Gulf War

“DESERT STORM”

PERSIAN GULF WAR (1990-91)

WHAT ABOUT
KUWAIT’S
GEOGRAPHICAL
LOCATION WOULD
APPEAL TO IRAQ?

ITS STRATEGIC
LOCATION ON THE
PERSIAN GULF
WHICH IS THE OIL
“HIGHWAY” OF THE
MIDDLE EAST

THE MIDDLE EAST

BACKGROUND TO CONFLICT

• IRAQ NEARLY

BANKRUPT:
– IN DEBT TO KUWAIT WHO

FINANCED WAR AGAINST
IRAN

• IRAQ CONSIDERED

KUWAIT AN IRAQI
PROVINCE

• ACCUSED KUWAIT OF

“SLANT-DRILLING” INTO
IRAQI OIL FIELDS

​Most people believe the people led out of the hall were randomly chosen and Saddam made the whole thing up to scare everyone. It worked.

U.S. RELATIONSHIP WITH IRAQ

• GENERALLY STABLE, BUT U.S. HAD

SEVERAL CONCERNS:
– IRAQ WAS AN ALLY OF THE USSR
– IRAQ WAS CRITICAL OF ISRAEL
– IRAQ SUPPORTED SEVERAL ISLAMIC

TERRORIST GROUPS

• U.S. PREFERRED THAT IRAQ WIN THE WAR

AGAINST IRAN

• SADDAM BELIEVED THE U.S., SAUDI

ARABIA, & KUWAIT WERE CONSPIRING
AGAINST IRAQ’S ECONOMY

Multiple Choice

Who was in charge of Iraq during the Gulf War?

• Saddam Hussein

• Ruhollah Khomeini

• Osama bin Laden

THE INVASION

• AUGUST 2, 1990 –

IRAQ ATTACKS &
OCCUPIES KUWAIT

• IRAQI MILITARY

COMMITS ABUSES

• IRAQ ANNEXES

KUWAIT

• IRAQI FORCES MOVE

TOWARD THE
BORDER OF SAUDI
ARABIA, A U.S. ALLY

“GUESTS” OR “HUMAN SHIELDS”?

• SADDAM REFUSED TO

ALLOW SOME WESTERNERS
TO LEAVE IRAQ

• HE CLAIMED THEY WERE

“GUESTS . . . MOST OF THE
WORLD VIEWED THEM AS
“HUMAN SHIELDS” FOR IRAQ

ENTER THE UNITED NATIONS

• U.N. CONDEMNS THE

INVASION:
– DEMANDS IRAQ

WITHDRAW BY 1-15-91

– PLACES ECONOMIC

SANCTIONS ON IRAQ

– AUTHORIZES THE USE

OF FORCE

Multiple Choice

What country did Iraq invade that angered most of the World?

• Iran

• Israel

• Kuwait

• Egypt

OPERATION “DESERT SHIELD”

• FEAR THAT IRAQ WOULD

INVADE SAUDI ARABIA

• U.S. TROOPS MOVE INTO

SAUDI ARABIA 8-7-90 TO
PREVENT AN INVASION

• CALLED OPERATION

DESERT SHIELD

BUILDING A COALITION

• U.S. ASSEMBLES A COALITION (TEMPORARY

ALLIANCE) OF OVER 30 NATIONS TO OPPOSE
IRAQ:
– SOME CONTRIBUTE MILITARY FORCE OTHERS

GIVE $

– INCLUDES SOME ARAB COUNTRIES

REASONS FOR U.N. & U.S. INTERVENTION

• VIOLATION OF KUWAITI SOVEREIGNTY
• SUPPORT FOR SAUDI ARABIA (U.S. ALLY & KEY

SUPPLIER OF OIL**)

• HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES
• IRAQ HAD:

– BIOLOGICAL AND CHEMICAL WEAPONS
– A NUCLEAR WEAPONS DEVELOPMENT

PROGRAM

Multiple Choice

Over ____ countries joined the coalition to get Iraq out of Kuwait.

• 10

• 20

• 30

• 40

U.S. LEADERS

PRESIDENT BUSH
SEC. OF DEF. CHENEY

CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT
CHIEFS COLIN POWELL

GENERAL “STORMIN’”
NORMAN SCHWARZKOPF

THE COALITION STRIKES BACK

• IRAQ DOES NOT WITHDRAW

BY THE ULTIMATUM DATE OF
1-15-91

• ON 1-17-91 THE COALITION

BEGAN MASSIVE OFFENSIVE
OPERATIONS AGAINST IRAQ:
– CODE NAMED OPERATION

DESERT STORM

STRIKE FROM THE SKY!

• COALITION

LAUNCHED MASSIVE
AIR CAMPAIGN
AGAINST IRAQ:
– DESTROYED IRAQI

RADAR & AIRFIELDS

– BOMBED IRAQI

CAPITAL OF BAGHDAD

– DESTROYED DAMS

AND ELECTRICAL
PLANTS

– MANY CIVILIAN

CASUALTIES

Multiple Choice

When the NATO coalition invaded Iraq it was called _______________ .

