In this week in military history, we explore the beginning of Operation Desert Storm, The Coalition campaign to remove Saddam Hussein from Kuwait.
Later to become known as The Gulf War or The First Gulf War.
Iraq had a long-standing dispute with Kuwait over the allegations of the draining crude oil from their shared border.
On the 2nd of August, 1991, Saddam Hussein ordered troops across that border to invade and occupy Kuwait.
The resulting international outcry saw Iraq's action condemned and a U.N Security Council resolution instructing Iraq to withdrawal and authorizing the use of force should Iraq not comply.
The U.S. put together an International Coalition of some 34 countries including many Arab nations to protect Saudi Arabia in what was known as Operation Desert Shield, all the while planning a major ground invasion to push Iraqi forces out of Kuwait.
In the interim, the Iraqis endeavored to split a coalition by firing Scud missiles at Israel hoping to prompt an Israeli retaliation thereby angering the Arab members of the coalition.
When Iraq refused relinquished their occupation of Kuwait, the allied effort to expel Iraqi forces, Operation Desert Storm began on January 16th, 1991.
Over the course of some 42 days, the coalition quickly destroyed the Iraqi Air Force removing it from playing any part in the war, and destroyed command and control facilities and logistical bases paving the way for success in the ensuing ground war itself.
That ground war would last a little more than 100 hours and was brutal and efficient as technically superior coalition forces successfully pushed Iraq out of Kuwait.
A cease-fire was agreed on February 28th, 1991.
Swift resolution to the war however, merely fanned the flames of conflict and led eventually to the September 11 attacks in the U.S. and a second Gulf War in 2003.
Join us next time for another segment of This Week in Military History with
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