EFFECTS OF THE GULF WAR
Ultimately the coalition powers stopped short of an invasion and takeover Iraq. After being defeated, Iraq was forced to pull out of Kuwait and thus Kuwait's sovereignty was restored. However, there was no real change in the Middle East. Saddam Hussein remained in power and the Arab states and international community remained divided. Iraq had now seen as an international pariah.
1. Casualties
2. Physical damage
3. Environmental damage The environmental cost were huge due to oil spillages. On 23 January, Iraq was accused of dumping 400 million gallons of crude oil into the Persian gulf in order to stop US marines coming ashore. This act was the largest oil spill in history, resulting in the deaths of thousands of seabirds and marine animals.
4. Political effects
1. Casualties
- USA: lost fewer than 150 killed in action, 1,500 were seriously injured
- Britain: lost 24 killed in action, 700 were seriously injured
- Iraq: about 3664 killed
- Kuwait: over 1000 were killed
- Other Arab countries: 37 were killed
2. Physical damage
- Kuwait - the damage to the oilfields and loss of foreign investments, was estimated at around $30 billion.
- Iraq - the 40-day bombing campaign destroyed power, water, sanitation facilities, roads, bridges and telephone exchange. Simply, it had been relegated to a pre-industrial age.
3. Environmental damage The environmental cost were huge due to oil spillages. On 23 January, Iraq was accused of dumping 400 million gallons of crude oil into the Persian gulf in order to stop US marines coming ashore. This act was the largest oil spill in history, resulting in the deaths of thousands of seabirds and marine animals.
4. Political effects
- Iraq - There were uprisings from the Kurds in the north and Shia Muslims in the south after Saddam's humiliating defeat. However, the military had crushed these rebellions and subsequently caused a lot of refugees into Turkey and Iran. In April, the UN Security Council passed a resolution requiring Saddam to allow inspectors to monitor Iraq for evidence of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons programmes. Saddam Hussein remained in complete power until the 2003, when Iraq was invaded by a US and UK led coalition. Socially, ordinary Iraqis had to suffer from the loss of infrastructure and from the sanctions imposed. Moreover, the infant mortality trebled and life expectancy fell by 15-20 years, which has resulted in the national decline of general health and nutrition.
- USA - The war highlighted the USA's dominant role in dealing with world problems. Ultimately, the events of the Gulf war led on to the Iraq War of 2003 when Iraq was invaded, allowing the USA to gain more influence in the region.
- Middle East region - The US's dominance in the region provoked Muslim radicals to become increasingly hostile towards America and democracy in Middle Eastern states did not materialise as hoped. The National Assembly was restored in Kuwait and women finally got the vote in 2005. The Palestinian peace process was given a new boost. As a result, the Oslo Accords of 1993, the first face-to-face agreement between the Israeli government and a representative of the Palestinian people was made.