BAGHDAD (Reuters) -- Following is a chronology of events in the Iraq crisis.
Jan 13, 1998 -- Iraq prevents U.N. arms inspectors led by American Scott Ritter from working. Iraq says Ritter is a spy, a charge Americans reject.Feb 12 -- Iraq says it will not accept demand for unfettered U.N. access to all presidential palaces.
Feb 20 -- U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan arrives in Baghdad, says he has a "sacred duty" to try to defuse crisis. Security Council more than doubles amount of oil Iraq is allowed to sell to pay for imports of food and medicine.
Feb 22 -- Annan has three-hour meeting with Saddam. U.N. chief's spokesman announces deal on weapons inspections.
Feb 23 -- Annan says there are "no time limits or deadlines" in pact. Agreement provides for a "special group," comprising U.N. weapons experts and senior diplomats, to carry out inspections of eight key presidential sites.
March 2 -- Security Council members agree informally on resolution warning Iraq of "severest consequences" if it again bars U.N. weapons inspectors from suspected sites.
March 26 -- U.N. arms monitors begin mission to inspect a presidential site for the first time in seven years' work. Accompanying diplomats praise Iraq's cooperation.
April 9 -- U.N. report says Iraq still failing to provide full account of its biological warfare programme and may still be trying to deceive U.N. weapons inspectors.
April 28 -- Iraqi foreign minister denies agreement with Annan allowed unlimited inspections of presidential palaces.
May 1 -- Iraq warns Security Council that prolonging sweeping sanctions against it will lead to "grave consequences."
June 23 -- U.S. officials say tests showed Iraq put VX nerve gas on missile warheads before 1991 Gulf War, prompting President Bill Clinton to say sanctions must stay in place. Iraq says U.S. army laboratory report cannot be accurate.
June 24 -- Security Council retains sanctions.
July 23 -- Richard Butler, head of U.N. Special Commission (UNSCOM) on Iraqi arms, complains to Security Council that Iraq is refusing to hand over 10-year-old documents on munitions used in 1980-1988 war with Iran.
July 23 -- Iraq condemns United States over reports Clinton administration is seeking authority from Congress to mount covert operations against Saddam.
July 27 -- International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says it has no evidence Iraq has nuclear arms or related materials but that information on its past programmes is incomplete.
July 29 -- Russia proposes Security Council resolution saying Iraq has complied with demands to destroy its nuclear arms facilities, splitting 15-member body.
July 31 -- Iraq accuses American member of a United Nations arms team of spying during an inspection.
Aug 4 -- Butler leaves Baghdad after talks with Iraqi officials break down. He says Iraq rejected his proposal to extend his team's work on missile and chemical weapons.
Aug 5 -- Iraqi parliament votes unanimously to freeze work of U.N. arms inspectors in Iraq.
Aug 9 -- UNSCOM suspends inspections of new sites after Baghdad's decision to halt cooperation with United Nations.
Sept 9 -- In move to punish Iraq for defying inspectors, Security Council suspends periodic reviews of sanctions.
Oct 31 -- Iraq suspends all cooperation with U.N. weapons inspectors and monitors with immediate effect.
Nov 11 -- Butler orders inspection staff out of Iraq. More than 100 inspectors and support personnel head for Bahrain.
Nov 12 -- U.S. Defence Secretary William Cohen warns Baghdad any military strikes will be "significant." Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tareq Aziz says there will be no peaceful solution unless Washington agrees to principle of lifting sanctions.
Nov 13 -- Russia says it categorically opposes use of force against Iraq but warns Baghdad it faces risk of air strikes.
Nov 14 -- Clinton halts first planned bombing attack with just one hour's notice when Iraq offers to resume U.N. arms inspections. Second planned attack halted next day after Clinton accepts Iraq's offer.
Nov 17 -- Eighty-six U.N. weapons inspectors return to Iraq.
Nov 22 -- Iraq says "provocative" requests for documents by chief U.N. weapons inspector intended to provide United States with pretext for military attack.
Dec 16 -- U.N. weapons inspectors withdraw from Baghdad day after reporting Iraq was still not cooperating with their work.
Dec 17 -- U.S. launches air strikes just before 1 a.m. (2200 GMT on Dec 16) against what Clinton calls "Iraq's nuclear, chemical and biological weapons programmes and its military capacity to threaten its neighbours."
-- Russia, China and Iraq call during U.N. Security Council meeting for halt to military strikes.
-- Sirens in Baghdad sound all-clear at 6:40 a.m. (0340 GMT) after raids lasting about six hours.
-- U.S. Defence Department officials say first wave of attacks involved more than 200 cruise missiles followed by bombing raids by attack aircraft.
-- Iraq says attacks caused heavy civilian casualties. Health Minister Umeed Madhat Mubarak says at least 25 people killed and 75 injured in Baghdad. Security police and military intelligence headquarters and house of a daughter of Saddam were hit. She was not at home.
-- U.S. B-52 bombers and attack jets start new wave of raids in evening. British Tornados, which did not take part in the first wave, leave Kuwait to bomb Iraq.
-- In strongest sign yet of Russian outrage over U.S.-British military action against Iraq, Moscow recalls ambassadors from Washington.
Dec 18 -- Fresh military action erupts in Baghdad before dawn; Iraqi anti-aircraft fire rips into night sky and about 12 explosions heard in capital.
-- Russia recalls its ambassador to London.
-- U.S. and British warplanes bomb Iraq for third night after President Saddam Hussein spat defiance at "agents of Satan."
-- U.S. Congress debates whether to impeach commander of country's armed forces, President Bill Clinton, over Monica Lewinsky affair.
-- U.S. officials say more cruise missiles fired in three-day-old offensive than the nearly 300 launched during 1991 Gulf War. Say raids damaged bases of elite Republican Guard units in Baghdad and Tikrit, Saddam's home town. Iraq's key oil refinery in Basra also hit.
Dec 19 -- Baghdad was hit by three waves of U.S.-led air attacks, which died away minutes before Iraqi Moslems started to observe Islam's most holy month of Ramadan.
-- U.S. Defence Department officials say U.S. and British strikes against Iraq could end within hours. Ramadan has been key element in timing of raids on Iraq.