installation, but which Iraqi officials said was a bomb shelter.

Ref: 70

USSR announces Iraq agrees to a proposal to end Persian Gulf War US calls the plan unacceptable.

Ref: 5

President George Bush issues an ultimatum to the president of Iraq to the effect that unless Iraqi troops are withdrawn from Kuwait by noon the next day, the US would attack his forces. (XDG, p 4A, 2/22/2001)

US insists Iraq publicly announce it is leaving Kuwait by 12 PM EST.

Ref: 5

French forces unofficially start the Persian Gulf ground war by crossing the Saudi-Iraqi border.

Ref: 2

President Bush announced that the allied ground offensive against Iraqi forces had begun. (Because of the time difference, it was already Feb. 24 in the Persian Gulf.)

Ref: 70

General Norman Schwarzkopf, commander of the coalition army, sends in ground forces to liberate Kuwait from the Iraqis.

Ref: 2

During the Persian Gulf War, an Iraqi Scud missile hits a U.S. barracks in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, killing 28 Americans.

Ref: 70

Kuwaiti resistance leaders declare they have control of their capital.

Ref: 5

Iraqi President Saddam Hussein announced on Baghdad Radio that he had ordered his forces to withdraw from Kuwait.

Ref: 70

At 9 p.m. (EST), U.S. President George Bush said, �Kuwait is liberated. Iraq�s army is defeated. I am pleased to announce that at midnight tonight, exactly 100 hours since ground operations began and six weeks since the start of Operation Desert Storm, all United States and coalition forces will suspend offensive combat operations.�

Ref: 4

President Bush announces cease fire in Gulf War conditional upon Iraq accepting all UN resolutions, 12 midnight EST.

Ref: 5

Allied and Iraqi forces suspended their attacks as Iraq pledged to accept all United Nations resolutions concerning Kuwait.

Ref: 70

US Embassy in Kuwait officially reopens.

Ref: 5

UN votes in favor of US resolutions for cease fire with Iraq.

Ref: 5

American General H. Norman Schwarzkopf and Saudi Lt. Gen. Prince Khalid discuss cease-fire terms with Iraqi commanders Lt. Gen. Mohammed Abdez Rahman al-Dagitistani and Lt. Gen. Sabin Abdel-Aziz al Douri. The Iraqis� astonishment at the disparity involved in the prisoner exchange demonstrated how ignorant they still were of the magnitude of their own defeat.

Ref: 2

Iraq releases 6 US, 3 British & 1 Italian POW.

Ref: 5

Iraq repealed its annexation of Kuwait.

Ref: 5

Following Iraq's capitulation in the Persian Gulf conflict, President Bush told Congress that "aggression is defeated; The war is over".

Ref: 5

Iraq continues to explode oil fields in Kuwait.

Ref: 5

Planeloads of US troops arrive home from the Persian Gulf, Iraq hands over 40 foreign journalists & 2 American soldiers it captured.

Ref: 5

President Bush, during a visit to Ottawa, Canada, warned Iran against seizing Iraqi territory in the aftermath of the Persian Gulf War.

Ref: 6

Emir of Kuwait returns to Kuwait City, after the Iraqis leave.

Ref: 5

Iraqi President Saddam Hussein shuffled his Cabinet, but kept in place his hard-line ministers of interior and defense to direct a crackdown on rebellion against his rule.

Ref: 6

In liberated Kuwait, banks reopen.

Ref: 5

General H. Norman Schwarzkopf, the American commander of Operation Desert Storm, told reporters in Saudi Arabia the United States was closer to establishing a permanent military headquarters on Arab soil. In liberated Kuwait, banks reopened for the first time since Iraqi troops had shut them down the previous December.

Ref: 6

The Bush administration indicated it would not aid rebels seeking to overthrow Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.

Ref: 64

In a surprising flap, President George Bush publicly disagreed with Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf, who claimed he had urged further fighting in the Persian Gulf War at the time Bush ordered a cease-fire. (Schwarzkopf later apologized to Bush.)

Ref: 64

Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf publicly apologized to President Bush for questioning his judgment about calling a cease-fire in the Gulf War .

Ref: 64

The U.N. Security Council adopted a Gulf War truce resolution demanding that Iraq abolish weapons of mass destruction, renounce terrorism and pay reparations.

Ref: 5

US begins air drops to Kurdish refugees in Northern Iraq.

Ref: 5

Secretary of State James A. Baker the Third toured refugee camps near the Iraqi border, praising relief efforts but saying "hope must be given to these people for a return to home."

Ref: 6

UN Security Council issues formal cease fire with Iraq declaration.

Ref: 5

Kurdish rebels reported the Iraqi army was attacking guerrillas in northern Iraq.

Ref: 6

Speaking at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama, President Bush warned Iraq the United States would "not tolerate any interference" with the international relief effort for Kurdish refugees.

