First Persian Gulf War: 1990-1991 Essay

Hussein was a ruthless dictator who ruled Iraq from 1979 to 2003 (Porter, 2017). On 2 August 1990, he invaded Kuwait; he subsequently occupied the country for six months, intentionally ignoring the UN Security Council’s demand for withdrawal until Operation Desert Storm expelled his forces on 27 February 1991 (Yoo, 2003, p. 2). Operation Desert Storm was “a massive U.S.-led air offensive” which attacked Iraq’s air forces, “communications networks, weapons plants, oil refineries and more” (History.com, 2009). On 3 April 1991, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 678, which was authorised by Chapter VII of the UN

“All war is a symptom of man’s failure as a thinking animal.” (John Steinbeck). Across the history of mankind, war, regardless of its reasons and outcomes, had led to the countless loss of human life. The gulf war, also known as the Persian Gulf War, is an international incident triggered by the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq under its leader, Saddam Hussein, which led to long term effects on the politics of the region. Many western historians claim that Sadam’s probable motive was to seize the wealth of Iraq’s oil rich neighbor, Kuwait. The claim is that Saddam, in his act of invasion, was trying to rid his country of the severe economic trouble that it found itself facing after its war with Iran. There were other reasons for Saddam’s invasion

The Persian Gulf War all started because of one country’s greed for oil. Iraq accused Kuwait of pumping oil and not sharing the benfits, and Kuwait was pumping more oil than allowed under quotas set by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, it decreased the price of oil, Iraq's main export. Iraq's complaints against Kuwait grew more and more harsh, but they were mostly about money. When Iraqi forces began to assemble near the Kuwaiti border in the summer of 1990, several Arab states tried to intervene the dispute. Kuwait didn’t want to look weak so they didn’t ask for any help from the United States or other non-Arab powers for support. Arab mediators convinced Iraq and Kuwait to negotiate their differences in Saudi Arabia, on

After the 1989 collapse of the Soviet Union the United States turned its attention toward the Middle East. The United States had previous dealing in the region during the Iran Hostage Crisis in the late 1970s which ultimately hurt perception of the United States in the Middle East and bolstered Iran0, major military presence in the region would not truly happen until the First Gulf War. When Iraqi president Saddam Hussein invaded and annexed Kuwait in 1990 the United States along with a coalition of nations engaged in war with Iraq. Although the war resulted in defeat of the Iraqi army, public image of the United States in the region continued to deteriorate. Due to the United States support of the formation of Israel and our choice of allies the perception of the United States among the Arab population in the region has continued to take a negative tone.

The Gulf War in 1990 and the invasion of Iraq in 2003 both had a profound impact not just on the countries directly involved - primarily Iraq and the United States (US) - but also on the geo-politics of the world. Arguably, the War ended in a stalemate because the Iraqi regime that had started the War by invading Kuwait remained in power. Perhaps inevitably then, in March 2003 the US and its allies invaded Iraq with the stated aim of overthrowing the regime of Saddam Hussein and destroying that regime's Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). Some similarities between both Wars are immediately obvious: for example, the same country, the

The Persian Gulf War, otherwise known as the Gulf War was an international conflict that began in August of 1990 when Iraq invaded Kuwait. Kuwait is located on the northwestern corner of the Persian Gulf. Kuwait is considered a wealthy country, with many oil refineries and a great military advantage with the location along the Gulf (“Kuwait”). Iraq 's leader Saddam Hussein, ordered the invasion, with the goal of gaining possession of large oil reserves and expanding Iraqi power in Kuwait (“Persian”). On August 3, 1990 the United Nations calls for Iraq to withdraw their forces from Kuwait. After Iraq fails to cooperate, the United Nations begins a worldwide ban of trade with Iraq. By January 1991, Iraq had still failed to remove their presence in Kuwait, the United Nations authorizes the use of excessive force. On January 16, 1991 the United States lead a massive air campaign against Iraq. Air bombardment began in mission to get Iraq out of Kuwait. This air campaign became known as a mission

Desert Sabre was a massive coalition ground attack led by the United States. It started just north of Saudi Arabia into Kuwait and Southern Iraq (“Persian Gulf War.” Britannica). The elite Iraqi Republican Guard mounted a defense south of Al-Basrah in southeastern Iraq, but most were defeated by February 27. At the same time as Desert Sabre, the United States led forces went into Iraq 120 miles west of Kuwait attacking Iraq’s armored reserves from the rear (“Persian Gulf War” History.com). Within three days of Desert, Sabre Kuwait city was taken back by the coalition and liberated (“Persian Gulf War” History.com).

