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
- A Kuwaiti woman fears for lives of daughter and son
- Validity of PCR test certificate for incoming passengers increased to 96 hrs instead of 72 hrs
- 688 new cases of infection and 506 recovered from coronavirus
- Teachers have no rights to give assignments for students after school hours
- Intensive campaign to arrest 120,000 illegal expats postponed
- Allowing restricted group of stranded expats returning with prior approval
- 35,000 Indians leaving Kuwait in two weeks
- No dependent visa for expats above 18, unless pursuing further studies
- Ban on academic qualification amendment for expat over 50
- Visit visas transfer to dependent (family) visa not allowed
- Maids exempted in all demographic quotas
- No work permit, transfer or renewal of residence for 60 yrs of age and above
- New residency rules for expat employees aged 60 and above
- Tailoring shops and workshops – Fourth phase precautionary measures
- Public transport – Fourth phase precautionary measures
- Restaurants and cafes – Fourth phase precautionary measures
- Partial distribution of Civil IDs
- No work permit for 60 yrs and above without graduation degree
- Expat forged 60 visas of domestic workers for KD 20,000
- Guidelines for salons and barber shops
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