Ref: 6

The final withdrawal of American combat troops from southern Iraq began, 88 days after the United States launched its massive offensive to drive Saddam Hussein's forces from Kuwait.

Ref: 6

Turkey began moving thousands of Iraqi Kurds from a border settlement to camps farther inside Turkey, in a major policy shift for President Turgut Ozal's government, which had previously kept the refugees in the mountains.

Ref: 6

President Bush announced that US forces would be sent into northern Iraq to assist Kurdish refugees.

Ref: 6

US Marines landed in northern Iraq to begin building the first center for Kurdish refugees on Iraqi territory. General H. Norman Schwarzkopf, the US commander of Operation Desert Storm, left Saudi Arabia for home.

Ref: 6

US Marines in northern Iraq began building the first safe-haven settlement for Kurdish refugees. General H. Norman Schwarzkopf arrived at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida to a hero's welcome.

Ref: 6

President Bush welcomed General H. Norman Schwarzkopf, the just-returned Gulf War commander, at the White House.

Ref: 6

The White House threatened to "take whatever steps are necessary" should Iraq fail to meet a deadline for withdrawing its security forces from the refugee zone in northern Iraq.

Ref: 6

President Bush met at the White House with UN Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar, who relayed Iraq's rejection of a US-backed proposal for a UN civilian force in northern Iraq.

Ref: 6

US troops leave northern Iraq

Ref: 5

A deadline for Iraq to provide full details of its weapons of mass destruction passed, with US officials indicating military action was not imminent.

Ref: 6

Iraq said it would "play host" to all foreign citizens in the country who were from "aggressive nations," and place them in military and civilian targets until the threat of war was over.

Ref: 6

A US frigate fired warning shots across the bow of an Iraqi oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman -- apparently the first shots fired by the United States in the Persian Gulf crisis.

Ref: 6

Iraqi state television showed President Saddam Hussein meeting with a group of about 20 Western detainees, telling the group -- whom he described as "guests" -- that they were being held "to prevent the scourge of war."

Ref: 6

Fifty-five Americans who had been evacuated from the US Embassy in Kuwait left Baghdad by car, headed for the Turkish border.

Ref: 6

Fifty-two Americans reached freedom in Turkey after they were allowed to leave Iraq; three young men originally in the group, however, were detained by the Iraqis. In Washington, the State Department ordered the expulsion of 36 Iraqi diplomats.

Ref: 5

A defiant Iraqi President Saddam Hussein declared in a television interview that America could not defeat Iraq, saying, "I do not beg before anyone."

Ref: 6

Dozens of Americans reached freedom in the first major airlift of Westerners from Iraq during the month-old Persian Gulf crisis. Dave Stieb of the Toronto Blue Jays hurled a no-hitter against the Cleveland Indians, winning 3-0.

Ref: 6

The air evacuation of Western women and children stranded in Iraq and Kuwait resumed, with 25 Americans among the nearly 300 who made it to Jordan.

Ref: 6

Iraqi President Saddam Hussein urged Arabs to rise up in a Holy War against the West and former allies who had turned against him.

Ref: 6

In Moscow, Soviet President Mikhail S. Gorbachev met with Iraqi Foreign Minister Tariq Aziz.

Ref: 6

Iraq increased pressure on trapped Westerners, warning that anyone trying to leave without permission could face life in prison.

Ref: 6

President Bush addressed Congress on the Persian Gulf crisis, vowing that "Saddam Hussein will fail" in his takeover of Kuwait.

Ref: 6

Iraq said it would "play host" to all foreign citizens in the country who were from "aggressive nations," and place them in military and civilian targets until the threat of war was over. Actress-singer Pearl Bailey died in Philadelphia at age 72.

Ref: 6

Iraq began confiscating foreign assets from countries that were imposing sanctions against the Baghdad government.

Ref: 2

Iraq threatened to destroy Middle East oil fields and attack Israel if other nations tried to force it from Kuwait. South African President F.W. de Klerk arrived in the US for talks with President Bush.

Ref: 6

In a videotaped message to Americans, Iraqi President Saddam Hussein warned that if President Bush launches a war against his country, "it would not be up to him to end it."

Ref: 6

The UN Security Council voted 14-to-1 to impose an air embargo against Iraq (Cuba cast the lone dissenting vote).

Ref: 6

Pres Bush decides to end full-time B-52 bombers alert

Ref: 5

US Congress gives George Bush authority to wage war against Iraq.

Ref: 5

1992

A no-fly zone was imposed on southern Iraq. Operation Southern Watch was orchestrated by the United States, France and Britain. The campaign supported U.N. Security Council resolutions containing Iraq, protecting Kuwait, and keeping pressure on Saddam Hussein�s Iraqi regime.

