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Example research essay topic: First Persian Gulf War 1990 1991 - 1,563 words

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The First Persian Gulf War between 1990 and 1991 was the most militarily efficient campaign in US history where comparatively few lives were lost. This war accomplished many goals, including that it secured the economic advantages for the Western World. It encouraged a free flow of natural resources, established the value of air power and superiority, and verified that a free alliance for justice will prevail over armed aggression. In the end, the United States goals were accomplished: Kuwait was liberated from Saddam and peace settled into the Middle East (Rayment). The Soviet Union attacked Afghanistan on December 27, 1979. This posed a threat on the United States because of their oil ties in this area.

On January 23, 1980 President Jimmy Carter responded with a statement called the Carter Doctrine. In this, Carter stated that, An attempt by any outside force to gain control of the Persian Gulf region will be regarded as an assault on the vital interests of the United States of America, and such an assault will be repelled by any means necessary, including military force. (Richie, 25). Ten years later, United States officials were reminded of the Doctrine as signs of an Iraqi invasion of Kuwait by Saddam Hussein began to appear. With a portion of the worlds oil of eleven percent, this invasion would add another nine percent. Not only was this dangerous but if Iraq continued a southern advance, he would gain the oil of Saudi Arabia. Saddam could possibly control forty-six percent of the worlds oil supply and manipulate the global economy (Richie, 25).

On July 17, 1990, photos from a KH- 11 spy satellite showed that Iraqi military equipment was being positioned near the Kuwait border. General Colin Powell was not concerned with this advancement because the lineup did not include necessary equipment such as fuel trucks and artillery that would be needed for an invasion. Powell believed that this was just a practice exercise or a bluff because Saddam had been pressing Kuwait to lower the oil production in order to keep the prices high (Richie, 26). Kuwait was a small country that had once been part of the Ottoman Empire like Iraq.

Then Kuwait had become a British Protectorate from which it had been granted its independence. Its borders had been set in a subjective manner causing it to be difficult to defend but also that the population wasnt unified. Kuwait was ruled by an Emir of the al-Sabah family (Rayment). Iraq had considered Kuwait to be basically a part of Iraq so land disputes were also common (Lee). Saddam had been disputing the control of two islands, Bubiyan and War, by Kuwait that blocked Iraqi access to the Gulf. Another answer to this threat was a dispute over the Rumaila oil fields that crossed the Iraq-Kuwait border.

Iraq claimed that Kuwait had been using slant drilling to siphon off Iraqi oil (Allen, 65). These badly defined borders caused constant claims by Iraq that Kuwait was illegally tapping into Iraqi oil supply (Lee). Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Aren's, was one of the only people that predicted that the problem was going to lead to the attack of an Arab neighbor. He had come about this idea because of a collection of offensive missiles on the Kuwait and Jordanian border (Allen, 67).

Hussein met with the U. S. ambassador April Glaspieto learn if the United States would block a partial invasion of Kuwait to secure the oil field and two islands (Richie, 26). Officials from both Iraq and Kuwait had been meeting in Jiddah and Saudi Arabia to compromise but no agreements had been made.

On August 1, 1990 representatives from Iraq stated that Kuwait was not taking the negotiations seriously (Allen, 65). After being reassured by Middle Eastern leaders that Saddam was not going to invade Kuwait, satellite images showed the opposite. On August 1, 1990 a logistics train of fuel tanks, artillery, helicopters and fighter jets, appeared at the Kuwait border. Iraqi ambassador, Mohammed Sadiq Al-Mashat met with U. S. officials and stated that the Iraqi troops movement had been over exaggerated.

John Kelly, the U. S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs, contradicted Mashat's claim, proving that the troops on the Kuwait border did exist. In response to Kelly, Mashat declared that, We are not going to move against anybody. (Allen, 67). Later that night, Iraq invaded Kuwait with 120, 000 soldiers and 1, 000 tanks. Satellite photos clearly showed an advance to Saudi Arabia oil-rich fields Therefore due to the growing concern that Saddam Hussein would continue to advance in securing a large portion of the oil-rich lands, the United States began to build a coalition of more than thirty nations including the United States, France, and Great Britain.

