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15. Kuwait
o Loss of lives and property
1000 Kuwaitis died
thousands tortured
thousands became refugees
o economic loss
retreating Iraqi army set ablaze 600 out of 950 oil wells in Kuwait, a
loss of ~US$25bn
16. Iraq
o Destruction of military capability
Continuous coalition bombing of Iraqi ground troops resulted in loss
of morale and subsequent fleeing of Iraqi soldiers
o Political instability
Dissatisfied groups in Iraq were encouraged to rise up against Saddam
but received no help from coalition forces when they attempted to
overthrow Saddam, e.g. Kurdish uprising was brutally put down by
Saddam’s forces and thousands died
o Suffering of Iraqis
Air raids destroyed most of Iraqi infrastructure, which disrupted
electricity supply and contaminated water supply, which led to spread
of diseases
17. Region and the world
o Environmental disaster
Kuwaiti oil-fires cost millions to extinguish
11M barrels of oil dumped into Persian Gulf causing oil slick and
threatening marine life
o displacement of foreign workers
2M foreigners working in Kuwait fled the country resulting in loss of
income for them and suffering for their families back home
18. Interesting Links
o http://www.desert-storm.com/
o http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/gulf/war/
o
19. Timeline of Gulf War
Timeline: War in the Gulf
1990
2 August: Iraqi troops invade Kuwait, taking the emirate in one day. The BBC's John
Simpson says the Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein is "by far the strongest leader in the
region". In his report he explains how the West
inadvertently helped bring about the invasion.
15 August: Iran and Iraq reopen diplomatic relations after Iraq proposes peace
talks.
18 August: Iraq says the nationals of "hostile countries" still in Kuwait will be held
as "guests" at strategic sites in Kuwait.
25 August: The UN Security Council authorises the use of force to make the trade
boycott work.
17 October: Western troops in the Gulf number 200,000 US troops, 15,000 UK
troops and 11,000 French troops.
29 November: The UN Security Council says Iraq must voluntarily withdraw from
Kuwait by 15 January 1991. It authorises "all necessary means" to force Iraq out if it
does not comply. Baghdad rejects the "ultimatum". In his report the BBC's Brian
Hanrahan says: "President Bush is under pressure not to be hasty."
6 December: Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein announces the release of 3,000 foreign
nationals being held in Iraq and Kuwait.
1991
15 January: Iraq ignores the UN ultimatum. There are 580,000 allied troops in the
Gulf, against 540,000 Iraqi troops.
17 January: Operation Desert Storm is launched, with air attacks on Iraq and
Kuwait. The BBC's John Simpson is in Baghdad and witnesses the missile attacks.
"The bombs and the missiles seem mainly to have landed with pin-point accuracy,"
he reports the next day.
Kuwait. He announces the cessation of hostilities will be effective from 0400 GMT the
following day. The allies say they have destroyed more than half the Iraqi divisions
and captured 500,000 prisoners.
20.