Ref: 4

The US shoots down an Iraqi fighter jet during what the Pentagon called a confrontation between a pair of Iraqi warplanes and US F-16 jets in UN-restricted air space over southern Iraq. (XDG, p 4A, 12/27/2002)

1993

American warplanes raid southern Iraq. (XDG, p 4A, 1/13/2003)

President Clinton announces the US had launched missiles against Iraqi targets because of "compelling evidence" Iraq had plotted to assassinate former President George Bush. (XDG, p 4A, 6/26/2003)

1994

US F-15 accidentally shoots 2 US helicopters down over Iraq, 26 die.

Ref: 5

1996

Pentagon officials said American troops destroyed an Iraqi ammunition depot in March 1991 that may have contained chemical weapons.

Ref: 64

The Taliban, a band of former seminary students, drove the government of Afghani President Burhanuddin Rabbani out of Kabul, captured the capital and executed former leader Najibullah.

Ref: 70

1997

Iranian military plane crashes, killing 80.

Ref: 5

The Baghdad government barred Americans from the UN disarmament effort in Iraq, a move that outraged chief weapons inspector Richard Butler and prompted him to suspend inspections. (XDG, p 4A, 10/29/2002)

UN arms inspectors returned to Iraq after Sadam Hussein's standoff with the United Nations over the presence of Americans on the team. (XDG, p 4A, 11/21/2002)

Under intense international pressure, Iraqi President Saddam Hussein said he would allow visits to presidential palaces where UN weapons experts suspected he might be hiding chemical and biological weapons. (XDG, p 4A, 11/26/2002)

1998

President Clinton and Prime Minister Tony Blair redouble their pledge to use military force against Iraq, if necessary. (XDG, p 4A, 2/6/2003)

President Clinton reports that the discovery of traces of nerve gas on an Iraqi missile warhead gave the US new impetus to maintain UN sanctions against Baghdad. (XDG, p 4A, 6/23/2003)

The UN Security Council unanimously demanded that Iraq resume cooperation with UN weapons inspectors immediately. (XDG, p 4A, 11/05/2003)

The Pentagon steps up the movement of warships to the Persian Gulf as the Clinton Administration sweeps aside the idea of negotiations with Iraq over UN weapons inspections rejected by the Iraqis. (XDG, p 4A, 11/10/2003)

President Clinton orders warships, planes and troops to the Persian Gulf, while making a case for a possible attack on Iraq. Iraq, meanwhile, shows no signs of backing down from its refusal to work with UN weapons inspectors. (XDG, p 4A, 11/11/2003)

Iraq said it would resume cooperation with UN weapons inspectors as it appeared to back down in the face of a threatened US attack. (XDG, p 4A, 11/14/2003)

President Clinton ordered a sustained series of airstrikes against Iraq by American and British forces in response to Saddam Hussein's continued defiance of UN weapons inspectors.

Ref: 70

US and British forces blast Iraq with a third day of air strikes. (XDG, p 4A, 12/18/2003)

President Clinton halts air strikes against Iraq after a fourth day of attacks. (XDG, p 4A, 12/19/2003)

1999

Four US Air Force and Navy jets fire on --and miss-- four Iraqi MiGs testing the "no-fly" zone over southern Iraq, in the first such air confrontation in more than six years. (XDG, p 4A, 1/05/2004)

2000

The U.N. Security Council decided to let Iraq spend more money to repair its oil industry - an investment intended to boost the amount of food and medicine Baghdad could buy through the U.N. humanitarian program.

Ref: 64

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez met with Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, defying the United States by being the first head of state to visit Iraq since the Gulf War.

Ref: 6

2001

The UN Security Council unanimously approved a resolution extending the UN humanitarian program in Iraq and setting the stage for an overhaul of UN sactions against Baghdad the following year. (XDG, p 4A, 11/29/2002)

2002

Saddam Hussein's stepson, Mohammaed Nour al-Din Saffi, is deported from Miami to New Zealand where he is a naturalized citizen for failing to get the proper visa. He is the eldest son of Saddam's second wife. (USA Today, 7/10/2002, p 3A)

Ref: 13

Without firing a shot, masked German police commandos freed two senior diplomats from armed men who had stormed the Iraqi embassy, bringing a bloodless end to a five-hour hostage drama by a previously unknown group opposed to Saddam Hussein. (XDG, p 4A, 8/20/2003)

Vice President Dick Cheney, speaking at a Veterans of Foreign Wars convention in Tennessee, warned the United States could face "devastating consequences" from any delay in acting to remove Saddam Hussein as president of Iraq. (XDG, p 4A, 8/26/2003)

Defense Secretary Donald H Rumsfeld said the Bush administration had secret information supporting its claims that Saddam Hussein was close to developing nuclear weapons. (XDG, p 4A, 9/03/2003)

President G.W. Bush promised to seek Congress' approval for "whatever is necessary" to oust Saddam Hussein, including using military force. (XDG, p 4A, 9/04/2003)

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan announces that Iraq had unconditionally accepted the return of UN weapons inspectors. (XDG, p 4A, 9/16/2003)

British Prime Minister Tony Blair asserted that Iraq had a growing arsenal of chemical and biological weapons and planned to use them, as he unveiled an intelligence dossier to a special session of Parliament.

