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The Gulf War (1990�1991) (also called the Persian Gulf War, First Gulf War, or (erroneously, see below) Operation DESERT STORM) was a conflict between Iraq and a coalition approximately 20 nations led by the United States and mandated by the United Nations in order to liberate Kuwait. The war was precipitated by an Iraqi invasion of Kuwait on 2 Aug 1990. The invasion was met with economic sanctions by the United Nations and a military buildup along the Iraqi border with Saudi Arabia by coalition forces led by the United States, called Operation DESERT SHIELD. An aerial campaign against Iraqi forces began in Jan 1991, with a ground campaign liberating Kuwait in Feb.

Background

After an eight year war between Iran and Iraq with neither side being able to strike a decisive blow, a cease fire was arranged in 1988. Saddam Hussein, Iraq's leader, was left with the fourth largest standing army in the world - and a debt equal to 80 billion US dollars.

Hussein looked to oil-rich Kuwait as a simple solution; citing border disputes real or imagined, and accusing the Kuwaitis of slant-drilling to obtain oil from Iraqi territory, he ordered an invasion for 1 Aug 1990. The country was quickly annexed.

Political and economic sanctions were placed on Iraq, with the United Nations strongly objecting to the annexation of Kuwait. Iraq had been seen as an ally of the US; the overthrow of the pro-US Shah in 1979 and the yearlong hostage taking at the US embassy had resulted in Hussein becoming a "strange bedfellow" in the middle east for the US. Yet, when Kuwait was seized, fear that oil resources in the region would be controlled by an out of control dictator prompted the US to make hard decisions.

Fewer than two weeks elapsed after Iraq's successful invasion before Operation DESERT SHIELD had established a strong US military presence in Saudi Arabia. The Saudis, also very much reliant on their oil production, were concerned that they, too, might become a victim of Iraqi aggression and despite their misgivings about large numbers of western troops using their country as a military base, agreed to host a large coalition of forces.

Both sides began deploying troops to the region; nearly 500,000 Iraqi soldiers with 4,300 armoured vehicles were in southern Iraq by 1 Jan 1991; across the border were assembled 650,000 troops and 3,600 AFVs.

Operation DESERT STORM - an aerial offensive - began on the night of 16/17 Jan 1991. Coalition air forces, augmented by Tomahawk cruise missiles fired from the sea, established air superiority over Iraq in four days, then turned their attention to tactical missions, destroying Iraqi ground forces in their well prepared defensive positions.

Ground War

Operaton DESERT SABER - the actual name for the ground offensive - began on 24 Feb 1991. Coalition commander General H. Norman Schwarzkopf initiated a deception plan, with Marine units simulating an imminent offshore invasion from the sea, pinning enemy units in place. With Iraqi aerial reconnaissance disabled, the Coalition shifted its forces to the west, planning a wide sweeping movement into the Iraqi rear using the US VII Corps. Kuwait itself was to be liberated by Syrian, Egyptian, Saudi Arabian, United Arab Emirate, and US Marine forces.

VII Corps, consisting of the US 1st Armored Cavalry Division, US 1st Armored Division, and US 3rd Armored Division, British 1st Armoured Division, US 1st Infantry Division, and the US 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment, also included forces from Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Syria along with other smaller contingents. An Airborne corps including the French 6th Light Armoured Division, US 82nd Airborne Division, US 101st Airborne Divisions, US 24th Infantry Division, and the US 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment was also deployed into action, moving fast and deep into the Euphrates Valley where it formed a blocking force to prevent the withdrawal of Iraqi forces from Kuwait in good order.

The ground campaign was over in 100 hours, and was notable for how little actual fighting took place. Iraqi soldiers, demoralized by the air campaign, surrendered en masse when given the opportunity. Crack Republican Guard units, however, favoured by better equipment and training as Hussein's personal Praetorian guard, offered more resistance, but were also no match for Coalition firepower.

Canadian Participation

About 4,000 Canadian Forces personnel participated in the Gulf War, with a peak of 2,700 personnel in the Persian Gulf region. In addition to ships in the Persian Gulf (Operation FRICTION), a sizeable Canadian Air Task Group was deployed to Doha, Quatar with the joint Headquarters, in Manamah, Bahrain. This force provided combat air patrols, air transport and air-to-air refuelling missions, and Canadian CF-18 aircraft completed 56 bombing sorties against Iraqi forces.

Force Mobile Command provided a company of infantry for security at two Canadian bases, Canada Dry 1 and Canada Dry 2.

Operation BROADSWORD, a deployment of 4 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group from Germany to the Middle East, never materialized beyond the theoretical.¹

Notes

Dr. Sean Maloney explores the reasons why in his article "Missed Opportunity: Operation BROADSWORD, 4 Canadian Mechanized Brigade and the Gulf War 1990-1991" in The Army Doctrine and Training Bulletin: Canada's Professional Journal on Army Issues Volume 5, Number 1 (Department of National Defence, Spring 2002)