Hans Blix Biography and Timeline — Page 5

Iraqi Disarmament Papers Reviewed

Reviews papers supplied by Iraq on unresolved weapons issues but finds that they do not provide the new evidence needed to close major questions.

Role range: 2000-2003

United Nations

Blix claims that "If Iraq had provided the necessary cooperation in 1991, the phase of disarmament -- under resolution 687 -- could have been short and a decade of sanctions could have been avoided"

Role range: 1981-1997

Aerial Surveillance Access Report

Tells the Security Council that Iraq has accepted aerial-surveillance arrangements that strengthen inspectors' ability to monitor sites across the country.

Role range: 2000-2003

Anthrax Accounting Concern

Highlights unresolved questions about Iraq's past anthrax programme because documentation does not yet establish what happened to all declared quantities.

Role range: 2000-2003

February Security Council Report

Reports again to the Security Council on Iraqi cooperation.

Role range: 2000-2003

Four Hundred Inspection Milestone

Reports that inspection teams have completed more than four hundred visits to about three hundred sites, generally receiving prompt access.

Role range: 2000-2003

Inspection Cooperation Update

Notes improved access while outstanding disarmament issues remain.

Role range: 2000-2003

Private Scientist Interview Assessment

Reports that Iraq has begun accepting interviews with scientists without government witnesses, improving an important inspection procedure.

Role range: 2000-2003

VX Documentation Concern

Identifies continuing uncertainty over Iraq's VX nerve-agent work and asks for documentary or material evidence capable of resolving the discrepancy.

Role range: 2000-2003

Al Samoud 2 Destruction Begins

Supervises the start of destruction of Iraq's Al Samoud 2 missiles.

Role range: 2003-2003 – 2000-2003

Missile Destruction Supervised

UNMOVIC identifies the missile system as exceeding the permitted range.

Role range: 2003-2003 – 2000-2003

Accelerated Iraqi Cooperation Assessment

Acknowledges a recent acceleration in Iraqi initiatives while cautioning that the value of new information still requires careful verification.

Role range: 2000-2003

Five Hundred Fifty Inspection Milestone

Reports that inspectors have carried out more than 550 inspections at roughly 350 sites since returning to Iraq in November.

Role range: 2000-2003

March Inspection Assessment

Reports accelerated Iraqi initiatives but continuing unresolved disarmament questions.

Role range: 2000-2003

No-Notice Access Assessment

States that inspections are being conducted without advance notice and that access has been prompt in virtually every case.

Role range: 2000-2003

Twelfth Quarterly Report

Presents UNMOVIC's twelfth quarterly report to the Council.

Role range: 2000-2003

Remaining Disarmament Tasks Defined

The document identifies key remaining Iraqi disarmament tasks.

Role range: 2003-2003 – 2000-2003

Work Programme Submitted

Submits UNMOVIC's draft work programme to the Security Council.

Role range: 2003-2003 – 2000-2003

Inspectors Withdraw from Iraq

Withdraws UNMOVIC personnel from Iraq before the invasion.

Role range: 2003-2003 – 2000-2003

UNMOVIC Evacuation

Inspection operations end one day before armed action begins.

Role range: 2003-2003 – 2000-2003

Security Council Presentation

Explains remaining inspection tasks despite the withdrawal from Iraq.

Role range: 2003-2003 – 2000-2003

Work Programme Briefing

Briefs the Security Council on UNMOVIC's draft work programme.

Role range: 2003-2003 – 2000-2003

UNMOVIC Return Readiness Briefing

Tells the Security Council that meaningful verification would require inspectors to return physically to Iraq rather than rely on remote document review.

Role range: 2000-2003

Final Security Council Briefing

Gives his final Security Council briefing as UNMOVIC chairman.

Role range: 2003-2003 – 2000-2003

Thirteenth Quarterly Report

States inspectors found no evidence of resumed prohibited weapons programmes.

Role range: 2003-2003 – 2000-2003

UNMOVIC Chairmanship Concludes

Completes his term as UNMOVIC Executive Chairman after leading the commission through the final pre-war inspection phase in Iraq.

Role range: 2000-2003

WMD Commission Chairmanship Announced

Accepts the chairmanship of a new independent commission intended to develop proposals on disarmament and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

WMD Commission Membership Announced

Presents the fourteen-member Weapons of Mass Destruction Commission and outlines the principal questions its international membership will examine.

United Nations

During the Iraq disarmament crisis before the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Blix is called back from retirement by United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan to lead the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission in charge of monitoring Iraq

Role range: 1981-1997

Invasion of Iraq

Blix accuses the US and British Governments of dramatising the threat of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, in order to strengthen the case for the 2003 war against the regime of Saddam Hussein

Role range: 1981-1997

United Nations

Blix accuses the US and British Governments of dramatising the threat of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, in order to strengthen the case for the 2003 war against the regime of Saddam Hussein

Role range: 1981-1997

Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

Blix accuses the US and British Governments of dramatising the threat of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, in order to strengthen the case for the 2003 war against the regime of Saddam Hussein

Role range: 2000-2003

Weapons of Terror Presented to Jan Eliasson

Hands the WMD Commission report to Jan Eliasson in his roles as Swedish foreign minister and President of the United Nations General Assembly.

Weapons of Terror Presented to Kofi Annan

Presents the Commission's final report, Weapons of Terror, to United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan with sixty proposals for reducing WMD dangers.

Philadelphia WMD Report Presentation

Presents the Commission's disarmament recommendations to the World Affairs Council and participates in public events explaining the report's proposals.

Meet the Press WMD Discussion

Appears on Meet the Press to explain the Commission's recommendations on nuclear, biological and chemical arms control.

International Law Association Address

Addresses the International Law Association conference in Toronto on weapons of mass destruction and the Commission's proposed disarmament agenda.

Canadian Disarmament Outreach

Meets Canadian officials and addresses public and academic audiences while promoting the Weapons of Terror recommendations in Canada.

Carnegie Disarmament Seminar

Speaks at a seminar hosted by arms-control and legal organizations at the Carnegie Endowment before meeting United States legislators.

Vancouver World Conference of Peace

Presents the WMD Commission's conclusions at the World Conference of Peace together with fellow commissioners.