1. US/IRAQ War Timeline President Bush Speech to UN 12 Sep 02
US Congressional vote to authorize use of force 10 Oct 02
Senate: 77 to 23, House: 296 to 133
US begins military buildup in Gulf, mainly in Kuwait and Qatar
UN Security Council Resolution Nov 02 (Unanimous)
Iraq must divulge ALL information on WMD and allow inspectors free access to people and places or face “serious consequences”
Dec 02: Iraq maintains it has no WMD . Provides volumes of information, all previously known. US and British military buildup continues (passes 200,000).

2. US/IRAQ War Timeline (cont)
Jan – Mar 03: UN Inspectors go in, begin slow process of inspections, interviews. Get relatively free access to facilities, little cooperation on interviews. Find missiles with illegal range. US and British military buildup continues (exceeds 250,000).
Feb- Mar 03: US & BR work to get new UN Sec Council Resolution to more explicitly authorize use of force, claiming Iraq not complying with UN Res Powell speech to UN Security Council. Actively opposed by French, somewhat by Germany, Russia.
Mar 03: Votes do not appear to be there for US/BR resolution, so it is withdrawn. US and Britain, with other minor allies, invade Iraq.

3. Invasion of Iraq: Potential US Loss
Iraqi WMD or serious urban fighting kills many Coalition soldiers – Does not happen
Significant Iraqi civilian refugee problem – Does not happen
Anti-US riots in friendly Arab nations destabilize region, oil prices go way up - Does not happen
Ethnic/religious civil war tear Iraq into separate pieces – Does not happen (yet)
Coalition forces become focus for popular insurgency, Iraq becomes ungovernable; possible source of terrorists – Maybe
International contention strains US alliances – Yes
Distracts US from other threats: Korea, Al Queda – Maybe
Other ?

4. Invasion of Iraq: Potential US Gains
Increase in Israeli security, helps peace with Palestinians - Maybe
Removes Saddam as unpredictable/dangerous regional actor- Yes
Human rights benefits
Removes/verifies no WMD or threat of future WMD - Yes
Arab democracy as example to other authoritarian Arab regimes as one answer to Islamic terrorism - Maybe
Sanctions on Iraq can be dropped, US bases in Saudi Arabia no longer needed – Yes
Iraqi oil production greatly increased – Not Yet
Greater supply makes for cheaper oil, boost to world economy
Alternative to Saudi oil can be developed: World economy not so dependent on future Saudi political stability
Other?