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| 1997, Nov. 20 |
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| After a threat of military action by the U.S. and Britain, Iraq allowed UN arms inspectors to return to inspect various weapons manufacturing sites. | 1 |
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| 1998, Feb. 22 |
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| Under substantial military pressure from the U.S., Iraq accepted UN terms of peace brought to Baghdad by UN Sec. Gen. Kofi Annan. However, over the course of the following months, Iraq continued to impede UN weapons inspections teams. Saddam completely terminated the inspections in August; Iraqi cooperation came only after an Oct. 31 threat of military retaliation by the U.S. and Britain. | 2 |
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| Nov. 14 |
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| Iraq agreed to cooperate unconditionally with UN inspectors if the U.S. and Britain would agree to call off military strikes. | 3 |
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| Dec. 16–19 |
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| Conflict between the UN and Iraq resumed as Iraq once again resisted weapons inspections. This culminated in severe U.S. and British air attacks and bombing of Iraqi military targets. During the next two years, U.S. and British warplanes recurrently carried out air strikes on Iraq. Attacks focused on command centers, missile factories, airfields, and other targets which, if destroyed, would deplete an Iraqi weapons buildup. The goal of low-level warfare was to injure Iraq's military capabilities and possibly instigate an overthrow of Saddam. | 4 |
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