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... Iraqi ground forces in Kuwait followed by a strong ground-attack (Richie, 30). Two days after the UNs deadline for Saddam's troops evacuation, the war to evict Iraqi forces began. Almost immediately after this, the central control system of the air defense network became useless. All of the antiaircraft guns, surface-to-air missiles, and Iraqi airplanes patrolling in the skies over Baghdad were blinded (Richie, 30). After these main systems were down, any Iraqi radar turned on could be targeted by U.
S. Wild Weasel and Prowler aircraft and attacked with anti-radiation missiles (Allen, 181). The air attack plan fell apart because Iraqi pilots without their systems were not helpful. Even the elite pilots with the highest technology French and Soviet made jets were not skilled in dogfights. These pilots were no competition for the coalition pilots and their American and British fighters.
The coalition controlled the skies over Iraq by the end of the first week (Richie, 30). In order to counter these air attacks, Saddam launched Scud missiles at both Israel and Saudi Arabia. This attack was an attempt to provoke Israelis to attack Iraq and in turn split Arab nations from this anti-Iraq coalition. In reaction to this, President Bush pledges to protect Israeli cities from the Scud missiles and Israel did not retaliate (Lee). In the beginning of the invasion, many Kuwaiti people attempted to resist. Kuwait didnt mobilize their troops because they sought another solution than confrontation.
Had the Kuwait forces responded, the Iraqi force could have easily defeated the weak troops. Small resistance movements formed inside Kuwait. Citizens put up large banners ordering Iraqi troops to leave for the return of emir. When the more brutal second-string troops came, international lines were cut. Although this posed a problem for Kuwait individuals to communicate, many traveled between Kuwait and Saudi Arabia to form a human intelligence system beneficial to the coalitions cause. Another reaction to the harsh Iraqi troops presence was an anti-Iraqi guerilla movement.
Other than killing several Iraqi soldiers, it also gave the Iraqis the chance to desert their troops and return back to Iraq (Allen 73). The first three phases of the Desert Storm plan were very successful. A combination effort from artillery, rockets, attack jets, and B- 52 s destroyed Iraqi infantry and armor around Kuwait. Then battleships, Wisconsin and Missouri, of the U.
S. Navy made fire on command bunkers, artillery, and radar sites with 2, 700 -pound shells. Within one month, Iraqi forces were lacking 200, 000 men most from surrenders and desertion (Richie 31). Most of Iraq's problem had been because of Saddam's bad judgment. He had thought that the bombing would only last a week, but it lasted 39 days.
This caused major problems with his army before the ground-attack had begun. Another problem was that the defense line ended at a point too far east. Saddam had chosen this point because he believed that the coalition couldnt be supported in the 200 miles of ruthless desert and also because of the vastness even Iraqis had gotten lost. Unfortunately for Saddam, he was unaware of the coalitions new technology such as Global Positioning Systems and the organization and supplies they possessed (Richie, 32 - 33). On February 24, the coalition launched their ground war often referred to as the Left Hook. While seventeen thousand U.
S. marines would attack the eastern Iraqi defense line, tens of thousands of soldiers would attack the weak western end. The attack on the eastern side would be a distraction to make the concentration of soldiers on the west become slim. Preoccupied with the eastern attack, the Iraqi troops would be unprepared for one of the most powerful armored assaults in history (Richie, 33). At four in the morning the Marines attacked the most heavily concentrated Iraqi defense in Kuwait. By nightfall, the Marines had breached the line and advanced twenty miles as Iraqis surrendered.
With 200, 000 coalition soldiers and 65, 000 vehicles the western side was bombarded with strength. Whereas the Seventh Corps dominated the line, the smaller Eighteenth Corps traveled farther west. These troops were unopposed because they traveled so far beyond the Iraqi line. After heading north, the troops curved back east to get behind the Iraqi forces.
