Why did events in the Gulf matter, 1970-2000? - First Gulf War Flashcards
Who did Saddam blame for the 1990 world oil prices dropping?
He blamed Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates for deliberately overproducing to undermine the Iraqi economy
Why did Saddam target Kuwait in regards to its economy?
Kuwait had valuable oil wells that could be taken over
What did Saddam claim Kuwait was historically part of?
That it was historically part of Iraq, although it had existed as a separate territor
When did Britain recognise the full independence of Kuwait?
The early 1960s
What was Kuwait demanding from Saddam that aggravated him?
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
Why were there several attempts to overthrow Saddam between 1988 an 1990?
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
What actions did the United Nations take in regards to the invasion of Kuwait?
- 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
When did Saddam’s Iraqi troops invade and occupy Kuwait?
August 1990
How many troops assembled in Saudi Arabia?
An international force of over 600,000 troops
What did the coalition of 34 countries contribute?
Troops, armament and cash
What did the involvement of Arab and Muslim countries mean for Saddam?
He could not claim this was the West against Arabs and Islam
What was Operation Desert Storm?
The liberation of Kuwait
When did Operation Desert storm begin?
17 January 1991
Operation Desert Storm - Air war
- Bombing attacks were carried out on Baghdad causing many civilian casualties
- Military targets, bridges and roads were also attacked
Why did Bush call a ceasefire?
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
What did Iraq launch on Israel, and in hopes of what?
Iraq launched SCUD missile attacks on Israel hoping to provoke a split between the West and their Arab allies. This did not happen
What did Iraq do to Kuwait’s oil wells?
Kuwait oil wells were set on fire and blown up by Iraq. Millions of gallons of crude oil poured into the Persian Gulf
Why was the Iraqi invasion of Khafji in Saudi Arabia only brief?
Iraq was driven out by coalition forces
How many days did it take for the Iraqi’s to be driven out of Kuwait?
Four days
What were the Iraqi and coalition casualties?
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
What were the consequences of the First Gulf War?
- 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
What had Saddam and Iraq suffer?
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
What were Iraqi civilians facing?
Shortages of food, clean drinking water and medical supplies
What was the future of Iraq?
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
