On August 2, 1990, the Iraqi army guided by Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait, on of the richest oil countries. This was the first major international crisis after the Cold War (“The Persian Gulf War”, 2012). After a long process of diplomatic talk and sanctions, the President of the United States, George Hebert Walker Bush, along with the support of the U.S Congress and the United Nations, decided to declare war on Iraq. During his declaration of war speech, Bush expressed that It was a forceful choice, as there was no other way left but to drive Saddam Hussein out of Kuwait with force (pitythefool, 2008). As a result, the coalition led by the U.S won the war in a short time period. However, ...view middle of the document...
Israel was one of the countries that Saddam had threatened to attack after Kuwait. By doing saw, he was hoping for Egypt and Syria, two members of the U.S coalition, to change sides and support his attack over Israel. It is very important to emphasize the continuous support that the U.S has provided Israel with. After all, they have been giving Israel $3 billion dollars of yearly grants since 1986 (Mark, 2002). If more countries had supported Iraq, then the Israeli-United States relations would have been at severe risk. The war could have escalated on an international level, with several countries supporting both sides. However, the U.S swiftly defeated Iraq’s military, leaving Saddam’s regime and
political position over the region unstable. The U.S further developed its ties with the countries of the Middle East by selling them weapons in case they needed to protect themselves (Bayman & Waxman, 2000). By stopping Sadam’s advance the U.S successfully maintained the international ties in the region, but also made sure to avoid any threats aiming at unstable international issues which would directly fall under their responsibility.
President George Herbert Walker Bush was the one who inspired the formation of an international coalition against Iraq’s military attack over Kuwait. Joining countries to fight for the same cause is a challenge. The coalition itself was a victory for the United States because it included several countries like France, Israel, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United States, and the United Kingdom whose political aims sought conflict with each other. The leading qualities of the U.S politics made these countries overcome their personal interests during a problematic stage, and consider their benefits as a group. The U.S served as an inspiration for the other countries to join the war against Saddam Hussein and fight for the same cause. Many of Saddam’s inspirational points for Iraq’s military cause were that the U.S could not be an obstacle for them, since the U.S did not know how to end a war (McDonald, 2003). Unlike in the Vietnam War, where the U.S never finished what it started, the purpose 1991 Persian Gulf War was quickly and efficiently accomplished, while considering involvement as a group (“The Persian Gulf War”). Therefore, the U.S regained their lost leading title of international affairs after the flop of the Vietnam War by taking the most responsibility in the group (“The Persian Gulf War”).
Considering the issue on a political perspective, the U.S involvement in the first Persian Gulf War had several positive impacts. The U.S role as the leader of international affairs was reaffirmed. President Bush’s initiative for an international coalition proved to be successful despite the differences in the political beliefs of the group. The military and political impressions of the Cold War episode were just a thing of the past. Most importantly, their regained international leading reputation came along with the...