Ref: 70

Iraq rejected a U.S.-British plan for the United Nations to force President Saddam Hussein to disarm and open his palaces for weapons searches.

Ref: 70

USA Today reports on page 4A that Turkish police have arrested two men for possession of five ounces of weapons-grade uranium found hidden in a taxi. The seizure occurred 155 miles from the Iraqi border, lending credence to a British charge that Iraq was attempting to smuggle uranium in from South Africa.

Ref: 13

Iraq agrees to a plan for the return of UN weapons inspectors for the first time in nearly four years but ignores US demands for access to Saddam Hussein's palaces and other contested sites. (XDG, p 4A, 10/01/2003)

President G.W. Bush calls for war against Iraq, specifically Saddam Hussein, in a 30-minute speech intended to build support in Congress. (USA Today, p 1A, 10/08/2002)

Ref: 13

Two Kuwaiti gunmen attack US forces during war games on a Gulf Island, killing one Marine and wounding another before they were shot to death. (XDG, p 4A, 10/08/2003)

The House voted 296-133 to give President George W. Bush the broad authority he'd sought to use military force against Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, with or without U.N. support.

Ref: 70

The Senate joined the House in approving 77-23 the use of America's military might against Iraq.

Ref: 70

President George W. Bush signed a congressional resolution authorizing war against Iraq.

Ref: 70

A CIA Predator drone fired a missile at a car in Yemen, killing al-Qaida's top operative in that country, Qaed Salim Sinan al-Harethi.

Ref: 70

The U.N. Security Council unanimously approved a resolution giving U.N. weapons inspectors the muscle they needed to hunt for illicit weapons in Iraq. President George W. Bush said the new resolution presented the Iraqi regime "with a final test."

Ref: 70

Bush administration officials promise a "zero-tolerance" if Saddam Hussein refuses to comply with international calls to disarm. (XDG, p 4A, 11/10/2003)

Iraqi lawmakers denounced a tough new UN resolution on weapons inspections as dishonest, provacative and worthy of rejection. But the Iraqi parliament said it would ultimately trust the decision of Saddam Hussein. (XDG, p 4A, 11/11/2003)

Claiming Iraq was seeking the "path of peace," Saddam Hussein's government agreed to the return of international weapons inspectors.

Ref: 70

Weapons inspectors arrive in Iraq after a 4-year absence. (USA Today, p11A, 11/19/2002)

Ref: 13

UN weapons inspectors wrap up a two-day visit to Irag. (XDG, p 4A, 11/19/2003)

At a NATO summit in Prague, Russian President Vladmir Putin told President Bush the United States should not wage war against Iraq alone, and questioned whether Pakistan and Saudi Arabia were doing enough to fight terrorism. (XDG, p 4A, 11/22/2003)

U.N. specialists began a new round of weapons inspections in Iraq.

Ref: 70

UN weapons inspectors made their first unannounced visit to one of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein's presidential palaces. (XDG, p 4A, 12/03/2003)

Iraq handed over its long-awaited arms declaration to the United Nations, denying it had weapons of mass destruction.

Ref: 70

Iraq's massive dossier detailing its chemical, biological and nuclear programs arrive in New York. The UN Security Council agrees to give copies to its five permanent members, the US, Britain, France, China and Russia. (XDG, p 4A, 12/08/2003)

Secretary of State Colin Powell declares Iraq to be "in material breach" of a UN disarmament resolution. (XDG, p 4A, 12/19/2003)

Saddam Hussein said in an address read on television that Iraqis were ready to fight a holy war against the US. (XDG, p 4A, 12/24/2003)

2003

Taking a brief time timeout from his two-week vacation, President GW Bush visits Fort Hood TX, where he rallied Army troops as the nation face the prospect of war with Iraq. (XDG, p 4A, 1/03/2004)

Iraqi President Saddam Hussein accuses UN inspectors of engaging in "intelligence work" instead of searching for suspected nuclear, chemical and biological weapons in his country. (XDG, p 4A, 1/06/2004)

Thousands of marines, sailors and soldiers headed for the Persian Gulf region, shipping out from California, Georgia and Maryland, as the buildup for a possible war with Iraq accelerates sharply. (XDG, p 4A, 1/06/2004)

USA Today reports on page 7A that Kuwait is requesting smallpox vaccine to guard its citizens agains a possible biological attack from Iraq.

Ref: 13

UN weapons inspectors said there was no "smoking gun" to prove Iraq had nuclear, chemical or biological weapons but they demanded that Baghdad provide private access to scientists and fresh evidence to back its claim that it had destroyed its weapons of mass destruction. (XDG, p 4A, 1/09/2004)

Fifty base medics are being shipped to Iraq, per Brigadier General Tom Bailey, commander of the 74th Medical Group at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. (XDG, p. 1A, 1/15/2003)

The Columbus Dispatch reports on page 1 that 11 unreported, empty chemical warheads were found in Iraq by UN inspection teams.