• The Battle of Britian

• Operation Desert Storm

• Invasion of Iraq

• The Great Wipe Out

U.S. NAVY JOINED THE AIR ATTACKS

•RADAR GUIDED CRUISE MISSILES

CARRIER AIR STRIKES

STEALTH ATTACKS

STEALTH TECHNOLOGY
AIRCRAFT
WERE USED FOR THE
FIRST TIME IN COMBAT

BAGHDAD UNDER NIGHT
STEALTH ATTACK

POWs

• IRAQIS SHOT DOWN

MANY COALITION
AIRCRAFT

• POWs WERE OFTEN

MISTREATED

• SOME WERE SHOWN ON

IRAQI TELEVISION &
FORCED TO READ
STATEMENTS CRITICAL
OF THE WAR

WHAT ABOUT ISRAEL?

• IRAQ ATTEMPTED TO

DESTROY THE
COALITION BY GOADING
ISRAEL TO JOIN THE
CONFLICT AND
ALIENATING SOME ARAB
COUNTRIES

• IRAQ LAUNCHED

MISSILES AGAINST
ISRAEL

• U.S. PERSUADED ISRAEL

TO STAY OUT OF THE
CONFLICT AND SENT
MISSILES TO HELP
ISRAEL’S AIR DEFENSES

Multiple Choice

What country did Iraq try to get to join the war to break up the coalition?

• India

• Iran

• Egypt

• Israel

ISRAEL UNDER ATTACK

PATRIOT AIR DEFENSE MISSILES

GROUND ASSAULT!

• COALITION LAUNCHES

MASSIVE ATTACK INTO
IRAQ ON 2-24-91

• IRAQI TANKS & TROOPS

NO MATCH FOR
COALITION

• IRAQIS SUFFER HUGE

LOSSES

• COALITION FORCES

MOVE TO SURROUND
IRAQI FORCES IN
KUWAIT

U.S. FORCES IN ACTION

HIGHWAY OF DEATH

IRAQI FORCES TRYING TO ESCAPE FROM KUWAIT
WERE SLAUGHTERED BY COALITION AIRPOWER

"EVEN IN VIETNAM I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING LIKE THIS. IT'S
PATHETIC."

— MAJOR BOB NUGENT
ARMY INTELLIGENCE OFFICER

IRAQI VENGEANCE

• RETREATING

IRAQIS LEFT
BEHIND AN
ENVIRONMENTAL
NIGHTMARE:
– SET OIL WELLS

ON FIRE

– DUMPED OIL

INTO THE
PERSIAN GULF

Multiple Choice

What did the Iraqis do when they withdrew and knew they would lose?

• set oil wells on fire

• executed any civilians in the way

• stole as much treasure as they could carry

• begged for forgiveness

THE FIGHTING ENDS

• 100 HOURS AFTER

THE GROUND
ATTACK BEGAN
PRESIDENT BUSH
DECLARED A
CEASE-FIRE

• LESS THAN 300

AMERICANS
KILLED

GULF WAR CONTROVERSIES

• “HIGHWAY OF DEATH” ATTACKS TOO HARSH?
• ERROR TO ALLOW SADDAM TO REMAIN IN

POWER?
– BEYOND SCOPE OF U.N. MANDATE
– COALITION WOULD HAVE LOST MEMBERS
– WOULD HAVE REQUIRED LONG-TERM OCCUPATION

OF IRAQ

• FAILURE OF COALITION TO PROTECT IRAQ’S

KURDISH POPULATION FROM SADDAM’S
REVENGE AFTER THE WAR

• RETURNING COALITION SOLDIERS REPORTED

ILLNESSES AFTER THE WAR:
– CALLED GULF WAR SYNDROME

RESULTS

• KUWAIT LIBERATED
• RETURNING SOLDIERS GREETED POSITIVELY

(UNLIKE VIETNAM)

• “FEEL GOOD” WAR FOR AMERICANS:

– TO SOME EXTENT ERASED THE GHOSTS OF VIETNAM
– AMERICAN TECHNOLOGY WORKED (MOSTLY)
– WAS QUICK AND COST FEW U.S. LIVES

• CONSEQUENCES FOR IRAQ:

– IRAQI NO-FLY ZONES ESTABLISHED
– GREAT PHYSICAL DAMAGE
– ECONOMIC SANCTIONS IMPOSED
– U.N. SPONSERED WEAPONS INSPECTIONS

• INCREASED ISLAMIC EXTREMISM:

– ESPECIALLY AGAINST SAUDI ARABIA (VIEWED AS

BEING ON SAME SIDE AS ISRAEL AND TOO CLOSE TO
U.S.)

Multiple Choice

The Gulf War made many Americans feel better after bad feelings left from what war?

• World War I

• World War II

• Korean War

• Vietnam War

WHAT IS THE IDEA OF THIS CARTOON?

GULF WAR CARTOON

WHAT IS THE IDEA OF THIS CARTOON?

CONNECTION TO THE PRESENT

•HOW DOES THIS CARTOON CONNECT THE FIRST GULF WAR
WITH THE CURRENT CONFLICT IN IRAQ?