Prelude: Iraq invades Kuwait

In the early morning hours of August 2, 1990, hundreds of Iraqi tanks rumbled across the usually peaceful desert sands of northern Kuwait. Iraqi President Saddam Hussein had ordered his forces to invade the tiny Arab emirate on his southern border, following a series of disputes over oil rights and Iraqi debts. Within 24 hours, all of Kuwait was under Iraq's control.

The U.N. Security Council immediately demanded Iraq's withdrawal and imposed sanctions, but to no avail. Saddam annexed Kuwait and appeared to threaten neighboring Saudi Arabia by moving thousands of troops to the Kuwait- Saudi border.

Immediately, U.S. President George Bush began working to form an international coalition against Iraq. By mid-January 1991, that coalition included 39 nations and a military colossus of 670,000 troops, 200 warships and the world's most state-of-the-art military equipment. The U.N. Security Council, meanwhile, had authorized "all necessary means" to remove Iraq from Kuwait if they had not voluntarily withdrawn by January 15.

On January 17, the bombs began falling on Baghdad.

Iraq Standoff Main  |  The Dispute  |  The Diplomacy  |  Military Moves  |  Inside Iraq

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