THE WAR IN IRAQ a CHC2D Canadian History Presentation

PERSIAN GULF following the Iranian Revolution, Iraq invaded Iran Iraq had been allied with the Soviet Union, but after the hostage crisis at the American embassy, the United States backed Saddam Hussein and the Iraqi by 1990, however, Iraq’s things were not so good Iraq had a deal with Saudi Arabia to help build up its infrastructure, and an agreement with Kuwait to sell them oil to help pay for it O.P.E.C. discovered that the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait were producing more oil than they said they would more oil means lower prices, and the overproduction cost Iraq $7 billion a year the losses mounted when the U.S. pulled its funding over Hussein’s announcement they would soon rain chemical weapons on Israel relations with Egypt also deteriorated

PERSIAN GULF Iraq threatened military action against Kuwait Iraq’s enemy, Syria, mobilized to help Kuwait while the Americans moved ships into position a diplomatic solution was attempted: Iraq wanted $10 billion to cover lost revenues but Kuwait countered with $9 billion on 2 August 1990, Iraq invaded western forced retreated to avoid conflict the U.S. also placed economic sanctions on Iraq through the United Nations Iraq informed the United Nations it would only leave Kuwait if Israel withdrew from all territories, Syria withdrew from Lebanon, and an Arab coalition that did not include Egypt replaced all American soldiers in the region Hussein also went on television to show off the good treatment of westerners who could not escape Kuwait in time and were now prisoners

PERSIAN GULF the U.S. refused to accept that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait were linked the United Nations gave Kuwait until January 1991 to withdraw the United States insisted there would be no discussion of compensation until Iraq fully withdrew from Kuwait one day before the deadline, France proposed that the United Nations rapidly settle the Israeli-Palestinian dispute and all the other problems in the Middle East as per Iraq’s suggestion and it was rejected outright by the U.S., the U.K. and U.S.S.R. Hussein was not interested in withdrawing — in fact, he was looking at further invasion Saudi Arabia had lent Iraq billions to fight Iran but there was no way Iraq would pay it back Iraq moved forces into invasion position

PERSIAN GULF U.S. President George H. Bush initiated Operation Desert Shield to protect Saudi Arabia the largest coalition of forces was created to push Iraq out of Kuwait: 34 countries Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Egypt, France, Greece, Italy, Kuwait, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Niger, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Portugal, Qatar, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Spain, Syria, the U.A.E., U.K. and U.S. — with financial help from Japan and Germany — would be led by General Norman Schwazkopf Jr. the action against Kuwait was called Operation Desert Storm the new allies aimed specifically for the SCUD missile systems that Iraq was using to hit Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and Israel with — though they were not powerful missiles, they still led to deaths and notable property damage

PERSIAN GULF Iraq tried to attack Syria but was pushed back Iraq quickly realized it could not defend against the coalition troops and began withdrawing as they did, Iraqi soldiers set fire to the Kuwaiti oil fields… which made it easier for American bombers to see their targets retreating away as coalition troops pushed into Iraq, the Kurds in Iraq’s north tried an uprising to help overthrow the government — and were crushed horribly the operation ended in March with the Americans withdrawing from Iraq — and Saddam Hussein still in power Bush’s decision to keep Hussein in power would hurt him in the 1992 Presidential election

BILL CLINTON William Jefferson Clinton appealed to American voters in 1992 for more than just being different than George H. Bush Bill Clinton was a baby boomer that meant Bill Clinton was the same age as the largest portion of the voting population — and had many of the same experiences such as disliking the draft (he went to school instead) and trying marijuana (which he claimed he didn’t inhale) Clinton also appealed to younger voters by appearing on late night talk shows like Arsenio Hall, where he famously played saxophone in the house band Bush’s old ways of campaigning were not enough and he was defeated