Persian Gulf War
Date August 2, 1990 – February 28, 1991 (officially ended November 30, 1995) Location North of The Arabian Peninsula Result Altering of Kuwait Heavy casualties and destruction of Iraqi and Kuwaiti infrastructure Internal rising against Saddam Hussein encouraged then ignored, and suppressed Establishment of US military presence in Saudi Arabia Saudi scorn of Osama bin Laden Imposition of UN Sanctions against Iraq Palestinian Expulsion from Kuwait [1]
Belligerents
Saudi Arabia  Egypt  Kuwait  United Arab Emirates  Oman  Qatar  Pakistan  Syria  Bangladesh  Afghanistan  Australia  South Korea  Philippines (medical support)  Argentina NATO  United States  United Kingdom  Canada  France  Italy  Spain  Poland  Norway  Greece  Portugal  Netherlands…et al.	Republic of Iraq
Commanders
Norman Schwarzkopf Khalid bin Sultan[2][3] Peter de la Billière George H.W. Bush John Major Margaret Thatcher Bob Hawke	Saddam Hussein
Strength
956,600[4] 1,820 Fighter aircraft (1,376 American, 175 Saudi, 69 British, 42 French) 3,318 tanks (mainly M1 Abrams(US),Challenger 2(UK), M60 Patton(US) 8 aircraft carriers 2 battleships 20 cruisers 20 destroyers 5 submarines[5]	260,000 649 fighters 2,000 tanks (Chinese & self produced T-55 T-62, about 300 soviet T-72) [6]
Casualties and losses
358 killed in action, 776 wounded in action, 41 taken prisoner (unknown Kuwaiti casualties)	Est. 20,000-200,000 (see section below), 80,000 taken prisoner,[7] 75,000 wounded

The Persian Gulf War (2 August 1990 – 28 February 1991)^[8][9] was a conflict between Iraq and a coalition force from 34 nations^[10] authorized by the United Nations (UN) and led primarily by the United States and the United Kingdom in order to return Kuwait to the control of the Emir of Kuwait. The conflict developed in the context of the Iran-Iraq War and in 1990 Iraq accused Kuwait of stealing Iraq's oil through slant drilling.^[11] The invasion of Kuwait by Iraqi troops was met with immediate economic sanctions against Iraq by some members of the UN Security Council, and with immediate preparation for war by the United States of America and the United Kingdom. The expulsion of Iraqi troops from Kuwait began in January 1991 and was a decisive victory for the coalition forces, which took over Kuwait and entered Iraqi territory. Aerial and ground combat was confined to Iraq, Kuwait, and bordering areas of Saudi Arabia. Iraq also launched missiles against targets in Saudi Arabia and Israel in retaliation for their support of the invading forces in Kuwait. Belligerents Iran Patriotic Union of Kurdistan Iraq Peoples Mujahedin of Iran Soldiers and volunteers from different Arab countries. ... For other uses, see Iraq war (disambiguation). ... Belligerents Saudi Arabia, United States, Qatar1 Iraq Commanders Sultan Al-Mutairi 2 Salah Abud Mahmud 3 Casualties and losses 36 dead, 32 wounded, 2 POW 2000+, 400 POW4 The Battle of Khafji was the first major ground engagement of the Gulf War. ... Combatants United States Army British Army Iraqi Republican Guard Commanders Norman Schwarzkopf Saddam Hussein Casualties U.S. 12 KIA and FF, 57 wounded 600 killed and wounded The Battle of 73 Easting was a decisive tank battle fought on 26 February 1991, during the Gulf War, between United States and... The Battle of Al Busayyah was a tank battle fought on 26 February 1991, during the Gulf War, between armored forces of the United States Army and those of the Iraqi Army. ... Combatants US Army Iraqi Republican Guard Commanders Paul E. Funk Ayad Futayih Al-Rawi Casualties 2 KIAs 12 WIAs 4 Bradleys destroyed 10 Bradleys damaged Unknown number of KIAs and WIAs 6 T-72s tanks destroyed or abandoned 17 APCs destroyed The Battle of Phase Line Bullet was one of... Combatants United States Iraq Commanders Montgomery Meigs Saddam Hussein Strength 1st Armored Division 2nd Brigade of Medina Luminous Division Casualties 1 killed (friendly fire), 30 wounded, 4 tanks damaged 186 tanks destroyed, 127 AFVs destroyed Gulf War Kuwait – Khafji – 73 Easting – Al Busayyah – Phase Line Bullet – Medina Ridge – Wadi Al... Combatants US Army Iraqi Republican Guard Commanders General Norman Schwarzkopf F.General Ayad Al-Rawi Casualties Unknown Unknown Battle of Wadi Al-Batin or Battle of Ruqi Pocket or Operation Red Storm was one of the battles which happeneds before the begining of the Desert Storm operations in February 15... The Battle of Norfolk was a tank battle fought on 27 February 1991, during the Gulf War, between armored forces of the United States Army and those of the Iraqi Republican Guard. ... is the 214th day of the year (215th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... 1991 (MCMXCI) is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Coalition of Gulf War were the countries officially opposed to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait during the 1990 / 1991 Gulf War. ... UN redirects here. ... This is an (incomplete) list of emirs of Kuwait: The Sabah dynasty came to power in 1752, before the Bani Khalid tribe was ruling the region. ... Belligerents Iran Patriotic Union of Kurdistan Iraq Peoples Mujahedin of Iran Soldiers and volunteers from different Arab countries. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Directional drilling. ... The Iraqi Army is the land force of Iraq, active in various forms since being formed by the British during their mandate over the country after World War I. Today, it is a component of the Iraqi Security Forces tasked with assuming responsibility for all Iraqi land-based military operations... Economic sanctions are economic penalties applied by one country (or group of countries) on another for a variety of reasons. ... A session of the Security Council in progress The United Nations Security Council is the most powerful organ of the United Nations. ... 1991 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Polish missile wz. ...

