Desert Storm information war. Military operation "Desert Storm". Preparing for war
January 17, 2011 marks 20 years since the day when the forces of the anti-Iranian coalition led by the United States began fighting against Iraq - Operation Desert Storm.
The outbreak of the conflict in the Persian Gulf in 1990 was unexpected for the whole world. Events developed rapidly. On July 18, 1990, Iraqi President Saddam Hussein accused the neighboring country of Kuwait of stealing oil from Iraq's border fields.
Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Jaber al-Ahmed al-Jaber agreed to negotiations. During the negotiations, Iraq demanded that Kuwait forgive it a debt of $15 billion and also pay compensation of $2.5 billion for moral damages. The negotiations ended with the fact that on August 2, the Iraqi army numbering several hundred thousand people crossed the border of Kuwait, and Iraqi aircraft began to bomb Kuwaiti cities.
Saddam Hussein explained this event not by the failure of negotiations, but by the fact that a popular revolution had occurred in Kuwait and progressive forces called for help from fraternal Iraq. Iraqi troops occupied Kuwait in one day. The emir fled the country. Having captured Kuwait, Saddam Hussein became the owner of a fifth of the world's oil reserves.
On August 2, 1990, the day of the invasion, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) adopted resolution No. 660 on the immediate withdrawal of Iraqi troops from Kuwait (a total of 12 resolutions were adopted on Iraq).
On August 5, Saddam Hussein announced that he was ready to withdraw troops from Kuwait, but soon declared this country the nineteenth province of Iraq. At the same time, Hussein referred to the fact that until the end of the First World War and the collapse Ottoman Empire Kuwait was integral part area of Basra - a major port in the south of today's Iraq. On November 29, 1990, the UN Security Council adopted resolution No. 678, which contained an ultimatum to Saddam Hussein: to withdraw troops from Kuwait by January 15, 1991.
This resolution authorized the use of troops against Iraq. Hussein responded by saying that Kuwait is a province of Iraq, and he will use chemical weapons against those who encroach on the territorial integrity of the country. An anti-Iraq coalition was created. In addition to the USA, Great Britain, France and Australia, it included some Arab countries (Syria, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, etc.), as well as states of Eastern Europe. The USSR was not included in this coalition. January 13, 1991, two days before the ultimatum expired, Secretary General UN Perez de Cuellar traveled to Baghdad to try to persuade Hussein to make concessions, but his mission was unsuccessful. On January 16, 1991 at 19.00 Washington time and on January 17 at 03.00 Baghdad time, Operation Desert Storm began. Its goal was determined by UN Security Council Resolution 678 of November 29, 1990 and was to implement the Security Council decisions on the unconditional withdrawal of Iraq from Kuwait.
By the beginning of hostilities, the multinational forces (MNF) included 16 divisions (up to 800 thousand people), more than 4 thousand tanks, over 3.7 thousand guns and mortars, about 2 thousand aircraft, about 2 thousand combat helicopters, up to 170 ships . They were opposed in Kuwait and southern Iraq by a group of troops consisting of more than 40 divisions (about 500 thousand people), up to 4 thousand tanks, over 5 thousand guns and mortars, 711 aircraft, 489 helicopters. The ratio for the latest weapons was: for combat aircraft - 13:1, for combat helicopters - 16:1, for tanks - 4.3:1 in favor of the MNF. Anti-Iraq forces had absolute superiority at sea.
Operation Desert Storm lasted 41 days and included: an air offensive (January 17 - February 23) and an air-ground operation (February 24-28). On January 17, MNF aviation launched a sudden massive attack on targets in Iraq and Kuwait. For the first three days, the main efforts of the MNF air group were concentrated on hitting control points, air defense systems, launch positions of operational-tactical missiles, air bases, nuclear and chemical facilities; subsequently - on decommissioning key elements military-industrial infrastructure of Iraq, and before the ground offensive - to defeat enemy tank and motorized infantry formations in Kuwait and southern Iraq.
