History

Prologue: The Spark Before the Fire

Before the fighting in the Persian Gulf began, Iraq and Iran were already in a war. The war was supposed to be resolved by the United Nations but Iraq, right before supposedly going to sign for peace, accused Kuwait of taking oil on their border and selling it to Western countries. After that, Saddam Hussein, the leader of Iraq, ordered troops to form at the border between Iraq and Kuwait. Nearby Egypt tried to negotiate terms, but their efforts were in vain. On August 2, 1990, Hussain himself gave the order to invade Kuwait. The Gulf War had officially commenced. 

The Response

Immediately following the invasion, United States President George W. Bush, Britain, and the Soviet Union looked down upon Iraq. To make matters worse, two-thirds of the 21 members of the Arabic League condemned his choice, which he thought wouldn’t be the case. The United States sent out more than 240 ships led by the USS Independence (CV-62) and USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) and 18.3 million pounds of equipment were shipped to help the cause.

One War: Two Operations

The Gulf War is commonly attributed to Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm. Both play an integral part in the story of the Gulf War. 

Operation Desert Shield

On August 8, 1990, Iraq annexed Kuwait. At the same time, the U.S. Air Force began flying jets toward Saudi Arabia in a process dubbed Operation Desert Shield. Other members of NATO also contributed. In response, Iraq increased its military presence in Kuwait to about 300,000 troops On November 19, 1990, the United Nations Security Council met up. They agreed that if Iraq did not withdraw from Kuwait by January 15, 1991, they would authorize the use of “all means necessary” to expel Iraq from Kuwait.  After negotiations between NATO and Saddam failed, Congress grants permission to President Bush to use American troops in the war. Iraq’s fate has been sealed. 

Operation Desert Storm

At 2 AM in Kuwait, President Bush gives the order. Led by U.S. General Norman Schwarzkopf, many planes, jets, and bombers take to the skies. A massive bombing campain ensues on Iraqi troops positioned on the ground. Akin to the name, bombs and missiles rained from the skies, the explosions like the crack of thunder and lightning. They bombed oil fields and ground troops, causing pillars of smoke to rise. In response, Saddam Hussain shot inaccurate missiles into Israel to terrorize the people, which would hopefully aggravate the Israeli army to fight back, making the other Arab countries join the war. Bush assured Israel that they would be protected. Hussain’s plans were foiled again. 

The End of the War

After Operation Desert Storm wreaked havoc on Iraqi troops, the ground forces came in to finish the job. Operation Desert Sabre began on February 24. Ground forces moved in from Saudi Arabia into Kuwait and Iraq. U.S. troops made a move against armored reserves from the rear. The Iraq Republic Guard fought back but was defeated. A ceasefire was called on February 28, as most of the resistance had collapsed. The Gulf War was over. 

After the War

After peace treaties were signed, Saddam Hussein recognized the sovereignty of Kuwait. He was also to remove all of his mass-destruction weapons. The United States and Britain monitored the skies in “no-fly zones”. Not favoring this, Hussain had troops aggravate the U.S. and Britain by exchanging fire with them. This led to the Iraq War, which saw Hussain die at its conclusion. It wouldn’t be until 2011 that the United States withdrew its troops from Iraq.