25 Years ago – 16th January 1991 – Operation Desert Storm in Kuwait
Twenty-five years ago, former President George H.W. Bush took to the airwaves to announce the launch of what is now known as Operation Desert Storm.
US-led military operation to drive Saddam Hussein’s forces out of Kuwait. “Just two hours ago, allied air forces began an attack on military targets in Iraq and Kuwait,” Bush said on the evening of January 16, 1991. “These attacks continue as I speak.” For five weeks, coalition forces bombarded Iraqi positions from the air and sea. When a ground invasion followed in February, it took only 100 hours to drive Iraqi forces out of Kuwait.
Operation Desert Storm marked a shift in how Americans experience combat when the US military deploys in far-flung countries.
For the first time, the beginning of a conflict played out on live TV, and viewers could “watch the war” from the comfort of home as it unfolded.
It was billed as a smashing success: an “accurate” bombing campaign, followed up by a swift, four-day ground assault that led to Iraq’s expulsion from Kuwait and a ceasefire.
Then again, how does one define success in Iraq? Coalition losses reached the hundreds, while Iraqi troop deaths reached into the tens of thousands, and another 2,000-plus civilians were killed.
The anniversary of Operation Desert Storm is a reminder of the unfinished history of the United States at war in Iraq. After all, here we are 25 years later, still dropping bombs there.
Kuwait News
- Events in Kuwait
- Conditions for issuing driving license for expats
- Home delivery option, women in prostitution
- “Shamshon” arrested in Kuwait
- Deportation of teachers
- Woman escapes rape attempt by husband and friend
- Video – The best of Kuwait Desert
- Test ride of H225 helicopter for the Kuwait Police Helicopter Wing
- 26 Asians for gambling on a pathway in Jleeb
- Waiter arrested with Gold and Cash of worth 9000 KWD
- No jobs for expats under 30 diploma holders
- 30 Men arrested from Airport
- Fake notes in market
- A pimp and three prostitutes arrested in Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh
- ‘Complaints’ tied to barbecue ban in public gardens
- Burning coal to smoke shisha KD 50 fine
- Deport Expat after 5 violations
- Higher fees for expat – KD 30 and KD 15 for partial
- Kuwait Islands Project 2035 – 200000 Jobs
- Kuwaiti woman stabbed in Paris
- Expats nabbed in cafes
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