Sept. 13: President
Bush called for the United Nations to take action against Saddam Hussein by
enforcing their policies on weapons disarmament and repression of his people.
Bush did not formally state that the United States will declare war against Iraq
if action is not taken against Hussein, but rather implied it. “The just
demands of peace and security will be met, or action will be unavoidable and a
regime that has lost its legitimacy will also lose its power,” Bush said.
Sept. 14: Five men of Arab-American descent were arrested in Buffalo, N.Y. and charged with operating an active Al Queda cell in the United States by providing material support. It appears this group may have received weapons training in Afghanistan in 2001, but FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III said there was no evidence to suggest that this group was planning a forthcoming attack within the United States. No evidence ties the Al Queda to the Sept. 11 attacks. Family and friends of the group protested their arrest, calling it an “anti-Muslim witchhunt.”
Sept. 15: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud-al Faisal implied that Saudia Arabia would let the United States use their military bases to launch an attack against Iraq if the United Nations supported action against Hussein.
Sept 16: Secretary General Kofi Annan said that Iraq would let international weapons inspectors to return to the country “without conditions.” This appears to be Iraq’s attempt to relieve the pressure the United States has been putting on the country to disarm their weapons. However, the United States is skeptical that this offer will change the status quo, since Iraq did not actually offer to disarm their weapons or reveal the status of their weapons program, according to a senior State Department official.