Persian+Gulf+War

** Protecting Kuwait from Iraqi Invasion  ** What reasons caused Iraqi president Saddam Hussein to invade Kuwait? **  Iraqi president Saddam Hussein’s motives as to why he ordered the invasion of Kuwait derived from two accusations that he aimed towards Kuwait. First, the invasion was a response to overproduction of oil there. Due to this, it cost Iraq about $14 billion a year when its oil prices fell. Second, Hussein accused Kuwait of illegally pumping oil from Iraq’s Rumaila oil field. The surprise assault took place on August 2, 1990. Within two days, Iraqi forces overpowered the defending Kuwaiti Armed Forces. Afterwards, Kuwait was annexed and named the 19th Province of Iraq. The UN Security Council called for Iraq to withdraw its troops from Kuwait. A trade embargo was also imposed four days after the invasion as an attempt to force Iraqi troops to extract from Kuwait. United States troops were sent to Saudi Arabia in order to protect Saudi oil fields from tampering by Iraq, known as Operation Desert Shield. On November 29, 1990 the United Nations set January 15, 1991 as the deadline for a peaceful withdrawal of Iraqi troops from Kuwait. ** Which countries were a part of the coalition that opposed Iraq’s proceedings? **   The main countries that acted as leaders of the coalition forces were the United States, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the United Kingdom. Other participating countries included Egypt, France, Syria, Pakistan, and Canada, as well as other neighboring countries. ** What measures were taken by the United Nations in response to Iraq’s refusal to reply to the set deadline for peaceful withdrawal? **   Operation Desert Storm is launched on January 18, 1991 under the leadership of United States General Norman Schwarzkopf. On the first day of the operation, hundreds of planes were sent into Iraq for bombing raids. American, British, French, Saudi, and Kuwaiti aircraft took off at 2330 GMT (1830 EST). These air raids targeted military and strategic targets, oil refineries, and the Baghdad Airport. The aircraft involved in these raids were suffered minimal susceptibility to being shot down from ground forces. These massive air assaults were led by the United States and caused severe damage in Iraq’s forces, military, and civil infrastructure. ** What were the military objectives set by the coalition forces? **   The primary objectives put in place by the coalition was to   a)    Force Iraqi troops out of Kuwait   b)    Restore the legitimate government “Our operations are designed to best protect the lives of all the coalition forces by targeting Saddam’s vast military arsenal,” says US President George H.W. Bush. The strategy implemented by the coalition proved to be effective; the air strikes devastated Iraq’s forces. “Initial reports from Gen. Schwarzkopf are that our operations are proceeding according to plan,” President Bush also stated. ** What were the last events and following effects of the conflict? **   The main coalition forces invaded Kuwait and Iraq on February 21, 1991. At this time, the majority of Iraqi forces in Kuwait had either surrendered or retreated. The coalition surrounded where the concentrated groups of Iraqi troops were located. Their strategy was proved effective and resulted in military victory for the coalition. Iraq and Kuwait suffered a great amount of property damage as a result of air attacks and the targeting of oil fields, which could be set on fire and cause a great deal of waste in limited resources. Veterans that were involved in the war also suffered from Gulf War syndrome afterwards, an illness that involve a range of medically unexplained systems. These symptoms include fatigue, loss of muscle control, headaches, dizziness, amnesia, and skin problems.
 * UN Intervention: The Persian Gulf War **
 * Sean Hennessey, 2nd Period
 * How did other countries respond to the actions of Iraq? **

“No-one wanted this conflict. No-one can be pleased about the fact this conflict has been necessary.” //**

- John Major, British Prime Minister