Other editions of book Overview of the Persian Gulf War, 1990

In the early hours of August 2, 1990, one hundred thousand mechanized troops of Saddam Hussein s Iraqi army roared and rumbled across the border into Kuwait. By noon of August 4, the tiny, oil-rich nation belonged to the Iraqi invaders. When informed of Iraq s unprovoked aggression, U.S. President George H. W. Bush said, This will not stand. In defense of Saudi Arabia and stability in the Middle East, he drew a line in the sand. Operating under the umbrella of the United Nations, President Bush assembled a multinational coalition and prepared for war. Over the next five months, Saddam refused to accept UN diplomatic efforts for Iraq s complete withdrawal from Kuwait. He ignored a UN ultimatum to withdraw by January 15, 1991. On January 17, at approximately 3:00 a.m., Iraqis reaped the lethal consequences of their leader s aggression and defiance. A huge coalition air armada struck Baghdad and ushered in a new era of high-tech warfare.