This positioning mimicked a boxer throwing a left hook at the Iraqi army, therefore inherited this name. By February 26, the third day after the ground attack had began; the Marines had successfully evicted the Iraqis from Kuwait City (Richie 33) While this was going on the Seventh Corps were fighting the heaviest part of the war. Unlike other Iraqi troops, the Republican Guards maintained and fought hard. But because of the coalitions supreme technology and combat skills, the Iraqi troops posed little threat and by the next day, the Americans blocked the last routes out of Kuwait and took control (Richie, 35). Allied armored forces stopped the Iraqi retreat at the Euphrates River near Basra, and internal rebellions broke out against Saddam and his regime (Lee). At eight o clock on February 28 th, President Bush called to a cease fire (Richie, 35).
Surviving troops were then allowed to escape back into southern Iraq. Iraq accepted the cease-fire agreement on March 3, 1991 and the fighting ended (Lee). Desert Storm lasted forty-three days and did untold damage to Saddam's troops. In only the 39 day air war, the coalition destroyed forty percent of Iraq's prewar combat aircrafts.
Even before the ground war began, with only 75 planes in the air campaign, the coalition had eliminated one third of the troops in Kuwait. In only 100 hours, the Iraqi forces were evicted from Kuwait in the ground war (Richie, 37). The 100 hour ground war was planned to last 144 hours but President Bush made a decision to end the ground war after 100 hours because of pressure from Egypt and Saudi Arabia (Marshel). With Iraqi troops staggering numbers, Hussein still believed that he hadnt lost. The Republican Guard was mostly intact and with this, Saddam could remain in power by destroying internal opposition (Richie, 39). The United States failed in their attempt to kill Saddam Hussein.
The CIA had devised a plan for a bombing mission on February 27, 1991. Two F- 117 F bombers from the al-Take air base, about fifteen miles North West of Baghdad, targeted a bunker deep underground. Although it was hit three times, little damage was done and Saddam wasn't even at the bunker. President George Bush stated, "It is disappointing that Saddam Hussein remains in power and is still brutal and powerful, but that in no way diminishes the highly successful effort to stop the aggression against Kuwait. " In a poll taken by The Gallup Organization in February 1991, thirty-seven percent of Americans said "It will be a victory for the United States if Saddam withdraws from Kuwait but remains in power. " At the end of the next month, most were convinced Saddam had lost the war, but that he kept his power and his regime (Marshel).
This war created a peacemaking opportunity in the Middle East. President Bush had announced that when the Iraqi forces had left Kuwait, he would put forth increased effort to secure peace in the Middle East. After several trips to the Middle East, Secretary of State James Baker was able to compose an international conference for Arab-Israel peace in October of 1991 in Madrid. Another benefit of the war was the strong ties built between countries of the coalition. Several defense agreements were formed encouraging cooperative exercises, training, and pre-positioning of military equipment. In later years, this made President Bill Clinton to react quickly when Iraq threatened Kuwait in October 1994 (Desert Storm).
The results of the Persian Gulf War were very affected by the mistakes of both the coalition and Saddam. Although Saddam had lost the war, he maintained his regime. Saddam underestimated his enemy, and got into the war prematurely. He would never freely give into the United States in front of his advisors, in fear of his pride, and possibly his life. Saddam and his troops were not the only ones to have made faults (Marshel).
Had the United States carried out their task, Saddam would not have repressed his own people, violated peace agreements and worked on weapons of mass destruction (Rayment). The United States was able to keep Saddam from succeeding in his attempt to conquer the Middle East eight years ago, but they stopped when they should have pursued the most (Marshel). Without the errors that both sides had made, the present day world would have been affected in a completely different way. Works Cited Allen, Thomas B. , et al. War in the Gulf. Atlanta, Georgia: Turner Pub. , 1991.
Bush, George. Persian Gulf War. Annals of American History. 3 Mar. 2004 < web > "Desert Storm 1: 1990 - 1991. " Gulf War. 2003. 3 Mar. 2004 < web >. Lee, Roger A. The Persian Gulf War (1990 - 1991).
The History Guy. 14 Aug. 2001. 3 Mar. 2004 < web > Marshel, Jim. "Mistakes of the Gulf War. " Unpublished essay, 13 Mar. 1998. 3 Mar. 2004 < web >. Rayment, W. J. The Gulf War. 2004. 3 Mar. 2004 < web >. Richie, Jason. Persian Gulf War, 1991.
Iraq and the Fall of Saddam Hussein. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Oliver Press, 2003.
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