On This Day: 1991, Operation Desert Storm begins

[00000000000]

The American, British, French, Saudi and Kuwaiti aircraft took off at 2330 GMT on 14th January.
Their bombs were aimed at military and strategic targets, including an oil refinery and Baghdad airport with at least 400 raids taking place. US Defence Secretary, Dick Cheney, said the operation appeared to have gone "very well". In Baghdad, Saddam Hussein remained defiant. He said the "Mother of all Battles had begun". He urged the Iraqi people to "stand up to evil".

Source: BBC History

[TheGodlessUtopian]

Yeah, I cannot say I care on what day the imperialists start their wars, I am more concerned about ending the root source (capitalism).

[00000000000]

...sorry, thought 'History' included imperialist wars, which I are worthy of noting and discussing given our opposition to them and the lessons that might be learned from them.

[GatesofLenin]

Thanks for the thread comrade LeftRDead? Can we also mention that the idea of finding "WMDs" was a lie. The real reason to invade was Iraq's huge oil reserves.

[Jimmie Higgins]

Thanks for the thread comrade LeftRDead? Can we also mention that the idea of finding "WMDs" was a lie. The real reason to invade was Iraq's huge oil reserves.That wasn't their excuse that time. It was to stop "Iraq's Hitler" according to the US.

[00000000000]

Thanks for the thread comrade LeftRDead? Can we also mention that the idea of finding "WMDs" was a lie. The real reason to invade was Iraq's huge oil reserves.


Thought that was a given iro both wars, but yeah, of course it had northing to do WMDs (with the last war) and the first one was not purely motivated by liberating Kuwait (after all, the West / US had no qualms about Iraq attacking Iran and using WMDs in that war, in fact they supplied arms)

[Jimmie Higgins]

Thought that was a given iro both wars, but yeah, of course it had northing to do WMDs (with the last war) and the first one was not purely motivated by liberating Kuwait (after all, the West / US had no qualms about Iraq attacking Iran and using WMDs in that war, in fact they supplied arms)

Could have been. They tend to just throw every justification they can think of against the wall to see what sticks, I just remember the main reasons given were to protect Kuwait and stop "Iraqi military aggression".

Those reasons also fit in with the slightly different underlying reasons for the war. In "Desert Storm" the US wanted to justify, internationally as well as domestically, the continued necessity of the US military alliance after the end of the USSR. Domestically, they also wanted to justify maintaining a military force (and re-rehabilitating it's image here in the US) as a force for "justice" and "peace" and overcome the so-called "Vietnam syndrome".

After 9/11 the US wanted to expand beyond maintaining it's post-cold war hegemony and create a precedent for unilateral military interventions and regime change so that it could strengthen and expand it's power and influence. WMD's are a better excuse for that because it justifies direct occupation and control over the country.

[TheGodlessUtopian]

...sorry, thought 'History' included imperialist wars, which I are worthy of noting and discussing given our opposition to them and the lessons that might be learned from them.

Perhaps it would be, had this not been covered a hundred times already.But to each his own I suppose.

[00000000000]

Perhaps it would be, had this not been covered a hundred times already.But to each his own I suppose.

..and Marx hasn't been covered over and over and over? The Russian Revolution? Sorry, I'm not meaning to sound catty, I'm sure it's not a personal attack. As you say, to each his own.

Note to self: 'Develop thicker skin'

[GatesofLenin]

Thought that was a given iro both wars, but yeah, of course it had northing to do WMDs (with the last war) and the first one was not purely motivated by liberating Kuwait (after all, the West / US had no qualms about Iraq attacking Iran and using WMDs in that war, in fact they supplied arms)

Yeah, the US is the only country that still makes and sells cluster bombs. Truly sickening double standard!

[thriller]

Yeah, the US is the only country that still makes and sells cluster bombs. Truly sickening double standard!

Not to mention the US is the only country in history to actually use atomic weaponry on civilians.

[blake 3:17]

The first protest I attended was against Gulf War 1 under Bush the 1st.

[Red Commissar]

That wasn't their excuse that time. It was to stop "Iraq's Hitler" according to the US.

It's interesting considering the lead up to the war from the 1980s where the US had been building relations with Iraq (as were anumber of other nations, not limited to various European, Soviet, and Eastern Bloc states). When most of these 'brutal' actions occurred in Iraq that they used to apply the "Hitler" title happened, the US had chosen not to criticize or draw attention to it, so long as their contracts could be maintained. I think the whole extent relationship the US had with Iraq during the Iran-Iraq war is pretty well explored by this point- even after the war in the years running up to Kuwait. Even as the US was denouncing "Iraq's Hitler", though they arguably had a hand in making that 'Hitler'? It's even worse when you consider how figures like Rumsfeld and Cheney was a consistent figure in all these years from Iraq, going from justifying the US's relations with Iraq as a necessity against Iran and regional interests, to later becoming the men leading the charge against the nation two times over. If anything this should provide an example of what the US tends to do to nations that step out of line from their regional interests.

[TheGodlessUtopian]

The relationship between the U.S and Iraq goes deeper when one thinks of the relationship the two countries had after the Iranian hostage situation.The U.S supported Iraq's invasion of Iran and gave Saddam pictures of Iranian artillery positions essentially to get back at Iran.

[Red Commissar]

The relationship between the U.S and Iraq goes deeper when one thinks of the relationship the two countries had after the Iranian hostage situation.The U.S supported Iraq's invasion of Iran and gave Saddam pictures of Iranian artillery positions essentially to get back at Iran.

There was a lot of cooperation to the extent of securing credit and giving surplus soviet arms from other Middle-Eastern states, like Egypt, along with the already considerable amount they had gathered from the Soviets too. Then the mess of Anfal and all that does have the American involvement- though they had used the same genocide and gassing as an example of Saddam's nature.

One thing my father remembers at least running up to the war was the media frenzy after the invasion of Kuwait. There was one rather publicized clip of a hysterical person, claiming to be a nurse I think, claiming she had witnessed Iraqi soldiers taking incubators out of hospitals with children still in them, along with other claims of massive looting and raping. It was found later though that this person was actually a member of the Sabah royal family, and iirc wasn't even in Kuwait at the time. Looking at google, you can find more information under "Nayirah al-Sabah".

[dodger]

The American, British, French, Saudi and Kuwaiti aircraft took off at 2330 GMT on 14th January.
Their bombs were aimed at military and strategic targets, including an oil refinery and Baghdad airport with at least 400 raids taking place. US Defence Secretary, Dick Cheney, said the operation appeared to have gone "very well". In Baghdad, Saddam Hussein remained defiant. He said the "Mother of all Battles had begun". He urged the Iraqi people to "stand up to evil".

Source: BBC History

LeftRDead, a friend sent me this link as I am somewhat out of touch here, I do hope it is useful. Don't suppose there will be any surprises.

http://www.iraqoccupationfocus.org.uk/