Secretary of State Colin Powell, faced with stiff resistance and calls to go slow, bluntly told the UN Security Council that the United Nations "must not shrink" from its responsibility to disarm Saddam Hussein's Iraq. (XDG, p 4A, 1/20/2004)

Countering blunt talk of war by the Bush administration, France and Germany stated they are committted to a peaceful solution to the Iraqi crisis. (XDG, p 4A, 1/22/2004)

US Secretary of State Colin Powell, citing Iraq's lack of cooperation with UN inspectors, said he'd lost faith in the inspectors' ability to conduct a definitive search for banned weapons programs. (XDG, p 4A, 1/26/2004)

The Bush administration dismisses Iraq's response to UN disarmament demands as inadequate. Meanwhile, chief UN inspector Hans Blix charges that Iraq had never genuinely accepted UN resolutions demanding its disarmament and warned that "cooperation on substance" was necessary for a peaceful solution. (XDG, p 4A, 1/27/2004)

Girding the nation for war against Iraq in his State of the Union address, President George W. Bush asserted that Saddam Hussein had recently sought uranium from Africa. The administration later acknowledged the claim was based on faulty evidence.

Ref: 70

President Bush put allies on notice that diplomacy would give way to a decision on war with Iraq in "weeks, not months". Wary world leaders and congressional critics urge patience and demand proof of Iraq's transgressions. (XDG, p 4A, 1/30/2004)

President Bush and British PM Tony Blair meet at the White House; Bush said he would welcome a second UN resolution on Iraq, but only if it led to the prompt disarming of Saddam Hussein. Pushing for a new resolution, Blair called confronting Iraq "a test of international community". (XDG, p 4A, 1/31/2004)

Secretary of State Colin Powell urges the U.N. Security Council to move against Saddam Hussein, saying Iraq had failed to disarm, was harboring terrorists and was hiding behind a "web of lies."

Ref: 70

Edging closer to war, President Bush declares "the game is over" for Saddam Hussein and urges skeptical allie to join in disarming Iraq. (XDG, p 4A, 2/06/2004)

President Bush told congressional Republicans at a policy conference that Iraq had fooled the world for more than a decade about its banned weapons and the US was now facing a "moment of truth" in disarming Saddam Hussein. (XDG, p 4A, 2/09/2004)

The leaders of Germany and Russia renewed their calls for a peaceful solution in Iraq, restating their opposition to any US-led war to disarm and oust Saddam Hussein. (XDG, p 4A, 2/09/2004)

France, Germany and Belgium jointly veto a US-backed measure to authorize NATO to make plans to protect Turkey if Iraq attacked it. (XDG, p 4A, 2/10/2004)

Iraq agreed to allow U-2 surveillance flights over its territory, meeting a key demand by U.N. inspectors searching for banned weapons; President Bush brushed aside Iraqi concessions as too little, too late.

Ref: 70

Addressing a historic rift within NATO, Secretary of State Colin Powell told a congressional hearing the future of the military alliance was at risk if it failed to confront the crisis with Iraq. (XDG, p 4A, 2/11/2004)

US planes attack a ballistic missile system in southern Iraq. (XDG, p 19, 2/12/2003)

In a dramatic showdown, major powers rebuff the US in the UN Security Counciland insisted on more time for weapons inspections in Iraq. Earlier, chief UN inspector Hans Blix told the Council his teams had not found any weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. (XDG, p 4A, 2/14/2004)

More than 100,000 people demonstrate in the streets of San Francisco to protest a possible US invasion of Iraq. (XDG, p 4A, 2/16/2004)

European Union Leaders declared their solidarity with the US, warning Saddam Hussein that Iraq faced one "last chance" to disarm peacefully. (XDG, p 4A, 2/17/2004)

Chief UN weapons inspector Hans Blix says Iraq was new showing signs of real cooperation, but President Bush was dismisivek predicting Saddam Hussein would try to "fool the world one more time." (XDG, p 4A, 2/25/2004)

The United Arab Emirates call for Saddam Hussein to step down, the first Arab nation to do so publicly. (XDG, p 4A, 3/01/2004)

Turkey's parliament deals a stunning blow to US war planning by failing to approve a bill allowing in American combat troops to open a northern front against Iraq. (XDG, p 4A, 3/01/2004)

Iraq begins complying with orders from UN weapons inspectors to destroy its Al Samound Two missiles. (XDG, p 4A, 3/01/2004)

Iraq crushes another six Al Samoud Two missiles, as ordered by UN weapons inspectors. (XDG, p 4A, 3/02/2004)

The Army's oldest armored division, "Old Ironsides" got orders to head for the Persian Gulf as the total of US land, sea and air forces arrayed against Iraq or preparing to go nears 300,000. (XDG, p 4A, 3/04/2004)

A somber President Bush readies the nation for war against Saddam Hussein, hurling some of his harshest invectives at the Iraqi leader during a prime-time news conference. (XDG, p 4A, 3/06/2004)

Facing almost certain defeat, the US and Britain delay a vote in the UN Security Council to give Saddam Hussein an ultimatum to disarm (XDG, p 4A, 3/10/2004)

Edging to the brink of war, President George W. Bush gave Saddam Hussein 48 hours to leave his country. Iraq rejected the ultimatum.

