Colin Powell, the U.S. Secretary of State, states that the United States has evidence indicating that Iraq is not cooperating with United Nations weapons inspectors. Mr. Powell asserts that by the end of this month, which is the deadline for inspectors to submit their report to the UN Security Council, Iraq's lack of cooperation will also be proven. In another development, the U.S. Central Command reports that on Friday, following the firing of Iraqi anti-aircraft artillery and surface-to-air missiles at American and British aircraft in southeastern Baghdad, allied warplanes attacked two Iraqi military positions in the south of the country. The White House also announced early Friday that the discovery of empty warheads in Iraq intended for chemical weapons is a serious and concerning event.
Colin Powell: Iraq is not cooperating with UN weapons inspectors - 2003-01-18
Colin Powell announced that the U.S. has evidence of Iraq's non-cooperation with UN weapons inspectors, which is expected to be confirmed by the end of the month. Concurrently, U.S. forces engaged Iraqi military positions after being fired upon. This situation raises concerns about Iraq's potential chemical weapons capabilities.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
Colin Powell announced that the U.S. has evidence of Iraq's non-cooperation with UN weapons inspectors, which is expected to be confirmed soon. Concurrently, U.S. forces engaged Iraqi military positions after being fired upon, raising concerns about Iraq's chemical weapons capabilities.
- The U.S. claims to have evidence of Iraq's non-compliance with UN weapons inspections.
- U.S. military actions were taken in response to Iraqi anti-aircraft fire.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
In the early 2000s, the U.S. was concerned about Iraq's potential possession of weapons of mass destruction, leading to increased scrutiny and military buildup.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
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Translation confidence: 85%