Since the Iran-Iraq War of 1980-88 had been called the "Persian Gulf War" by many news sources, the 1991 war has sometimes been called the "Second Persian Gulf War", but more commonly, the 1991 war is styled simply the "Gulf War" or the "First Gulf War", in distinction from the 2003 invasion of Iraq.^[12] "Operation Desert Storm" was the U.S. name of the air and land operations and is often used to refer to the conflict. Belligerents Iran Patriotic Union of Kurdistan Iraq Peoples Mujahedin of Iran Soldiers and volunteers from different Arab countries. ... This article is about the 2003 invasion of Iraq. ... AirLand doctrine was first adopted by the US Army in 1982 as Field Manual 100-5, and has been the driving military doctrine of the last 20 years. ...

Shortly after Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, US President George H.W. Bush started to deploy US Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard units to Saudi Arabia (Operation Desert Shield), while at the same time urging other countries to send their own forces to the scene. UN coalition-building efforts were so successful that by the time the fighting (Operation Desert Storm) began on January 16, 1991, twelve countries had sent naval forces, joining the regional states of Saudi Arabia and the Persian Gulf states, as well as the huge array of the US Navy, which deployed six aircraft-carrier battle groups; eight countries had sent ground forces, joining the regional troops of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, as well as the seventeen heavy and six light brigades of the US Army and nine Marine regiments, with their large support and service forces; and four countries had sent combat aircraft, joining the local air forces of Kuwait, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, as well as the US Air Force, US Navy, and U.S. Marine aviation, for a grand total of 2,430 fixed-wing aircraft. For the pop band, see Presidents of the United States of America. ... Order: 41st President Vice President: Dan Quayle Term of office: January 20, 1989 – January 20, 1993 Preceded by: Ronald Reagan Succeeded by: Bill Clinton Date of birth: June 12, 1924 Place of birth: Milton, Massachusetts First Lady: Barbara Pierce Bush Political party: Republican George Herbert Walker Bush, KBE (born June... The United States Army is the largest, and by some standards oldest, established branch of the armed forces of the United States and is one of seven uniformed services. ... USN redirects here. ... The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is a branch of the United States armed forces responsible for providing force projection from the sea,[1] using the mobility of the U.S. Navy to rapidly deliver combined-arms task forces and is one of seven uniformed services. ... USAF redirects here. ... USCG HH-65 Dolphin USCG HH-60J JayHawk USCG HC-130H departs Mojave USCG HC-130H on International Ice Patrol duties The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is at all times a branch of the U.S. military, a maritime law enforcement agency, and a federal regulatory body. ... See also: 2003 invasion of Iraq and Gulf War (disambiguation) C Company, 1st Battalion, The Staffordshire Regiment, 1st UK Armoured Division The Persian Gulf War was a conflict between Iraq and a coalition force of 34 nations led by the United States. ... is the 16th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar. ... Map of the Persian Gulf. ... Four aircraft carriers, (bottom-to-top) Principe de Asturias, amphibious assault ship USS Wasp, USS Forrestal and light V/STOL carrier HMS Invincible, showing size differences of late 20th century carriers An aircraft carrier is a warship designed to deploy and recover aircraft, acting as a sea-going airbase. ... The carrier battle group (CVBG or CARBATGRU) or carrier strike group (CVSG) is a fleet of ships in support of an aircraft carrier. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with military aviation. ... Marine AV-8B Harrier II on the deck of USS Nassau While other nations have Marines who are aviators, only the United States Marine Corps has its own dedicated aviation arm. ...

