Weapons of mass destruction (WMDs)

Under UN Resolution 687, the United Nations Special Commission, UNSCOM, was established to carry out weapons inspections and oversee the elimination of Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction. Inspections were intended to establish what Iraq possessed and prevent it from rebuilding prohibited weapons capabilities.

A central justification was the belief that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction (WMDs), including chemical or biological weapons, which could pose a serious threat.