1990 : Iraq invades Kuwait
At about 2 a.m. local time, Iraqi forces invade Kuwait, Iraq's tiny,
oil-rich neighbor. Kuwait's defense forces were rapidly overwhelmed,
and those that were not destroyed retreated to Saudi Arabia. The emir
of Kuwait, his family, and other government leaders fled to Saudi
Arabia, and within hours Kuwait City had been captured and the Iraqis
had established a provincial government. By annexing Kuwait, Iraq
gained control of 20 percent of the world's oil reserves and, for the
first time, a substantial coastline on the Persian Gulf. The same day,
the United Nations Security Council unanimously denounced the invasion
and demanded Iraq's immediate withdrawal from Kuwait. On August 6, the
Security Council imposed a worldwide ban on trade with Iraq.
On August 9, Operation Desert Shield, the American defense of Saudi
Arabia, began as U.S. forces raced to the Persian Gulf. Iraqi dictator
Saddam Hussein, meanwhile, built up his occupying army in Kuwait to
about 300,000 troops. On November 29, the U.N. Security Council passed
a resolution authorizing the use of force against Iraq if it failed to
withdraw by January 15, 1991. Hussein refused to withdraw his forces
from Kuwait, which he had established as a province of Iraq, and some
700,000 allied troops, primarily American, gathered in the Middle East
to enforce the deadline.
At 4:30 p.m. EST on January 16, 1991, Operation Desert Storm, the
massive U.S.-led offensive against Iraq, began as the first fighter
aircraft were launched from Saudi Arabia and off U.S. and British
aircraft carriers in the Persian Gulf. All evening, aircraft from the
U.S.-led military coalition pounded targets in and around Baghdad as
the world watched the events transpire on television footage
transmitted live via satellite from Iraq. Operation Desert Storm was
conducted by an international coalition under the supreme command of
U.S. General Norman Schwarzkopf and featured forces from 32 nations,
including Britain, Egypt, France, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait.
During the next six weeks, the allied force engaged in an intensive
air war against Iraq's military and civil infrastructure and
encountered little effective resistance from the Iraqi air force or
air defenses. Iraqi ground forces were helpless during this stage of
the war, and Hussein's only significant retaliatory measure was the
launching of SCUD missile attacks against Israel and Saudi Arabia.
Saddam hoped that the missile attacks would provoke Israel to enter
the conflict, thus dissolving Arab support of the war. At the request
of the United States, however, Israel remained out of the war.
On February 24, a massive coalition ground offensive began, and Iraq's
outdated and poorly supplied armed forces were rapidly overwhelmed. By
the end of the day, the Iraqi army had effectively folded, 10,000 of
its troops were held as prisoners, and a U.S. air base had been
established deep inside Iraq. After less than four days, Kuwait was
liberated, and the majority of Iraq's armed forces had either
surrendered, retreated to Iraq, or been destroyed.
On February 28, U.S. President George Bush declared a cease-fire, and
on April 3 the U.N. Security Council passed Resolution 687, specifying
conditions for a formal end to the conflict. According to the
resolution, Bush's cease-fire would become official, some sanctions
would be lifted, but the ban on Iraqi oil sales would continue until
Iraq destroyed its weapons of mass destruction under U.N. supervision.
On April 6, Iraq accepted the resolution, and on April 11 the Security
Council declared it in effect. During the next decade, Saddam Hussein
frequently violated the terms of the peace agreement, prompting
further allied air strikes and continuing U.N. sanctions.
In the Persian Gulf War, 148 American soldiers were killed and 457
wounded. The other allied nations suffered about 100 deaths combined
during Operation Desert Storm. There are no official figures for the
number of Iraqi casualties, but it is believed that at least 25,000
soldiers were killed and more than 75,000 were wounded, making it one
of the most one-sided military conflicts in history. It is estimated
that 100,000 Iraqi civilians died from wounds or from lack of adequate
water, food, and medical supplies directly attributable to the Persian
Gulf War. In the ensuing years, more than one million Iraqi civilians
have died as a result of the subsequent U.N. sanctions.