Against them, the Iraqis had only a few gunboats and small missile craft to match the coalition's armada; but on the other hand, some 1.2 million ground troops with about 5,800 tanks, 5,100 other armored vehicles, and 3,850 artillery pieces made for a lot more strength on the ground. Iraq also had 750 fighters and bombers, 200 other aircraft, and elaborate missile and gun defenses. A gunboat is literally a boat carrying one or more guns. ... Armada may refer to: Armada Española, the Spanish Navy. ... ... For other uses, see Artillery (disambiguation). ...

Origins

Further information: Iraq-United States relations

During the Cold War Iraq had been chiefly an ally of the Soviet Union and there was a history of friction between it and the United States. The US was concerned with Iraq’s role in Israeli-Palestinian politics and its disapproval of moves toward peace between Israel and Egypt. It also disliked Iraqi support for various Arab and Palestinian militant groups such as Abu Nidal, which led to its inclusion on the incipient U.S. list of state sponsors of international terrorism on 29 December 1979. The US remained officially neutral during the outbreak of hostilities in the Iran-Iraq War, although it assisted Iraq covertly. In March 1982, however, Iran began a successful counteroffensive (Operation Undeniable Victory) and the United States began to more concertedly support Iraq to prevent Iran from overrunning the region. The Palestinian flag, adopted in 1948, is a widely recognized modern symbol of the Palestinian people. ... For other uses, see Arab (disambiguation). ... Abu Nidal in 1976 in a photograph released by the Israeli Defense Forces, one of only a handful of photographs of him known to exist. ... The U.S. list of state sponsors of international terrorism is a list, compiled by the U.S. State Department, of countries that the United States sees as sponsoring terrorism. ... This page refers to the year 1979. ... Belligerents Iran Patriotic Union of Kurdistan Iraq Peoples Mujahedin of Iran Soldiers and volunteers from different Arab countries. ... 1982 is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This page is a candidate to be copied to Wiktionary. ... Combatants  Iraq  Iran In March 1982, Iran launched an offencive named Operation Undeniable Victory. ...