MNF troops used a number the latest systems weapons (the F-117A stealth fighter-bomber, Tomahawk long-range sea-launched cruise missiles, the Patriot anti-aircraft missile system, air-to-ground precision guided munitions); electronic warfare equipment (electronic warfare); space navigation system "Navstar" for guidance of weapon systems; radar system for air reconnaissance of ground targets and control of strikes "Jistars" (E-8A aircraft); information system, using the results of space reconnaissance at the tactical level, etc.
Iraq's air defense suffered heavy losses in the first hours of hostilities and turned out to be ineffective. Iraq's attempt to conduct reconnaissance in force on Saudi territory on January 30-31, 1991, using a motorized infantry battalion, was unsuccessful. The Iraqi command managed to launch up to 60 missile strikes against Israel and Saudi Arabia, which turned out to be ineffective due to the successful missile defense of the MNF troops.
The air-ground operation of the MNF began at 4 a.m. on February 24. To facilitate the offensive, on the morning of the same day, an airborne force was dropped in the southern suburbs of the capital of Kuwait - Kuwait City - with a force of up to two battalions of the 82nd US Airborne Division.
At the same time, tactical amphibious assault forces were landed on the coastal islands and a number of sections of the eastern coast of Kuwait. By the end of the day, MNF troops had penetrated the Iraqi defense to a depth of 50 km. On February 25, the defenses of the 3rd and 7th Iraqi corps in Kuwait were broken through. In order to increase the pace of the offensive in the direction of Basra, a brigade of the US 101st Air Assault Division was landed from helicopters. On February 26, the MNF captured Kuwait and, having landed an airborne force of up to two battalions from helicopters, cut the Basra-Baghdad highway in Iraq. On February 27, Kuwait was completely liberated, and MNF troops entered into battle with Iraqi Republican Guard units in the Basra area. Iraqi troops began a withdrawal that soon turned into a disorderly retreat.
On the morning of February 28, 1991, at the initiative of the United States, hostilities ceased. On March 6, a truce was concluded.
As a result of the war in the Persian Gulf, the anti-Iraqi coalition of UN states achieved its strategic goals - liberated the territory of Kuwait from Iraqi troops and restored the country's sovereignty. However, Saddam Hussein's regime and Iraq's military potential remained intact.
According to Western experts, Iraqi troops during the war lost up to 60 thousand people killed, wounded and prisoners, 3.8 thousand tanks, more than 1.4 thousand armored personnel carriers (armored personnel carriers) and infantry fighting vehicles ( fighting machine infantry), about 2.9 thousand guns, up to 360 aircraft. MNF losses amounted to up to 300 people killed, more than 600 people wounded and up to 50 people missing, 69 combat aircraft and 28 combat and transport helicopters were destroyed.
In Iraq, about 85% was destroyed industrial enterprises. As a result of military operations, the enterprises of the oil-extracting complex of Iraq suffered serious damage. Of the 820 wells operating in 1990, 58 remain.
Storm for a quarter of a century: in 1991, the liberation of Kuwait from Iraqi occupation began
A quarter of a century ago, on January 17, 1991, the United States and its allies launched the first military operation against Iraq. Desert Storm was aimed at restoring the sovereignty of Kuwait, captured by the Iraqi army in August 1990. This war radically changed not only the Middle East, but also the entire system of international relations.
“For the Americans, in the context of the weakening of the USSR and the prospect of its collapse, the Kuwaiti events were a prelude to a global reorganization based on a unipolar world. A new role of the United States as a hegemon was taking shape, and it was important for the American administration not only not to give in, but also to confirm its new role as the main player on the world stage.”
What led to the war, and what consequences Desert Storm had for the future - in the TASS material.
Background: Saddam Hussein's Heated Ambitions
The Iran-Iraq War, which lasted eight years, ended in 1988. During this time, Baghdad received financial support from many Gulf countries, as well as the United States.
Washington called Saddam Hussein "our strong man in the region." The flirtation with the Iraqi leader began in 1979 after the Islamic Revolution in Iran, when the United States lost one of its closest allies in the region. The new Iran and the threat of the spread of the Islamic revolution (with Shiite overtones) also did not please the Arab states of the Persian Gulf (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain and the UAE), which have always been jealous of Tehran. That same year, Hussein came to power in Iraq and immediately found himself at the center of Middle Eastern intrigue.
