Gulf War

From 1990 to 1991

The Gulf war/Gulf crisis first started when Iraqi invaded Kuwait in July 1990. Iraqi President, Saddam Hussein, sent 100,000 Iraqi troops, tanks, helicopters and machines of war to Kuwait. Iraq invaded and then the UN security council stepped in. The council ordered the president of Iraq that on the 15th of January 1991, Iraqi troops would withdraw from Kuwait. Even though the orders were straight forward, the Iraqi president failed to comply with them and continued to place troops in Kuwait. A full-scale war unfolded from these events when coalition forces began military operations against Iraq in the early hours of the 17th of January 1991. This military invasion was the beginning of a 42-day aerial bombing campaign against Iraqi military targets in Kuwait. Australia was one of 35 nations that contributed to the Gulf war. On the 2nd of August 1991, troops from Australia were sent to Kuwait and three warships where were deployed to the region to enforce UN sanctions against Iraq in the Persian Gulf and neighboring waters. Australia was accompanied by many other countries such as the US, UK, Saudi Arabia, France, Canada, Egypt, Syria, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Italy, and other allies. The Gulf war ended when Iraq withdrew from Kuwait, ending a year of war in Kuwait.