Throughout the history of the Middle East, Iran and Iraq have been in a dispute. In recent years many factors have caused a global involvement in this conflict. Many young adult Americans have grown up with this conflict as part of their daily evening news. So much so that many people now pay little attention to this constant strife and haven’t stopped to wonder--Why is the United States involved and how did the Iraq War begin? In order to gain understanding, it is essential to explore the various aspects of land, religion, power, and oil and events which led to the Iraq War.

The war in the Persian Gulf was a war of religious favor, cruel leadership, and greed. Desert Storm or more commonly known ass The Golf War was the same type of war that had accrued in this area for many years except for one fact. In Operation Desert Storm, it was a mix of sophisticated technology and the combined leadership and cooperation from the coalition that was used to end the war in a quick and timely manner. Which in the end probably saved thousands of lives.

The Gulf War was a tragic series of events, during which Americans opinions about the war differed. Throughout the course of the war, Americans were battling at the home front with the economic consequences of the war. Americans were also consistently worrying about the soldiers. “During Operation Desert Shield we defended Saudi Arabia from the impending attack from Iraq. In February 1991, the American military launched a ground attack which cause Iraq to retreat” (Bush to Send Cheney). One of the other reasons Iraq tried to take control of Saudi Arabia was because the “President” wanted water control since Iraq was landlocked. The United States knew the further Iraq moved into Kuwait the more likely Iraq would try to invade other countries. The feelings of

1. As our brave men and women in uniform find themselves embroiled again in a conflict in the Middle East, debate surrounding the timeliness and necessity of this second Gulf conflict has ceased in most professional circles. However, before the current conflict began, controversy raged over when and how to best prosecute this situation. Many argued that the United States should have worked through the United Nations to pursue a resolution that had the consensus of the world behind it. That endeavor, however, was doomed to failure from the start. The United States sought to solve this dilemma using military force. France and Germany desired to diffuse it using anything but force. In order to

Conflict over energy resources—and the wealth and power they create—has become an increasingly prominent feature for geopolitics particularly in the Middle East . The discovery of oil in the late nineteenth century added a dimension to the region as major outside states powers employed military force to protect their newly acquired interests in the Middle East. The U.S.’s efforts to secure the flow of oil have led to ever increasing involvement in the Middle East region’s political affairs and ongoing power struggles. By the end of the twentieth century, safeguarding the flow of oil from the Persian Gulf had become one of the most important functions of the U.S. military establishment. The close relationship between the United States and the Saudi royal family was formed in the final months of World War II, when U.S. leaders sought to ensure preferential access to Saudi petroleum. The U.S. link with Saudi Arabia and other countries in the region has demonstrated to be greatly beneficial to both parties, yet it has also led to ever deepening U.S. involvement in regional politics.

In 1913 a convention was signed defining the territories in the Gulf area. A year later Turkey declared war against Britain, the conflict created border issues. However, after the war Turkey renounced its claims on Kuwait, and in 1923 the new border was designed by Britain establishing the boundary between Kuwait and Iraq. These borders gave Kuwait the Warba and Bubiyan islands which Iraq claimed to be a part of its territory. A more serious crisis came in 1961 when “Kuwait obtained independence, and the Iraqi ruler, General Abdul-Karim Qassim mobilized troops and formally announced Iraq’s claim for Kuwait.” Following the General’s actions countries like Britain, Egypt and Saudi Arabia stood to help Kuwait, such action stopped the crisis, but it did not solve the disagreements of the border. The economic tensions with Kuwait following the Iraq-Iran War might have provoked Saddam to recall old territory issues, and made Iraqi-Kuwait relations even more

Office of the Secretary of Defense stated , “we must not only be able to defend the interest of Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and ourselves an Iraqi invasion or show of force, we should also make manifest our capabilities and commitment to balance Iraq’s power-and this may require an increased visibility for US power…” and the former president Bush also said, “my Administration continues to desire better relations with Iraq. We will also continue to support our other friends in the region with whom we have had long-standing ties. We see no necessary inconsistency between these two objectives.” From the quotes we can see different aspects that encouraged the United States’ decision (US) to go to war in the Gulf. It is may not only the realist

Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein ordered the invasion and occupation of neighboring Kuwait in early August 1990. Alarmed by these actions, fellow Arab powers such as Saudi Arabia and Egypt called on the United States and other Western nations to intervene. Hussein defied United Nations Security Council demands to withdraw from Kuwait by mid-January 1991 and the Persian Gulf War began with a massive U.S.-led air offensive known as Operation Desert Storm4. After 42 days of relentless attacks by the allied coalition in the air and on the ground, U.S. President George H.W. Bush declared a cease-fire on February 28; by that time, most Iraqi forces in Kuwait had either surrendered or run away. Though the Persian Gulf War was initially considered an unqualified success for the international coalition, simmering conflict in the troubled region led