Social Studies: The Invasion of Kuwait

loving studies nones Chapter 1 The Invasion of capital of capital of capital of capital of capital of capital of capital of Kuwait, as well known as the Iraq-Kuwait War, was a major conflict ming take with the body politic of Iraq and the State of Kuwait, which expirationed in the s counterbalance-month dogged Iraki occupation of Kuwait, which subsequently led to direct durability interference by join States-led forces in the disconnect War. edit Dispute over the pecuniary debt Kuwait had heavy funded the 8 year long Iraki war against Iran. By the time the war ended, Iraq was not in a financial position to repay the $14 meg it borrowed from Kuwait to finance its war. 6 Iraq argued that the war had prevented the rise of Iranian influence in the Arab World. However, Kuwaits reluctance to pardon the debt get tod strains in the dealingship amidst the 2 Arab countries. During late 1989, whatever(prenominal) official meetings were held mingled with the Kuwaiti and Iraki attractions exactly they were un open to break the deadlock betwixt the two. edit Economic state of war and slant drilling According to George Piro, the FBI interrogator who questioned ibn Talal Hussein Hussein laterwards his prehend (in 2003), Iraq tried repaying its debts by raising the wrongs of oil through OPECs oil production cuts.However, Kuwait, a member of the OPEC, prevented a global increase in petroleum prices by increasing its own petroleum production, thus heavy(p) the price and preventing recovery of the war-crippled Iraki economy. 7 This was seen by m both in Iraq as an act of aggression, further distancing the countries. The whirl around in oil prices had a catastrophic impact on the Iraki economy. According to former Iraqi Foreign Minister Tariq Aziz, every US$1 drop in the price of a metal drum of oil caused a US$1 billion drop in Iraqs annual revenues triggering an acute financial crisis in Baghdad. 5 It was estimated that Iraq lost US$14 bil lion a year payable to Kuwaits oil price strategy. 8 The Iraqi political science described it as a form of sparing warfare, which it claimed was aggravated by Kuwaits asseverate slant-drilling across the margeline into Iraqs Rumaila field. The dispute over Rumaila field started in 1960 when an Arab conference declaration marked the Iraq-Kuwait marge 2 miles north of the grey- or so tip of the Rumaila field. 9 During the IranIraq War, Iraqi oil drilling trading trading operations in Rumaila declined objet dart Kuwaits operations increased.In 1989, Iraq accused Kuwait of using advanced drilling techniques to exploit oil from its share of the Rumaila field. Iraq estimated that US$2. 4 billion worth of Iraqi oil was stolen by Kuwait and demanded compensation. 1011 Kuwait dismissed the accusations as a false Iraqi ploy to justify armament action against it. Several Ameri fag end secures running(a) in the Rumaila field also dismissed Iraqs slant-drilling claims as a smokescr een to disguise Iraqs more(prenominal) guiden intentions. 9 edit Kuwaits lucrative economy After the IranIraq War, the Iraqi economy was struggling to recover.Iraqs civil and military debt was higher than its put forward budget. closely of its ports were unloaded, oil fields mined, and traditional oil customers lost. Despite having a total land arena 1/25th of Iraq, Kuwaits coastline was twice as long as Iraqs and its ports were some of the busiest in the Iranian disconnect region. The Iraqi judicature clearly realized that by seizing Kuwait, it would be able to solve most of its financial problems and consolidate its regional authority. Due to its sex actly underage size, Kuwait was seen by Baghdad as an easy target as well as a historically integral part of Iraq isolated by British imperialism.The Persian disjuncture War (2 high-minded 1990 28 February 1991), commonly referred to as the Gulf War, and also known as the world-class Gulf War1213, the Second Gulf War,14 15 by Iraqi leader ibn Talal Hussein Hussein as The Mother of all Battles,16 and commonly as withdraw from Storm for the military response, was the final conflict, which was initiated with coupled Nations authorization, by a partnership force from 34 nations against Iraq, with the expressed purpose of firing Iraqi forces from Kuwait after its invasion and annexation on 2 awful 1990.The invasion of Kuwait by Iraqi army that began 2 August 1990 was met with international condemnation, and brought immediate economic sanctions against Iraq by members of the UN security Council. U. S. professorship George H. W. supply deployed American forces to Saudi-Arabian Arabia and urged other countries to identify their own forces to the scene. An array of nations joined the compaction of the Gulf War. The great majority of the military forces in the calculus were from the United States, with Saudi Arabia, the United fusee and Egypt as leading contributors, in that order.Around US$40 billion of the US$60 billion cost was paid by Saudi Arabia. 