Declared and Undeclared Intentions Declared Intentions Help Kuwait

Declared and Undeclared Intentions

Declared Intentions • Help Kuwait which was invaded. Iraq invaded Kuwait (2 August 2004). • punish who violated human rights: Iraq, in its invasion of Kuwait had perpetrated many atrocities on the Kuwait people, from summary executions, to the torture and degradation of individuals. • prevent production of chemical, biological weapons and the Atomic Bomb, Iraq had been vigorous in developing weapons of mass destruction. And some CIA experts thought that Iraq had a biological weapon’s capability and feared the possibility that Iraq could develop the ability to build nuclear weapons. About the chemical weapon, Iraq did not hide anything and had even used it on villages within their own boundaries (in order to put down the Kurdish independent movement).

• send military force to Kuwait because economic sanction to Iraq did not stop Kuwait invasion. Indeed economic sanction had failed to keep Saddam Hussein from committing atrocities, they had failed to keep him from developing weapons of mass destruction, they had failed to keep him from invading Kuwait. So U. S. military force was not only justified, but absolutely necessary.

Undeclared Intention • The United States and its allies’decision to fight the Iraqi invasion had more to do with preventing an attack on Saudi Arabia, a nation of far more economic importance to the world than Kuwait, • support for U. S. long-time ally Saudi Arabia which was supplier of oil. • (Satellite photos showed Iraq’s forces along Saudi Arabia borders) • Iraqi control of oil fields as well as Kuwait and Iraqi reserves would have given it control of the majority of the world's reserves.

Operation Desert Storm air and ground assault phases of the first Gulf War against Iraq

2 Phases • Air Force • Ground Force

The Air War The air campaign was launched on January 16 th 1991, the day after the United States deadline for Iraqi withdrawal from Kuwait. It was a very powerful attack conducted by the United States, French, British, Saudi, Italian and various Arab Air Forces that shocked all in the world.

First the Coalition attacked radar installations. Then went to Baghdad to destroy command control centers, air bases and hangars were bombed. So they weakened all aspects of Iraqi air defense. This attack was devastating, and Iraq realized that they were not as powerful as the Coalition, so they tried psychological methods: they used human hostages as shield for prime targets. Moreover, they placed their aircraft near ancient historic sites and holy places knowing that the Coalition would not attack where it might be significant “collateral damage”. On January 24 th Iraq wanted to demonstrate their own air offensive capability they attacked the major Saudi oil refinery, but they were defeated by the Allies and made no more air efforts.

The Coalition degraded Iraqi capability to fight on the ground with fuel bombs, cluster bombs, armor piercing guided bombs, missiles… entire regiments, brigades and divisions crushed in a few minutes.

The Ground War Air war defeated the Iraqi forces in Kuwait and the ground campaign was merely a “prisoner roundup”. However without forces on the ground it is impossible to hold territories

On February 24 th 1991 the much feared Marine Division began the ground campaign. Then all members of the Coalition fought from all parts of Kuwait country. They were only one highway out of Kuwait: the four lane desert highway that lead from Kuwait City to the Al Jahra’pass. This highway was bombed and thousands of fleeing Iraqis were killed and wounded. As the Coalition had cut off this highway, the leader determined that the objective had been accomplished. On February the 28 th President Bush ordered the cessation of military operations.