Gulf War as an Inevitable Fact - Case Study Example

Table of Contents S; No Content Page Number 1 Introduction 3 2 Background and Contexts 3 3 US interests in the region and the war mechanics 4 4 Policy options for Saudi Arabia 5 5 Policy options for Egypt and UK ally. 6 6 Pre-war diplomacy 6 7 CIA, the main role player 7 8 Operation Desert Storm 8 9 Post war analysis 9 10 Environmental, social and gender saboteurs of gulf war 9-10 11 Conclusion (thesis reaffirmed) 10-11 12 References 11-12 Introduction Gulf war (1991-1992) was an inevitable fact. It was unavoidable. The reasons were obvious. Iraq should have not attacked on the sovereign borders of Kuwait (Bergen, Peter L. 2001). Iraq should have accepted the reality after 1932 that Kuwait was as independent oil rich Arab state as was Iraq itself. At the end of 1988 when Sadaam Hussein singed the cease fire agreement with Imam Khomeini of Iran, he was left high and dry. The main argument of this essay is that ‘had Sadam Not acted silly, the US might have not made her big bang entry into the Middle East to the sheer disadvantage of the region.” The accounts of war given in the detail explain that how US militarily ravaged the region to perpetuate her oil interests in the region. As there was no money left in the coffers of Baghdad. Sadaam thought that Kuwait was the palatable morsel to be engulfed to satisfy his hunger. This mistake was unforgiveable and obvious (John Simpson 2003). But the real reason behind this cynic behavior of Sadaam Hussain was beyond this over simplified justification. This was an opportunity contrived by the global political forces to meet their on need and promote their own interest in the region (Munro, Alan 2006). This easy goes in to those details and examines the gulf war in the perspective of its reasons, political consequences, impacts on the region and human, civil and socio-economic cum environmental ravages of gulf war to the Middle East. This is an argumentative essay that claims are argues that gulf war was a covert move of the USA to preserve and promote her economic, political and military interests in the Middle East. The social, environmental and human losses in the gulf war corroborate this thesis statement of the essay. Context and the Background As a matter of fact, the main contexts of conflict in the Middle Eastern region were the long enduring interests of US in the gulf oil. US never liked bent of Saddam Hussein to Ex-Soviet Union during the era of cold war. Soviets always supported Palestinian cause against US – Israeli interests in the region. Although US potentially and covertly militarily supported Saddam during Iran-Iraq war, however, US had to settle scores with Iraq in the Gulf War 1991 in the shape of Operation Desert Storm or the mother of all wars. The main purpose of fighting Iraq was the expulsion of Iraqi forces from Kuwaiti soils and the due sanction of UN had also been sought before the launching of formal war. Egypt, U.K and Saudi Arabia became main allies of US forces (Robert Fisk 1995). International condemnation of annexation of Kuwait by Iraq also facilitated the attack of US on Iraq. US interests in the region and the war mechanics 1. One of the the prime interests of US is creation of influence in the region in the support of Israel. US want to reshape the Middle East in such a way that Israel should be the in charge of affairs in the region (Kepel, Gilles, 2002). 2. After the collapse of Soviet Union in the late 1980 interests of USA in the gulf multiply much time on the pretext of new word order. The disintegration of Soviet Union and containment of communism in the Eastern Europe a give a new confidence to CIA of America. 3. US had to enter in to the Middle East in connivances with Israel. Israel since 1967 was went upon playing a role of policeman in the Middle East with the American and western support. With the covert support and assistance of Israel the USA launched its offensive in the Middle East. 4. This is worthwhile to mention that United States has been continuously militarily and politically supporting Saddam Hussein against Imam Khomeini of Iran in the back drop of Iran Iraq war which continued for around ten years. USA played double game in that pretext. 5. USA has been selling weapons to Iraq and instilling confidence of friendship into Sadaam. Iran Iraq war had been countionously weakening both Islamic states. Egypt has been supporting Iraq in collaboration of USA and Israel for weakening Khomeini Saudi Arabia and other Sunni states in the gulf had been supporting Iraq against Shea Islam of Iran In this way USA has been winning all-around in the middle east prior to launching of full-fledged offensive against Sadaam Hussein in the 1992 Gulf war 6. The US-Israel is partners in the pursuance Arab Israel conflict. It had become oblivious that USA and Israel were in glove to hand relationship in Middle East. Israel is always there in the Middle East with its intelligence agency Mossad to help and promote CIA. The USA and Israel have been successful players in the middle east due to one other prime reason that in all of the Islamic Arab states there is no democracy the Arab dictators kings and despots are always went upon saving their wealth and estate by the way of tyranny on peoples and selling themselves to the super power of the world that is USA. 7. There are hydrocarbon natural resources in the form of oil the Arab world’s Saudi Arabia Iraq and Kuwait are richest in the oil well since the start of 19th century when oriental oil company of UK explore and extracted oil from the Saudi Arabia the whole region became centre of attention of wet and America. 