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In the early hours of August 2, 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait, quickly overwhelming the smaller oil-rich nation.
Kuwaitis rapidly fled. The country’s defense forces were overwhelmed. Those not destroyed retreated to Saudi Arabia.
Why did Iraq invade?
There always seems to be reason for an action as bold and provocative as that of Iraq’s.
Presumably someone (e.g. Saddam Hussein, Iraq’s leader) gave thought before launching the invasion.
Greed — the desire to gain control over more Middle East oil — seems to figure prominently.
By annexing Kuwait, Iraq immediately augmented its oil reserves by 20%, not to mention gained potentially valuable coastline along the Persian Gulf (see map).
The UN Security Council unanimously denounced the invasion and demanded Iraq withdraw. Iraq refused to do so, instead bolstering their troops in Kuwait to 300,000.
The UN gave Iraq a January 15, 1991 deadline to withdraw.
Iraq did not.
What did they think would happen?
Perhaps nothing.
They thumbed their nose at the UN Security Council.
