Iraq.

• Position: Peacewatch - US and UK air strikes

News on General Assembly and Security Council actions, plus reports from peacekeeping operations and missions of humanitarian assistance.

News of the military strikes on Iraq by the United States and United Kingdom, on 16 December, came as this issue was in press; our coverage of Iraq was updated with this report that very day.

And end to the strikes was announced on 19 December.

Secretary-General Kofi Annan said 16 December was a "sad day for the United Nations, and for the world", and that his thoughts were with the people of Iraq, with the 370 United Nations humanitarian workers who remained in the country, and with all others whose lives were in danger. It was also a very sad day for him personally, the Secretary-General stated, since throughout the year he had done everything in his power to ensure peaceful compliance with Security Council resolutions, and to avert the use of force.

Members of the Security Council on 16 December expressed divided views on the use of force against Iraq. The air strikes followed the latest report of the United Nations Special Commission (UNSCOM), which had stated that Iraq had not met its obligation to cooperate fully with UNSCOM and that the Commission was unable to conduct the substantive work mandated to it by the Council.

Sir Jeremy Greenstock of the United Kingdom said Iraq had deliberately provoked a series of crises over the past 14 months. The UNSCOM report made clear that Iraq had yet again failed to keep its promises. The whole history of concealment and deceit was the reason for having reached the point of military action, the objectives of which were clear: to degrade Iraq's capability to build and use weapons of mass destruction; and to diminish the military threat Iraq posed to its neighbours.

Peter Burleigh of the United States said coalition forces were acting under the authority provided by Council resolutions, and the resort to military action was undertaken only when it was evident that diplomacy had been exhausted. The Government of Iraq bore full responsibility for the consequences of the military operation. However, the United States Government's quarrel was not with the Iraqi people. It would do all it could to minimize civilian casualties and support Iraqis who were working for the day when the people of their country would be free to choose their own leaders and shape their own destiny.

Sergey V. Lavrov of the Russian Federation asked what right had the United States and the...