The Persian Gulf War - Essay Example

The Persian Gulf War The August 2, 190 invasion of Kuwait by Iraq left the whole world in shock considering that the worldwas already healing from the cold war and repercussions of the World War II occurrences were still evident. The invasion did not only serve as a destabilization of the Persian Gulf states that possessed significant importance to the world economy, but President George Bush perceived the action as an indication of direct threat to the international system that the U.S was committed to ensuring that it remained in peace. As a World War II veteran, Bush condemned Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait describing it in terms of “good and evil” where he consistently compared Saddam Hussein, the Iraq president during that time to Adolf Hitler. Bush advocated for clear and unequivocal withdrawal of military forces from Iraq from Kuwait as the only possible resolution to solve the “act of naked aggression” portrayed by Iraq (Rosenau 48). Deliberations of the United Nations (UN) Security Council, the U.S and here allies reached a conclusion where a timeline was issued to Iraq to withdraw her forces in Kuwait of face the full combat of the allies led by the U.S. My grandfather who hails from Pittsburg was presents a good account of the occurrences during that period serving as a medical personnel in the desert region where the war took place. His position in the forces made him become directly involved with the Gulf War and therefore an interview with him presents a good account of the factors that led to the war, the occurrences during the war as well as the aftermath o-f the war. The Persian Gulf War resulted with an aim of rolling back the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq that not only served as a threat to the world economy, but also a disruption of the international system. My grandfather describes the occurrences that transpired during the Persian Gulf War as the trigger to the as a result of failure by Iraq to adhere to the warnings given. He describes Hussein’s action on 17th July, 1990 as one that triggered tension between Iran and Kuwait after Hussein accused the UAE and Kuwait as disrupting the world oil market through flooding the market with oil. Specifically, Hussein blamed Kuwait for stealing oil in the Rumaila oil field, an oil source that run beneath the two nations and as a result serving as a sign of economic war against Iraq. In reaction to the economic war that Hussein assumed Iraq presented, Hussein reacted by sending his military forces to Kuwait on 2nd August the same year and the forces invaded and occupied Kuwait. Immediately after crossing Kuwait’s border in possession of armor, as well as infantry, , Iraq’s military seized strategic areas throughout the country with Emir’s palace among the conquered places. The inferior Kuwait Army was immediately overwhelmed although they managed to make the Kuwait Air Force flee to Saudi Arabia (U.S Department of State). Upon taking control of Kuwait, the Iraq forces looted medical as well as food supplies, captured and detained significant number of civilians together with taking control of the media. As the situation worsened, and the international community begun to condemn Iraq’s military action, Iraq military in Kuwait begun to detain Western visitors as hostages that were later used as bargaining power. According to the interviewee, U.S was angered by the invasion of Iraq but its involvement in the war occurred immediately when the Emir of Kuwait, Jaber A Sabah, met with Richard Cheney, then then-secretary of Defense of the U.S with a purpose of requesting for military support. While Bush condemned Iraq’s action, the U.S military commanders as well as strategists embarked on measures of formulating offensive plans as the UN Security Council passed resolution 600. The resolution issued a warning and called for military action against Iraq forces if they continued their presence in Kuwait by mid-January 1991. Consequently, the Arab League met on 3rd August the same year and condemned the action and demanded a full withdrawal of Iraq’s military in Kuwait and demand that Hussein ignored. My grandfather asserts the grievances that Iraq had with Saudi Arabia over debts that amounted to twenty-six billion dollars was also seen by the Western nation of a possibility of Iraq’s war extension to Saudi Arabia that would pose more economic threats to the whole world. He describes the first defensive action of the U.S occurred with an aim of preventing further attacks from Iraq to Saudi Arabia an action referred to as Operation Desert Shield where U.S troops occupied Saudi Arabia on August 7th August the same year (U.S Department of State). Despite the actions of the U.S and the UN Security Council, Iraq failed to relent on its course but rather declared some Kuwait’s regions as an extension of Basra province of Iraq with the rest part of Kuwait making the 19th region of Iraq. During the war period, my grandfather describes his role that included providing medical treatment and supplements to the U.S forces during the war. The U.S continued with its role in mobilizing efforts to protect Iraq with two major naval battle groups USS Dwight, as well as USS Independence, occupied the area and were ready for offensive action by 8th August. To strengthen the forces