Bush initiated the decisive action to defend Saudi Arabia and if necessary, use military forces to evict Iraq from Kuwait (Richie, 27). The UN Security Council enacted several economic sanctions to force Iraq's retreat. One of the more important was Resolution 678, passed on November 29, 1990 this resolution gave Iraq until January 15, 1991 to leave Kuwait or face a war with the coalition (Richie, 27). After the resolution had been initiated, it generated build-up of troops in the region, referred to as Desert Shield and eventually led to Desert Storm, an extreme attack to free Kuwait (Rayment). The United States deployed its first forces August 7, 1990 (Richie, 27). The objective of the coalition was to force Hussein out of Kuwait and restore Kuwait's legitimate border.

When the resolutions were obeyed, Iraq could be a cooperative part of the family of nations and in turn the security and stability of the Gulf would be ensured (Bush). Saddam believed that eventually his Arab neighbors would eventually leave the U. S. led effort causing its collapse. Hussein planned to launch a ground attack that would put a severe dent in the coalition force numbers. This in turn could severely demoralize the troops causing negotiations to end the war (Richie, 28).

Saddam moved half of his troops into Kuwait by January. Iraq's forces were modernized and large, consisting of 750 combat aircrafts, powerful surface-to-air missile systems, and 7, 500 antiaircraft guns. Hussein had one hundred and fifty Scud missiles with deadly chemicals such as mustard gas, VX, and sarin in 20, 000 artillery shells or 4, 500 aerial bombs (Richie, 28). But these Iraqi troops were inexperienced with the type of warfare that this war entailed. Although they had lots of experience in fighting a stationary war by wearing down on Iran forces, this experience was useless while fighting a mobile campaign (Desert Storm). Iraqi soldiers were known for their extreme violence.

While passing through Kuwait city, soldiers interrogated men and women punishing them for incorrect answers. Iraqi soldiers raped women and mutilated much of Kuwait's population. The torture centers of the Iraqi force in Kuwait used such tools as saws, axes, meat hooks, power drills, pick handles, hand vises, electric cattle prods, pliers, carpenter planes to shave off skin, and electric shock devices. Iraq's idea for Kuwait was a planned rape plus free enterprise by the troops, stated a senior U. S. intelligence official (Allen, 70).

Iraqi tactics were often compared to Arab secret police procedure. Other than beatings and rapes, Kuwaiti people were required to become Iraqi citizens to obtain medical care, purchase goods and gasoline (Allen 72). The coalition was made of more than thirty nations of all sizes. Those countries that didnt contribute to the 540, 000 soldier force, sent supplies, money, medical personnel and equipment.

Twelve countries formed the coalitions air force made of more than 1, 700 combat aircrafts (Richie, 28). Six U. S. Navy aircraft carriers and several other support ships were stationed in the Persian Gulf and Red Sea (Richie, 30). The coalition troops were inexperienced in the mechanized infantry and tank technology needed to fight this war. The British had fought the Falklands War with marines and paratroopers, the Syrians had fought with Lebanon but had not included the 9 th Division, the Egyptians last fought a war in 1973 shortly after the U.

S. had ended its involvement in Vietnam. The Omani Army was the only gulf state that had been involved in any extensive combat experience (Desert Storm). General Norman Schwarzkopf, U. S. commander of coalition forces, planned to fight a very offensive war.

Using information that Schwarzkopf had gathered from the KH- 11 satellite pictures, Lacrosse radar imaging, and Magnum and Vortex electronic eavesdropping satellites, he was able to formulate a textbook plan (Allen, 178). The technology that Schwarzkopf possessed made it possible to carefully watch the battlefield and gather information as well as blind the enemy (Allen, 181). The coalitions plan, referred to as Operation Desert Storm, consisted of four phases. The main idea of this maneuver was to end the war quickly by use of complicated technology (Richie, 30).

Originally, the goal of Operation Desert Storm was about protecting Saudi Arabia from attack. By January 1991, as events had proceeded, the plan had turned from a defensive war for Saudi Arabia's safety, to and offensive war against the Iraqis taking over Kuwait (Rayment). First was an air campaign against targets inside Iraq, then an air campaign against Iraqi air forces and Iraqi controlled Kuwait defensive systems. Next would be a bombing of...


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Research essay sample on First Persian Gulf War 1990 1991

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