As part of the cease-fire agreement following the Persian Gulf War, the United Nations mandated that Iraq must destroy all its biological and chemical weapons and the facilities to produce them. Following Iraq's continued noncompliance, the UN adopted Resolution 1441 in November 2002. The resolution, excerpted here, recognizes Iraq's failure to fulfill its disarmament obligations, and offers one more chance for compliance.

The Security Council, . . .

Recalling that its resolution 687 (1991) imposed obligations on Iraq as a necessary step for achievement of its stated objective of restoring international peace and security in the area,

Deploring the fact that Iraq has not provided an accurate, full, final, and complete disclosure, as required by resolution 687 (1991), of all aspects of its programmes to develop weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles with a range greater than one hundred and fifty kilometres, and of all holdings of such weapons, their components...