by Colin L. Powell

About the author: Colin L. Powell was appointed U.S. secretary of state on January 20, 2001.

Editor's Note: On February 5, 2003, Colin L. Powell gave the following speech to the UN Security Council to support the U.S. position that the use of military force might be necessary because of Iraq's failure to disarm as required by UN Resolution 1441.

Last November 8 [2002], this Council [the UN Security Council] passed Resolution 1441 by a unanimous vote. The purpose of that resolution was to disarm Iraq of its weapons of mass destruction. Iraq had already been found guilty of material breach of its obligations stretching back over 16 previous resolutions and 12 years.

Resolution 1441 was not dealing with an innocent party, but a regime this Council has repeatedly convicted over the years.

Resolution 1441 gave Iraq one last...