Top American History

In the history of America's use of its military forces, there are some notable examples of America viewing its military as a force for good and justice. And the use of the military for a righteous cause can be beautifully illustrated by the way America came to the aid of the Allies in the Persian Gulf War in 1991. This war has many names, including Operation Desert Storm and the Liberation of Kuwait. But regardless of the title, it was a battle that America had to enter because of an unjust invasion by an ally and an act of aggression that we could not just stand by and let happen. The United States and the civilized nations of the world have dealt with a lot of barbaric behavior by Saddam Hussein, the dictator of Iraq, for a long time. He was increasingly aggressive in trying to test the will and ability of the advanced nations to stop him. However, he crossed the line when, on August 2, 1990, Iraq invaded and occupied Kuwait on trumped-up charges of illegal oil extraction on border lands between the two countries. It is important to remember that America and its allies did not launch a full-scale attack within days or weeks of Iraq's takeover of Kuwait. There were efforts to negotiate and resolve the crisis through peaceful means. But Saddam Hussein defied the world and went ahead with his plan to absorb Kuwait and then perhaps move the attack to the next stage on Saudi Arabia. The Gulf War was also an important statement to the world that America's allies are important to us ‘and’ we will defend them if it comes to that. We did it in World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and here in the Middle East. When a country becomes a friend of the United States, its enemies become our enemies. And in this unthinkable invasion, Iraq not only directly attacked one of America's allies, but this hostility showed that Saudi Arabia, which was also a very important ally, was in danger. America also took advantage of its ability to rely on its friends around the world and assembled a huge international force as preparations for war matured. A total of 34 countries have sent their troops, ships, weapons and other military aid to join the US military power and repel this invasion. Another lesson this war taught America's enemies is the phenomenal effectiveness of the American military. On January 17, 1991, the offensive began with a massive air strike that stunned Iraqis and the world. The ferocity of the bombings and the firestorm that defied the West brought down the Iraqi military, virtually dooming them to ever form an effective force to counter this overwhelming military response to their aggression. This air attack was followed by one of the most brilliant ground campaigns in modern warfare. Using modern technology, America faced the formidable Iraqi army on their home soil and soundly defeated them. The Iraqi strategy was to keep the vast desert behind them, as they felt that no enemy would ever be able to cross this desert and find their rear wing. But it was a fatal miscalculation, as coalition forces led by General Norman Schwarzkopf used satellite technology and navigation systems to guide their armies across this desert at night and launched a stunning surprise attack on the Iraqi Republican Guard that defeated them in a decisive blow. . The term "blitzkrieg" would best be used to describe the ability of the American forces of the leading coalition to repel this invasion of Kuwait. By early March 1991, major hostilities had ended and Kuwait was liberated. Defeating the enemy in less than 90 days was an achievement the world never thought possible. But he showed the world that America was capable of defending its allies and stopping a ruthless dictator. Since that war, there has been debate over whether President Bush should have used the advantage we gained by defeating Saddam's armies to conquer Iraq.