17 The initial conflict to expel Iraqi troops from Kuwait began with an aerial bombardment on 17 January 1991. This was followed by a ground assault on 23 February. This was a decisive victory for the coalition forces, who liberated Kuwait and advanced into Iraqi grunge. The coalition ceased their advance, and declared a cease-fire 100 hours after the ground stir up started. Aerial and ground chip was limit to Iraq, Kuwait, and areas on the border of Saudi Arabia.However, Iraq launched rockets against coalition military targets in Saudi Arabia. Further information Iraq-United States relations Through aside much of the Cold War, Iraq had been an ally of the Soviet Union, and there was a history of friction amid it and the United States. The U. S. was bring uped with Iraqs position on IsraeliPalestinian politics, and its disapproval of the nature of the peace between Israel and Egypt. The U. S. also disliked Iraqi s upport for various Arab and Palestinian militant groups such as Abu Nidal, which led to its inclusion on the developing U.S. list of state sponsors of international terrorism on 29 declination 1979. The U. S. remained officially neutral after the invasion of Iran, which became the IranIraq War, although it assisted Iraq covertly. In March 1982, however, Iran began a successful counter unquiet surgical procedure Undeniable triumph, and the United States increased its support for Iraq to prevent Iran from forcing a surrender. In a U. S. bid to clean full diplomatic relations with Iraq, the country was removed from the U. S. ist of state sponsors of terrorism. Ostensibly this was because of improvement in the political sciences record, although former United States Assistant Secretary of Defense Noel Koch later stated, No one had any doubts about the Iraqis proceed involvement in terrorism The real reason was to help them succeed in the war against Iran. 18 With Iraqs new demons trate success in the war, and its rebuff of a peace offer in July, arms sales to Iraq reached a record spike in 1982. An obstacle, however, remained to any potential U.S. -Iraqi relationship Abu Nidal continue to operate with official support in Baghdad. When Iraqi President ibn Talal Hussein Hussein expelled the group to Syria at the United States request in November 1983, the Reagan administration sent Donald Rumsfeld to meet President Hussein as a special envoy and to cultivate ties. Main article Invasion of Kuwait By the time the ceasefire with Iran was sign in August 1988, Iraq was virtually bankrupt, with most of its debt owed to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.Iraq pressured both nations to forgive the debts, but they refused. Kuwait was also accused by Iraq of exceeding its OPEC quotas and driving down the price of oil, thus further hurting the Iraqi economy. The collapse in oil prices had a catastrophic impact on the Iraqi economy. The Iraqi Government described it as a form of e conomic warfare, which it claimed was aggravated by Kuwait slant-drilling across the border into Iraqs Rumaila oil field. 19 Iraq claimed Kuwait had been a part of the Ottoman Empires province of Basra.Its ruling dynasty, the al-Sabah family, had concluded a protectorate agreement in 1899 that assigned responsibility for its foreign aff publicize travels to Britain. Britain drew the border between the two countries, and deliberately tried to limit Iraqs access to the ocean so that any future Iraqi regimen would be in no position to threaten Britains domination of the Persian Gulf. Iraq refused to accept the border, and did not distinguish the Kuwaiti governing until 1963. 20 In early July, Iraq complained about Kuwaits behavior, such as not respecting their quota, and openly exist to take military action.On the 23rd, the CIA describe that Iraq had moved 30,000 troops to the Iraq-Kuwait border, and the U. S. naval fleet in the Persian Gulf was placed on alert. On the 25th, Sadd am Hussein met with April Glaspie, an American ambassador, in Baghdad. At that meeting, Glaspie told the Iraqi delegation, We have no opinion on the Arab-Arab conflicts. On the 31st, negotiations between Iraq and Kuwait in Jeddah go baded violently. 21 On 2 August 1990 Iraq launched an invasion with its warplanes, barrage fire Kuwait City, the Kuwaiti capital.The main thrust was conducted by commandos deployed by helicopters and boats to beleaguer the city, while other divisions isolated the noteports and two breezebases. In spite of Iraqi sabre-rattling, Kuwait did not have its forces on alert, and was caught unaware. After two days of intense combat, most of the Kuwaiti Armed aims were either overrun by the Iraqi republican resistance, or had escaped to neighboring Saudi Arabia. After the decisive Iraqi victory, Saddam Hussein installed his cousin, Ali Hassan al-Majid as the governor of Kuwait. 