sent other two battleships in the area USS Missouri as well as Wisconsin that served as the last battleships in the U.S to take part in a foreign war. The military buildup since then made significant development with numbers reaching around five hundred thousand troops with consensus among military analysts continuing until October that year (Rosenau 63). Various resolutions of the UN Security Council together with the Arab League resolutions continued to deliberate on the conflict with Resolution 678 of 29th November giving an ultimatum of Iraq withdrawal by 15th January, 1991 or risk the implementation of Resolution 660 that calls for use of force if such withdrawal is not adhered. The U.S with John Baker as the Secretary of State facilitated assembling a coalition of forces with an aim of joining coalition forces that were tasked with providing opposition against Iraq. The assembled coalition forces resulted from thirty-four nations with the U.S serving as the central leader with its troops contributing to seventy-four percent of the total. My grandfather asserts that, “the countries that failed to join the coalition attributed the issue to an internal Arab affair while others cited fear of the American influence on Kuwait with persuasion and offers of economic together with debt forgiveness serving in enhancing the reluctant nations to participate in the coalition.” Despite Iraq possessing ample time to vacate Kuwait and read the possible outcomes and reaction from the UN forces that continuously assembled in Saudi Arabia, Hussein ignored all the demands and precautions. Bush and America serving as the key figure in the war received authority to wage war on 12th January with the coalition forces by then comprising of thirty six members with General Norman Schwarzkopf providing directions to the coalition forces (Elshtain, and David 269). The first instruction from Schwarzkopf was an air strike that aimed at disabling Iraq’s communications, the defenses on air, as well as radar installations. The coalition forces campaign that afterwards became popularly referred to as the Desert Storm comprised mostly of various units from the Air Force with the Navy providing strong support with targets aimed at installations in Bagdad together with other military targets. Air strikes and missile combat took place for a period of five weeks that facilitated for a room for the ground troops that initiated their attacks in Kuwait after the five weeks. The ground combat I Kuwait that begun in Kuwait o 27th February, eventually led to Iraq forces to concede to a cease-fire after only one hundred hours of combat. Following the forces and conceding from the Iran forces, General Schwarzkopf agreed to have a sitting with the Iraqi military on 3rd March. He further instructed the allied forces to take defensive positions in areas that Iraq had occupied by then with the Iraqi forces allowed to vacate the region without any of their supplies or equipment. Consequently, all aircrafts were barred from operating in the area that the U.S forces covered with limitation equally evidenced on other flights in Iraq. The liberation of Kuwait was then announced on 6th March as President Bush addressed the Congress and two days following the liberation seeing the U.S forces beginning to arrive back in their country. The immediate effect of the war resulted in the immediate liberation of Kuwait that relieved the global economic panic presented by Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait and restoration of peace in the international system. However, deaths of the allied forces together with the Iraq’s troops were reported with the U.S forces recording two hundred deaths. Although there lacks official figure of the total deaths of the Iraq forces during the war, it is estimated that over eight hundred servicemen lost their lives. The impact of the war also served as a means of reuniting the American forces with American citizens who had lost their trust on the military following the Vietnam War. In conclusion, the U.S and the UN allied forces successfully managed to restore Kuwait from Iraq after barely less than six weeks when the operation begun. The U.S as the chief leader of the operation coordinated by the UN Security Council ensured effective deliberation of Iraq. Despite presenting Iraq with an ultimatum to vacate Kuwait, Iraq ignored the call for call and prompted the U.S and the U.N Security Council to take deliberate measure through the use of force to restore Kuwait (Elshtain, and David 486). The main reason behind the cause of war resulted from the invasion of Iraq on Kuwait that posed a threat to the global economy while also threatening the international system. The repercussion of the war led to restoration of Kuwait while also restoring the U.S public confidence in their military that had faded during the war in Vietnam. Works Cited Elshtain, Jean B, and David E. DeCosse. But Was It Just?: Reflections on the Morality of the Persian Gulf War. New York: Doubleday, 2009. Print. Rosenau, William. Special Operations Forces and Elusive Enemy Ground Targets: Lessons from Vietnam and the Persian Gulf War. Santa Monica: Project Air Force/Rand, 2010. Print. U.S Department of State. "The First Gulf War - Short History - Department History." Office of the Historian. N.p., 20 May 2013. Web. 4 May 2015. Read More