Sahil M's List: Tipping Point #2 Operation Desert Storm

• The American, British, French, Saudi and Kuwaiti aircraft took off at 2330 GMT last night.  

   Their bombs were aimed at military and strategic targets, including an oil refinery and Baghdad airport.  

  At least 400 raids took place. Latest reports say all the Allied aircraft have returned home safely, although France says four of its planes were hit.
• • US, BRIT, Fr. Planes strike various Iraqi military targets at 2330 GMT
    All come home (4 Fr. Planes hit)
    400 raids took place

• He said the military objectives were clear - force Iraqi troops out of Kuwait and restore the legitimate government.  

  In Baghdad, Saddam Hussein remained defiant. He said the "Mother of all Battles had begun". He urged the Iraqi people to "stand up to evil".
• • Bush wanted Iraq out
    Saddam wanted Kuwait for himself
• President Bush said: "Our operations are designed to best protect the lives of all the coalition forces by targeting Saddam's vast military arsenal.
• • Bush said "Attack Saddam's forces to protect coalition
• The British Prime Minister, John Major, came out of Number Ten shortly before 0800 GMT to make a statement to reporters.
• "No-one wanted this conflict. No-one can be pleased about the fact this conflict has been necessary," he said.

• "I hope now it is clear to Iraq that the scale of the Allied operation is such that they cannot win.  

   "I hope that Saddam Hussein will now make a very swift decision that he will do what he's been invited to do by the world community for a long time, that he should get out of Kuwait and end this matter swiftly and decisively."
• • Brit. PM. John Major. made a statement
    "No one is pleased, Iraq should withdraw after seeing the scale of the forces. End the matter quickly and hope Saddam realizes this will not end well for him"

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• On the morning of August 2, 1990 the mechanized infantry, armor, and tank units of the Iraqi Republican Guard invaded Kuwait and seized control of that country.  The invasion triggered a United States response, Operation DESERT SHIELD, to deter any invasion of Kuwait's oil rich neighbor, Saudi Arabia.  On August 7, deployment of U.S. forces began.  United Nations Security Council Resolutions 660 and 662 condemned Iraq's invasion and annexation and called for the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of Iraqi forces.  On August 20 President Bush signed National Security Directive 45, "U.S. Policy in Response to the Iraqi Invasion of Kuwait," outlining U.S. objectives - which included the "immediate, complete, and unconditional withdrawal of all Iraqi forces from Kuwait," and the "restoration of Kuwait's legitimate government to replace the puppet regime installed by Iraq."¹
• • Aug. 2 Iraq invades Kuwait. 
    UN Resolution 660 and 662 told Iraq to get out.
    NSD 45 called for almost instant withdrawal of Iraqi
    forces
    UN Resolution 678 if Iraq did not get out a US lead coalition was authorized to remove them by force
    Feb 27 Kuwait liberated
    
• A U.N. ultimatum, Security Council Resolution 678, followed on November 29, 1990.  It stipulated that if Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein did not remove his troops from Kuwait by January 15, 1991 a U.S.-led coalition was authorized to drive them out.
• anuary 17, Baghdad time, the U.S.-led coalition launched air attacks against Iraqi targets.  On February 24, coalition ground forces begin their attack.  On February 27, Kuwait City was declared liberated, and with allied forces having driven well into Iraq, President Bush and his advisers decided to halt the war.  A cease-fire took effect at 8:00 the following morning.²
• This 1970s study provides basic data on various aspects of the Scud B--including, among others, its range, payload, warhead type, and accuracy.  It also provides information on the background of the missile and conclusions based on U.S. materiel exploitation of one or more Scuds.³
• • SCUD Missile
    Range
    Payload
    Warhead
    Accuracy
•   During the Persian Gulf War Iraq fired 88 Iraqi-modified Scuds at Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain.  The Scud attacks on Israel threatened to provoke Israel into a counterattack, which the U.S. wished to avoid for fear that it would shatter the Allied coalition.
• At war's end there had been no confirmed kills of mobile Scuds.  This post-war DIA assessment focuses on a number of subjects, including pre-war intelligence assumptions, Iraqi Scud deployment and dispersal, the capabilities of Iraq's extended range Scuds, and means of measuring the effectiveness of the counter-Scud effort. 
• • Fired 88 SCUDS at Israel, SA, and Bahrain.
    Iraq wanted Israel into the fight
    Easy to counter to the SCUDs due to lack of organization
• That air campaign marked the first major use of the F-117A, "Nighthawk," stealth fighter, the existence of which was declassified in 1988 shortly before its first combat in Operation JUST CAUSE in Panama in 1989.  This chronology, in addition to covering events related to F-117A deployment and operations, provides a day-by-day, wave-by-wave, account of operations against Iraqi targets.  It provides specifics on targets, bombs dropped, and the 37th Fighter Wing's general assessment of the effectiveness of the attacks.  Subsequent studies of F-117A operations, such as that of the General Accounting Office, were more skeptical of the F-117A effectiveness.⁵
• • F-117 US Stealth Bomber.
    Widely used with devastation effects.
    Undetectable by radar.

