In April 1991, immediately after the Gulf War had finished, the UN Security Council passed a series of resolutions authorising the inspection and destruction of Iraq's arsenal.

What unfolded over the next seven years, according to the weapons inspectors from the UN's Special Commission (Unscom), was an almost farcical tale of cat and mouse.

After a string of false dawns, with the termination and subsequent resumption of inspections, the UN finally lost its patience with Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, withdrawing the team on 17 December, 1998.

The history of Unscom was characterised by Iraq's persistent refusal to co-operate with the team, and incident after incident of apparent obstruction and deceit.

The inspectors said they were not provided with "unfettered access" to any site in the country, as had been agreed.
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Inspectors were frequently turned away at the door - as was the case at Saddam Hussein's presidential palaces. By December 1997, inspectors said they had been formally told that these sites were off limits.

On other occasions, the Unscom teams would be kept waiting at the front gates to sites, they reported, while trucks and equipment left by the back.

They also alleged that the Iraqis tampered with their equipment, which included state-of-the-art sensors and remote cameras.

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