amanda alvarado, sabrina nunez, cortney mitchell, and jonah rodriguez the gulf war
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Amanda Alvarado, Sabrina Nunez, Cortney Mitchell, and Jonah Rodriguez
The Gulf War
August 2nd, 1990
• Saddam Hussein accused Kuwait of stealing oil, Iraqi tanks swept into Kuwait, waging an “economic war”.
• Military forces invaded and occupied Kuwait, as U.S. involvement was immediate.
• Sheikh Jaber Al Sabah, the emir of Kuwait met with the then Secretary of Defense, Richard Cheney.
Long Term Causes
• Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in 1990
• The Shi’ites came to power in Iran and their claim was to Shi’ite spiritual leadership, not to muslims
• Propaganda against Saddam Hussein
• Iran supported Kurdish people in Iraq in their struggle against Iraq government
Long Term Causes cont.
• Hussein invaded Iran
• Iraq owed debts to Kuwait and Saudi Arabia
• U.S. supported Iraq during the 1980’so gave them food, supplies, and fire armso France also gave Iraq weapons
• The Soviet influence was waning under Mikhail Gorbachev, the U.S. stepped in
Short Term Causes
• a British journalist was executed in Iraq for “spying”
• British intercepted items of technology that were necessary for long term missiles and WMD
• Saddam made a threat to use chemical weapons against Israel
Short Term Causes cont.
• Iraq was in economic crisis and needed Kuwait to helpo Saddam requested cancellation of wartime loans
and wanted extra money, he was refused. o Iraq requested that Kuwait keep to the OPEC quotas
for oil output so that they could receive more money on high oil prices
• Iraq claimed Kuwait stole oil from Rumaila field
Causes of U.S. involvement
• act of aggression by one U.N. country to another
• Iraq would have too much influence in OPEC
• possibility of an attack on Saudi Arabia
• all of this was leading to regional instability among the Arab states.
Nature of the War-operations and strategies
• Before the UN voted to approve another resolution, the US involved itself in Saudi Arabia in an operation called Desert Shield
• This “prewar” phase was a precaution to protect Saudi Arabia from Iraqi invasion, thus protecting American interest in oil
• Operation Desert Storm came to be after the resolution was approved
Operation Desert Storm
pretty much the entire war
four developments:
• precision-guided munitions
• night-vision devices
• space-based systems
• “stealth” technology
Desert Storm con’t
Air warfare
• tech-superiority of the US
• 89% of US missiles hit their targets
• “smart” bombso thermal imaging, laser designation systemso were able to drop bombs with night cover thanks to
developments in night vision technology = air supremacy
Desert Storm con’t
Land warfare
• sophisticated tank technologyo used GPS to navigate through the desert o nightvision
allowed for around the clock combat
• AirLand Doctrineo airstrikes took out mines, then the land strike would
come in; this successfully drove Iraq from Kuwait
Desert Storm con’t
Sea Warfare
• coordination was key
• six carrier battle groups (US contributed most to sea effort)
• small space to work with
• enforced embargo, supported airstrikes, diversion
● Iraq had been defeated and forced to pull out of Kuwait○ No real change in the Middle East
● “New world order” proposed by President Bush, not too accurate.
● Wars started - USSR & Yugoslavia
Effects of the Gulf War
● USA >150 killed in action● 1,500 men died due to illness, accidents, or
friendly fireEnvironmental Damage● Very large impact due to the war
○ Accusations on Iraq - 400 million gallons of crude gas.
Casualities
Desert Storm ● Lead to a new world unipolar order● USA becomes dominant role with world
problems● Ultimately led to the Iraq War of 2003● Removal of Saddam Hussein from power
Political Effects
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmO7IU7bPm4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZ0BIVbFGc4
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