Gulf War timeline
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Lee Greenwood Releases "God Bless the USA"
"God Bless the USA" is an American patriotic song written by country musician Lee Greenwood. The first Greenwood album it appears on is 1984's... Read more
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Saddam Hussein Launches the Invasion of Kuwait
The Invasion of Kuwait, also known as the Iraq-Kuwait War, was a major conflict between the Republic of Iraq and the State of Kuwait which resulted... Read more
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UN Security Council Passes Resolution 660, Condemning the Iraqi Invasion of Kuwait
United Nations Security Council Resolution 660 was adopted by the UN Security Council on 2 August 1990. The resolution condemned the Iraqi invasion... Read more
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US Initiates Operation Desert Shield
Acting on the policy of the Carter Doctrine, and out of fear the Iraqi army could launch an invasion of Saudi Arabia, U.S. President George H. W.... Read more
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Saddam Hussein Appears on Iraqi State Television with Western Hostages
On 23 August 1990 President Hussein appeared on state television with Western hostages to whom he had refused exit visas. They were seen as human... Read more
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Nayirah Tearfully Describes Iraqi Atrocities in Occupied Kuwait
Although there were human rights abuses committed in Kuwait by the invading Iraqi military, the ones best known in the US were an invention of the... Read more
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UN Security Council Resolutions Authorize the Use of Force to Expel Iraq from Kuwait
A long series of UN Security Council resolutions and Arab League resolutions were passed regarding the invasion. One of the most important was... Read more
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US Congress Authorizes the Use of Force to Expel Iraqi Troops from Kuwait
On 12 January 1991 the United States Congress authorized the use of military force to drive Iraq out of Kuwait. The votes were 52-47 in the US... Read more
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The Gulf War Begins
The origins of the Gulf War began many years before the US officially declared it early in 1991. Iraq and Kuwait had tensions that traced back to... Read more
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Operation Instant Thunder, the Coalition Air Campaign Against Iraqi Forces, Begins
A day after the deadline set in Resolution, the coalition launched a massive air campaign which began the general offensive codenamed Operation... Read more
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Saddam Hussein Orders the Launch of SCUD Missiles Against Israel
If Iraq was to be forced to obey UN resolutions, the Iraqi government made it no secret that it would respond by attacking Israel, a state that was... Read more
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Iraqi Forces Cause the Gulf War Oil Spill
On January 21, 1991, Iraqi forces opened valves at the Sea Island oil terminal and dumped oil from several tankers into the Persian Gulf. The... Read more
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Battle of Khafji
On January 29, Iraq attacked and occupied the lightly defended Saudi city of Khafji with tanks and infantry. However, the Battle of Khafji ended... Read more
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US Air Force Destroys the Amiriyah Blockhouse, Killing 408 Civilians
The Amiriyah shelter massacre was the killing of more than 408 civilians on February 13, 1991 during the Gulf War, when an air-raid shelter... Read more
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Iraq Agrees to a Soviet Proposed Cease-Fire Agreement
On February 22, 1991, Iraq agreed to a Soviet-proposed cease-fire agreement. The agreement called for Iraq to withdraw troops to pre-invasion... Read more
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Coalition Forces Enter Iraq
Shortly after the SCUD attack which killed 28 US troops in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, the U.S. VII Corps assembled in full strength and, spearheaded by... Read more
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Iraqi Missile Strike Kills 28 US Reservists
On the evening of February 25, 1991, an Iraqi scud missile plunged into a barracks/warehouse used to house U.S. Army soldiers assigned to the 475th... Read more
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Iraqi Troops Begin Retreating From Kuwait
The Coalition advance was much swifter than US generals had expected. On February 26, Iraqi troops began retreating from Kuwait, setting fire to... Read more
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George H.W. Bush Declares Kuwait Liberated
Exactly 100 hours after to ground campaign began, Iraq retreated from Kuwait City, and US President George H.W. Bush declared an end to offensive... Read more