Countdown to War: Timeline

Aug. 2, 1990: Iraq invades Kuwait. U.N. Security Council condemns the invasion. George Bush freezes, Iraqi and Kuwaiti assets and bans trade with Iraq.

Aug. 3: U.S. announces it will send naval forces to the gulf.

Aug. 6: U.N. authorizes worldwide economic sanctions against Iraq. Bush orders troops and aircraft to Saudi Arabia.

Aug. 16: Defense Secretary Dick Cheney authorizes warships to intercept ships going to or from Iraq and Kuwait.

Aug. 17: Baghdad threatens to use Westerners in Iraq and Kuwait as human shields against allied attacks.

Aug. 28: Iraq declares Kuwait to be 19th province. Saddam Hussein says all women and children hostages will be free to leave.

Sept. 9: Bush and Mikhail Gorbachev meet in Helsinki and issue a statement condemning the invasion of Kuwait and urging Iraq to withdraw.

Nov. 8: Bush orders an additional 150,000 to 200,000 troops to the guff, upping the total to 400, 000.

Nov. 29: U.N. passes a resolution approving the use of "all necessary means" to get Iraqi forces out of Kuwait if they don't leave by Jan. 15.

Nov. 30: Bush invites Iraqi Foreign Minister Tariq Aziz to meet with him in Washington and offers to send James Baker to Baghdad to talk with Saddam before the Jan 15 deadline.

Dec. 1: Saddam accepts Bush's proposal for talks, but no date is set.

Dec. 6: Saddam announces the release of all foreign hostages.

Dec. 9: Baker reports a deadlock on when talks can take place. Iraq proposes that Baker come to Baghdad on Jan. 12, and the U.S. insists the meeting take place no later than Jan. 3.

Dec. 22: Iraq announces it will not give up Kuwait and will use chemical weapons if attacked.

Jan. 9, 1991: Baker and Aziz meet in Geneva, but to no avail.

Jan. 12: U.S. Congress grants Bush the authority to go to war.

Jan. 15: U.N. deadline for Iraq's withdrawal from Kuwait passes.

Jan. 16: U.S. and allied forces launch an attack on Iraq and Kuwait.