In early August of 1990, Saddam Hussein, the leader of Iraq, ordered the occupation and invasion of its neighbor, Kuwait. In result of Hussein’s order, Egypt and Saudi Arabia called on Western nations including the United States to interfere. Hussein confronted United Nations Security Council demands to depart from Kuwait by mid-January 1991, and the Persian Gulf War had started with an enormous U.S.-led air offensive known as an Operation Desert Storm. Also, after 42 days of fierce attacks by the affiliated coalition on the ground and in air, George H.W. Bush, U.S. President at the time, declared a cease-fire on February 28. By that time, a majority of Iraq forces in Kuwait had either fled or surrendered. The Persian Gulf War was
…show more content…
Hussein declared a jihad, or in other words, a holy war against the coalition, in an effort to pick up support from the Muslim community. Hussein attempted to associate himself with the Palestine cause by offering to evacuate Kuwait in return for an Israeli withdrawal from the territories being used. Efforts were declined and Hussein completed a careless peace with Iran so as to bring his army up to full strength. Furthermore, if Iraq did not withdraw from Kuwait by the following fifteenth of January, the United Nations Security Council would recognize the use of “all necessary means” of force against Iraq. The coalition forces prepared to battle against Iraq which was number to about 750,000, including 540,000 United States personnel and smaller forces from Germany, Britain, the Soviet Union, Egypt, France, Japan, and Saudi Arabia but other nations also. Iraq had support from Jordan, Yemen, Palestine Liberian Organization, Sudan, Algeria, and Tunisia but early morning of January 17, 1991, an enormous United States-led air offensive hit Iraq’s air defenses, moving quickly onto its oil refineries, weapon plants, communication networks and …show more content…
By the middle of February, the coalition forces had moved the focus of their air attacks towards Southern Iraq and Kuwait to Iraq’s ground forces. On February, 24, a large friendly ground offensive called Operation Desert Sabre was launched and troops headed to Kuwait and Southern Iraq from Northeastern Saudi Arabia. Coalition forces enclosed and defeated the Iraqis and saved Kuwait throughout the next four days. During the those four days, United States forces also rushed into Iraq, about 120 miles west of Kuwait, attacking Iraq’s armored supply from the back. The best Iraqi Republican Guard created a defense south of Al-Basrah in Southeastern Iraq, but a majority were beat by February,
Hussein declared a jihad, or in other words, a holy war against the coalition, in an effort to pick up support from the Muslim community. Hussein attempted to associate himself with the Palestine cause by offering to evacuate Kuwait in return for an Israeli withdrawal from the territories being used. Efforts were declined and Hussein completed a careless peace with Iran so as to bring his army up to full strength. Furthermore, if Iraq did not withdraw from Kuwait by the following fifteenth of January, the United Nations Security Council would recognize the use of “all necessary means” of force against Iraq. The coalition forces prepared to battle against Iraq which was number to about 750,000, including 540,000 United States personnel and smaller forces from Germany, Britain, the Soviet Union, Egypt, France, Japan, and Saudi Arabia but other nations also. Iraq had support from Jordan, Yemen, Palestine Liberian Organization, Sudan, Algeria, and Tunisia but early morning of January 17, 1991, an enormous United States-led air offensive hit Iraq’s air defenses, moving quickly onto its oil refineries, weapon plants, communication networks and …show more content…
By the middle of February, the coalition forces had moved the focus of their air attacks towards Southern Iraq and Kuwait to Iraq’s ground forces. On February, 24, a large friendly ground offensive called Operation Desert Sabre was launched and troops headed to Kuwait and Southern Iraq from Northeastern Saudi Arabia. Coalition forces enclosed and defeated the Iraqis and saved Kuwait throughout the next four days. During the those four days, United States forces also rushed into Iraq, about 120 miles west of Kuwait, attacking Iraq’s armored supply from the back. The best Iraqi Republican Guard created a defense south of Al-Basrah in Southeastern Iraq, but a majority were beat by February,