Politics of the Middle East

Gulf War I

Iraq – Kuwait Dispute• Kuwait had been a part of the Ottoman Empire's province of Basra, • The UK drew the border between the two countries in 1922,

making Iraq virtually landlocked• exceeding its OPEC quotas for oil production. In order for the cartel

to maintain its desired price of $18 a barrel, discipline was required• United Arab Emirates and Kuwait were consistently overproducing;

the latter at least in part to repair losses caused by Iranian attacks in the Iran–Iraq War

• resulting loss of $7 billion a year to Iraq• slant-drilling across the border into Iraq's Rumaila oil field• Umm Qasr

• Iraqi Appeal to the Arab League Jeddah Talks

• Kuwait offers 9 Billion, Iraq demands 10

• Meeting with US Ambassador

• Failed diplomacy resulted in Iraqi Invasion

Operational Strength

Kuwait Iraq• 16,000 soldiers• 3 armored divisions• 1 mechanised infantry• 1 artillery brigade.• 80 aircraft • 40 helicopters

• World’s 4th largest army• 955,000 standing soldiers• 650,000 paramilitary forces• 5,500 tanks• 3,000 artillery pieces• 700 combat aircraft and

helicopters

• UN resolution 660, demanded Iraq withdraw• UN 661 initiated economic sanctions• UN 665 • Hussein proposed that all cases of occupation, and

those cases that have been portrayed as occupation, in the region, be resolved simultaneously".

• Israel withdraw from Syria and Palestine• Syria withdraw from Lebanon, and "mutual

withdrawals by Iraq and Iran • U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia replaced by and Arab force not to include Egypt• Normalization of relations with Iraq

Second Iraqi Proposal• guaranteed access to the Persian Gulf through

the Kuwaiti islands of Bubiyan and Warbah“• Iraq to gain full control of Rumaila oil field that

extends into Kuwaiti territory". • negotiate an oil agreement with US• develop a joint plan 'to alleviate Iraq's

economical problems' and 'jointly work on the stability of the gulfIraq

• U.N. lift sanctions• Iraq withdraw from Kuwait and allow

foreigners to leave

• UN 678 gave Iraq until 15 January 1991 to withdraw from Kuwait and empowered states to use "all necessary means" to force Iraq out of Kuwait after the deadline.

Saudi Arabia

• Occupation of north Saudi Oil fields would give Iraq the majority of world oil reserves

• 26$ Billion in debt • Saudi state was an illegitimate and unworthy

guardian of the holy cities of Mecca and Medina

• SA requests military assistance Operation Desert Shield

Coalition

• 34 countries the largest since WW II

• Tin Cup Trip• SA $15 Billion• Kuwait $15 Billion• Syria, Egypt, Oman,

UAE, Bahrain, Qatar

The Air War

• 17 January 1991• Aerial bombing, 100,000 sorties, dropping 88,500 tons

of bombs• 75 aircraft losses in over 100,000 sorties• Elimination of Iraqi air force• 259 destroyed, 140 fled to Iran• Elimination of radar capabilities• air superiority• Destruction of strategic infrastructure• Civilian casualties 2278

Ground War

• 24 February Coalition Enters Kuwait and crosses Iraqi border to the west with 150,000 troops and 1,500 tanks

• Kuwaiti forces liberate Kuwait City• After 4 days Iraqi forces leave Kuwait• Coalition forces extent to 150 miles from

Baghdad before withdrawing to the border

Ecological Crisis

• 732 oil wells set on fire and mined

• 1 billion barrels burned• 300,000 barrels per day

in open but not burning wells

• Last well capped November 6, 1991

• Military advantage

Highway of Death

• Highway 80 and Highway 8 between Kuwait City and Basra

• 2000 vehicles destroyed or abandoned

• 800-1000 deaths• Accusation of violation

of the Geneva Convention

Battle of 73 Easting

• The bulk of Iraqi forces positioned in Kuwait supported by reserve IRG tanks

• Global Positioning System technology

• 3 US mechanized divisions advanced 120 miles in 82 hours

• First ground defeat of the Republican Guard

Scud Missiles/ Israel

• 88 Scud missiles were fired by Iraq during the war's seven weeks

• Attempt to provoke Israel into conflict and undermine the coalition

• Patriot Missile Defense System

• 74 Israelis killed• 47 attacks on SA, 1

Bahrain, 1 Qatar

Uprisings• Ceasefire agreement 28 February

1991• Speeches by Geore H.W. Bush• "The Voice of Free Iraq“• Sha'aban Intifada among Arabs

and as the National Uprising among Kurds Salah Omar al-Ali,

• 14 of 18 provinces under rebel control

• Rebellion effectively put down by Republican Guard tanks and helicopters

• 80,000 to 200,000 casualties mostly civilians

• Marsh Arabs• No Fly Zone

• Media embedded journalists from the front lines

• 24 hour satellite television• Technology: Video game war, GPS, guided

missiles • cruise missile that travelled down a street and

turned left at a traffic light.

Casualties• Coalition: US 148 combat

deaths 145 non-combat accidents

• U.K. suffered 47 deaths • 18 Saudis,• 1 Egyptian• 6 UAE• 3 Qataris• least 605 Kuwaiti soldiers

were still missing 10 years after their capture.

• Over 1,000 Kuwaiti civilians

• 3,664 Iraqi civilians• Further 100,000 from

the effects of war• 20,000 – 35,000

combat deaths