Following is a chronology of key developments in the debate surrounding Saddam Hussein's alleged weapons, which is making political waves in both the United State and Britain.

-- FEBRUARY --

- 5: US Secretary of State Colin Powell tells the UN Security Council in a key presentation that "the facts and Iraq's behavior show that Saddam Hussein and his regime are concealing their efforts to produce more weapons of mass destruction."

-- MARCH --

- 17: US President George W. Bush declares diplomatic efforts to solve the Iraq crisis over and says in a televised address that the Iraqi regime had developed "some of the most lethal weapons ever devised."

-- APRIL --

- 9: In a speech on the day of Baghdad's fall, US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld says finding Iraq's weapons is a key goal and expresses concern about the possibility some could get transferred abroad and find their way to "terrorist" networks.

- 14: Two UN arms inspectors who had operated in Iraq contest as "completely wrong" parts of Powell's February speech to the UN Security Council.

- 17: Rumsfeld says officials are concerned the United States will be accused of planting evidence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

- 18: Washington begins deploying a 1,000-strong force to hunt for the alleged weapons arsenal.

- 22: Chief UN weapons inspector Hans Blix says he is disturbed the United States and Britain had used shaky intelligence to justify the war on Iraq.

- 24: Bush reiterates the United States knows Saddam had weapons and adds "whether he destroyed them, moved them or hid them, we're going to find out the truth."

-- MAY --

- 7: A top Pentagon official says a trailer seized in northern Iraq on April 19 could have been used to produce biological weapons agents. But on May 28, US intelligence acknowledges finding no traces of biological warfare agents in the vehicles.

- 21: The coalition announces it will grant cash rewards to Iraqis in return for any information on weapons of mass destruction.

US Senator Robert Byrd says Iraq did not pose a threat to United States and accuses the administration of building its case for war on "deceit."

- 29: Rumsfeld denies the United States invaded Iraq under a "false pretext," and says he believes the weapons will be found.

-- JUNE --

- 4: British Prime Minister Tony Blair denies charges in the lower house that his aides had "sexed up" a September 2002 report of Iraq's alleged weapons, notably a claim that Iraq could deploy chemical and biological weapons in as little as 45 minutes.

- 5: Bush tells US troops in Qatar that the coalition will find Saddam's hidden weapons arsenal and "reveal the truth" and repeats allegations about trailers.

- 6: German UN weapons inspector Peter Franck tells a magazine the evidence used in Powell's presentation to the Security Council in February was "a big bluff."

- 11: Republican majority in US Congress rejects demands by opposition Democrats for an official inquiry into intelligence on the issue of Iraq's alleged weapons.

- 18: Leading members of the US Congress begin reviewing volumes of intelligence on the alleged weapons behind closed doors.

- 25: US General John Abizaid says intelligence on Iraq's weapons was "perplexingly incomplete." (Abizaid replaced General Tommy Franks as head of US Central Command on July 7.)

-- JULY --

- 7: A parliamentary probe criticizes Blair for the way he presented the case for war against Iraq, but cleared his government of misleading the country over the threat posed by Saddam.

- 8: The White House backs away from assertions that Saddam had tried to purchase uranium from Africa for atomic weapons.

Blair defends the case for war against Iraq and says "evidence of programs" for deadly weapons would be uncovered.

- 9: Rumsfeld says the United States did not go to war with Iraq because of new evidence of Iraqi weapons.

- 10: The BBC says senior British government officials no longer believe that weapons of mass destruction will be found in Iraq.

WAR.WIRE