In a bid to open full diplomatic relations with Iraq, the country was removed from the list of state sponsors of terrorism. Ostensibly this was because of improvement in the regime’s record, although former United States Assistant Secretary of Defense Noel Koch later stated, "No one had any doubts about [the Iraqis'] continued involvement in terrorism… The real reason was to help them succeed in the war against Iran."^[13] With Iran's newfound success in the war and its rebuff of a peace offer in July, arms sales to Iraq (which included poison gas which was then used against Iranian troops) from other states (most importantly the USSR, France, Egypt, and starting that year, the People's Republic of China) reached a record spike in 1982, but an obstacle remained to any potential US-Iraqi relationship — Abu Nidal continued to operate with official support in Baghdad. When Saddam Hussein expelled the group to Syria at the US' request in November 1983, the Reagan administration then sent Donald Rumsfeld to Saddam Hussein as a special envoy to cultivate ties. Assistant Secretary of Defense is a title used for many executive positions in the United States Department of Defense. ... This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims. ... // Values are shown in millions of US dollars at constant (1990) estimated values. ... Early detection of chemical agents Sociopolitical climate of chemical warfare While the study of chemicals and their military uses was widespread in China, the use of toxic materials has historically been viewed with mixed emotions and some disdain in the West (especially when the enemy were doing it). ... State motto (Russian): Пролетарии всех стран, соединяйтесь! (Transliterated: Proletarii vsekh stran, soedinyaytes!) (Translated: Workers of the world, unite!) Capital Moscow Official language None; Russian (de facto) Government Federation of Soviet republics Area  - Total  - % water 1st before collapse 22,402,200 km² Approx. ... Baghdad (Arabic: ) is the capital of Iraq and of Baghdad Governorate. ... 1983 (MCMLXXXIII in Roman) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Donald Henry Rumsfeld (born July 9, 1932) is a businessman, a U.S. Republican politician, the 13th Secretary of Defense under President Gerald Ford from 1975 to 1977, and the 21st Secretary of Defense under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2006. ...

Tensions with Kuwait

Main article: Invasion of Kuwait

When the ceasefire with Iran was signed in August 1988, Iraq was virtually bankrupt and heavily indebted to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Those two nations had funded Iraq due to shared antagonism towards the Iranian regime. Iraq's economy was further damaged when the following year, in open defiance of OPEC quotas, Kuwait increased its oil production by 40 percent. The collapse in oil prices had a catastrophic impact on the Iraqi economy. The Iraqi government described it as a form of economic warfare, which it claimed was aggravated by Kuwait slant-drilling across the border into Iraq's Rumaila oil field [4]. Combatants Republic of Iraq State of Kuwait Commanders Ali Hassan al-Majid N/A Strength 100,000[1] 16,000[2] Casualties 37+ aircraft (est. ... Belligerents Iran Patriotic Union of Kurdistan Iraq Peoples Mujahedin of Iran Soldiers and volunteers from different Arab countries. ... 1988 is a leap year starting on a Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is a group of thirteen states[1][2] made up of Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Libya, Algeria, Nigeria, Angola, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Indonesia. ... Politics of Iraq includes the social relations involving authority or power in Iraq. ... Economic warfare is the term for economic policies followed as a part of military operations during wartime. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Kuwait had been part of the Ottoman province of Basra, and although its ruling dynasty, the al-Sabah family, had concluded a protectorate agreement in 1899 that assigned responsibility for its foreign affairs to Britain, it did not make any attempt to secede from the Ottoman Empire. For this reason, Iraqi governments had always refused to accept Kuwait's separation, and its borders were never clearly defined or mutually agreed.^{[citation needed]} The British High Commissioner drew lines that deliberately constricted Iraq's access to the ocean so that any future Iraqi government would be in no position to threaten Britain's domination of the Gulf. Year 1899 (MDCCCXCIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday [1] of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Motto دولت ابد مدت Devlet-i Ebed-müddet (The Eternal State) Anthem Ottoman imperial anthem Borders in 1683, see: list of territories Capital Söğüt (1299–1326) Bursa (1326–1365) Edirne (1365–1453) Ä°stanbul (1453–1922) Government Monarchy Sultans  - 1281–1326 (first) Osman I  - 1918–22 (last) Mehmed VI Grand Viziers  - 1320...