22Saddam Hussein detained several Westerners, with video footage shown on state telecasting On 23 August 1990 President Saddam appeared on state television with Western hostages to whom he had refused exit visas. In the video, he patted a small British boy named Stuart Lockwood on the backward. Saddam thus asks, through his interpreter, Sadoun al-Zubaydi, whether Stuart is getting his milk. Saddam went on to say, We hope your presence as guests here will not be for too long. Your presence here, and in other places, is meant to prevent the scourge of war. 23 Within hours of the invasion, Kuwaiti and U. S. delegations pass a meeting of the UN security Council, which passed Resolution 660, condemning the invasion and demanding a withdrawal of Iraqi troops. On 3 August the Arab League passed its own resolution, which called for a solution to the conflict from within the League, and warned against immaterial intervention. On 6 August UN Resolution 661 placed economic sanctions on Iraq. United Nations Security Council Resolution 665 followed in brief after, w hich authorized a naval blockade to enforce the economic sanctions against Iraq.It said the use of measures commensurate to the proper(postnominal) circumstances as may be obligatory to halt all inward and outward maritime shipping in order to inspect and verify their cargoes and destinations and to ensure strict implementation of resolution 661. 24 adept of the main concerns of the west was the operative threat Iraq posed to Saudi Arabia. Following the conquest of Kuwait, the Iraqi military was within easy striking distance of Saudi oil fields. Control of these fields, along with Kuwaiti and Iraqi reserves, would have given Hussein control over the majority of the worlds oil reserves.Iraq also had a effect of grievances with Saudi Arabia. The Saudis had lent Iraq some 26 billion dollars during its war with Iran. The Saudis backed Iraq, as they feared the influence of Shia Irans Islamic revolution on its own Shia minority (most of the Saudi oil fields are in territory popul ated by Shias). After the war, Saddam felt he should not have to repay the loans due to the help he had given the Saudis by stopping Iran. Soon after his conquest of Kuwait, Hussein began verbally attacking the Saudi kingdom. He argued that the U. S. support Saudi state was an illegitimate and unworthy guardian of the B littleed cities of Mecca and Medina. He combined the language of the Islamist groups that had recently fought in Afghanistan with the rhetoric Iran had long used to attack the Saudis. 25 playacting on the policy of the Carter Doctrine, and out of fear the Iraqi army could launch an invasion of Saudi Arabia, U. S. President George H. W. Bush promptly announced that the U. S. would launch a all defensive mission to prevent Iraq from attack Saudi Arabia under the codename deed Desert Shield. Operation Desert Shield began on 7 August 1990 when U.S. troops were sent to Saudi Arabia due also to the request of its monarch, King Fahd who had earlier called for U. S. mi litary assistance. 26 This wholly defensive doctrine was quickly abandoned, as on 8 August, Iraq declared Kuwait to be the nineteenth province of Iraq and Saddam Hussein named his cousin, Ali Hassan Al-Majid as its military-governor. 27 Liberation of Kuwait Main article Liberation of Kuwait campaign American decoy attacks by transmit attacks and naval gunfire the night before the pocket of Kuwait were designed to make the Iraqis believe the main coalition ground attack would focus on Central Kuwait.On 23 February 1991, the 1st Marine role, 2nd Marine department, and the 1st Light armour Infantry crossed into Kuwait and headed toward Kuwait City. They overran the well designed, but poorly defended, Iraqi trenches in the jump fewer hours. The Marines crossed Iraqi barbed wire obstacles and mines, then engaged Iraqi tanks, which surrendered shortly thereafter. Kuwaiti forces soon attacked Kuwait City, to which the Iraqis offered light resistance. The Kuwaitis lost one soldier an d one aircraft, and quickly liberated the city.Most Iraqi soldiers in Kuwait opted to surrender rather than fight. edit Initial moves into Iraq edit Coalition forces enter Iraq General Colin Powell instruct then U. S. President George H. W. Bush and his advisors on the progress of the ground war Shortly afterwards, the U. S. VII corps assembled in full strength and, spearheaded by the 3rd Squadron of the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment (3/2 ACR), launched an armored attack into Iraq early on 24 February, just to the west of Kuwait, taking Iraqi forces by surprise. Simultaneously, the U. S.XVIII Airborne Corps launched a sweeping left-hook attack across the largely undefended resign of southern Iraq, led by the 3rd Armoured Cavalry Regiment (3rd ACR) and the 24th Infantry Division (Mechanized)). The left flank of this movement was protected by the French 6th Light Armoured Division Daguet). The French force quickly overcame the Iraqi 45th Infantry Division, suffering only a small numb er of casualties and taking a large number of prisoners, and took up blocking positions to prevent an Iraqi counter-attack on the Coalition flank.The right flank of the movement was protected by the British 1st Armoured Division. erstwhile the allies had penetrated deep into Iraqi territory, they turned eastward, in sexual climax a flank attack against the elite republican Guard before it could escape. The battle finised only a few hours. 50 Iraqi armored vehicles were destroyed, with few coalition losses. On 25 February 1991 however, Iraq launched a scud missile attack on Coalition barracks in Dharan, Saudi Arabia. The missile attack killed 28 American military personnel. 