Ref: 70

"Time's Up - US First Wave Hits Targets" [in Baghdad]. (XDG, Headline, 3/20/2003)

A Sea Knight helicopter crashes in Kuwait killing 8 British and 4 American soldiers. (WSJ, p A4, 7/23/2003)

The US 3rd Infantry begins shelling Iraqi troops near the Kuwaiti border. (XDG, p 5A, 4/21/2003)

A subdued Saddam Hussein appears on state-run television after the initial US air strike in Baghdad, accusing the US of a "shameful crime" and urging his people to "draw your sword" against the invaders. (XDG, p 4A, 3/20/2004)

US airstrikes level Baghdad government buildings and a presidential compound as American warplanes begin a "shock and awe" campaign. (XDG, p 5A, 4/21/2003)

During a 24-hour period, 500 cruise missles and several hundred precision weapons are fired on Iraq. (XDG, p 5A, 4/21/2003)

Two British Navy Sea King helicopters collide over the Persian Gulf, killing 1 American and 6 British soldiers. (WSJ, p A4, 7/23/2003)

A dozen US soldiers are captured in a fake surrender near the Iraqi city of Nasiriyah. (XDG, p 5A, 4/21/2003)

Heavy sandstorms slow the US advance, but troops still reach within 50 miles of Baghdad. (XDG, p 5A, 4/21/2003)

Iraqi state television shows two men said to have been the US crew of an Apache helicopter forced down during heavy fighting in central Iraq. (Chief Warrant Officer David Williams and Chief Warrant Officer Ronald D Young Jr spent three weeks in captivity before they were released, along with five other POWs.) (XDG, p 4A, 3/24/2004)

British troops continue battling Iraqi militiamen in the Iraqi city of Basra, control of which is key to delivering humanitarian aid. (XDG, p 5A, 4/21/2003)

Iraq's northern front is opened when US Army paratroopers land in a Kurdish controlled enclave and seize an airfield. (XDG, p 5A, 4/21/2003)

With the harbor cleared of mines, a British supply ship arrives at the Iraqi port of Umm Qasr. (XDG, p 5A, 4/21/2003)

A taxi driver pretending to need help near the Iraqi city of Najaf, blows himself up, killing 4 US soldiers as they approach. (XDG, p 5A, 4/21/2003)

A Huey helicopter crashes at a refueling position in southern Iraq, killing 3 Marines. (WSJ, p A4, 7/23/2003)

Missile attackes hit military facilities in Baghdad, including a presidential palace, telephone exchanges, a military intelligence complex and a paramilitary training barracks. (XDG, p 5A, 4/21/2003)

US Special forces rescue Army PFC Jessica Lynch from a hospital near Nasiriyah. Eleven bodies were also found, 8 of which were identified as members of her ambushed convoy. (XDG, p 5A, 4/21/2003)

A Black Hawk helicopter crashes in central Iraq killing 6 solders. (WSJ, p A4, 7/23/2003)

The Baghdad and Medina divisions of Iraq's Republican Guard are defeated by US troops. (XDG, p 5A, 4/21/2003)

Bridges over the Tigris and Euphrates rivers are seized by US forces who then advanced within 25 miles of Baghdad. (XDG, p 5A, 4/21/2003)

Moving with a sense of wartime urgency, the US House and Senate separately agree to give President Bush nearly $80B to carry out the battle against Iraq and meet the threat of terrorism. (XDG, p 4A, 4/21/2004)

US Army units attack and capture Saddam International Airport, 10 miles southwest of Baghdad. (XDG, p 5A, 4/21/2003)

A Cobra helicopter crashes during combat operations near Ali Aziziyal, southwest of Baghdad, killing two marines. (WSJ, p A4, 7/23/2003)

American armored vehicles drive through Baghdad briefly after smashing through Republican Guard units. (XDG, p 5A, 4/21/2003)

US tanks rumble through downtown Baghdad and a B-1B bomber attack hit buildings where Saddam and other leaders again were said to be meeting. (XDG, p 5A, 4/21/2003)

British forces finally take Basra, in southern Iraq. (XDG, p 5A, 4/21/2003)

A statue of Saddam Hussein is toppled in Baghdad by US Marines as Iraqi citizens cheer. (XDG, p 5A, 4/10/2003)

