Gulf War

Guide Note: The Gulf War was a United Nations-authorized military action in which a force comprised of 34 nations, led by the United States, responded to the Iraqi invasion of the sovereign nation of Kuwait. The 1991 war is sometimes called the First Gulf War, to differentiate it from the 2003 invasion and occupation of Iraq by a U.S.-led coalition. The fighting lasted only about a month, from January to February of 1991, and brought about the liberation of Kuwait. The decision was made to leave Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein in power rather than mount a full-scale invasion of that country.

Fast Facts

1. Iraqi invasion of Kuwait: August 2, 1990
2. War Duration: January 16, 1991 – February 28, 1991
3. U.S. Casualties: 148 battle-related deaths, 145 accidental deaths
4. Iraqi casualties: Uncertain, though some have put the number as high as 200,000
5. Coalition countries: Afghanistan, Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Egypt, France, Greece, Italy, Kuwait, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Niger, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Portugal, Qatar, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Spain, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States

Iraq's government has never recognized Kuwait as an independent entity, and maintains that it was only broken off from Iraq by British imperialists. Following the devastation of the Iran-Iraq War, the nation of Iraq was left essentially broke. Saddam Hussein furthermore claimed that the tiny neighboring nation of Kuwait was stealing Iraq's oil through the use of "slant drilling." The decision was made a in early 1990 to invade Kuwait, an action carried out by Iraq's Republican Guard starting early in the morning of August 2, 1990.

The initial action was described by President George H. W. Bush as entirely defensive, preventing the Iraqi forces from moving beyond Kuwait and into surrounding nations, such as Saudi Arabia. Hence the name given to the military action - "Operation Desert Shield." After a UN Resolution on Kuwait's behalf and the formation of the Coalition, the mission was shifted to a more aggressive one, expelling the Iraqi forces from Kuwait, and came to be known as Operation Desert Storm. Much of the actual fighting was composed of a massive air campaign against Iraq, much of it centered on the capital city of Baghdad. The military proudly touted the development of "smart bombs," that could zero in on military targets and limit collateral damage. The entire on-the-ground component of the war lasted a total of 100 hours.

Iraq's Shiite and Kurdish populations, long oppressed under the rule of Saddam Hussein, believed the U.S. invasion may be part of a larger revolution that would overthrow the Baathist government of Iraq, and initiated uprisings. These were unsuccessful, and brought sometimes violent consequences to these populations, leading to the development of "no-fly zones" intended for their protection.

Though U.S. casualties were somewhat limited, there have been many reports of a mysterious illness affecting Gulf War veterans, known as Gulf War Syndrome.