The then Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein ordered the invasion and occupation of neighboring Kuwait in early August 1990. Alarmed by this, fellow Arab powers such as Saudi Arabia and Egypt called on the United states and other Western nations to intervene.
Saddam Hussein defied United Nations Security Council demands to withdraw from Kuwait by mid- January 1991, and the Persian Gulf war began with a massive U.S. led air offensive known as Operation Desert Storm. After 42 days of relentless attacks by the allied coalition in the air and ground, U.S President George H.W. Bush declared a cease- fire on February 28th, with the Iraqi army in shreds.