In late July 1990, as negotiations between Iraq and Kuwait stalled, Iraq massed troops on its border with the emirate and summoned US ambassador April Glaspie to a meeting with Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. Two transcripts of that meeting have been produced, both of them controversial. In them, Saddam Hussein outlined his grievances against Kuwait, while promising that he would not invade Kuwait before one more round of negotiations. In the version published by The New York Times on September 23, 1990, Glaspie expressed concern over the troop buildup to Saddam Hussein: This article is about the year. ... Etymologically an emirate or amirate (Arabic: إمارة Imarah, plural: إمارات Imarat) is the quality, dignity, office or territorial competence of any Emir (prince, governor etc. ... For other uses, see Ambassador (disambiguation). ... April Catherine Glaspie (born April 26, 1942), American diplomat, is best-known for her role in the events leading up to the Gulf War of 1991. ... The New York Times is a daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed internationally. ... is the 266th day of the year (267th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ...

Some have interpreted portions of these statements, particularly the language "We have no opinion on the Arab-Arab conflicts, like your border disagreement with Kuwait", as signaling an American "green light" for the invasion. Although the US State Department did not confirm (or deny) the authenticity of these transcripts, US sources say that it handled everything “by the book” (in accordance with the US' official neutrality on the Iraq-Kuwait issue) and had not signaled to Saddam Hussein any approval for defying the Arab League’s Jeddah crisis squad, which had conducted the negotiations. Many believe that Saddam Hussein may have been influenced by the perception that the US was not interested in the issue, (as they had not minded when he ordered the invasion of Iran) for which the Glaspie transcript is merely an example, and that he may have felt so in part because of U.S. support for the reunification of Germany, another act that he considered to be nothing more than the nullification of an artificial, internal border. Others, such as Kenneth Pollack, believe he had no such illusion, or that he simply underestimated the extent of a US response. The United States Department of State, often referred to as the State Department, is the Cabinet-level foreign affairs agency of the United States government, equivalent to foreign ministries in other countries. ... , Nickname: Location of Jeddah Coordinates: , Country Province Established 500+ BC Joint Saudi Arabia 1925 Government  - Mayor Adil Faqeeh  - City Governor Mishal Al-Saud  - Provincial Governor Khalid al Faisal Area  - Urban 1,320 km² (509. ... German reunification (Deutsche Wiedervereinigung) refers to the reunification of Germany from its constituent parts of East Germany and West Germany under a single government on October 3, 1990. ... Kenneth Michael Pollack (born 1966) is a an arm-chair warmongerer who helped deceive a nation into committing itself to a catastrophic military intervention . ...

In November 1989, CIA director William Webster met with the Kuwaiti head of security, Brigadier Fahd Ahmed Al-Fahd. Subsequent to Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait, Iraq claimed to have found a memorandum pertaining to their conversation. The Washington Post reported that Kuwait’s foreign minister fainted when confronted with this document at an Arab summit in August. Later, Iraq cited this memorandum as evidence of a CIA - Kuwaiti plot to destabilize Iraq economically and politically. The CIA and Kuwait have described the meeting as routine and the memorandum as a forgery. The purported document reads in part: 1989 is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The CIA Seal The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is an American intelligence agency, responsible for obtaining and analyzing information about foreign governments, corporations, and individuals, and reporting such information to the various branches of the U.S. Government. ... William Hedgcock Webster (born March 6, 1924) was the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) from 1978 to 1987 and director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) from 1987 to 1991. ... The Washington Post is the largest newspaper in Washington, D.C.. It is also one of the citys oldest papers, having been founded in 1877. ...

Saddam Hussein detained several Westerners, with video footage being shown on state television.

On 23 August 1990 Saddam Hussein appeared on state television with Western hostages to whom he had refused exit visas. They were seen as human shields, though Saddam Hussein denied the claim. In the video he is seen ruffling the hair of a young boy named Stuart Lockwood and asks through the interpreter if he is "getting his milk". He went on to say "We hope your presence as guests here will not be for too long. Your presence here, and in other places, is meant to prevent the scourge of war."^[14] Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti (28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was the fifth President of Iraq and Chairman of the Iraqi Revolutionary Command Council from 1979 until his overthrow by US forces in 2003. ... {| style=float:right; |- | |- | |} is the 235th day of the year (236th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... Human shield is a military and political term describing the presence of civilians in or around combat targets to deter an enemy from attacking those targets. ...

Diplomacy and Operation Desert Shield

Three C-130s for EAF , USAF , RSAF.

Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The Egyptian Air Force, or EAF (Arabic: , ), is the aviation branch of the Egyptian armed forces. ... USAF redirects here. ... The Royal Saudi Air Force (Arabic: ‎, ), is the air force branch of Saudi Arabian armed forces. ...

UN resolution

On August 2, 1990 Saddam launched the invasion of Kuwait. After two days of intense combat, most of the Kuwaiti Armed Forces were either overrun by the Iraqi Republican Guard or escaped to neighboring Saudi Arabia. Within hours of the invasion, Kuwaiti and US delegations requested a meeting of the UN Security Council, which passed Resolution 660, condemning the invasion and demanding a withdrawal of Iraqi troops. On August 3, the Arab League passed its own resolution. The resolution also called for a solution to the conflict from within the League, and warned against foreign intervention. On August 6, UN Resolution 661 placed economic sanctions on Iraq. is the 214th day of the year (215th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... Before the Gulf War, Kuwait maintained a small military force consisting of army, navy, and air force and national guard units. ... Iraqi President Saddam Hussein talks with elite Republican Guard officers in Baghdad on March 1, 2003. ... United Nations Security Council Resolution 660 was adopted by the UN Security Council on 2 August 1990. ... is the 215th day of the year (216th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 218th day of the year (219th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... RESOLUTION 661 (1990) Adopted by the Security Council at its 2933rd meeting on 6 August 1990 The Security Council, Reaffirming its resolution 660 (1990) of 2 August 1990, Deeply concerned that that resolution has not been implemented and that the invasion by Iraq of Kuwait continues with further loss of...

Possible attack on Saudi Arabia

The decision by the US and its allies to fight the Iraqi invasion had as much to do with preventing an attack on Saudi Arabia, a nation of considerable importance owing to its oil reserves, as it did with liberating Kuwait itself. The rapid success of the Iraqi army had brought it within easy striking distance of the Hama oil fields, one of Saudi Arabia’s largest. Iraqi control of these fields as well as Kuwait and Iraqi reserves would have given it control of the majority of the world's reserves. The Iraqi armored divisions would have encountered the same difficulties that Saudi forces faced defending the oil fields, namely traversing large distances across inhospitable desert. This would have been exacerbated by intense bombing by the Saudi Air Force, by far the most well-equipped (if not so well-trained) arm of the Saudi military. RSAF Tornado during Gulf War Boeing F-15S Eagle, the multirole backbone fighter of the RSAF RSAF Lockheed C-130H Hercules RSAF Boeing E-3A Sentry RSAF BAe Hawk The Royal Saudi Air Force (Arabic: , ), is the air force of Saudi Arabia. ...

Iraq had a number of grievances with Saudi Arabia. The Saudis had lent Saddam Hussein some 26 billion dollars to prosecute his invasion of Iran, as they feared the influence of mainly Shia Iran's Islamic revolution on its own Shia minority (most of the Saudi oil fields are in territory populated by Shias). The long desert border was also ill-defined. Soon after his conquest of Kuwait, Saddam Hussein began verbally attacking the Saudi kingdom. He argued that the US-supported Saudi state was an illegitimate guardian of the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. Saddam Hussein combined the language of the Islamist groups that had recently fought in Afghanistan with the rhetoric Iran had long used to attack the Saudis. Shia may refer to a denomination of Islam, or related items, such as: Shia Islam, the second largest denomination of Islam, after Sunni Islam. ... Protestors take to the street in support of Ayatollah Khomeini. ... This article is about arid terrain. ... In politics, a country (or in some cases, a group of countries) over which a king or queen reigns, is a kingdom, see: monarchy. ... This article is about the city in Saudi Arabia. ... This article is about the city in Saudi Arabia. ... Islamism is a political ideology derived from the conservative religious views of Muslim fundamentalism. ...

