In the wake of Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait, America led a coalition of dozens of nations that repelled the Iraqi attack and smashed Iraqi forces, much of which was captured on live television as global networks broadcast the images back home.
It was one of the 20th century’s most decisive wars, but also one of its most influential. Although brief, the Persian Gulf War in 1991 impacted the lives of millions throughout the region and cost billions in aid. The conflict went on to set the stage for Middle Eastern relations in the new millennium, acting as a precursor to the War in Iraq that began in 2003.
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The Persian Gulf War – Facts That Is a Part of The History
From August 2nd, 1990 to February 28th, 1991, the war led the foundations to the dynamics of the Middle East, in the twenty-first century. The Gulf War has many interesting facts that are a part of history today.
1. In 1991, Iraq had the Fifth-largest Army In The world
It’s real, in 1991, Iraq’s armed forces counted over a million men in uniform, but just one-third of those were qualified professional fighting troops. With 120,000 of those and 2,000 tanks, Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait. He concluded Iraq’s peace with Iran after the Gulf War ended, and increased his level of occupying power to 300,000. Iraq has conscripted three-fourths of people aged 15 to 49. Iraq’s both navy force and air force was as if non-existent.
2. Multiple Names of The Gulf War
Other common names for the conflict include the Gulf War, War in the Gulf, Iraq-Kuwait Conflict, UN-Iraq conflict, Operations Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Desert Sabre, 1990 Gulf War (for the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait), 1991 Gulf War (1990-1991), the Second Gulf War (to distinguish it from the Iran-Iraq war) and Gulf War Sr. and First Gulf War (to distinguish it from the 2003 invasion of Iraq). In Iraq, the war is often colloquially called simply Um M’aārak (“the Mother of All Battles”).
3. More Americans died from HIV Infection In 1991 than Gulf War
An estimated 100,000 Iraqi soldiers were killed in the conflict, while the United States had only 383 deaths in the region. The height of the HIV / AIDS epidemic in 1991 was 15.3 percent higher than in the previous year. HIV / AIDS was the ninth leading cause of death in the U.S. that year, killing 29,850 Americans. The number of HIV / AIDS infected and dead would double by 1993.
4. Saddam Hussian Could Have Controlled Majority of World’s Oil Supply
Much of the Allied Coalition’s concern centered on their fear that Iraq might invade Saudi Arabia in an attempt to take control of their oil reserves – had Hussein garnered control of these fields, he would have controlled the majority of the world’s oil supply.
5. Iraq Were About to Create The Largest Artillery
Iraq started to create the largest piece of artillery in history in the late 1980s, a device that could have put satellites in orbit and struck any location on the earth. Nevertheless, his Canadian designer’s mysterious assassination and the first Gulf War ended the project.
6. Americans Suffered from a Weird Syndrome
Nearly one-third of American veterans in the Gulf War suffered from some type of Gulf War syndrome, a persistent multi-symptom condition that can cause cognitive impairment, muscle pain, and fatigue. There is also controversy about the cause of the condition.
7. There Was a Palace Named “Victory over America”
Saddam Hussein built a Palace called Victory over America after the 91 Gulf War. Nevertheless, the building was never completed due to US economic sanctions and bombing, and the site was taken over by Marines in 2003, as was the nearby Victory over Iran palace.
8. The War Was Too Expensive
The U.S. Department of Defense reported the Gulf War to cost more than $61 billion. The US suffered 383 casualties and more than 10,000 Iraqis lost their lives in the battle. Operation Desert Storm represented the largest tank invasion since World War II, and the most well-prepared battlefield in military history.
9. Saddam Tried to Make This War a Religious Conflict
Saddam started to project a more Muslim, religious presence in the Iraqi newspapers, showing himself praying in mosques and endorsing the Palestinian cause, seeking to depict the conflict as a fight against Western hegemony and Israeli scheming.
10. Fake News by CNN
During the Gulf War, CNN faked news of an “air raid” in the US studio. Leaked footage on the connection.
11. Desert Storm helped ensure Bill Clinton’s presidency
The Iraqi invasion had already more than doubled the price of oil, leading to a global recession in the 1990s and the defeat of George H.W. Bush by Bill Clinton in the 1992 presidential election, despite being a famous, successful wartime president. Bill Clinton’s political staff reportedly used the phrase “This is the economy, stupid” as their campaign slogan.
