ABSTRACT

Iraq remained one of the most intransigent issues faced by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in the post-Cold War period. In spite of UNSC imposed sanctions, weapons inspections and military no fly zones, the regime of Saddam Hussein nevertheless remained a thorn in the side of the international community. Its continued belligerence ensured that the Council's members had to keep continually apprised of the Iraqi situation and, between the end of the Gulf War in 1991 and December 2002, were forced to adopt 17 resolutions in regard to the situation in Iraq. As the Security Council remained apprised of the Iraqi situation throughout the 1990s, the positions of the permanent members consistently reflected a joint Anglo-American willingness to use force through air strikes and maintain sanctions in order to influence Iraqi compliance with the Council's resolutions. In spite of the inconclusive reports of the weapons inspectors, the United States maintained its belligerent posture towards the Iraqi regime.