Term Paper on "U.S. Gulf War"

Term Paper 4 pages (1417 words) Sources: 2

[EXCERPT] . . . .

U.S. Gulf War

Over the years, the Gulf War has become associated with some of the more successful wars. Where, it would surpass the expectations of planners, with many preparing for: heavy casualties and the possibility of quagmire emerging. However, despite all of these different concerns, the casualties would remain fairly low coming in at: 148 killed in action, 450 wounded and 1 missing in action. This is significant, because it is far less than any of the possible casualties that were expected. As a result, these events would shape how the world would look at international affairs. To fully understand the role that Gulf War would play in these events requires examining: why the U.S. entered the war and possible political / monetary benefits. Together, these different elements will provide the greatest insights as to the impact that Gulf War would have in future international relations.

Why the U.S. Entered the War?

The U.S. entered war to protect the sovereign rights of every nation against naked aggression and to uphold international law. That being said, when you look beyond these motives, it is clear that a number of different factors would contribute to the U.S. entering the war to include: the protection of oil interests and limiting the possible influences of Saddam Hussein along with Iran. The protection of various oil interests was one of the major causes of war. This is because there was a long running dispute between Iraq and Kuwait, over who controlled the oil reserves between their borders. Where, they would begin in Iraq and end inside Kuwaiti territory. This was problematic, because both sides would accuse the other of stealing oil from their side of the border. At which point, Iraq would claim that Kuwait was illegally drilling in their oil reserves, fueling the conflict. As negations were going nowhere, Saddam Hussein would order his military to conduct an all out invasion of Kuwait. This would give Iraq control the Kuwaiti oil fields and increased access to the Persian Gulf. At the same time, it would place him right on the border of Saudi Arabia. From the U.S. point-of-view, this was troubling as Saddam Hussein could easily have invaded Saudi Arabia, gaining control of the majority of region's oil. If this kind of scenario took place, it could cause the price of crude oil to rise to levels not seen since the 1970s' and beyond. At which point, there is possibility of: increasing amounts of stagflation and decreasing U.S. political influence in the region. As a result, President Bush would send American forces to the Middle East, to defend Saudi Arabia against a possible invasion from Iraq. While simultaneously, planning to expel Iraq from Kuwait. (Lee, 2010)

The possible influence of Saddam Hussein becoming more powerful in the region was troubling. As his invasion and subsequent war, with Iran during the 1980's would highlight his desire to increase the country's control and authority. One way to achieve this objective was through military conquest. The problem was that if Saddam Hussein was allowed to become more powerful, there could be a situation where he would control the majority of the world's oil supply (if his actions were allowed to stand). At the same time, the U.S. wanted to reduce the influence of Iran in region, as Iraq had a large Shiite population (which could be swayed by the Islamic republic) and Iran was known for sponsoring terrorist activities. This is significant, because it shows how the U.S. wanted to maintain the current balance of power in the region. Once Iraq became too powerful (by invading Kuwait), is when American forces would become involved. (Lee, 2010)

Possible Political and Economic Benefits from the War

The lasting benefits of the war are: that it would create shift in world politics and economics. What was happening was the invasion of Iraq would set off an entire firestorm of behind the scenes politicking. Where, the U.S. would use the UN and other international institutions, to build a coalition of allies to expel Iraq from Kuwait. At the same time, they would push and implement various international sanctions. These different elements are important, because they would highlight how the world had changed. As the war, would force the… READ MORE

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