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Position:Home>History> Can I Get Basic Information About the Gulf War?Question: Can I Get Basic Information About the Gulf War!? I'm ashamed to say that I don't much about this in the events of U!.S!. history, but I want to know more!. What was the basis behind it!? Who was it against!? What did it accomplish!? Things like that I'd like to know!. Feel free to provide links as well!.
Thanks in advance for your input!. Www@QuestionHome@Com Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: The Gulf War began in August 1990 when Iraqi forces invaded Kuwait!. Bad enough that he'd captured such a large chunk of the global oil supply, but there was really very little to stop him from continuing to roll South and take the Saudi oil fields as well!. As a result of this threat, The Saudis appealed to the US for assistance, and Marines and Airborne forces were deployed quickly to defend the Saudi oil fields and as the leading edge of what was first a defensive effort, and then, as more and more forces became available in theater, as a offensive force!. The Cold War having come to an end, the US and allies were able to get the UN to pass resolutions condemning the actions of Iraq and authorizing the use of force to eject Iraqi forces from occupied Kuwait!. A diverse coalition of forces was drawn together in the desert (including a number of significant Arab national forces, France, and the UK as well as the US!. Iraq was given a deadline to withdraw, and when that deadline passed, on January 17, 1991, Coalition forces began a massive air campaign, the likes of which had never been seen!. The goals were to destroy the Iraqi air force, seek and destroy the Scud missile launchers, disrupt command and control of Iraqi forces and attrit the Iraqi forces in the field!. All of the goals were met, with only the Scud suppression goal being substantially incomplete by the time the ground war opened on February 24, 1991!. The ground war laster a scant 100 hours, with US Marines and Coalition Arab forces driving directly into Kuwait, while the British, french and the bulk of the US Army's armor formations drove into Iraq with the goal of isolating and cutting off the Iraqi forces in Kuwait!. Iraqi forces reacted to the Marine spearhead by retreating as swiflty as possible, often taking civilian transport, and they were fleeing too fast for the US Army to cut them off, so they were, instead, engaged by air in what has since been dubbed "The Highway of Death!." See the sources below for more info and in depth discussion about the end of the war!. By then, I'd been wounded and flown out, so I don't know a great deal about it, either!.Www@QuestionHome@Com |