44The mixture of civil and military vehicles on the Highway of Death The Coalition advance was much swifter than U. S. generals had expected. On 26 February, Iraqi troops began retreating from Kuwait, after they had set its oil fields on fire (737 oil wells were set on fire). A long convoy of retreating Iraqi troops formed along the main Iraq-Kuwait highway. Although they were retreating, this convoy was bombed so extensively by Coalition air forces that it came to be known as the Highway of Death. Hundreds of Iraqi troops were killed.Forces from the United States, the United Kingdom, and France continued to pursue retreating Iraqi forces over the border and back into Iraq, fighting frequent battles which resulted in massive losses for the Iraqi side and light losses on the coalition side, eventually locomote to within 150 miles (240 km) of Baghdad before withdrawing from the Iraqi border. One hundred hours after the ground campaign started, on 28 February, President Bush declared a cease-fire, and he also declared that Kuwait had been liberated. CAUSES OF CONFLICTThere are three basic causes to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990. First, Iraq had long considered Kuwait to be a part of Iraq. This claim led to several confrontations over the years (see below), and continued hostility. A lso, it can be argued that with Saddam Husseins attempted invasion of Iran bruiseed, he sought easier conquests against his weak southern neighbors. Second, sizable deposits of oil straddled the ill-defined border and Iraq constantly claimed that Kuwaiti oil rigs were illegally tapping into Iraqi oil fields. shopping center Eastern deserts make border delineation fractious and this has caused many conflicts in the region. Finally, the fallout from the First Persian Gulf War between Iraq and Iran strained relations between Baghdad and Kuwait. This war began with an Iraqi invasion of Iran and degenerated into a bloody form of trench warfare as the Iranians slowly drove Saddam Husseins armies back into Iraq. Kuwait and many other Arab nations supported Iraq against the Islamic Revolutionary government of Iran, fearful that Saddams defeat could herald a wave of Iranian-inspired revolution throughout the Arab world.Following the end of the war, relations between Iraq and Kuwait deteri orated with a lack of gratitude from the Baghdad government for help in the war and the reawakening of old issues regarding the border and Kuwaiti sovereignty. 1973, March- Iraq occupies as-Samitah, a border post on Kuwait-Iraq border. Dispute began when Iraq demanded the right to occupy the Kuwaiti islands of Bubiyan and Warbah. Saudi Arabia and the Arab League convinced Iraq to withdraw. 1980-1988- Kuwait supports Iraq in the First Persian Gulf War with Iran.DESCRIPTION OF CONFLICT Amid exploitation tension between the two Persian Gulf neighbors, Saddam Hussein concluded that the United States and the easing of the outside world would not interfere to defend Kuwait. On August 2, 1990, Iraqi forces invaded Kuwait and quickly seized control of the small nation. Within days, the United States, along with the United Nations, demanded Iraqs immediate withdrawal. U. S. and other UN member nations began deploying troops in Saudi Arabia within the week, and the world-wide coalition bega n to form under UN authority.By January of 1991, over half a jillion allied troops were deployed in Saudi Arabia and throughout the Gulf region. Intense diplomacy between U. S. and Iraqi officials failed to bring an Iraqi withdrawal, so, on January 16, 1991, confederate forces began the devastating bombing of Iraq and her forces in Kuwait. The Allied bombing sought to damage Iraqs infrastructure so as to hinder her ability to make war while also hurting both civilian and military morale. To counter the air attack, Saddam ordered the launching of his feared SCUD missiles at both Israel and Saudi Arabia.He hoped to provoke the Israelis into striking back at Iraq, which he theorized would split the Arab nations from the anti-Iraq coalition due to the ongoing hostility between Israel and the Arab world. Israel came very close to retaliating, but held back due to President George Bushs pledge to protect Israeli cities from the SCUDs. As a result of this promise, U. S. Patriot missile b atteries ready themselves deployed in Israel to shoot down the SCUDs. Another result of the SCUD launches was to divert Allied air power from hitting the Iraqi army to hunting for the elusive mobile missile launchers.Even so, the Allied air strikes and cruise missile attacks against Iraq proved more devastating than expected. When the Allied armies launched the ground war on February 23, the Iraqi occupation forces in Kuwait were already beaten. Cut off from their supply bases and headquarters by the intense air campaign, thousands of Iraqi soldiers simply gave up rather than fight, as the Allies pushed through Iraqs defenses with relative ease. In the few cases where the more elite Iraqi forces, such as the republican Guard, stood and fought, superior American, British and French equipment and training proved the undoing of the Soviet-equipped Iraqis.By