8. These Arab states were exploited military politically and financially and various policies has been adapted the extract the maximum benefits from them the only counter super power in the world was soviet union which has already been disintegrated by CIA so there was no power to keep USA away from oil wealth of Saudi Arabia queat and Iraq . The reason for attacked on Iraq in the gulf war was also obvious to have control over the oil recourses. Policy options for Saudi Arabia A. Saudi Arabia cooperated with the US as its strategic partner in the region against Soviet and Iranian influence. Saudi Arabia felt that Iraq may make their soil as next target if left unchecked. Therefore, Saudi Arabia contributed 40 billion US dollars in the total war expenditure of 60 billion US dollars. B. The other obvious reason for Saudi Arabia with USA in the gulf war was that Saudi Arabia was left with no choice and U.S feats and frigates at already settled at sea shores of Saudi Arabia. They asked for the permission to used Saudi ports and grounds for attacked on Iraq then they have already estblashied and man there camps the demand for money come Saudi Arabia preceded the war even. Policy options for Egypt and UK A. Egypt is a pro-Israel Arab-African country who is the favorite of US in Direct Foreign Investment. UK is the member of NATO and toes pro-American policy in almost all political matters. B. Hosni Mubarak of Egypt has been adapted ally of USA in the Middle East. Due to his polices Egypt is the second largest recipient of foreign aid in the gulf region offer Israel his government t and the policies for the last more than 30years are being supported by the successive USA (Cleveland, William L1992) . C. Similarly in the new work order United Kingdom has toed all of its political and militarily polices with the USA and in certain cases UK side with USA in preference to European Union. Pre-war diplomacy a) UN resolution propaganda was launched throughout the world that Iraq used to posses chemical and biological weapons there were large scale human rights volition in the country and attack of Iraq on the Kuwait was really a big offence of Iraq. Iraq has already tension with Kuwait Iraq had become bankrupt at the end of her war with Iran b) The prices of oil had already go down and it give a lot of loss to Iraq (Lawrence freedman and Ibrahim Karsh 1993). After gaining of independence 1932, Iraqi govt; has already declare that Kuwait was it rightful territory. In this way even before the gulf war of 1992 there have been a few border skirmishes between Iran and Iraq on frequent basis. Therefore there was every chance that Iraq could have attacked Kuwait. c) As a pre war diplomacy US was required to make and materialized every sort of excused for making and substantiated the sound collation before making a proper attack on Iraq hence there was a every reason that USA should have attacked Iraq. d) The US and their war partners influenced the UN Security Council to pass resolutions 660, 661, 665and 667 against the illegal domination of Iraq on the Kuwaiti lands and its annexation with the Iraqi state. The economic sanctions were imposed on the country. Creation of coalition. e) US made sure to gain political support from its allies and succeeded in making partnership with Canada, UK, Oman , Niger, Philippines , Qatar, South Korea , Pakistan , UAE, France, Australia Etc. CIA, the main role player In the new world order CIA took up the responsibility of playing proactive role in gulf Asia and Eastern Europe CIA successfully played its role in getting Sadaam of Iraq and Khomeini of Iran pitched against each other. American harm and ammunition had already been continuously sold in abundance on both side of the war the influence of CIA had already been established in Middle East through the despots. In the Middle East PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat had already been dealt with adequately by CIA through the covert hand of Hamas and Israeli head quarter. The new role of CIA was to advise Bush administration to advance those policies which could give strong justification (Atkinson, Rick; Devroy, Ann, 1998) to USA for intervention and physical presence in the Middle East. Therefore the role of CIA he came very obvious in the Middle East after the role of Mossad. Operation Desert Storm I. Operation Desert Storm Started with US air force 10 thunders built attacks of Arial bombing. In the first cage 88500 tons of bombs were dropped to destroy the Iraqi air force and anti air craft’s facilities most of the sorties attacks were launched from Saudi Arabia in the Persian Gulf and red sea. II. The air force attack was a complete by the ground attack by US army and neto Tanks called first cavalry and different regiments and brigades there were humorous spurts attacks (Hiro, Dilip, 