history.com/tdih.do
1923 : Harding dies before scandals break
history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=5226
1934 : Hitler becomes fuhrer
history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=6977
1939 : Einstein urges U.S. atomic action
history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=5227
##########################################
At about 2 a.m. local time, Iraqi forces invade Kuwait, Iraq's tiny,
oil-rich neighbor. Kuwait's defense forces were rapidly overwhelmed,
and those that were not destroyed retreated to Saudi Arabia. The emir
of Kuwait, his family, and other government leaders fled to Saudi
Arabia, and within hours Kuwait City had been captured and the Iraqis
had established a provincial government. By annexing Kuwait, Iraq
gained control of 20 percent of the world's oil reserves and, for the
first time, a substantial coastline on the Persian Gulf. The same day,
the United Nations Security Council unanimously denounced the invasion
and demanded Iraq's immediate withdrawal from Kuwait. On August 6, the
Security Council imposed a worldwide ban on trade with Iraq.
On August 9, Operation Desert Shield, the American defense of Saudi
Arabia, began as U.S. forces raced to the Persian Gulf. Iraqi dictator
Saddam Hussein, meanwhile, built up his occupying army in Kuwait to
about 300,000 troops. On November 29, the U.N. Security Council passed
a resolution authorizing the use of force against Iraq if it failed to
withdraw by January 15, 1991. Hussein refused to withdraw his forces
from Kuwait, which he had established as a province of Iraq, and some
700,000 allied troops, primarily American, gathered in the Middle East
to enforce the deadline.
At 4:30 p.m. EST on January 16, 1991, Operation Desert Storm, the
massive U.S.-led offensive against Iraq, began as the first fighter
aircraft were launched from Saudi Arabia and off U.S. and British
aircraft carriers in the Persian Gulf. All evening, aircraft from the
U.S.-led military coalition pounded targets in and around Baghdad as
the world watched the events transpire on television footage
transmitted live via satellite from Iraq. Operation Desert Storm was
conducted by an international coalition under the supreme command of
U.S. General Norman Schwarzkopf and featured forces from 32 nations,
including Britain, Egypt, France, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait.
During the next six weeks, the allied force engaged in an intensive
air war against Iraq's military and civil infrastructure and
encountered little effective resistance from the Iraqi air force or
air defenses. Iraqi ground forces were helpless during this stage of
the war, and Hussein's only significant retaliatory measure was the
launching of SCUD missile attacks against Israel and Saudi Arabia.
Saddam hoped that the missile attacks would provoke Israel to enter
the conflict, thus dissolving Arab support of the war. At the request
of the United States, however, Israel remained out of the war.
On February 24, a massive coalition ground offensive began, and Iraq's
outdated and poorly supplied armed forces were rapidly overwhelmed. By
the end of the day, the Iraqi army had effectively folded, 10,000 of
its troops were held as prisoners, and a U.S. air base had been
established deep inside Iraq. After less than four days, Kuwait was
liberated, and the majority of Iraq's armed forces had either
surrendered, retreated to Iraq, or been destroyed.
On February 28, U.S. President George Bush declared a cease-fire, and
on April 3 the U.N. Security Council passed Resolution 687, specifying
conditions for a formal end to the conflict. According to the
resolution, Bush's cease-fire would become official, some sanctions
would be lifted, but the ban on Iraqi oil sales would continue until
Iraq destroyed its weapons of mass destruction under U.N. supervision.
On April 6, Iraq accepted the resolution, and on April 11 the Security
Council declared it in effect. During the next decade, Saddam Hussein
frequently violated the terms of the peace agreement, prompting
further allied air strikes and continuing U.N. sanctions.
In the Persian Gulf War, 148 American soldiers were killed and 457
wounded. The other allied nations suffered about 100 deaths combined
during Operation Desert Storm. There are no official figures for the
number of Iraqi casualties, but it is believed that at least 25,000
soldiers were killed and more than 75,000 were wounded, making it one
of the most one-sided military conflicts in history. It is estimated
that 100,000 Iraqi civilians died from wounds or from lack of adequate
water, food, and medical supplies directly attributable to the Persian
Gulf War. In the ensuing years, more than one million Iraqi civilians
have died as a result of the subsequent U.N. sanctions.
history.com/tdih.do
1923 : Harding dies before scandals break
history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=5226
1934 : Hitler becomes fuhrer
history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=6977
1939 : Einstein urges U.S. atomic action
history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=5227
##########################################
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