In the final days of the Gulf War, retreating Iraqi forces set fire to hundreds of oil wells across Kuwait. The blazes turned day into something close to night and left behind one of the largest deliberate environmental disasters on record. This is what happened, why it lasted so long, and what the smoke and … Read more
When Iraq invaded Kuwait on August 2, 1990, it set in motion the largest military coalition assembled since the Second World War. Operation Desert Storm, the combat phase that followed, lasted roughly six weeks and ended with Iraqi forces driven out of Kuwait. This is how the Operation Desert Storm coalition came together, fought, and … Read more
On 2 August 1990, Iraqi forces crossed into Kuwait and seized the small, oil-rich emirate within hours. The reasons why Iraq invaded Kuwait were a mix of debt, oil economics, a territorial dispute, and longstanding claims to Kuwaiti land. This article breaks down the main causes, each well documented in the historical record. The Backdrop: … Read more
The Gulf War of 1990 to 1991 was a short, intense conflict that pushed Iraqi forces out of Kuwait and reshaped the modern Middle East. A coalition led by the United States ran two main military operations, Desert Shield and Desert Storm, across roughly seven months. This Gulf War 1991 timeline walks through the key … Read more