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• Saddam Hussein, the dictator of Iraq, ordered his army across the border into tiny Kuwait. This was no ordinary act of aggression. Iraq's army was well equipped. The United States had provided massive military aid to Iraq during their eight-year war with Iran, giving them the fourth largest army in the world.
• • Saddam invades Kuwait
    US had supplied Iraqi Armed Forces duing Iran Iraq War

• Kuwait was a major supplier of oil to the United States. The Iraqi takeover posed an immediate threat to neighboring Saudi Arabia, another major exporter of oil. If Saudi Arabia fell to Saddam, Iraq would control one-fifth of the world's oil supply. All eyes were on the White House, waiting for a response. President Bush, who succeeded President Reagan, stated simply: "This will not stand."

   
• • Kuwat major oil dealer to US
    Iraqi invasion made SA sweat
    Both fell Saddam is playing with 1/5 of the world's oil
    Bush said, "This will not stand"
• In the last months of 1990, the United States participated in the defense of Saudi Arabia in a deployment known as Operation Desert Shield. Over 500,000 American troops were placed in Saudi Arabia in case of an Iraqi attack on the Saudis.
• • Desert Shield in SA
    500K US Troops in Saudi incase of attack
• Bush, remembering the lessons of Vietnam, sought public support as well. Although there were scant opponents of the conflict, the vast majority of Americans and a narrow majority of the Congress supported the President's actions.
• • Bush didn't want a another 'Nam
    Public supported it
    and narrow majority of Congress did
• Saddam Hussein: leave Kuwait by January 15,1991 or face a full attack by the multinational force.
• • Ultimatum for Iraq to leave Kuwait by Jan 15
    Iraqis didn't care Shield became Storm
    Started with bombing sorties on tactical targets and Baghdad
    Iraq launched SCUD Missile attacks against US Troops in SA and attacks in Israel
• January 15 came and went with no response from the Iraqis. The next night Desert Shield became Desert Storm. Bombing sorties pummeled Iraq's military targets for the next several weeks. On many days there were over 2500 such missions. Iraq responded by launching Scud missiles at American military barracks in Saudi Arabia and Israel.
• persuade all the neighboring Arab nations to join the Iraqi cause.
• On February 24, the ground war began. Although the bombing lasted for weeks, American ground troops declared Kuwait liberated just 100 hours after the ground attack was initiated. American foot soldiers moved through Kuwait and entered southern Iraq. This posed a dilemma for the United States. The military objectives were complete, but Saddam, the perpetrator of the rape of Kuwait, was still ruling Iraq from Baghdad. President Bush feared that the allies would not support the occupation of Baghdad. Concerns were raised that if Saddam's regime were toppled, the entire nation could disintegrate into a civil war.
• • Feb 24 ground war begins
    100 hour liberation of Kuwait City
    Bush didn't go further into Iraq as he didn't want a civil war on his hands
• Iraq did not leave Kuwait untouched. Millions of dollars of valuables were plundered by the occupying troops. As Iraq retreated, they detonated explosives at many of Kuwait's oil wells. The disaster to the environment grew as Iraq dumped oil into the Persian Gulf
• • Retreated Iraqi forces decimated Kuwait and raped it of national resources
• • Largest US Military operation since 'Nam. Americans gained a confidence in their Armed Forces and a new sense of patriotism arose.
• • Total US KIA 148
• only 148 Americans were killed in the battle.
• The Persian Gulf War was a television event. CNN broadcast round-the-clock coverage of unfolding events. Americans saw footage from cameras placed on smart bombs as they struck Iraqi targets. The stealth fighter, designed to avoid radar detection was put into use for the first time. General Norman Schwarzkopf and General Colin Powell became household names as citizens watched their direction of the conflict.
• • Gulf War broadcasted around the world. Full coverage of the war. F-117 put into place. Schwarzkopf and Powell became famous
• The largest American military operation since Vietnam was completed with smashing success. Most Americans felt confident in their military and technological edge once more. President Bush promptly declared that the "new world order had begun."

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• • Iraq invades Kuwat resulting in Desert Shield
• • raq invades Kuwait, Aug. 2, 1990. 
     
  • Operation Desert Shield begins, Aug. 7. 
     
• Operation Desert Storm and air war phase begins, 3 a.m., Jan. 17, 1991 (Jan. 16, 7 p.m. Eastern time).
• • Desert Storm begins Jan 17th, 3AM
    Iraq attacks Isreal with SCUD Missiles
    Iraq creates massive oil spill in Gulf
    Iraq attacks Khafji SA.
• raq attacks Israel with seven Scud missiles, Jan. 17. 
• U.S. Patriot missile successfully intercepts first Scud, over Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, Jan. 17. 
• • President Bush authorizes the call-up of up to 1 million National Guardsmen and Reservist for up to two years, Jan. 18. 
     
  • DoD announces deployment of Europe-based Patriot missiles and crews to Israel, Jan. 19. 
• • Iraq creates massive oil slick in gulf, Jan. 25. 
     
  • Iraqis attack Khafji, Saudi Arabia, Jan. 29. 
     
• • Allied ground assault begins, 4 a.m., Feb 24 (Feb. 23, 8 p.m. Eastern time). 
     
  • Iraqi Scud destroys U.S. barracks in Dhahran, killing 28 U.S. soldiers, Feb. 25. 
• • Ground assault intensifies
    Iraqi SCUD destroys US Barracks in Dhahran KIA 28
• raq officially accepts cease-fire terms, April 6. 
• • Iraq accepts Cease-Fire
    Cease-Fire in effect April 11
• Cease-fire takes effect, April 11. 

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