The Iraqi northern city of Kirkuk falls. (XDG, p 5A, 4/21/2003)

US forces and Kurdish allies take the northern Iraqi city of Mosul without a fight. (XDG, p 5A, 4/21/2003)

Looters ransack government buildings, embassies, hospitals, businesses and even the National Museum. (XDG, p 5A, 4/21/2003)

Iraq's science adviser surrenders to US forces, the first of the 55 most-wanted leaders- list issued by the coalition. (XDG, p 5A, 4/21/2003)

Finance officials from the seven richest industrial countries, meeting in Washington DC, agree to support a new UN Security Council resolution as part of a global effort to rebuild Iraq an promise to begin talks on reducing Iraq's massive foreign debt burden. (XDG, p 4A, 4/12/2004)

Rescued POW Jessica Lynch returned to the United States after treatment at a U.S. military hospital in Germany.

Ref: 70

US Marines find all 7 known American POWs in Samarra (north of Baghdad and south of Tikrit) who were captured by Iraqi forces and held since March 23rd. All were ambulatory and in reasonably good health. (XDG, p 5A, 4/14/2003)

US-led forces announce the capture of Watban Ibrahim Hasan, half-brother of and advisor to Sadam Hussein. (XDG, p 4A, 4/13/2004)

Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit fell with unexpectedly light resistance, the last Iraqi city to succumb to overpowering U.S.-led ground and air forces.

Ref: 70

Looting in Baghdad slows and discussions begin to restore the capital with water, power, security and other essentials. (XDG, p 5A, 4/21/2003)

Looters and arsonists ransacked and gutted Iraq's National Library, as well as Iraq's principal Islamic library.

Ref: 70

In the biblical city of Ur, Iraqis met under American auspices to shape a new government. (XDG, p 5A, 4/21/2003)

Abul Abbas, the Palestinian terrorist who masterminded the 1985 hijacking of the Achille Lauro cruise ship, is picked up in Baghdad by US special operations forces. (XDG, p 5A, 4/21/2003)

Barzan Ibrahim Hasan, one of three half brothers of Saddam Hussein, is captured by US Special Forces. (XDG, p 5A, 4/21/2003)

Samir Abd-al-Aziz al-Najim, former Baath Party Regional Command Chairman for east Baghdad, was handed over to US forces by Iraqi Kurds near Mosul. (XDG, p 5A, 4/21/2003)

The last missing soldier in Iraq is found dead. He is identified as Army Spc. Edward John Anguiano, of south Texas. It is believed he was killed on March 23rd. (XDG, p 5A, 4/29/2003)

On Saddam Hussein's 66th birthday, delegates from inside and outside Iraq agree tohold a nation-building meeting and fashion a temporary, post-Saddam government. (XDG, p 4A, 4/28/2004)

(date unspecified) Mohammed Al Rehaief, the Iraqi who helped US Marines locate POW Jessica Lynch, his wife and 5-year old daughter were relocated to the US when homeland security grants them "humanitarian parole", according to an Associated Press story. (XDG, p 5A, 5/2/2003)

The US-led coalition issues a radio appeal for Iraqi police to return to work. (XDG, p 1, 5/05/2003)

A Black Hawk helicopter crashes into the Tigris River killing 3 solders. (WSJ, p A4, 7/23/2003)

A Sea Knight helicopter crashes into a canal in Iraq, killing 4 marines. A Black Hawk helicopter crashes in central Iraq killing 6 solders. (WSJ, p A4, 7/23/2003)

USA Today cites unconfirmed reports of Saddam Hussein sightings north of Baghdad, paying bounties for dead American soldiers. (USA Today, p 10A, 6/11/2003)

Ref: 13

US fighter jets bomb a suspected terrorist camp and troops storm through Sunni Muslim towns in Iraq seeking Sadam Hussein loyalists in one of the biggest military assaults since the war began. (XDG, p 4A, 6/12/2004)

Saddam Hussein's sons, Odai, 39, and Qusai, 37, are killed in a gunfight between US troops with helicopter gunship support in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul. An Iraqi informant provided the information to US forces. (XDG, p1, 7/23/2003)

A soldier is killed in Kirkuk when his vehicle is struck by a rocket-propelled grenade. (Time, p 33, 9/01/2003)

A soldier is killed and three injured in Shumayt when their convoy was hit by a rocket-proplled grenade. (Time, p 33, 9/01/2003)

Two soldiers are killed in Baghdad when the occupants of an Iraqi vehicle opens fire. (Time, p 33, 9/01/2003)

A soldier on guard duty in Baghdad is shot and killed by sniper fire. (Time, p 33, 9/01/2003)

A car bomb explodes in Baghdad outside the Jordanian embassy, killing 19 and wounding dozens. (Time, p 33, 9/01/2003)

One soldier is killed, two wounded in Ba'qubah when a suspicious package explodes. (Time, p 33, 9/01/2003)

