The Gulf War
US involvement in the Persian GulfArea of sea to between Saudi Arabia and Iran. In 1979, America was concerned this would be under threat from the Soviet Union if its invasion of Afghanistan succeeded. was increased by the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990. This led to the USA becoming part of the United NationsThe successor to the League of Nations, the United Nations was established in 1945 as an international organisation designed to keep peace, uphold international law and set standards in human rights. alliance to free Kuwait from Iraqi control. This conflict became known as the Gulf WarThe United Nations鈥 operation to liberate Kuwait after it was invaded by Iraq in 1990.
Iraq鈥檚 invasion of Kuwait
The USA saw Iraq as a country that would help to keep the Islamic fundamentalistA Muslim who follows a strict interpretation of Islamic teaching. of Iran under control. The Iran-Iraq War had left Iraq with a lot of debt. Iraq鈥檚 leader, Saddam Hussein, decided to take over the neighbouring country of Kuwait. Even though it was only a small country, if Saddam Hussein controlled Kuwait he would control a quarter of the world鈥檚 oil supply.
The Iraqi invasion of Kuwait began in August 1990. Saddam Hussein did not expect the USA to stop him as it had supported his attacks on Iran during the 1980s.
- President George HW Bush saw this invasion as a threat to America鈥檚 oil supplies, though he argued in public that it was wrong to invade smaller neighbours.
- The United Nations immediately imposed economic sanctions on Iraq -countries were told not to trade with Iraq.
- A military response was then organised - this was referred to as the Gulf War.
| Operation | Description |
| Desert Shield | The first phase of the military operation aimed to protect Saudi Arabia - an ally of the USA that shared borders with Kuwait and Iraq. It involved the USA, Britain and other countries sending troops, tanks, aircraft and ships in November 1990 to protect Saudi Arabia. They also used Saudi Arabia as a base to prepare for an assault on the Iraqi forces in Kuwait. |
| Desert Storm | The second phase was a large-scale air assault on the Iraqi military both in Iraq and in Kuwait. It began on 16 January 1991 and involved the targeted destruction of Iraqi military bases, airfields, support bases and army camps. Armed forces, made up of countries from the United Nations, used a combination of cruise missiles launched from ships in the Gulf and laser-guided bombs dropped by stealth bombers and fighter jets. This destroyed Iraq鈥檚 ability to protect itself from attack. |
| Desert Sabre | The final phase was a ground assault in February 1991 to free Kuwait from the Iraqi army, which took four days. Once the capital of Kuwait had been captured by United Nations forces, the USA began a ceasefire that allowed Iraqi forces to withdraw back to Iraq. |
| Operation | Desert Shield |
|---|---|
| Description | The first phase of the military operation aimed to protect Saudi Arabia - an ally of the USA that shared borders with Kuwait and Iraq. It involved the USA, Britain and other countries sending troops, tanks, aircraft and ships in November 1990 to protect Saudi Arabia. They also used Saudi Arabia as a base to prepare for an assault on the Iraqi forces in Kuwait. |
| Operation | Desert Storm |
|---|---|
| Description | The second phase was a large-scale air assault on the Iraqi military both in Iraq and in Kuwait. It began on 16 January 1991 and involved the targeted destruction of Iraqi military bases, airfields, support bases and army camps. Armed forces, made up of countries from the United Nations, used a combination of cruise missiles launched from ships in the Gulf and laser-guided bombs dropped by stealth bombers and fighter jets. This destroyed Iraq鈥檚 ability to protect itself from attack. |
| Operation | Desert Sabre |
|---|---|
| Description | The final phase was a ground assault in February 1991 to free Kuwait from the Iraqi army, which took four days. Once the capital of Kuwait had been captured by United Nations forces, the USA began a ceasefire that allowed Iraqi forces to withdraw back to Iraq. |
Although the military operations solved the immediate crisis, American involvement in the Persian Gulf was not over because:
- Saddam Hussein remained in power with enough military force to be able to brutally keep the Iraqi people under his control.
- The Islamic fundamentalists who eventually took over Afghanistan when the Soviets withdrew in 1989 became a base for terrorist groups such as Al-QaedaAn Islamic terrorist group. These groups saw American troops in the region as an insult to their religion.
- These were issues that the USA would have to tackle in the 21st century.