Operation Display Deterrence, Turkey
- Duration
- 25 February 2003 - 16 April 2003
- Military personnel
- 371
- Fatalities
- none
- Decorations
- none
On April 3 1991, the Security Council adopted resolution 687, declaring that Iraq should in future abide by the international agreements that prohibit the production and use of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons.
The Council demanded that Iraq, under international supervision, destroy:
- its weapons of mass destruction;
- ballistic missiles with a range in excess of 150 kilometres;
- all raw materials and facilities necessary for the production of these weapons.
Enforcing a UN Security Council decision
The international community was authorised under resolution 678 of 29 November 1990 to use all necessary means to enforce the Council’s decision. Iraq declared time and time again that it was being completely open with regard to its arms programmes, but the United States (US) was not satisfied with this. It now regarded Iraq as one of those countries which possessed weapons of mass destruction and which were prepared to place these weapons in the hands of terrorists. Iraq had to be brought to its knees, if necessary by force. A US and UK-led coalition declared war on Iraq and, in March and April 2003, captured the country in less than a month.