The leaders of the United States of America chose to be involved in the Gulf conflict and so convinced the U.N and other nations that their interference was the best move for the people of Kuwait. The United States’ motives for involvement in the Gulf War are still widely debated. The U.S. claimed it wanted to bring peace to the Middle East and offered military aid to a country in need- Kuwait. Also, the U.S. had made a treaty with Kuwait a few years ago, and had promised it help. On the other hand, many scholars and members of Bush’s opposition claim that the U.S. had its eye on oil resources in the Middle East, and wanted to maintain its influence in the Middle East and so maintain its hold on Middle Eastern Oil. The second possible motive is more likely to have been the real one as the U.S. did not come to the aid of other countries outside of the Middle East during various other post- cold war conflicts. Also, before Iraq invaded Kuwait, the U.S. had stated that it would not involve itself in any Arab conflict. When Saddam Hussein planned to cut the production of oil and at the same time increase the price of oil in Kuwait, the Bush Administration must have decided it could not have that and remembered the treaty with Kuwait and went to its aid.
According to some people, The United States government’s claim that they involved themselves in the Gulf War because they wanted to help and liberate Kuwait was to an extent justified. In a speech to all Americans involved in the Gulf War, General H. Norman Schwarzkopf, the Commander-in-Chief of the U.S Central Command said, "Soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines of the United States Central Command, this morning at 0300, we launched Operation DESERT STORM, an offensive campaign that will enforce the United Nation’s resolutions that Iraq must cease its rape and pillage of its weaker neighbor and withdraw its forces from Kuwait. My confidence in you is total. Our cause is just! Now you must be the thunder and lightning of Desert Storm. May God be with you, your loved ones at home, and our Country.” (Schwarzkopf, United States Navy records). Kuwait was a weaker country and the United Nations had passed a resolution against the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. As a permanent member of the United Nations, America was inclined to help by sending troops as part of a United Nations Coalition. America’s philanthropy towards Kuwait could be seen of as a privileged country helping a country in need fight for its right to remain an independent state.
However, according to war critics, the most important reason for the U.S.’ involvement in the 1st Gulf war was that the single most important commodity in the world-oil- came from the Middle East- “[Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait] excited the major powers only because it took place in the region which contains 65 per cent of the world’s known oil reserves and 25 percent of current oil production.” (Freedman, 180).The leaders of the U.S. feared that if Iraq, after annexing Kuwait, decided to expand their territory to include other major oil-producing countries, like Saudi Arabia, oil in the U.S. would become very expensive. The chance that Iraq would dominate the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and so gain a lot of power internationally would become very high if Saddam Hussein kept expanding his territory. This would mean that Iraqi leaders would control oil prices. Higher oil prices in the United States, meant that there would be less political popularity among citizens, and a very low chance of a re-election for President Bush Sr.
Another possible reason for the U.S.’ intervention in the Middle East is its alliance with Israel. The U.S. and Israel had been allies since Israel’s occupation of Palestinian land and now Saddam Hussein threatened to bomb Israel with chemical and nuclear weapons if troops were sent out against the Iraqi army. The U.S. probably felt that it was their duty to ‘take care’ of the nation they had helped establish. Even though Israel did not ask the U.S. to protect them during the Gulf War, the U.S. army stationed their troops in Israel and later on, a land attack was launched from there. In terms of Israeli involvement in the Gulf War, however, the U.S. – for the sake of allies who were Israel-hating Arabs- asked Israel to not participate in the war.
Operation Desert Storm is also said to have been initiated by America because the U.S. wanted to show its power in the Middle East. There were obviously consequences that would arise if Saddam was successful and decided to take-over most of the Middle East, but at the same time, if Saddam lost all his power, Iran would be the most powerful country in the Middle East. Iran was an anti-U.S. country and would make sure America lost its influence on the Middle Eastern region.
The vast majority of the people of the United States supported the Gulf War initially. The reason why there wasn’t much opposition from the American public in the beginning was because, during the war, the media coverage was biased against the Iraqis. Because of this, the American people were unopposed to their government liberating a country that was home to so many cute-faced children from the tyrannical rule of the Saddam Hussein- the intimidating, bearded, Islamic dictator. The media encouraged such hate for Saddam and love for Kuwait in the American people before the war that “out of every 10 Americans, five said the time had come to move from talk to military action, six wanted to humiliate Saddam, and seven said [Saddam] would be the winner if he was allowed to withdraw from Kuwait and remain in power in Iraq. Given the arithmetic, Bush is probably right in his own calculation that if the coalition scores quickly in a short war and with relatively few casualties, the country will stand for him” (Newsweek, 12). The media covered injured Kuwaitis and brave American soldiers- failing to report on the “retreating Iraqis [who] were buried alive with tank bulldozers and burnt alive with napalm bombings - the only use of chemical weapons during the war - thus violating the Geneva Conventions covering chemical warfare.” (Fingrut, Part IX). To gain more popularity for the war, George Bush Sr. tried to stir up patriotism- “I ask only that all of you stop ad say a prayer for all the coalition forces…who this very moment are risking their lives for their country and for all of us.”1 However, as the war progressed there was a period of recession in America when companies were going bankrupt and the value of the dollar dropped and the ‘American people’s’ support of Operation Desert Storm came to an end. Americans started questioning the war, the necessity of it and its benefit to the ‘American people.’ The advantages and disadvantages of the war were weighed against each other, and many Americans became resentful of the American government.
One can come to many conclusions as to why Bush Sr.’s government disguised the reason for America involving itself in the Gulf war. Perhaps there were some elements of truth in Bush’s disguise, maybe the decision-makers of America did care about the emirate of Kuwait, halfway across the world—but its highly unlikely. The most likely theory explaining the government’s deception is that Bush wanted to gain popularity and so went through the war. In the modern world, especially in the United States, most presidential candidates spend their entire life campaigning for themselves- trying to win over citizen’s votes, and most presidents do everything in power to ensure that get re-elected. In terms of economy, citizens would be happy if oil prices went down; in terms of patriotism there would be more ‘love’ for Bush and his government because the height of patriotism in a country is usually during a war with another country and in terms of politics, the leader of a country that is on the winning side of the war, always gains a ‘hero’ status among his own people. Operation Desert Storm, in the beginning made Bush Sr. very popular among his people, but the end of the war made him unpopular- the recession that happened angered many people and Bush Sr. did not get re-elected as president for a second term. His reason for involvement in the Gulf Conflict was mostly because he wanted to maintain America’s hold on part of the Middle Eastern Oil, and be seen as the liberator of Kuwait, and thus gain popularity for himself.
Works Cited:
Brinkley, Alan. “The Gulf War.” American History, A Survey. New York: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2003.
Freedman, Lawrence & Karsh, Efraim. “The Oil Weapon.” The Gulf Conflict. London: Faber and Faber Limited, 1994.
Schwarzkopf, General H. Norman. “Thunder and Lightning”. Department of the Navy—Naval Historical Center. Washington: 16th January 1991. http://www.globalsecurity.org/
Fingrut, David. “And the Final Score Is:” Outright Disinformation Scheme. Toronto: 1993.
Newsweek. Operation Desert Storm. January 28th 1991.
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