Today in History: The Start of the Gulf War
On this day, 29 years ago, Iraq invaded Kuwait, sparking what we now know as the Gulf War.
- דבי רייכמן
- פורסם י"א אב התשע"ט
(Photo: shutterstock) #VALUE!
The economic and political conflict between Iraq and Kuwait after the Iran-Iraq War led to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait on this day. The invasion marked the beginning of what we now call the "Gulf War," or the "Desert Storm Operation."
Within hours of the invasion, representatives from Kuwait and the United States demanded a convening of the UN Security Council. Iraq was ordered to withdraw from Kuwait, and economic sanctions were imposed. Subsequently, the United States formed a coalition of 34 countries that sent military forces or provided economic support to aid in the conflict against Iraq with the goal of liberating Kuwait.
Before the invasion, Iraq had threatened that in the event of war, it would attack Israel. Fears of chemical or biological warfare led Israeli citizens to prepare by setting up sealed rooms in their homes and distributing protection kits that included gas masks and atropine syringes.
Ultimately, such weapons were not used. During the war, 38 missiles fell in Israel, causing no casualties but relatively minor property damage.
