Factors That Prompted The 1991 Gulf War

The 1991 Gulf War was an ongoing struggle in the Middle East for many years before the war. Unfortunately, the conflict between the nations in that region was so significant that other countries from around the world also became involved in the situation. The First Gulf War ultimately brought together a coalition of military forces to battle Iraq and assist in the liberation of Kuwait. In this essay, I will discuss the main factors that led to the 1991 Gulf War, and address if the U.S.-led military solution of the crisis was justifiable.

The Persian Gulf region was a very critical spot in the Middle East because many natural resources were produced in this area. In the “Learning Area” reading, the region was referred to as “…one of the world’s richest and most fertile river valleys…” (Part 1). The Persian Gulf region is the home to many nations such as Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia. The natural resource that had the most significant impact on countries outside of the Gulf region was oil. “Oil, of course, is the natural resource which makes it possible to exploit all the other natural resources; to send ships, planes, and troops around the world in pursuit of the “national interest”; and to build an empire at home and abroad” (Betz, “Blood, Oil, and Ecology”). The production of oil impacted the region economically and politically. The borders of the different nations of the Gulf region that were formed post World War I and the Ottoman empire has intensified the conflict that has arose in this region for many, many years. It seemed that the nations associated with the Persian Gulf region all had intentions of trying to take control of the whole region at some point in time.

The first main factor that contributed to the 1991 Gulf War was the Iran-Iraq War that took part in the 1980’s. Both the Iraqi president, Saddam Hussein, and the Iranian president, Khomeini, established themselves in the leadership role of their nation in 1979. Disagreements on borders and fighting over the Shatt-al-Arab waterway caused many conflicts between the nations and their leaders. The multiple attacks and invasions eventually led to a full out war when Iraq invaded Iran in 1980. The main significance of this war becoming a major factor contributing to the 1991 Gulf War is because countries and other nations from around the world began to take sides in the Iran-Iraq War. Saudi Arabia and Kuwait were 2 nations that assisted Iraq financially during the war against Iran. Saddam Hussein also reached out to the United States for support where the U.S. began sending Hussein “secret (and illegal) arms shipments” (“Learning Area”, Part 1). However, near the end of the war, a scandal had come about based off of the assistance from other countries that both Iran and Iraq were getting. In the “Learning Area” it states, “…the US government, despite an international arms embargo against both sides in the war, actually supplied weapons covertly to both Iran and Iraq during the war” (Part 1). Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the United States became involved in the crisis of the region when they took sides. The financial and equipment assistance was a very significant aspect of the Iran-Iraq War. “Weapons and aid from the United States, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia had proven to be the decisive factor” (“Learning Area”, Part 1). The United States had enforced their way into a situation that they didn’t necessarily have to be a part of. During this time, the U.S. and Kuwait started to realize the effect and power of Saddam Hussein. This led to the roles of Kuwait and the United States in the 1991 Gulf War, and how the coalition of military troops from numerous countries came together to fight for the liberation of Kuwait against Iraqi troops.

The second factor, and maybe even the most important one that contributed to the 1991 Gulf War was Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait. After the Iran-Iraq War, Saddam Hussein and Iraq were in debt from taking out billions of dollars in loans from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Iraq’s economy and their revenue making oil fields were destroyed. “War is waste and a drain on the entire planet’s ecological system” (Betz). In the “Blood, Oil, and Ecology” article it also expresses the negative effects of war stating, “…it’s a huge waste of human resources, ingenuity, and material resources desperately needed for ecological reconstruction” (Betz). Saddam Hussein needed a way to start rebuilding his economy, and he tried to persuade the OPEC states to increase oil prices but decrease oil production as a way to increase Iraq’s oil revenues. Hussein also attempted to convince Saudi Arabia and Kuwait to forget about the loans by trying to justify that he was fighting for all of the Arab states. Both, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia refused to give Saddam Hussein what he wanted which was, decrease in oil production and forgetting the loans. The Iraqi president was angry following the rejections, and he became even more enraged when he found out that, “Kuwaitis used a special slant-drilling technique to siphon oil from the Iraqi side of the Rumalia oil field, one of the richest oil fields in the world” (“Learning Area”, Part 2). Saddam Hussein ultimately decided to invade Kuwait. He took advantage of a nation that he knew was weaker. “…Saddam Hussein systematically raped, pillaged, and plundered a tiny nation no threat to his own” (US President George Bush). Kuwait, being a member of the United Nations, was struggling, and the United States and the other United Nations countries were determined to get Saddam Hussein out, and free Kuwait. When he did not cooperate and refused to withdraw, the United Nations took it upon themselves to force him and his troops out. This would be when the 1991 Gulf War truly began. 20 plus nations led by the United States, came together as a united front to restore the liberation of Kuwait.

It’s tough to really judge if the U.S.-led military solution is justifiable because U.S. lives could possibly be lost in a situation that didn’t directly involve us at first. However, I do see this incident as justifiable because the United States clearly was fearful of the power of Saddam’s arsenal. “Our operations are designed to best protect the lives of all the coalition forces by targeting Saddam’s vast military arsenal” (US President George Bush). President Bush was obviously looking out for the national security of the United States. Also, Kuwait was a member of the United Nations, that’s why I believe the U.S. felt that they needed to interfere. I do wonder how much of an effort was made for a peaceful resolution before the talk of using force.

As you can see, the 1991 Gulf War was a crisis that affected many different nations and countries throughout the world. What started as an initial conflict in the Persian Gulf region eventually led to a war that’s main goal of the United Nations was to support Kuwait, and weaken Saddam Hussein. As I discussed, both the Iran-Iraq War and Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait, were main factors of the 1991 Gulf War.