War in the Gulf:War in the Gulf:Iraq, Kuwait, and the US- Led Iraq, Kuwait, and the US- Led

coalitioncoalition

Iraqi invasion of KuwaitIraqi invasion of Kuwait►August 2, 1990 August 2, 1990

Iraq invades Iraq invades KuwaitKuwait

►Saddam wanted Saddam wanted Kuwait's huge oil Kuwait's huge oil reserves and reserves and access to the gulfaccess to the gulf

Iraqi invasion of KuwaitIraqi invasion of Kuwait►Saddam Saddam

expected no expected no oppositionopposition

► It was It was suspected he suspected he wanted to also wanted to also invade Saudi invade Saudi ArabiaArabia

UN imposes a trade embargoUN imposes a trade embargo►the UN Security the UN Security

Council condemned Council condemned the invasion and the invasion and issued embargoissued embargo

►An embargo by the An embargo by the SC meant no SC meant no member nation member nation could sell to Iraq or could sell to Iraq or buy from Iraqbuy from Iraq

What would be the goal What would be the goal of issuing the embargo?of issuing the embargo?

Military build upMilitary build up►Pres. Bush organized Pres. Bush organized

a coalition to send to a coalition to send to Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia

►29 countries sent 29 countries sent military aidemilitary aide

►The coalition forces The coalition forces greatly outnumbered greatly outnumbered Iraqi forcesIraqi forces

Arab reactionArab reaction►Many Arab nations sided with the us Many Arab nations sided with the us

b/c Iraq invaded a fellow Arab nation b/c Iraq invaded a fellow Arab nation (Egypt, Saudi Arabia, UAE)(Egypt, Saudi Arabia, UAE)

►Some Arab nations supported saddam Some Arab nations supported saddam (Yemen, Algeria, PLo)(Yemen, Algeria, PLo)

►The plo supported saddam b/c he The plo supported saddam b/c he promised to destroy Israel and create promised to destroy Israel and create an Arab nationan Arab nation

The WarThe War►Attempts to resolve the conflict Attempts to resolve the conflict

peacefully failedpeacefully failed►The coalition defeated Iraq in 100 The coalition defeated Iraq in 100

hourshours► Iraq attempted to draw Israel into the Iraq attempted to draw Israel into the

war by launching missiles at Israelwar by launching missiles at Israel

Why would Iraq try to Why would Iraq try to draw Israel into the war?draw Israel into the war?

War’s aftermathWar’s aftermath►us encouraged Kurds and Shiites to us encouraged Kurds and Shiites to

overthrow saddamoverthrow saddam►They made gains in their areas, but They made gains in their areas, but

were quickly crushed by saddam’s were quickly crushed by saddam’s remaining forcesremaining forces

►The coalition provided no assistance to The coalition provided no assistance to the Kurds or Shiitesthe Kurds or Shiites

Why would the us- led Why would the us- led coalition not help the coalition not help the

Kurds and Shiites defeat Kurds and Shiites defeat saddam Hussein?saddam Hussein?

"Trying to eliminate Saddam .. would have incurred incalculable human and political costs. Apprehending him was probably impossible ... We would have been forced to occupy Baghdad and, in effect, rule Iraq ...there was no viable "exit strategy" we could see, violating another of our principles. Furthermore, we had been self-consciously trying to set a pattern for handling aggression in the post-Cold War world. Going in and occupying Iraq, thus unilaterally exceeding the United Nations' mandate, would have destroyed the precedent of international response to aggression that we hoped to establish. Had we gone the invasion route, the United States could conceivably still be an occupying power in a bitterly hostile land."

This is taken from This is taken from A World A World Transformed, Transformed, by George H.W. by George H.W. Bush, the presidents father.Bush, the presidents father.

Un weapons inspectionUn weapons inspection►After the war, saddam was forced to After the war, saddam was forced to

comply with inspectionscomply with inspections►Periodically he would comply, then Periodically he would comply, then

throw inspectors outthrow inspectors out► In 1998 the us and great Britain In 1998 the us and great Britain

bombed Iraq again and claimed to bombed Iraq again and claimed to have severely limited Iraq's military have severely limited Iraq's military capabilitycapability

How does the Gulf war How does the Gulf war relate to the current war relate to the current war

in Iraq?in Iraq?