February 26, U. S. and Allied Arab forces, along with the underground Kuwaiti Resistance, controlled Kuwait City and Allied air f orces pounded the retreating Iraqi occupation army. In southern Iraq, Allied armored forces stood at the Euphrates River near Basra, and internal rebellions began to break out against Saddams regime. On February 27, President Bush ordered a cease-fire and the surviving Iraqi troops were allowed to escape back into southern Iraq. On March 3, 1991, Iraq accepted the equipment casualty of the cease-fire and the fighting ended. CONSEQUENCES OF CONFLICTSaddams second war of foreign conquest ended even worse than the first one. Iraq again stood defeated with the liberation of Kuwait. Despite the crushing defeat and subsequent Shiite and Kurdish rebellions, Saddams government retained a strong grip on power in Iraq. As a result of the cease-fire terms, Iraq had to accept the imposition of no-fly zones over her territory and United Nations weapons inspection teams sifting through her thermo thermonuclear and other weapons programs. The economic and trade sanctions begun during the war co ntinue to the present day, ontributing to severe economic hardship in Iraq. Some reports say hundreds of thousands of children have died due to the sanctions. There are no indications that the government or military suffer undo hardships. small-arm the world (and the United States and Europe), concentrated on Iraq, Syria moved to crush the last resistance to her de facto control of Lebanon, thus ending that countrys long civil war. It is believed that Syrias President Assad was given a let off hand to deal with Lebanon in return for joining the war in Kuwait.Its also believed there was a cash for annuity payment agreed upon When Yemen declared sympathy for Iraq, Saudi Arabia expelled upwards of a million Yemeni guest workers, causing economic hardship in Yemen and increased tension between the two neighbors. See Saudi-Yemen Border Conflict page. CASUALTY FIGURES Update as of August 2, 2009 Iraq Original figures listed 100,000 Iraqi military dead, but more recent estimates place Ir aqi dead at 20,000 military and 2,300 civilian. United States 148 killed in action, 458 wounded, and one Missing In Action (MIA). Also, 121 Americans died through non-combat incidents.The one MIA (compared to 1,740 MIA in the Vietnam War), was Navy pilot, Captain Michael Scott Speicher was fit down and was neither rescured, nor was a body found until, on August 2, 2009, the Pentagon announced that U. S. Marines stationed in Iraq had found Speichers remains. See also U. S. identifies remains of pilot missing in Persian Gulf WarLA Times, Aug. 2, 2009 Ironically, or perhaps intentionally, the Pentagon announced the recovery of Speichers on the 19th anniversary of Saddam Husseins invasion of Kuwait, which occurred on August 2, 1990, and sparked the following 19 years of war between the U.S. and Iraq. Gulf war (1990-1), a confine war in which a US-led coalition enjoying overwhelming technological superiority defeated the armed forces of Iraq in a six-week air campaign crowned with a 10 0-hour land campaign, with minimal coalition casualties. However, the coalition forces failed to destroy the Republican Guard, mainstay of the Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, who remained a threat primarily because of his continued study of nuclear and chemical and biological weapons, leading to repeated aftershocks in the form of US and Allied air strikes throughout the 1990s.The proximate cause was the Rumaila oilfield straddling the Iraq-Kuwait border. In mid-July 1990 Saddam claimed that Kuwait had stolen oil from this field by sloping drilling and refused to pay back loans received from Kuwait to fund the recent Iran-Iraq war, saying that he had been doing the Gulf monarchies dirty work for them. Neither argument was completely without merit. He massed armour on the frontier and after being told by the US ambassador that the USA did not wish to become mingled in the dispute, at 01. 0 local time on 2 August the Iraqi tugs invaded. Minds were concentrated and Pres Bush denounc ed the invasion, alarmed that the Iraqis would carry on into Saudi Arabia and thus control half the worlds oil reserves. The UN condemned the invasion in Resolution 660, demanding immediate and domineering withdrawal and on 7 August the USA announced it was move forces in a joint operation with Egypt and Saudi Arabia empty SHIELD.The following day the UK announced it would send forces too, in GRANBY. On 29 November 1990 the Security Council adopted Resolution 678, authorizing the USA-led coalition to use all necessary means against Iraq to liberate Kuwait if it did not withdraw by 15 January 1991. Instead, the Iraqis reinforced their positions along the southern Kuwaiti border and by 8 January had an estimated 36 to 38 divisions, each nominally 15, 000 strong but actually considerably less.The coalition eventually had about 700, 000 troops in the theatre, with the main ground contributions coming from the USA and important contingents from the UK, France, Egypt, Syria, and Saudi Arabia, under the operational command of US Gen Schwarzkopf. The maintenance of the coalition, in which Arab states were lay out with infidels against another Arab state, was pivotal. It was therefore imperative to ensure that Israela target for Iraqi missile attacksshould stay out of the war.The Iraqis were known to have the means to deliver their chemical and biological weapons (CBW) with their al-Hussein missiles, which had a range of 373 miles (600 km), double that of the cowcatcher Soviet charge missiles on which they were ground. At 02. 