Timeline: The inspectors' trail

Iraq has co-operated with the Inspectors, but not actively

UN weapons inspectors have been at work in Iraq since last November. How much progress have they made?

25 November 2002 Inspectors return to Baghdad for the first time in four year, three weeks after the passing of a UN resolution giving them sweeping powers to search for proscribed weapons.

Arab press mixed over inspectors' return

27 November 2002 Weapons inspectors say Iraqi officials gave them full access to two sites during their first field visit for four years. Both sites are reported to have been inspected in the 1990s.

Washington puts Baghdad on notice that it would be closely scrutinised for its behaviour towards the inspectors, and that the George W Bush would have "zero tolerance" for violations.

3 December 2002 Inspectors search one of Saddam Hussein's presidential palaces - a key test of the Iraqi president's willingness to co-operate. Sijood palace in Baghdad was high on the list of suspected hiding places for banned weaponry.

Saddam's palace opens up

5 December 2002 In his first public comments since inspections resumed, Saddam Hussein says he allowed weapons experts back to Iraq to give them a chance to disprove US claims.

"We shall provide them [weapons inspectors] with such a chance, after which if the weaklings remain weak and the cowardly remain coward, we shall take the stand that befits our people, principles and mission," the Iraqi president said.

Excerpts of Saddam's speech

7 December 2002 Iraq hands over a 12,000-page weapons declaration as required by resolution 1441. The document is meant to be a current and complete account of all its chemical, biological, nuclear and missile programmes.

Saddam Hussein's chief weapons adviser challenges the Bush administration to prove accusations that Iraq still has weapons of mass destruction. "Our report is accurate, comprehensive and truthful. If they have anything to the contrary, let them come forth with it. Give it to the UN. They are here. They can check it. Why play this game?" General al-Saadi said.

Iraqi declaration: Key tests

10 December 2002 Washington wins full access to the declaration, in what is seen as an embarrassing blow to Hans Blix, who said it would be edited on security grounds before being passed on to Security Council members.

Resolution 1441 called for declaration to be passed to all members, but this provision was changed after concern was raised that some countries, notably Syria, might use the information to develop their own weapons. Washington then reportedly put pressure on the UN to allow it full access.

19 December 2002 The US Secretary of State Colin Powell says Iraq's declaration contains flagrant omissions which constitute a "material breach" of the UN resolution. Mr Powell said "serious consequences" had come closer as a result.

"There is no question that Iraq continues its pattern of non-cooperation, its pattern of deception, its pattern of dissembling, its pattern of lying, and if that is going to be the way they continue through the weeks ahead, then we're not going to find a peaceful solution to this problem," Mr Powell said.

21 December 2002 Mr Blix urges the US and the UK to hand over any key intelligence on Iraqi weapons programmes.

"If the UK and the US are convinced, and they say they have evidence, then one would expect they would be able to tell us where this stuff is," a frustrated Mr Blix says.

6 January 2003 Saddam Hussein accuses the inspectors of being spies who were conducting "intelligence work" under pressure from the US.

In a speech to mark the country's Armed Forces Day, he says that instead of searching for weapons of mass destruction the inspectors are making lists of scientists, asking questions in pursuit of hidden agendas and delving into legitimate military activity.

16 January 2003 UN weapons inspectors find 12 empty chemical warheads while searching an ammunition storage depot. Baghdad insists they are not part of a banned weapons programme.

Washington described the warheads as a "smouldering, not smoking gun".

18 January 2003 Weapons experts say they have discovered 3,000 documents linked to nuclear arms technology while searching the home of an Iraqi physicist and director of a military installation.

27 January 2003 Mr Blix and Mr ElBaradei give Baghdad a mixed report card as they go before the Security Council.

They say they have not been able to establish definitively whether or not Iraq retains any prohibited weapons but say it has only complied with inspections reluctantly.

They hold out the possibility that continuing the inspections regime - provided Baghdad co-operates more actively - could lead to disarmament.

Excerpts of Hans Blix's report

Key points of the inspectors' report

5 February 2003 US Secretary of State Colin Powell, presents what he describes as "irrefutable and undeniable" evidence to the Security Council that Iraq is hiding weapons of mass destruction from inspectors.

France replies by saying inspections should be reinforced and lengthened, not abandoned.

Powell briefing: Key points

6 February 2003 An Iraqi biologist agrees to a private interview with weapons experts, becoming the first scientist linked to the country's arms programmes to agree to the confidential questioning sought by Bush administration and Mr Blix.

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7 February 2003 Iraq throws open the doors to two top-secret sites mentioned by Mr Powell in his indictment of Iraq.

They point out that the sites had been under close monitoring and inspection since November by UN inspectors, who have not found any evidence of proscribed weapons.

9 February 2003 Mr Blix says Iraq appears to be co-operating more fully, following two days of talks. He says he thought the inspection programme could work if given more time.

Iraq submits documents which Mr Blix says relate to outstanding questions about anthrax, VX nerve agents, missile development and a number of empty chemical warheads recently discovered.

He says Iraq also indicated it would expand a commission to search for weapons and related documents, and was considering moving toward enacting legislation to ban biological, chemical and nuclear weapons.

10 February 2003 Iraq agrees to let U-2 spy planes over fly the country - a key demand made by the weapons inspectors.

13 February 2003 An independent panel of UN experts report that an Iraqi missile's range may breach UN disarmament rules. The claim is rejected by Baghdad.