March 6, 2007, 7 p.m.

The George E. McCammon Distinguished Speaker Series:

Dr. Hans Blix

See video of his McKendree presentation>

As the world urged Saddam Hussein to disarm, Chief U.N. Weapons Inspector Hans Blix and his team— through on-site inspections — tried to determine if the Iraqi leader was complying. While the U.S. and its allies pushed for justification for military action in Iraq, and key opponents on the U.N. Security Council called for further inspections, Dr. Blix stood between the two, trying to fairly and impartially determine the true scope of Iraq’s weapons program. He brought his famous qualities of calm to bear when confronting Baghdad and conveying the message that it must do something to demonstrate it is telling the truth about its weapons programs or face war.

The former leader of the U.N.’s inspection team will share his firsthand account of the events leading up to the 2003 war in Iraq. He will describe meetings with George W. Bush, Tony Blair, Jacques Chirac, Dick Cheney, Condolezza Rice, Colin Powell, and Kofi Annan. Dr. Blix will also provide insight on the possibility of preventing the spread and use of weapons of mass destruction in the future.