The Persian Gulf War

Paper Summary:

This paper is an overview of the conduct of the Persian Gulf War. The author looks at the alliances that were created, the power struggles that influenced the outcome of the war between governments and within the U.S. Government in particular. Operation Desert Shield's different personalities and the affects they had on U.S. government policy and in turn, on the outcome of the war, are also discussed in detail. The background to the controversy is presented, including Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, the response of the international community and Middle East personalities and politics are also important to one's understanding of the War.

From the Paper:

"The United States drafted a four-phase offensive plan in the autumn of 1990: "Phase one would be an air attack on Iraqi command, control and communications".Phase Two would be a massive, continuous air bombardment of Iraqi supply and munitions basics, transport facilities and roads ".Phase Three would be an air attack on the entrenched Iraqi ground forces .the fourth phase consisted of a Marine amphibious landing on the Kuwaiti coast and an Army frontal attack directly into the Iraqi defensive positions" (Summers, 195). General Powell accepted the first three phases and wanted a better ground campaign. On November 8, 1990, Bush approved a war during the winter of 1991 with Iraq. On January 16, 1991, the U.S.-led coalition began its air campaign against Iraqi forces in Kuwait and Iraq. It would be a short time before Iraq would face the combined air, naval and ground forces of the U.S. and its allies. On February 24, 1991, a force of 620,000 soldiers, Marines, and airmen from nearly forty nations launched the most massive attack across a 400-kilometer front against an Iraqi force. The revised ground assault strategy included a Marine amphibious assault group off the coast of Kuwait."

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