38 local time on 17 January DESERT STORM began when US Apache helicopters began attacking Iraqi air defence sites near the border to clear a corridor through which a massive air armada then passed, beginning a 43-day air campaign involving 100, 000 sorties.The F-117A thievery light bomber was very successful in striking key targets in heavily defended Baghdad, as were sea-launched cruise missiles. Early targets were the Iraqi air defences, galvanisingal power, and command and control facilities, also suspected nuclear and chemical and biological warfare facilities. Although precision-guided munitions got all the publicity thanks to the excellent TV pictures they sent back, the bug out of the ordnance delivered were conventional bombs.As the campaign continued, the Allies switched to Iraqi ground forces although the elite Republican Guard was less badly damaged than the poorer quality infantry in the forward positions. Schwarzkopf later explained that this was because of his strong concern to avoid his ground troops being held up and rained with CBW. drawframe _The Gulf war, 1991 the land campaign, 24-8 February. surmount positions of forces 24 February. Bottom Allied envelopment of Iraqi forces (Click to enlarge)_Early on 18 January Iraq responded to the air attack by attacking Israel, the coalitions most vulnerable point. A missile landed in Tel Aviv, initially reported to have a chemical warhead. The coalition later denied this but the relevant log, released after the war, recorded it carried cyclo-sarin, a particularly deadly nerve gas. Israel prepared to counter-attack, but was dissuaded when the USA promised to destroy the Scuds. As a result, a great deal of run was diverted into the Scud hunt, although the mobile Iraqi missiles proved difficult to find.British and US special forces were also sent in to find and destroy Scuds, with mixed results. The US also used the Patriot, originally an anti-aircraft system, to shoot down incoming missiles, the first time anti-missiles were used in the history of war. Very few incoming missiles were actually hit and those that were broke up, possibly doing even more damage than they would have otherwise. On 20 January, Iraq also began firing missiles at Riyadh, one of which hit a temporary US barracks and inflicted the worst Allied casualties of the war.Schwarzkopf formulated a classic military plan of encirclement. While the Iraqis were to have th eir attention fixed to the south and on the coast by the US Marines, his main effort would be to the west of the main Iraqi forward defences, swinging round behind them and straight for the Republican Guard. The aim was to conduct a swift, continuous and violent air-land campaign to destroy the Republican Guard Force Corps while minimising friendly force casualties. Aim is to make Iraqi forces move so that they can be attacked throughout the depth of their formations.After several days of probing and artillery raids, the main ground attack began on 24 February with direct attacks into Kuwait from the south by the US Marines and two Saudi task forces. The next day, the outflanking forces swung into action, the main force being the US VII Corps including the 1st British Armoured Division, while the XVIII Airborne Corps including the French 6th Light Daguet Division swung even wider to protect the left flank. The VII Corps hit its breach area with 60 batteries of artillery and triple Launch Rocket Systems, delivering more explosive power than the Hiroshima atomic bomb.Although Iraq was expected to use CBW, Saddam showed a little belated discretion and refrained, as there were a number of extremely unpleasant options the coalition held in reserve, including retaliation in kind or the destruction of Iraqs extremely vulnerable water-supply system. Late on 25 February he gave the order to withdraw from Kuwait, but the bulk of Iraqi armour was trapped between the Allies closing in from the south and west, and the Gulf and the Euphrates marshes to the east and north.TV pictures of the comprehensively incinerated Iraqi column that had been attempting to flee Kuwait City raised fears of public revulsion and Pres Bush called a halt after only 100 hours of land campaign. There were also geopolitical considerations. Until the invasion, the West had been concerned to maintain a balance of power between Iraq and Iran in the region, and the Arab members of the coalition might have bolted if the land war had been protracted into Iraqi territory. At 08. 