The international conflict known as the Persian Gulf War was triggered by the country of Iraq's invasion of neighboring Kuwait on August 2, 1990. The fighting began on January 16–17, 1991. The war was fought between Iraq and allied forces of the United Nations (UN). Led by the United States, the UN forces also included troops from Great Britain, France, Canada, Australia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and other countries.

Lead-up to war

From 1980 to 1988 Iraq fought a war against another neighboring country, Iran. After the war Iraq faced great economic problems, including debts owed to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Iraq's president, Saddam Hussein, claimed that Kuwait had historically been part of Iraq and that Kuwaiti oil policy had robbed Iraq of much-needed income. Under Hussein's orders, Iraq invaded Kuwait on August 2, 1990. Kuwait fell quickly to the Iraqis.

The United Nations acted swiftly. On the day of the invasion, the UN Security Council passed a formal declaration, or resolution, that condemned the invasion and demanded Iraq's withdrawal from Kuwait. On August 6 the Security Council passed another resolution, banning all trade with Iraq. Ten more resolutions followed, the last one being passed on November 29. This resolution authorized the use of force against Iraq unless it withdrew from Kuwait by January 15, 1991.

In the meantime, a military buildup in the Persian Gulf region had begun. Fearing that Iraq would next attack Saudi Arabia, the United States and its allies in western Europe sent troops, warships, and aircraft to that country. Soon Egypt and several other Arab nations joined the anti-Iraq alliance and contributed forces. The military buildup was known as Operation Desert Shield. By January 1991 the allied forces against Iraq had reached a strength of 700,000 soldiers.

Despite the international pressure, Hussein refused to withdraw his forces from Kuwait. Instead he built up his occupying army to about 300,000 troops. When the January 15 deadline passed without any sign of Iraqi withdrawal, the stage was set for war.

A brief conflict

During the night of January 16–17, the Persian Gulf War began with a massive air offensive against Iraq. Over the next several weeks the United States led the allied forces in making more than 100,000 air strikes. This campaign was named Operation Desert Storm. The targets included Iraq's military bases, communications network, air bases, missile launchers, weapons factories, and bridges and roads.

A ground attack, called Operation Desert Saber, was launched on February 23–24. Within just four days Iraq's resistance collapsed. Many of its ground troops were killed, and others surrendered. Arab and U.S. forces easily recaptured Kuwait's capital. On February 27, 1991, U.S. President George Bush announced a cease-fire. Iraq was defeated and Kuwait was liberated.

There are no official figures for the number of Iraqi military troops killed in the war. Estimates range from 8,000 to more than 100,000. The allied forces lost only about 300 soldiers in the conflict.

Aftermath

The trade restrictions on Iraq introduced by the United Nations before the war remained in force after the fighting ended. Sometimes these restrictions led to shortages of food and medicine in Iraq. At the same time, UN inspectors oversaw the destruction of many of Iraq's weapons and facilities used for research on chemical and nuclear weapons. Ongoing disputes over the inspections and the issue of Iraq's weapons continued for many years after the war. In March 2003 the dispute led to a U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.

UN forces also stayed in the area to enforce so-called no-fly zones over sections of Iraq. These zones were imposed because of events that occurred after the war. Certain groups within Iraq that opposed Hussein's regime, notably Kurds in the northern part of the country and Shi?ite Muslims in the south, rose up in revolt against Hussein. Both groups had been mistreated by Hussein for many years. Hussein sent in troops and brutally put an end to the revolts. Many Kurds tried to flee to Turkey and Iran, but others remained and continued to protest their treatment. The United Nations attempted to prevent any further actions against both groups by telling Iraqi troops that they could not fly over certain areas in the north and south of the country. Tensions remained high in the area for many years to come.

Thousands of soldiers who took part in the Persian Gulf War later developed unexplained illnesses. Their condition was sometimes called Gulf War Syndrome. The illnesses seem to have resulted from the soldiers' exposure to various chemicals during the war.