Above: Map during Operation Desert Storm showing military advance (click map to enlarge)

On August 2, 1990, Iraqi forces invaded Kuwait. While Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein had been making threats against Kuwait for a while, his actual invasion caught most of the world by surprise.

Above: Picture of General Norman Schwarzkopf

The extent of the Iraqi invasion was also a surprise. Those who had expected an attack, like Commander of US Central Command General Norman Schwarzkopf, expected just a limited attack to seize Kuwaiti oil fields. Instead, within a number of hours, Iraqi forces had seized downtown Kuwait City and were heading south towards the Saudi Arabian border.

Above: US Aircrafts flying over burning oil field

When word of the Iraqi attack was received and digested in Washington, the first concern was: would he stop at the Saudi border? Initial analysis was not encouraging; Iraqi forces began to assemble at the Saudi border in offensive positions. The United States had contingency plans for coming to the defense of the Saudis, but they were dependent on the Saudis asking for US assistance. Secretary of Defense Cheney and General Schwarkopf met with King Fahd of Saudi Arabia to brief him on American plans; he approved the plans and then asked for American assistance. The minute the meeting ended, orders were issued that began the largest buildup of American forces since Vietnam. Within a short period, forces of the 82nd Airborne division were heading for Saudi Arabia, as well as 300 combat aircraft.

Above: US Battle Tanks passing through an Iraqi tank destroyed during battle

By the end of September, there were nearly 200,000 American forces in Saudi Arabia – enough to successfully defend any Iraqi attack. The question remained, however, how to remove Iraqi forces from Kuwait. The initial plan called for a direct offensive aimed at Kuwait City; but Schwarzkopf and other American commanders thought that too risky against heavily-armed, well-entrenched Iraqis. Instead, they called for additional troops to prepare for an offensive. President Bush, with Saudi approval, ordered additional 140,000 troops, including the 3rd Armored Division with its Abrams M1A tanks. During this period, troops from many other nations arrived, including British, French, Egyptian and even Syrian forces. On November 29, the UN Security Council passed a resolution authorizing the use of force if Iraq did not withdraw from Kuwait by January 15.

Above: Allied armored vehicle launching missile attack against Iraq

On the morning of January 16, Allied forces began the first phase of Operation Desert Storm: the attack on Iraq. American forces systematically destroyed first the Iraqi border radar stations; then other key elements of the Iraqi anti-aircraft network; and finally began bombing key targets in downtown Iraq, including the Presidential palace, communication centers and power stations. The Allied forces lost only 2 planes during the attacks. The attacks continued day and night.

Above: Picture of vehicle carrying a scud missile

On January 17, at 3 AM, the Iraqis fired seven Scud missiles at Israel. Israelis, based on Saddam’s earlier threats to burn half of Israel with chemical weapons, awaited the missiles wearing gas masks. The Scuds only had conventional warheads, but their terror value was immense. The Israelis, following their long-stated doctrine, wanted to retaliate massively immediately. However Washington heavily pressured Jerusalem not to respond. To convince Israel not to respond to the Scud attacks that continued, the US promised to increase the number of aircraft sorties aimed at Scud sites. It also rushed Israel Patriot missile systems, with American crews, that had been modified to intercept incoming Scuds.

Above: Allied aircraft Maverick, firing A-10 Thunderbolt II missile against scud missile carrier vehicles of Iraq

On the evening of January 29, after two weeks of air assaults, the Iraqis mounted their one attack. The Iraqi 5th Mechanized Division attacked southward, capturing the Saudi town of Al Khafji, eight miles south of the Kuwaiti border. The Iraqis repulsed the first Saudi force that attempted a counterattack and, despite massive American air attacks, they held on to the town through the day and night. The next day, however, the Saudis recaptured the town, forcing the remaining Iraqis to flee back to the Kuwaiti border.

Above: Massive bombings and missile attacks commenced by US and British forces against Iraq

On February 24, at 4 AM, led by the Marines, the Allied troops crossed the borders into Kuwait. For the days before the attack, the Iraqi troops had been subjected to merciless air attacks; every possible target was struck. The Allied offensive had three major prongs: the first aimed at Kuwait City, the second to the west aimed at the Iraqi flanks, and the final one far to the west, beyond the major Iraqi lines that would totally outflank Iraqi lines. In the first day of the war, all the major objectives were reached, with the Marines advancing halfway to Kuwait City and the western advances proceeding without difficulty. American casualties in the first day of fighting were incredibly light.

On the second day of the war, the American troops advanced further on all fronts. The Marines approached Kuwait City, while the west prongs began to cut off the Iraqis’ ability to withdraw. Once again, American casualties were extremely low.

Above: Actual scene of tanks battle between US and Iraq during Operation Desert Storm

The third day of the war saw the largest tank battle in history. The American armored forces engaged the tank forces of the Republican guard. The American tanks completely destroyed the Iraqi heavy armor without losing a single tank. During the third day, the Iraqi army began a headlong retreat from Kuwait and southern Iraq. That retreat was cut off by Allied aircraft. Iraqis were told to leave their vehicles and retreat by foot. Their vehicles were destroyed from the air. That night, Allied troops liberated Kuwait City.

Above: US Marines patrolling in the city of Baghdad

The fourth and last full day of the war saw the American forces continuing the destruction of much of the Iraqi Army. A decision had already been taken in Washington to end the war at 100 hours. It had been determined that an assault on Baghdad was impractical, and thus the best that could be done was to destroy as much Iraqi equipment as possible, and that was what was done in the last hours of the war.

Below: City Map of Baghdad (click map to enlarge)