U.S. Point of View of the Causes of the Iraq/Kuwait War.

                        “U.S. Point of View of the Causes of the Iraq/Kuwait War” 

     The United States relationship with Iraq started at a low point in 1979 when Iraq was placed on a United States list of State Sponsors of Terrorism.  They did this because Iraq was seen as supporting Palestinian groups such as Abu Nadal.  Iraq invades Iran and initially the United States is neutral because the U.S. believes Iraq will win.  Iraqi victory is alright with the United States because the United States has distanced themselves.  Iran since the Four Hundred Plus Day Hostage crisis of the early 1980’s.

     Suddenly in 1982, Iran starts winning the war with their offensive known as Operation Undeniable Victory.  The United States not wanting to see an Iranian victory, begins improving relations with Iraq.  Donald Rumsfeld, is sent by President Reagan to cultivate ties.  This is done despite the fact the “no one doubts that Iraq was continuing its terrorist involvement” according to Noel Koch, Assistant Secretary of Defense.  Iraq decides in 1983 to expel Abu Nadal who then moves to Syria.

     Fear of Iranian victory has United States send 200 million in military aid.  This amounts to one percent of military aid received by Iraq, but it does include helicopters which Iraq quickly uses against Iran.  The United States also arranges for five billion dollars in credits from the Commodity Credit Corp., run by the Department of Agriculture and $684 million from the United States Import Export Bank for Oil Pipe Line Construction.

     Iraq and the United States relations are “Un-hindered” until Iraq invades Kuwait.  Ambassador Glaspie seems to give Iraq a green light then expressing United States’s surprise that Iraq took the whole country, combine this with Iraq disclosing minutes from a United States Kuwait meeting where the United States and Kuwait are shown conspiring to destabilize Iraq by keeping oil prices low.  A person has to wonder what was United States policy at this time?

     The United States leads a coalition of 19 to 39 nations, depending on whose numbers you use, to expel Iraq from Kuwait.  Iraq was aggressively, verbally attacking the United States and its Middle East allies, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Israel.  United States and the West cannot allow Iraq to even think about attempting to invade Saudi Arabia because if Iraq should control all three air regions, they would have a strangle hold on world energy supplies.  United States military forces are quickly moved to Saudi Arabia to support that country in an operation called “Desert Shield”.

    

                       

                                     

                                                            Works Cited:

1. www.http://experts.about.com/e/g/gu/gulf-war.htm.
2. www.http://www.wnyc.org./shows/lopate/2010/Nov/11/why-americans-choose-war/.