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Saddam launches verbal attack
Saddam verbally attacked Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates on television for exceeding the oil export quotas that had been set for them by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). -
Kuwait accused of stealing oil
Kuwait was accused of stealing oil from the Al-Rumaylah oil field which straddles the border between Iraq and Kuwait -
Kuwait and Iraq meet in Saudi Arabia
As criticism mounted, talks between the two countries occurred in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia -
Iraq's invasion of Kuwait
Iraq's leader, Saddam Hussein, orders an invasion and occupation of Kuwait with the apparent aim of acquiring the nation's large oil reserves. This was the first major international crisis of the post-Cold War era -
Active Resistance to Invasion
The active resistance to the invasion lasted about 14 hours and killed about 4,200 Kuwaitis in combat. -
Iraq takeover of Kuwait completed
After 36 hours of combat, the Iraqi takeover was complete with little difficulty over the Kuwaiti 20,000-man army. At 11:11 am, Kuwait Radio falls silent. -
Iraqi appointment of Col. Alaa Hussain Ali
Appointed to head of state of Kuwait; he was backed by a nine-member cabinet of revolutionaries who were responsible for ousting remnants of the previous regime -
Resolution 661 is passed by the UN
the United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 661, which imposed a ban on all trade with Iraq and called on UN member countries to protect the assets of the legitimate government of Kuwait. -
First U.S. troops sent to Saudi Arabia
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Iraqi installation of the Provisional Free Government of Kuwait
Established to give credence to Iraq's dubious claim that the invasion was conducted at the request of Kuwaitis opposed to the Sabah dynasty -
Foreign diplomats given two-week deadline
Foreign diplomats had two-weeks to close their embassies in Kuwait and move to Baghdad -
Arab League pass resolution
12 of the 21 Arab League countries passed a resolution condemning Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait and endorsing the UN resolution. Among those Arab states sympathetic to Iraq were Jordan, Yemen, Sudan, Tunisia, and Algeria as well as the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). -
Kuwait becomes province of Iraq
Saddam declares Kuwait is now the 19th province of Iraq. Place-names were “Iraqized,” and the southern Iraqi province of Al-Baṣrah was extended to include the Kuwait side of the Al-Rumaylah oil field as well as the islands of Būbiyān and Al-Warbah at the head of the Shaṭṭ Al-ʿArab waterway. -
Women and children can leave
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Resolution 678 is passed by the UN
the UN Security Council passed Resolution 678 by a vote of 12 to 2, sanctioning the use of force if the Iraqis had not left Kuwait by January 15, 1991. Only Cuba and Yemen voted against the resolution, with China abstaining. With this resolution in place, the U.S. offered to engage in a dialogue with Saddam to extend the possibility of a peaceful settlement based on a timely Iraqi withdrawal. -
All hostages released
The plight of the remaining hostages resulted in a procession of Western politicians and celebrities to Baghdad. Among those appealing for the release of the hostages were former British prime minister Edward Heath, Labour politician Tony Benn, American heavyweight boxing champ Muhammad Ali, and British singer-songwriter Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens). -
United States passes the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution
the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution was passed by the House (250–183) and the Senate (52–47). It cited UN Security Council Resolution 678 as its casus belli, and Bush signed the measure into law on January 14. The UN deadline for Iraqi withdrawal from Kuwait was the following day. -
Period: to
Operation Desert Storm and Operation Desert Sabre by the United States
The two phases of Operation Desert Storm were a coalition air operation (January 17–February 24, 1991) and a ground offensive dubbed Operation Desert Sabre (February 24–28). Allied forces had three main objectives during the air campaign: to establish air supremacy, to destroy strategic targets, and to degrade Iraqi ground forces. Coalition pilots had gained air supremacy by January 28. By February 11 coalition forces had sunk the last Iraqi (and captured Kuwaiti) naval units. -
Iraq responds to the Allied air offense
Iraq responded to the Allied air offensive by launching Scud missiles at the Israeli cities of Tel Aviv and Haifa to draw Israel into the conflict and splinter the Arab coalition. Two days later Scuds were fired at targets in Saudi Arabia. Between January 18 and February 25, Iraq fired 39 missiles at Israel, killing at least 3 Israeli civilians and injuring as many as 200. The U.S. exerted tremendous diplomatic pressure on Israel to refrain from retaliating directly against Iraq. -
Saddam accepts a cease-fire
he remaining Iraqi forces in Kuwait collapsed and fled to Basra which forces Saddam to accept a cease-fire