One soldier is killed, two wounded in Ramadi when their convoy hit three improvised bombs. (Time, p 33, 9/01/2003)

In Taji, a bomb kills one soldier and wounds two others. (Time, p 33, 9/01/2003)

One solider dies and another is injured in Dawr after their armored personnel carrier hit an explosive device. (Time, p 33, 9/01/2003)

An explosion near a pipeline by Ba'iji shuts down a recently reopened northern export-oil pipeline to Turkey. A day later, it is bombed again. (Time, p 33, 9/01/2003)

Guerrillas in Baghdad fire mortars at the Abu Ghurayb prison, killing six Iraqi inmates and wounding almost 60 others. (Time, p 33, 9/01/2003)

A soldier is wounded in Ba'qubah when a military convoy came under small arms fire and bomb attack. (Time, p 33, 9/01/2003)

In Baghdad, two men on a motorcycle unload an explosive device at an exposed water main. The explosion left 300,000 homes without running water. (Time, p 33, 9/01/2003)

A soldier in Baghdad is killed by explosives. (Time, p 33, 9/01/2003)

A soldier in Baghdad is killed while driving on the road from the airport. (Time, p 33, 9/01/2003)

A truck packed with explosives rips through UN headquarters in Baghdad, killing at least 22 and injuring more than 100 others. (Time, p 33, 9/01/2003)

An interpreter is killed and two soldiers are wounded in Tikrit in a rocket-propelled grenade attack. (Time, p 33, 9/01/2003)

A soldier in Baghdad is killed and two are wounded by a bomb. (Time, p 33, 9/01/2003)

One soldier is killed and another is injured in an accident in Diwaniyah after their supply convoy was attacked by gunfire. (Time, p 33, 9/01/2003)

A Marine is shot and killed while sitting in an SUV that was stuck in traffice in Hillah. The gunman escaped into a crowded market nearby. (Time, p 33, 9/01/2003)

Six US soldiers are wounded when their five-ton truck runs over a roadside bomb. (Time, p 33, 9/01/2003)

Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld is quoted "�The growth in the Iraqi capability [went] from zero three of four months ago up to somewhere around 55,000 today." (Now see October 9, 2003) (WSJ, p A4, 11/04/2003)

"Team Pox", a group put together to search for a stockpile of, or the manufacturing of, smallpox in Iraq, has come up empty after a three-month search. (USA Today, p 10A, 9/19/2003)

Ref: 13

Los Angeles Times correspondent Mark Fineman, 51, dies in Iraq of a probable heart attack. (XDG, p 3A, 9/24/2003)

CPA Administrator L. Paul Bremer is quoted "Over 60,000 Iraqis now provide security to their fellow citizens." (Now see October 30, 2003) (WSJ, p A4, 11/04/2003)

Less than a year after President Bush announces a nationwide smallpox vaccination plan to counter potential bio-terrorism attacks, the plan "ceases". Issues of cardiac complications, liability and compensation contribute to the number of less than 40,000 vaccinated of a planned 450,000. (USA Today, p 1A, 10/16/2003)

Ref: 13

Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz is quoted "Some 80,000 to 90,000 people are now fighting in the police� and other elements of Iraq's new security forces." (Now see November 1, 2003) (WSJ, p A4, 11/04/2003)

Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld is quoted "The Iraqi forces have gone from zero on May 1st up to over 100,000 today. And our plan calls for in excess of 200,000." (Sequence starts on September 5, 2003) (WSJ, p A4, 11/04/2003)

Sixteen US soldiers are killed when an Iraqi missle downs a helicopter in central Iraq. (WSJ, p A3, 11/03/2003)

A suicide tanker truck loaded with explosives rams into an Italian military police headquarters in Nasiriyah, killing 26, including 18 Italians, Italy's worst single combat loss since World War II. (USA Today, p 1A, 11/13/2003)

Ref: 13

Two US soldiers, members of the 101st Airborne, were killed, dragged from a wrecked vehicle and pummeled with concrete blocks in Mosul, Iraq. (XDG, p 1, 11/24/2003)

Saddam Hussein is captured in a below ground "spider hole". He surrenders without a fight. By 5:30AM the next morning, his identity is confirmed by DNA.

2004

A US Black Hawk medevac helicopter, marked with a red cross, crashes near Fallujah, Iraq, killing nine. Witnesses say the helicopter was hit by a missile. (USA Today, p 1A, 1/09/2004)

A USAF C-5A cargo jet, carrying 63 passengers, makes an emergency landing at Baghdad International Airport after taking hostile fire. No injuries are reported. (USA Today, p 1A, 1/09/2004)

In a scene reminiscent of Somalia, frenzied crowds in Fallujah Iraq dragged the burned, mutilated bodies of four American contractors through the streets. (XDG, p 1, 4/01/2004)

Last Update: October 27th, 2005
© 2000-2005 Kenneth Fussichen