00 local time the guns fell silent, andSaddam was to be left with most of the Republican Guard and the freedom to use attack helicopters to crush the rebellions among the Sunni in the south and the Kurds in the north that the coalition had encouraged. Post-war, the extent and sophistication of his weapons development programmes came as a shock, and despite UN inspections and economic sanctions that affect mainly the civilian population, there is very little doubt that he has retained some CBW and possibly also some nuclear weapons.Nonetheless, Kuwaits territorial integrity was restored and most of Saddams larger fangs were pulled. The war could only be considered unsuccessful if the hyperbole about human rights that accompanied it had ever been taken seriously by anyone involved. The first phase was Operation Desert Shielda largely defensive operation in which the United States and Saudi Arabia rush to b uild up the defensive forces necessary to protect Saudi Arabia and the rest of the gulf, and the United Nations attempted to force Iraq to leave Kuwait through the use of economic sanctions.The United States then led the UN effort to create a broad international coalition with the military forces necessary to liberate Kuwait, and persuaded the United Nations to set a deadline of 15 January 1991 for Iraq to leave Kuwait or face the use of force. The second phase, known as Desert Storm, was the battle to liberate Kuwait when Iraq refused to respond to the UN deadline. The fighting began on 17 January 1991 and ended on 1 March 1991. The UN Coalition liberated Kuwait in a little over six weeks, and involved the intensive use of airpower and armored operations, and the use of new military technologies.The Gulf War left Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein in power, but it destroyed nearly all of Iraqs conventional forces and allowed the United Nations to destroy most of Iraqs long? range missiles and chemical weapons and capabilities to develop nuclear weapons. Saddam Hussein nearly certainly saw the seizure and annexation of Kuwait as a means of solving Iraqs economic problems, of greatly increasing Iraqs share of world oil reserves, and as a means of demonstrating that Iraq had become the dominating power in the region. Kuwait was capable of adding at least 2 million barrels a day of oil to Iraqs exports of roughly 3. million, and offered the opportunity to double Iraqs total oil reserves, from 100 billion to 198 billion barrels (representing nearly 20% of the worlds total reserves). Although he continued to negotiate his demands on oil revenues and debt stand-in from the Persian Gulf Arab nations, Saddam Hussein ordered his troops to the Kuwait border in July 1990, create up all of the support capabilities necessary to sustain an invasion, and then ordered his forces to invade on 2 August 1990. Kuwait had not kept its forces on alert, and Iraq met little resistance.I t seized the entire country within less than two days within a week, Iraq stated that it would annex Kuwait as its nineteenth province. Iraqi forces also deployed along Kuwaits border with Saudi Arabia, with more than quintet Iraqi divisions in position to seize Saudi Arabias oil? rich Eastern Province. Saudi Arabia had only two brigades and limited amounts of airpower to oppose them. Saddam Hussein may have felt that the world would accept his invasion of Kuwait or would fail to mount any effective opposition. However, Saudi Arabia and the other gulf states immediately supported the Kuwaiti government? n? exile. The Council of the Arab League voted to condemn Iraq on 3 August and demanded its withdrawal from Kuwait. Key Arab states like Algeria, Egypt, and Syria supported Kuwaitalthough Jordan, Libya, Mauritania, the Sudan, and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) supported Iraq. Britain, France, the Soviet Union, and most other European nations as well as the United States , Canada, and Japan condemned the invasion. U. S. President George Bush announced on 7 August that the United States would send land, air, and naval forces to the gulf.Equally important, the end of the Cold War allowed the United Nations to take firm action under U. S. initiative. On the day of the invasion, the Security Council voted 140 (Resolution 660) to demand Iraqs immediate and unconditional withdrawal from Kuwait. The United States, Britain, and Saudi Arabia led the United Nations in forming a broad military coalition under the leadership of U. S. Army Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf that deployed the military forces necessary to enforce the United Nations sanctions and to defend Saudi Arabia.This was the defensive military operation code? named Desert Shield. On 29 November 1990, the United States obtained a Security Council authorization for the nations allied with Kuwait to use all necessary means if Iraq did not withdraw by 15 January 1991. Key nations like the United States , Britain, France, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and several others began to deploy the additional forces necessary to drive Iraq out of Kuwait. In 199091, the United States deployed a total of 527,000 personnel, over 110 naval vessels, 2,000 tanks, 1,800 fixed? ing aircraft, and 1,700 helicopters. Britain deployed 43,000 troops, 176 tanks, 84 combat aircraft, and a naval task force. France deployed 16,000 troops, 