AN INTRODUCTION TO THE GULF WAR
KEY QUESTIONS/THEMES
The Gulf War was the first major post-Cold War conflict. To an extent, the US and Iraq were trying to exploit the rapid decline of Soviet influence in the Middle East (brought about by the failed Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, the collapse of satellite states in Eastern Europe and the impact of nationalist movements within the USSR). Both actors were trying to position themselves geo-politically in the heart of a rich oil producing region that was vital to the health of the world's economy. Ultimately, the Americans were overwhelming victors. As representatives of Western oil interests, the big prize from the war was regaining a military presence in the Arabian Gulf. This war can be considered a limited war because it was limited to a specific region (Kuwait) and primarily to armed services personnel. However, to the Kuwaiti citizens who remained in their homeland during the Iraqi occupation, it was not limited. Many acts of war were committed against Kuwaiti civilians by members of the Iraqi military, one example being that they were used as "human shields", and there was active resistance to Iraqi occupation from sections of the population.
One common theme surrounding Western action in the Middle East that cannot be underestimated is the Arab fear of "re-colonization". History has shown this to be a legitimate concern, as Arabs have fought Europeans in the Middle East since the time of the Crusades. The Arab world was also ruled by the Ottoman Empire (a Turkic- not Arabic- people) from the 15th Century to the Early 20th Century. During the First World War, the tribes of the Arabic peninsula were encouraged to revolt against Ottoman rule by the British and French with promises of independence. This was not forthcoming at the Treaty of Sevres in 1923 and has never been forgotten to this day. Compounding this was the UN partition plan of 1947, which proposed to create the state of Israel within the British Mandate (colony) of Palestine. Both the Treaty of Sevres and the creation of Israel were seen as European/Western acts of colonization by the Arab people (Israelis are descendants of European Jews- mostly from Eastern Europe). Western support for Israel, particularly in the 1960's and '70's also angered many Arabs.
Finally it is important to recognize that many Arabs still see themselves as one people, whether Syrian, Egyptian or Yemeni. They are united by a common language and culture and many of them are Muslim (although there are significant numbers of Christians in Lebanon, Syria, Palestine and Egypt). In addition, Arabs were relatively new to the concept of nationalism (especially compared to Europeans) and national identity competes with Arab and Islamic identities for many Arabs. Throughout Arab history, there has always been a pan-Arab Nationalist movement. This is a primarily secular movement that seeks to unite all Arab peoples under one ruler. Saladin, born in Tikrit (Saddam's home town), was one of the earliest pan-Arabian figures and he fought the Crusaders of Richard the Lion heart in the late 1100s. In the 1950's and '60's, Gamal Abdul Nasser of Egypt was another would-be pan-Arabian figure (in fact Syria asked to join with Egypt to create the United Arab Republic in the late '50's). Saddam was another would-be pan-Arabian figure. Indeed, his invasion of Kuwait, another Arabic sovereign state was not universally condemned by all the Arab world. The Palestinian leadership (under Yasser Arafat), Morocco, Algeria, Libya, Yemen and Jordan all opposed the liberation of Kuwait from Iraqi occupation. It is important to understand that these complexities exist concerning the Arab people before studying the Gulf War. There are further useful documents that outline a brief history of the Arab people and the Middle East below:
- What were the causes of the Gulf War?
- In what ways was it a limited war?
- How did fall of Soviet bloc help and harm Hussein?
- Is the foreign policy of “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” justified? Does it work?
- What similarities exist between this war and other wars (in terms of causes)?
The Gulf War was the first major post-Cold War conflict. To an extent, the US and Iraq were trying to exploit the rapid decline of Soviet influence in the Middle East (brought about by the failed Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, the collapse of satellite states in Eastern Europe and the impact of nationalist movements within the USSR). Both actors were trying to position themselves geo-politically in the heart of a rich oil producing region that was vital to the health of the world's economy. Ultimately, the Americans were overwhelming victors. As representatives of Western oil interests, the big prize from the war was regaining a military presence in the Arabian Gulf. This war can be considered a limited war because it was limited to a specific region (Kuwait) and primarily to armed services personnel. However, to the Kuwaiti citizens who remained in their homeland during the Iraqi occupation, it was not limited. Many acts of war were committed against Kuwaiti civilians by members of the Iraqi military, one example being that they were used as "human shields", and there was active resistance to Iraqi occupation from sections of the population.
One common theme surrounding Western action in the Middle East that cannot be underestimated is the Arab fear of "re-colonization". History has shown this to be a legitimate concern, as Arabs have fought Europeans in the Middle East since the time of the Crusades. The Arab world was also ruled by the Ottoman Empire (a Turkic- not Arabic- people) from the 15th Century to the Early 20th Century. During the First World War, the tribes of the Arabic peninsula were encouraged to revolt against Ottoman rule by the British and French with promises of independence. This was not forthcoming at the Treaty of Sevres in 1923 and has never been forgotten to this day. Compounding this was the UN partition plan of 1947, which proposed to create the state of Israel within the British Mandate (colony) of Palestine. Both the Treaty of Sevres and the creation of Israel were seen as European/Western acts of colonization by the Arab people (Israelis are descendants of European Jews- mostly from Eastern Europe). Western support for Israel, particularly in the 1960's and '70's also angered many Arabs.
Finally it is important to recognize that many Arabs still see themselves as one people, whether Syrian, Egyptian or Yemeni. They are united by a common language and culture and many of them are Muslim (although there are significant numbers of Christians in Lebanon, Syria, Palestine and Egypt). In addition, Arabs were relatively new to the concept of nationalism (especially compared to Europeans) and national identity competes with Arab and Islamic identities for many Arabs. Throughout Arab history, there has always been a pan-Arab Nationalist movement. This is a primarily secular movement that seeks to unite all Arab peoples under one ruler. Saladin, born in Tikrit (Saddam's home town), was one of the earliest pan-Arabian figures and he fought the Crusaders of Richard the Lion heart in the late 1100s. In the 1950's and '60's, Gamal Abdul Nasser of Egypt was another would-be pan-Arabian figure (in fact Syria asked to join with Egypt to create the United Arab Republic in the late '50's). Saddam was another would-be pan-Arabian figure. Indeed, his invasion of Kuwait, another Arabic sovereign state was not universally condemned by all the Arab world. The Palestinian leadership (under Yasser Arafat), Morocco, Algeria, Libya, Yemen and Jordan all opposed the liberation of Kuwait from Iraqi occupation. It is important to understand that these complexities exist concerning the Arab people before studying the Gulf War. There are further useful documents that outline a brief history of the Arab people and the Middle East below:
| culture_clash_4.doc |
| middle_east_and_the_west.pptx |
| debunking_myths_in_the_middle_east.pptx |
| middle_east_glossary.docx |