12. More Than 5 millions Refugees Were Displaced
It is estimated that as many as five million refugees from 30 countries have been displaced as a result of the Gulf War. As of June 1991, countries around the world have contributed an additional $1.35 billion to help refugees from one of the greatest migrations in modern history.
13. War Didn’t End on 28 February
Although President Bush announced a truce on 28 February 1991, the United Nations enforced the economic sanctions. It remained in place at the time of the invasion. A report published in 1995 found that as many as 576,000 children could have died since the end of the war, with high and likely to increase malnutrition.
14. The Price of Oil
Stephen Perkins traded 7 million barrels of oil in 2.5 hours while drinking after a weekend of golf. He made the cost of oil increase by $1.5 per barrel, which is usually triggered only by big events like the Gulf War.
15. The Iran-Iraq War led to Iraq invading Kuwait
Iraq owed 80 million dollars of foreign debt from its war with Iran in 1980-1988. Saddam Hussein has demanded that Saudi Arabia and Kuwait repay Iraqi debt of $30 billion, which he saw for eight years as a result of defending Kuwait from Shia Iranian forces. He then accused Kuwait of using slant exploration to steal Iraqi oil.
Since Iraq’s economy depended on oil sales, Saddam hoped to repay his debts by increasing oil prices through cutbacks in OPEC oil output, but instead, Kuwait increased production and regularly produced more than its quota, lowering prices to exploit its border dispute with Iraq to a better resolution.
16. The U.S. Encouraged Uprisings Against Saddam’s Regime
President Bush made speeches suggesting that the U.S. would support factions fighting the Ba’athist regime in Iraq. Shia rebellion began in Southern Iraq in 1991, but the U.S. or coalition forces — even allowing pro-government helicopters to brutally suppress the rebellion -were not supported by the U.S. or coalition forces despite the Southern No-Fly Zone.
17. The Whole World got Involved In the War
The Allied Coalition, consisting of 39 countries and 670,000 troops, more than 60 percent of them from the U.S., stood against Saddam Hussein. Their initiative, Operation Desert Storm, began in January 1991, marking the start of international involvement.
18. The Coalition Built Fake Bases To Fool Iraqis
The Coalition built fake bases and units to dupe Iraqis in defending the wrong region.
In comparison to the strategy implemented, the coalition used deception cells to establish the illusion that they were going to strike near the Kuwaiti “boot heel.” The Army developed FOB Weasel near the opposite end of the Kuwaiti border, a network of fake camps staffed by only several dozen soldiers. Messages were passed between fictitious headquarters sections, using computer-controlled radios. In addition to inflatable Humvees and helicopters, smoke generators and loudspeakers were used to play pre-recorded tank and truck noises.
19. Kurds’ Independence
Once, almost wiped out by Saddam Hussein, the Kurds in northern Iraq are now an independent force in the first Gulf War, particularly due to the US.
20. Muhammad Ali Assisted
Muhammad Ali – the Boxer, visited Saddam Hussein after the Gulf War to discuss the release of American hostages.
21. Syria and the US were Allies
Syria fought with the United States in the Gulf War, pledging 100,000 forces to join the alliance.
22. India Transferred 111,000 People – A Guinness Book of World Records
Air India transferred more than 111,000 passengers from Amman to Mumbai, running 488 59-day flights to evacuate Indian expatriates from Kuwait and Iraq during the Gulf War. This feat is in the Guinness Book of World Records for most passengers rescued by a commercial airliner.
23. The Generals Had High IQs
General H. Norman Schwarzkopf, who commanded the Coalition Forces during the 1991 Gulf War, had an IQ score of 168.
24. America Saved Additional 200,000 lives
The U.S. forces rescued an additional 200,000 lives by diverting soldiers back home from the Gulf War to assist Bangladesh following a destructive cyclone in 1991.
25. The US had A Floating Bomb During The War
The United States had a device called the Graphite Bomb, the filaments are hundreds of inches thick and would float in the air like a dense fog, it will destroy electronics and have been successfully used in the Gulf War against Iraq and again against Serbia.
References: Wikipedia | Kickassfacts | Military