What was the impact on Iraq after the Gulf war?

Answer 1

Following uprisings in the north and south, Iraqi no-fly zones were established to help protect the Shi'ite and Kurdish groups in South and North Iraq, respectively. These no-fly zones (originally north of the 36th parallel and south of the 32nd parallel) were monitored mainly by the United States and the United Kingdom, though France also participated. Combined, they flew more sorties over Iraq in the eleven years following the war than were flown during the war. These sorties dropped bombs nearly every other day against surface-to-air missiles and anti-aircraft guns which engaged the patrolling aircraft. However, the greatest amount of bombs was dropped during two sustained bombing campaigns: Operation Desert Strike, which lasted a few weeks in September 1996, and Operation Desert Fox, in December 1998. Operation Northern Watch, the no-fly zone covering the Kurds, allowed the population to focus on developing security and infrastructure, which was reflected after Saddam's fall in 2003 by a much more progressive and sustainable region (when compared to the rest of the country following Operation Iraqi Freedom). Operation Southern Watch, on the other hand, was not successful in providing the Shi'ite population the same opportunity. Widespread infrastructure destruction during the ground war hurt the Iraqi population. Years after the war, electricity production was less than a quarter of its pre-war level. The destruction of water treatment facilities caused sewage to flow directly into the Tigris River, from which civilians drew drinking water, resulting in widespread disease. Funds provided by Western nations to help combat the problem were diverted instead to maintaining Saddam's military control over the country. Economic sanctions were kept in place following the war, pending a weapons inspection with which Iraq never fully cooperated as it accused the UN inspectors of spying (something which was later proven to be at least partially true). Iraq was later allowed to import certain products under the UN's Oil for Food program. A 1998 UNICEF report found that the sanctions resulted in an increase to 90,000 deaths per year. Many argue that the sanctions on Iraq and the American military presence in Saudi Arabia contributed to an increasingly negative image of the United States in the Arab world. A United Nations Special Commission (UNSCOM) on weapons was established, to monitor Iraq's compliance with restrictions on weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles. Iraq accepted some and refused other weapons inspections. The team found some evidence of biological weapons programs at one site and non-compliance at many other sites. In 1997, Iraq expelled all U.S. members of the inspection team, alleging that the United States was using the inspections as a front for espionage; members of UNSCOM were in regular contact with various intelligence agencies to provide information on weapons sites back and forth. The team returned for an even more turbulent time period between 1997 and 1999; one member of the weapons inspection team, U.S. Marine Scott Ritter, resigned in 1998, alleging that the Clinton administration was blocking investigations because they did not want a full-scale confrontation with Iraq. In 1999, the team was replaced by UNMOVIC, which began inspections in 2002. In 2002, Iraq � and especially Saddam Hussein � became targets in the United States' War on Terrorism, leading to the 2003 invasion of Iraq, led by the United States and, to a lesser extent, the United Kingdom. The People's Republic of China (whose army in many ways resembled the Iraqi army) was surprised at the performance of American technology on the battlefield. The swiftness of the coalition victory resulted in an overall change in Chinese military thinking and began a movement to technologically modernize the People's Liberation Army. These things irritated Islamic Extremism, although it had already been there to start with, strong as ever. The change of face by Saddam's secular regime did little to draw support from Islamics groups. However, it, combined with the Saudi Arabian alliance with the United States and Saudi Arabia being seen as being on the same side of Israel dramatically eroded that regime's legitimacy. Activity of Islamics groups against the Saudi regime increased dramatically. The presence of American troops in Saudi Arabia, the invasion of Iraq, and the subsequent blockade were some of the grievances listed by Osama bin Laden in his 1998 Fatwa. In part to win back favor with Islamics groups Saudi Arabia greatly increased funding to those that would support the regime. Throughout the newly independent states of Central Asia the Saudis paid for the distribution of millions of Qur'ans and the building of hundreds of mosques for extremist groups. In Afghanistan the Saudi regime became a leading patron of the Taliban in that nation's civil war, and one of the few foreign countries to officially recognize the government.

Answer 2

Decisive Coalition victory, liberation of Kuwait.
The 1991 Persian Gulf War also known Operation Desert Storm resulted in Iraq pulling troops and equipment out of Kuwait. That that was goal and mission of the conflict.

Answer 3

it made it into one of the best countries in the Middle East (added 2/8/2009) It also changed the population of the country from a very high population of Palestinian, Jordanian and stateless (i.e. Palestinian, undocumented) of around 700K pre Aug 2nd 1990 to 30-35,000 in March 1991. This is largely because of support of a percentage of the Palestinian population for the Iraqi regime. The Kuwaitis resented the abuse of what was seen as their hospitality and support of the Palestinian cause and (rightly, in many cases) felt betrayed. This shifted the nationality dynamic between pre and post war Kuwait. Westerners were afforded a higher status due to their contribution to liberation, and Jordanian/Palestinian's were either deported or left voluntarily, the few remaining being relegated to a lower position on the social scale.

Answer 4

Aside from burning 700+ Oil fields, major damage to the Kuwaiti environment Death of many of Kuwait's wildlife, semi-extinction of the Kuwaiti Flamingo's, the Kuwaiti desert sand went from smooth to almost asphalt back then.

Nothing happened.

Answer 5

Iraq was hurt more by economic sanctions than by damage from the Gulf War. Two no-fly zones were imposed, but the one in the north did not prevent Iraq from using its helicopters to terrible effect against Iraq's Kurdish minority. The Iraqi Army was smashed but quickly rebuilt. A news report of the time said that Hussein had decided on a smaller but better equipped army, and to pay his soldiers more money. Iraq definitely lost the war, but the impact was far from devastating.

Answer 6

Which Gulf War? 1. Iran-Iraq War 1980-1988 2. Operation Desert Storm Jan/Feb '91 3. Operation Iraqi Freedom 2003-

Answer 7

the Persian Gulf War