Gulf War

Gulf War
Date	August 2, 1990 – February 28, 1991
Location	Iraq; Kuwait; Saudi Arabia; Persian Gulf; Israel;
Result	Indecisive Iraqi forces expelled from Kuwait; Kuwaiti monarchy restored; Destruction of Iraqi and Kuwaiti infrastructure; Coalition forces fail to advance past the Iraq-Kuwait border into southern Iraq; Iraq launches missiles against Saudi Arabian targets; Iraqi rocket attacks on Israel; Failed Shia/Kurdish uprisings against the Iraqi government; Iraqi Kurdistan obtains autonomy, establishment of the northern Iraq no fly zone by the US; Saddam Hussein of the Ba'athist government retains power in Iraq; UN sanctions against Iraq maintained until 2003; United Nations Security Council Resolution 687 establishes cease-fire terms, beginning of the Iraq disarmament controversies;
Belligerents
Kuwait; United States; United Kingdom; Saudi Arabia; Egypt; Lebanon; Jordan; France; Syria; Morocco; Oman; Pakistan; Canada; United Arab Emirates; Qatar; Bangladesh; Italy; Australia; Netherlands; Niger; Sweden; Argentina; Senegal; Spain; Bahrain; Belgium; Poland; South Korea; Norway; Czechoslovakia; Greece; Denmark; New Zealand; Hungary Diplomatic support : Iran; Soviet Union	Iraq
Commanders and leaders
Norman Schwarzkopf Jr.	Saddam Hussein
Strength
956,600, including 700,000 US troops	650,000 soldiers
Casualties and losses
Military dead:; 1,000–2,000; Civilian dead:; 500–1,000;	Military dead:; 80,000–100,000; Civilian dead:; 5,000–7,000;

The Gulf War was a conflict between Iraq and 39 other countries, led by the United States. It started with the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq on August 2, 1990. Iraq had claimed Kuwait as part of its territory. Iraq is said to have suffered around 80,000-100,000 soldier losses.^[3]

There were two military operations.

Operation Desert Shield brought troops to protect Dhahran, Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states that Iraq had not attacked.

Operation Desert Storm attacked Iraq's forces both in Kuwait and in Iraq. It started on 17 January, 1991 with an air strike. Ground operations started 24 February. Iraqi forces set fire to oil wells to slow the attack. The war ended on 28 February, 1991 with a ceasefire.^[4]

The long Iran–Iraq War had ended in August 1988. Iraq owed a great amount of money to Saudi Arabia and had difficulty paying it back. Saddam Hussein declared the neighboring country of Kuwait to be siphoning Iraqi crude oil from across the border, and on August 2nd, 1990 the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait started. On January 17, 1991 the US began the Persian Gulf War with a massive US led air offensive known as Operation Desert Storm.^[5]

The attacks were assisted by newly developed weapons, including stealth aircraft, cruise missiles and smart bombs.

After 42 days of fighting U.S. President Bush declared a ceasefire on February 28. By that time most Iraqi forces in Kuwait had either surrendered or fled.

Operation Desert storm included a bombing campaign that targeted Iraqi aircraft, anti-aircraft systems, oil refineries, weapon factories, bridges, and roads. President George Bush decided not to depose Saddam Hussein.

Political issues after Operation Desert Storm lead to the second Persian Gulf War in 2003.

Medal for United States personnel.

Gulf War Media

Donald Rumsfeld, US special envoy to the Middle East, meets Saddam Hussein on 19–20 December 1983.
map of Kuwait (CIA)
Lion of Babylon main battle tanks, common Iraqi battle tank used in the Gulf War by the Iraqi Army.
Kuwaiti Armed Forces M-84 main battle tanks
An Iraqi Air Force Bell 214ST transport helicopter, after being captured by a US Marine Corps unit at the start of the ground phase of Operation Desert Storm
President Bush visiting American troops in Saudi Arabia on Thanksgiving Day, 1990
Weapons training at Abu Hydra Range, 1990
US Army soldiers from the 11th Air Defense Artillery Brigade during the Gulf War
American F-15Es parked in Saudi Arabia during Operation Desert Shield
M3 Bradleys of L Troop, 3rd ACR, stand in line at a holding area during the build-up to Operation Desert Shield.