Iraq and weapons of mass destruction
| Weapons of mass destruction |
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| By type |
| By country |
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| Non-state |
| Biological weapons by country |
| Chemical weapons by country |
| Nuclear weapons by country |
| Proliferation |
| Treaties |
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Iraq actively researched weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and used chemical weapons from 1962 to 1991, after which its chemical weapons stockpile was destroyed and its nuclear weapons program and its biological weapon program halted, in accordance with the United Nations Security Council's Resolution 687. The Iraqi government of Saddam Hussein was internationally condemned for its chemical attacks against Iranian and Iraqi Kurdish civilians and troops during the Iran–Iraq War. Saddam pursued extensive biological and nuclear weapons programs, but did not construct a nuclear weapon. After the Gulf War, the United Nations Special Commission located, confiscated, and destroyed large quantities of Iraqi chemical weapons and infrastructure; Iraq ceased its chemical, biological and nuclear programs.
During the Iran–Iraq War, known Iraqi chemical weapons attacks between 1983 and 1988 were estimated to have caused 50,000 immediate casualties to Iranian troops. Civilians were also targeted; between 3,200 and 5,000 people were killed in the Halabja massacre. The attacks were led by Ali Hassan al-Majid, using mustard gas and nerve agents. In the Gulf War, US bombing and post-war demolition of Iraqi chemical weapons facilities, especially containing sarin and cyclosarin, were concluded to be the primary cause of Gulf War syndrome, experienced by over 40% of US veterans of the Gulf War.
False assertions by the US and UK that Iraq continued researching and stockpiling WMDs played a major role in the prelude to the Iraq War. The US and UK carried out the 1998 bombing of Iraq, allegedly targeting WMD facilities. Following the September 11 attacks, the US attempted to link Iraq to alleged WMD pursuits of the perpetrating terrorist group Al-Qaeda. UN inspections resumed between November 2002 and March 2003, under Resolution 1441, which demanded Iraq provide "immediate, unconditional and active cooperation" to UN and IAEA inspections. The US argued that Iraq's lack of cooperation was a breach of Resolution 1441, but failed to convince the UNSC to pass a new resolution authorizing the use of force. Despite this, the US asserted peaceful measures could not disarm Iraq and launched the invasion of Iraq in March 2003.
U.S.-led inspections later found that Iraq had ceased active WMD production and stockpiling. Some have argued the false WMD allegations were used as a deliberate pretext for war. Various unsubstantiated conjectures were put forward that the weapons might have been hidden or sent elsewhere. In July 2004, official U.S. and British reports concluded that spy agencies had "listened to unreliable sources," leading to "false or exaggerated allegations about an Iraqi arsenal."
Iraq signed the Geneva Protocol in 1931, the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in 1969, and the Biological Weapons Convention in 1972 but did not ratify it until June 11, 1991. Iraq ratified the Chemical Weapons Convention in January 2009, with its entry into force for Iraq coming a month later on February 12.