Turning Point of the Gulf War
1990 in the Persian Gulf, Iraq invade its small neighbor, Kuwait. Kuwait is an oil rich country and Iraq claimed Kuwait was historically theirs. The US then got involved. The turning point of the Gulf War was when President Bush doubled the troops in Kuwait because he felt the economic sanctions weren't working and that decision resulted in liberating Kuwait.
Economic sanctions weren't working fast enough in Bush’s perspective, so before the US went to war the United Nations then gave Saddam Hussein a deadline to leave Kuwait. He did not cooperate. President Bush said in his declaration of war “Saddam was warned over and over again to comply with the will of the United Nations, leave Kuwait or be driven out”(Bush) This is important because it shows how frustrated Bush is about the problem in Kuwait. In the textbook American Nation in the Modern Era they say, “The United Nation condemned the attack. It also imposed economic sanctions on Iraq and set a deadline for Iraqi withdrawal from Kuwait. As the January 15, 1991, deadline neared, military forces representing the United States, Great Britain, France, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia prepared for war.” (Boyer and Stuckey, 787) Howard Zinn disagrees saying, “Bush doubled American military forces in the Gulf… creating what was now clearly an offensive force… a short successful war would be pure political gold.” I don’t really find this argument that convincing but I do believe there is more to both sides. Yes it was political gold and Bush probably wanted this more because it would help him be reelected, but I also believe he wanted this conflict to be over and done with fast.
President Bush sent in double the amount of troops to help liberate Kuwait. In Bush’s eyes the sanctions were not working fast enough and the deadline the United Nations put up was coming to an end and Saddam Hussein was not cooperating. Bush then doubled the troops in Kuwait. President Bush said in his declaration of war “Some may ask: Why act now? Why not wait? The answer is clear: The world could wait no longer. Sanctions, though having some effect, showed no signs of accomplishing their objective. Sanctions were tried for well over 5 months, and we and our allies concluded that sanctions alone would not force Saddam from Kuwait.”(Bush) This quote is convincing because he was the president at this time which would make me believe that he probably had all the information. He seems like he wants to get the problem in Kuwait over with as fast as he can. The textbook American Nations says the United Nations “...set a deadline for Iraqi withdrawal from Kuwait…” (Boyer and Stuckey, 787) Zinn disagrees and says that the reason that the US went to war was; first because Bush wanted to be reelected and second was that Iraq was a few years from making nuclear bomb. It’s not that I don't find this argument convincing its just it could go either way. I think in some cases it was both because the sanctions were taking longer then wanted to but it also may be that Bush wanted to be reelected.
Due to the doubled amount of troops, Iraqis were successfully pushed out of Kuwait. This operation was called Operation Desert Storm. Bombing started January 16, and ground assault started February 23, within a few days Iraqis went back. Colin Powell was a military man and had great faith in his troops he had said in My American Journey “I had no doubt that we would be successful. We had the troops, the weapons, and the plan. What I did not know was how long it would take, and how many of our troops would not be coming home.” (Powell) Colin Powell was a general and like he said he has no doubt that the US would win. And he was disappointed that so many died and how long it took. In American Nation it says the war was won by using high tech weapons and troops using these weapons. 6% of all the US troops were involved in the Gulf war. Howard Zinn says yes we won the war. But did we go over board? “US planes kept bombing retreating soldiers…”(Zinn, 595) A reporter called it “blazing hell...a gruesome testament.” (Zinn, 595) I think this war was a success in some ways I think we went over board and maybe President Bush had the wrong intentions, but it was a problem that was fixed fast. It could have been fixed with sanctions but it may have taken to long.
The decision to send in double the troops helped liberate Kuwait. President Bush made the decision that the sanctions were taking to long to fix the problem. I think the turning point was when Bush sent in the troops to push Iraqis out of Kuwait. Studying the Gulf War really made me realize the variety of reasons our country goes to war. But they are both good and bad reasons, our country should change to just good reasons not bad. It has also made me realize that sometimes or country goes overboard we bomb buildings for no reason we kill men as they are fleeing away. Iraqis backed down but they were still getting shot at. Our business in Kuwait was to push Iraq out and leave, we pushed them out fast but over did it. That is what I will remember. That our country can finish a task, but kill so many.
1990 in the Persian Gulf, Iraq invade its small neighbor, Kuwait. Kuwait is an oil rich country and Iraq claimed Kuwait was historically theirs. The US then got involved. The turning point of the Gulf War was when President Bush doubled the troops in Kuwait because he felt the economic sanctions weren't working and that decision resulted in liberating Kuwait.