40 tanks, attack helicopters, a light armored division, and combat aircraft. Saudi Arabia deployed 50,000 troops, 280 tanks, and 245 aircraft. Egypt contributed 30,200 troops, 2 armored divisions, and 350 tanks. Syria contributed 14,000 troops and 2 divisions. Other allied nations, including Canada, Italy, Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates deployed a significant portion of their small forces.Iraq responded by building up its military forces in the Kuwait theater of operations to a total of 336,000 troops and a total of 43 divisions, 3,475 battle tanks, 3,080 other ar mored vehicles, and 2,475 major artillery weapons. This buildup on both sides made full? scale war steadily more possible and triggered a number of political debates within the West and the Arab world over the need for war. The most important of these debates took place within the United States largely because of President Bushs political leadership, the Congress, after Bush gained UN endorsement, requested such authorization on 8 January 1991.On 12 January the House of Representatives by 250 to 183 and the Senate by 52 to 47 voted to authorize the use of force. Though a number of new efforts were made to persuade Iraq to leave Kuwait in late December and early January, Saddam Hussein refused to withdraw under any mulish conditions. Baghdad also continued to expand its military capabilities in Kuwait and along the Iraqi border with Saudi Arabia, and continued its efforts to convert Kuwait into an Iraqi province. As a result, the UN Security Council voted to ignore provided anothe r effort to negotiate with Iraq.On that date, 15 January 1991, President Bush ordered the military offensive to begin. Desert Storm The Air War The Gulf War began early in the morning on 17 January when the United States exploited its intelligence and targeting assets, cruise missiles, and offensive airpower to launch a devastating serial of air attacks on Iraqi command and control facilities, communications systems, air bases, and land? based air defenses. During the first hour of the war, U. S. sea? launched cruise missiles and F? 117 stealth aircraft demonstrated they could attack even heavily defended targets like Baghdad.Within three days, a mix of U. S. , British, and Saudi fighter aircraft had established near air superiority. In spite of Iraqs air strength, UN air units solidus down a total of thirty? five Iraqi aircraft without a single loss in air? to? air combat. Although Iraq had a land? based air defense system with some 3,000 break through? to? air missiles, the com bined U. S. and British air units were able to use electronic warfare systems, antiradiation missiles, and precision air? to? get up weapons to suppress Iraqs longer? range surface? to? air missiles.As a result, Coalition air forces were able rapidly to broaden their targets from attacks on Iraqs air forces and air defenses to assaults on key headquarters, civil and army communications, electronic power plants, and Iraqs facilities for the production of weapons of mass destruction. Victory in the air was achieved by 24 January, when Iraq ceased to attempt active air combat. A total of 112 Iraqi aircraft fled to Iran, and Iraq virtually ceased to use its ground? based radar to target UN aircraft. This created a safe zone at medium and high altitudes that allowed U. S. nd British air units to launch long? range air? to? surface weapons with impunity. The UN air forces were also able to shift most of their assets to attacks on Iraqi ground forces. For the following thirty days, UN Coa lition aircraft attacked Iraqi armor and artillery in the Kuwaiti theater of operations, as well as flying into Iraq itself to bomb Iraqs forward defenses, elite Republican Guard units, air bases and sheltered aircraft, and Iraqs biological, chemical, and nuclear warfare facilities. Iraqs only ability to retaliate consisted of launching modified surface? to? urface Scud missiles against targets in Saudi Arabia and Israel, which had remained outside the war forty Scud variants against Israel and forty? six against Saudi Arabia. U. S.? made Patriot missiles in Israel shot down some Scuds, but although the United Nations carried out massive Scud hunts that involved thousands of sorties, it never found and destroyed any Scud missiles on the ground, which demonstrated the risks posed by the proliferation of mobile, long? range missiles. Iraqs Scud strikes could not, however, alter the course of the war. Iraqi ground forces were struck by more than 40,000 air attack sorties U.S. governan ce estimated that airpower helped bring about the desertion or capture of 84,000 Iraqi soldiers and destroyed 1,385 Iraqi tanks, 930 other armored vehicles, and 1,155 artillery pieces before the United Nations launched its land offensive. They also estimated that air attacks severely reduced the flow of supplies to Iraqi ground forces in Kuwait and damaged 60 portion of Iraqs major command centers, 70 percent of its military communications, 125 ammunition storage revetments, 48 Iraqi naval vessels, and 75 percent of Iraqs electric powergenerating capability. Desert Storm The Land War The Aftermath of the War