Why did events in the Gulf matter, 1970-2000? - First Gulf War

Question 1

Who did Saddam blame for the 1990 world oil prices dropping?

Answer 1

He blamed Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates for deliberately overproducing to undermine the Iraqi economy

Question 2

Why did Saddam target Kuwait in regards to its economy?

Answer 2

Kuwait had valuable oil wells that could be taken over

Question 3

What did Saddam claim Kuwait was historically part of?

Answer 3

That it was historically part of Iraq, although it had existed as a separate territor

Question 4

When did Britain recognise the full independence of Kuwait?

Answer 4

The early 1960s

Question 5

What was Kuwait demanding from Saddam that aggravated him?

Answer 5

The repayment of a 14 billion dollar loan of money lent during the war with Iran
Many Iraqis believed the Kuwaitis to be ungrateful after being protected from the threat of Iranian expansion

Question 6

Why were there several attempts to overthrow Saddam between 1988 an 1990?

Answer 6

He was held to blame by factions within society for the economic damage the Iran-Iraq war had caused, with Saddam continuing to strengthen his military machine

Question 7

What actions did the United Nations take in regards to the invasion of Kuwait?

Answer 7

• Trade sanctions were placed on Iraq - no country was to trade with Iraq, effectively preventing their oil exports
• Saddam was ordered to removed his troops by 15 January. If troops were not removed the UN would use all necessary means to remove them
• Saudi Arabia, Syria and Egypt were concerned about what Saddam’s next move might be and therefore supported the UN action
• British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher an American President Bush decided that Saddam’s power should be curbed

Question 8

When did Saddam’s Iraqi troops invade and occupy Kuwait?

Answer 8

August 1990

Question 9

How many troops assembled in Saudi Arabia?

Answer 9

An international force of over 600,000 troops

Question 10

What did the coalition of 34 countries contribute?

Answer 10

Troops, armament and cash

Question 11

What did the involvement of Arab and Muslim countries mean for Saddam?

Answer 11

He could not claim this was the West against Arabs and Islam

Question 12

What was Operation Desert Storm?

Answer 12

The liberation of Kuwait

Question 13

When did Operation Desert storm begin?

Answer 13

17 January 1991

Question 14

Operation Desert Storm - Air war

Answer 14

• Bombing attacks were carried out on Baghdad causing many civilian casualties
• Military targets, bridges and roads were also attacked

Question 15

Why did Bush call a ceasefire?

Answer 15

The retreating Iraqis were at the mercy of the coalition but Bush called a ceasefire as he feared the Allies would lose the support of the Arab nations

Question 16

What did Iraq launch on Israel, and in hopes of what?

Answer 16

Iraq launched SCUD missile attacks on Israel hoping to provoke a split between the West and their Arab allies. This did not happen

Question 17

What did Iraq do to Kuwait’s oil wells?

Answer 17

Kuwait oil wells were set on fire and blown up by Iraq. Millions of gallons of crude oil poured into the Persian Gulf

Question 18

Why was the Iraqi invasion of Khafji in Saudi Arabia only brief?

Answer 18

Iraq was driven out by coalition forces

Question 19

How many days did it take for the Iraqi’s to be driven out of Kuwait?

Answer 19

Four days

Question 20

What were the Iraqi and coalition casualties?

Answer 20

Estimates put the Iraqi dead at 90,000 compared to less than 400 of the coalition. Around 10,000 were killed on the “Highway of Death”, the six-lane motorway from Kuwait to Basra

Question 21

What were the consequences of the First Gulf War?

Answer 21

• recognition of Kuwait’s sovereignty
• payment of reparations
• Iraqi cooperation with the UN to uncover and destroy all biological, chemical, or nuclear weapons of mass destruction
• trade sanctions which virtually cut off Iraq from the rest of the world
• no fly zones to be established and policed by American planes flying out of Saudi Arabia

Question 22

What had Saddam and Iraq suffer?

Answer 22

A massive humiliating defeat
His forces had been removed from Iraq within 100 hours of the start of the ground war
Much of Iraq’s infrastructure had been destroyed by coalition air attacks

Question 23

What were Iraqi civilians facing?

Answer 23

Shortages of food, clean drinking water and medical supplies

Question 24

What was the future of Iraq?

Answer 24

Saddam had lost the trust of most of the international community through his actions against Kuwait
Major countries whose main concern was the stability of the region began to wonder if Saddam should be removed from power