1992). The operation desert storm also included gunship helicopter and armed division III. Later in a few days, Iraq was heavily bombarded with aerial attacks. The ground attack followed and the operation continued from 2nd august 1990- to 28th February 1991. US Navy, Air Force and Army successively played their part. Post war analysis 100,000 civilian people and 26000 military personnel died (The Associated Press 1991). Iraq’s Infrastructure was destroyed and Kuwait was liberated. The hostilities further exacerbated in the region. The cost of this war was calculated to the 62 million US dollars. American contribution was only 10 million Dollars the rest of money was calculated other countries.400 Million gallons of crude oil was dumped by Iraq in the Persian Gulf causing the highest oil spill in the history of mankind. This war were given the largest media coverage by NBC CVS and ABC networks the USA .It was learnt that in the ordinance deputed uranium was used which caused the cause of civilian death . These wars were rightly called the highway to death. During the bulldozer assault from 24-25 Feb. 1991 800 Iraqi were killed. There were many names given to the computation and conservancies of gulf war like gulf war syndrome and gulf war illness. The scud attacks indicramentry killed and injured thousands of innocent Iraqi civilians. However 294Americans 47 British 18 Saudi Arabian 11 Egyptian 2 civilian 2 French 01 Kuwait and 06 UAE soldiers were killed by the Iraqi combatants. The total number of causalities in the gulf war still not clearly known however the soldiers of coalition partners From UK France, Canada and the Australia were definitely killed since the coalition took were more than 640000 in number including and 100000 took from Turkey. However, this is sure that thousands of innocent civilians were killed in gulf war and that why it is called highway to death. Environmental, social and gender saboteurs of gulf war The environmental impact assessment and social impact assessment of the work war yielded dreadful and dangerous results. The wild life, Seashore landscape forest houses n the urban and rural areas lives and livelihoods of the peoples were lavishly destroyed and devastated during the gulf war (Hawley., T. M. 1992). The poverty prevailed all-around, environment was destroyed pollution increased infrastructure was ruined. The natural resources in the region were sabotaged. The gender parity condition which was already very bad in the reason went from worse to worst. The women and children in the region became the worst hit section of societies. Conclusion It is therefore, concluded that Sadaam desire and action to attack an annex Kuwait with Iraq was certainly a condemnable action. It has no moral legal or political justification. But at the same time reason of gulf war have to be seen beyond the spoke and limits of obvious facts and figures. How was Sadaam prompted to jump in to Kuwait? This is a big question mark according to one paradigm he was given confidence of continued support by USA in Iran Iraq war and he was also given a green signal by US to screw the defenseless Kuwait in order to produced a valid reason to punished Sadaam for his inclination to the Ex Soviet union and enmity with Israel . USA through gulf war penetrated deeper and Wider into the gulf through this war the borders of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait were fully captured and secured by US forces perhaps then there was no other force to oust them from middle east the USA had come closed to the heart of Israel for it assistance at any time (Barzilai, Gad 1993). Iran was already entangled in to her own problems perhaps gulf war was a big victory for USA, NATO and its Arab allies but it was the defeat of moral, ethical, logical, international civil norms and sovereign injunctions of freedoms of territory and political rights of people of the world. References 1. Atkinson, Rick; Devroy, Ann (31 July 1998). "U.S. Claims Iraqi Nuclear Reactors Hit Hard". Washington Post. 2. Bergen, Peter L. (2001). Holy War Inc.. Simon & Schuster. p. 3.  3. Barzilai, Gad (1993). Klieman, Aharon and Shidlo, Gil. ed. The Gulf Crisis and Its Global Aftermath. Routledge. ISBN 0-415-08002-9.  4. Cleveland, William L1992, a history of modern Middle East. 2nd edition pp 462 5. Hawley., T. M. (1992). Against the Fires of Hell: The Environmental Disaster of the Gulf War. New York u.a.: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. ISBN 0-15-103969-0.  6. Hiro, Dilip (1992). Desert Shield to Desert Storm: The Second Gulf War. Routledge. ISBN 9780415906579 7. John Simpson, The Wars Against Saddam. MacMillan: Basingstoke. 2003. 8. Kepel, Gilles (2002). "From the Gulf War to the Taliban Jihad / Jihad: The Trail of Political Islam".  9. Lawrence freedman and Ibrahim Karsh 1993 , the gulf conflict ; diplomacy and war in the new world order, 1990-1991pp, 332 Princeton 10. Munro, Alan (2006). Arab Storm: Politics and Diplomacy Behind the Gulf War. I.B. Tauris. ISBN 1-84511-128-1.  11. Robert Fisk, The Great War For Civilisation; The Conquest of the Middle East (Fourth Estate, 2005), p.853. 12. The Associated Press. "Soldier Reported Dead Shows Up at Parents' Doorstep." 22 March 1991 Read More