Operation Desert Shield

Main article: Operation Desert Shield (Iraq)

Acting on the policy of the Carter Doctrine, and out of fear the Iraqi army could launch an invasion of Saudi Arabia, US President George H. W. Bush quickly announced that the US would launch a "wholly defensive" mission to prevent Iraq from invading Saudi Arabia—Operation Desert Shield was when US troops were moved into Saudi Arabia on August 7, 1990 (or August 8 depending on time zone used).^[15] This "wholly defensive" doctrine was to be quickly abandoned. On August 8, Iraq declared parts of Kuwait to be extensions of the Iraqi province of Basra and the rest to be the 19th province of Iraq.^[16] The Carter Doctrine was proclaimed by President Jimmy Carter in his State of the Union Address on 23 January 1980. ... is the 219th day of the year (220th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... is the 220th day of the year (221st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Basra province, or Al Basrah province, is a province in the nation of Iraq. ...

The United States Navy mobilized two naval battle groups, the aircraft carriers USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and USS Independence and their escorts, to the area, where they were ready by August 8. A total of 48 US Air Force F-15s from the 1st Fighter Wing at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, landed in Saudi Arabia and immediately commenced round the clock air patrols of the Saudi-Kuwait-Iraq border areas to prevent further Iraqi advances. The U.S. also sent the battleships USS Missouri and USS Wisconsin to the region. Military buildup continued from there, eventually reaching 500,000 troops, twice the number used in the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Much of the material was airlifted or carried to the staging areas via fast sealift ships, allowing a quick buildup. The consensus among military analysts is nonetheless that until October, the US military forces in the area would have been insufficient to stop an invasion of Saudi Arabia had Iraq attempted one. USN redirects here. ... Two aircraft carriers, USS (left), and HMS Illustrious (right), showing the difference in size between a supercarrier and a light V/STOL aircraft carrier. ... USS (CVAN-69/CVN-69), nicknamed Ike, is the second of 10 Nimitz-class supercarriers in the United States Navy, named after the thirty-fourth President of the United States, Dwight D. Eisenhower. ... For other ships of the same name, see USS Independence. ... is the 220th day of the year (221st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The 1st Fighter Wing (1 FW) is an air combat unit of the United States Air Force and the host unit at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. ... Two F-22A turn in on final approach to Langley Air Force Base Langley Air Force Base (IATA: LFI, ICAO: KLFI) is the home of the United States Air Forces 1st Fighter Wing (1 FW) and the 480th Intelligence Wing (480 IW). ... Radars: AN/SPS-49 Air Search Radar AN/SPS-67 Surface Search Radar Fire control: 4 × Mk 37 Gun Fire Control 2 × Mk 38 Gun Director 1 × Mk 40 Gun Director EW: AN/SLQ-32 Other: AN/SLQ-25 NIXIE Decoy System 8 × Super Rapid Bloom Rocket Launchers (SRBOC) Armor... USS Wisconsin (BB-64) is an Iowa-class battleship, and is the second ship of the United States Navy named in honor of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. ... This article is about the 2003 invasion of Iraq. ... There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ...

Building a coalition

A long series of UN Security Council resolutions and Arab League resolutions were passed regarding the conflict. One of the most important was Resolution 678, passed on November 29, giving Iraq a withdrawal deadline of January 15, 1991, and authorizing “all necessary means to uphold and implement Resolution 660,” a diplomatic formulation authorizing the use of force^{[citation needed]}. The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is the organ of the United Nations charged with maintaining peace and security among nations. ... UN Security Council Resolution 678 authorizes member states to use all necessary means to uphold and implement resolution 660 and all subsequent relevant resolutions (resolution 661, resolution 662, resolution 664, resolution 665, resolution 666, resolution 667, resolution 669, resolution 670, resolution 674 and resolution 667), and to restore international peace... is the 333rd day of the year (334th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 15th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar. ...

The United States, especially Secretary of State James Baker, assembled a coalition of forces to join it in opposing Iraq, consisting of forces from 34 countries: Afghanistan, Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Egypt, France, Greece, Italy, Kuwait, Morocco, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Niger, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Spain, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States itself.^[17] Although they did not contribute any forces, Japan and West Germany did make financial contributions totaling $10 billion and $6.6 billion respectively. US troops represented 73% of the coalition’s 956,600 troops in Iraq. Ma