Economic sanctions weren't working fast enough in Bush’s perspective, so before the US went to war the United Nations then gave Saddam Hussein a deadline to leave Kuwait. He did not cooperate. President Bush said in his declaration of war “Saddam was warned over and over again to comply with the will of the United Nations, leave Kuwait or be driven out”(Bush) This is important because it shows how frustrated Bush is about the problem in Kuwait. In the textbook American Nation in the Modern Era they say, “The United Nation condemned the attack. It also imposed economic sanctions on Iraq and set a deadline for Iraqi withdrawal from Kuwait. As the January 15, 1991, deadline neared, military forces representing the United States, Great Britain, France, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia prepared for war.” (Boyer and Stuckey, 787) Howard Zinn disagrees saying, “Bush doubled American military forces in the Gulf… creating what was now clearly an offensive force… a short successful war would be pure political gold.” I don’t really find this argument that convincing but I do believe there is more to both sides. Yes it was political gold and Bush probably wanted this more because it would help him be reelected, but I also believe he wanted this conflict to be over and done with fast.
President Bush sent in double the amount of troops to help liberate Kuwait. In Bush’s eyes the sanctions were not working fast enough and the deadline the United Nations put up was coming to an end and Saddam Hussein was not cooperating. Bush then doubled the troops in Kuwait. President Bush said in his declaration of war “Some may ask: Why act now? Why not wait? The answer is clear: The world could wait no longer. Sanctions, though having some effect, showed no signs of accomplishing their objective. Sanctions were tried for well over 5 months, and we and our allies concluded that sanctions alone would not force Saddam from Kuwait.”(Bush) This quote is convincing because he was the president at this time which would make me believe that he probably had all the information. He seems like he wants to get the problem in Kuwait over with as fast as he can. The textbook American Nations says the United Nations “...set a deadline for Iraqi withdrawal from Kuwait…” (Boyer and Stuckey, 787) Zinn disagrees and says that the reason that the US went to war was; first because Bush wanted to be reelected and second was that Iraq was a few years from making nuclear bomb. It’s not that I don't find this argument convincing its just it could go either way. I think in some cases it was both because the sanctions were taking longer then wanted to but it also may be that Bush wanted to be reelected.
Due to the doubled amount of troops, Iraqis were successfully pushed out of Kuwait. This operation was called Operation Desert Storm. Bombing started January 16, and ground assault started February 23, within a few days Iraqis went back. Colin Powell was a military man and had great faith in his troops he had said in My American Journey “I had no doubt that we would be successful. We had the troops, the weapons, and the plan. What I did not know was how long it would take, and how many of our troops would not be coming home.” (Powell) Colin Powell was a general and like he said he has no doubt that the US would win. And he was disappointed that so many died and how long it took. In American Nation it says the war was won by using high tech weapons and troops using these weapons. 6% of all the US troops were involved in the Gulf war. Howard Zinn says yes we won the war. But did we go over board? “US planes kept bombing retreating soldiers…”(Zinn, 595) A reporter called it “blazing hell...a gruesome testament.” (Zinn, 595) I think this war was a success in some ways I think we went over board and maybe President Bush had the wrong intentions, but it was a problem that was fixed fast. It could have been fixed with sanctions but it may have taken to long.
The decision to send in double the troops helped liberate Kuwait. President Bush made the decision that the sanctions were taking to long to fix the problem. I think the turning point was when Bush sent in the troops to push Iraqis out of Kuwait. Studying the Gulf War really made me realize the variety of reasons our country goes to war. But they are both good and bad reasons, our country should change to just good reasons not bad. It has also made me realize that sometimes or country goes overboard we bomb buildings for no reason we kill men as they are fleeing away. Iraqis backed down but they were still getting shot at. Our business in Kuwait was to push Iraq out and leave, we pushed them out fast but over did it. That is what I will remember. That our country can finish a task, but kill so many.
George H W Bush Announces War Against Iraq
CitationsBoyer, Paul S., and Sterling Stuckey. American Nation in the Modern Era. Austin: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 2003. Print.
Zinn, Howard. A People's History of the United States. New York: Harper Perennial Modern Classic, 2005. Print.
Zinn, Howard. A People's History of the United States. New York: Harper Perennial Modern Classic, 2005. Print.