Foreign guests began to frequent Baghdad and began to convince the Iraqi president that he alone was capable of stopping the spread of Shiite extremism.
Hussein, who claimed to be a pan-Arab leader, was impressed by the attention from the leaders of other countries. This fueled his ambitions. As a result, a war began between Iraq and Iran, from which many people, especially arms sellers, benefited.
It was in the 1980s that Baghdad began to receive technology, equipment and means for the production of weapons of mass destruction from Western countries. In 1991, Connecticut Congressman Samuel Gegenson, chairman of a House subcommittee investigating the export of advanced technology to Iraq, noted in his report:
“From 1985 to 1990, the US government approved 771 permits to export advanced technologies to Iraq, including means to create weapons of mass destruction...”
The US turned a blind eye to domestic policy Saddam Hussein, including the use of chemical weapons against his own population and Iranians, the suppression of Kurdish and Shiite uprisings, and political repression. Anything to defeat Tehran. He sold weapons to Iraq and maintained active military ties with it and the USSR, not noticing the destruction of Iraqi communists for the sake of profitable deals.
The Arab monarchies of the Persian Gulf financed Iraq's arms purchases because they benefited from their neighbors - the most powerful states in the region - spending their resources on fighting each other.
Viktor Posuvalyuk, Ambassador of the USSR and the Russian Federation in Baghdad (1990-1992):
“The whole world gave Saddam Hussein reprisals against internal opposition and dissent... The dictator gradually developed an impunity complex. He firmly believed that Western politicians were effeminate white-handed people, corrupted by civilization, who would not dare punish Baghdad by force.”
Paying bills
The war with Iran is over, and it's time to pay the bills. In 1990, the economic situation in Iraq deteriorated sharply.
Military expenses were a huge burden. With a gross national product of $45 billion (1988), military spending amounted to $13 billion. Creditors, primarily Arab countries, including Kuwait, began to demand repayment of the debt.
At the same time, Hussein continued to see himself as the leader of the Arab world, who dictates his terms to everyone. He needed financial resources, which meant high oil prices and a reduction in competitors in the oil market. The key to solving this problem was to be neighboring Kuwait, which the Iraqis considered their territory, since in the 19th century it was part of the Basra vilayet (a border region of Iraq) within the Ottoman Empire.
Kuwait's proven oil reserves are not much smaller than Iraq's - about 143 and 101.5 million barrels (OPEC data at the end of 2014). In total, Iraq and Kuwait could rank third among OPEC countries in terms of oil reserves after Venezuela and Saudi Arabia.
Moreover, Kuwait had significant financial resources, and Iraq was sinking deeper into poverty.
“From the shops, where a year ago there was abundance, the shelves were bursting with Western goods, literally everything disappeared, only the top, close to Saddam, lived well, the rest were left with nothing, prices rose sharply, government subsidies stopped.”- Hashem al-Mosawi, a native of Baghdad, was 18 years old in 1990.
Already in mid-1990, Baghdad began to sharply criticize other Arab countries, primarily on the issue of oil production and low prices for oil. Kuwait came under particular attack for what Iraq believed was illegal oil production in the disputed border region of Rumaila.
Kuwait, in turn, made accusations against Iraq due to the occupation of the border areas of its country and the illegal exploitation of one of the oil fields. Arab countries tried to reconcile both sides, but Baghdad's demands grew. According to one version, the Iraqis were waiting for Kuwait to make concessions and pay off. But that did not happen. On August 1, 1990, Iraqi-Kuwaiti negotiations in Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) were interrupted.
On the night of August 1–2, 1990, an Iraqi group consisting of 120 thousand soldiers and 350 tanks invaded Kuwait. There is a version that Saddam's determination was given by Washington's unclear position. The Iraqi leader concluded that the United States would not intervene. The USSR at that time was busy with its own problems, in addition, it was at this time that the positions of Moscow and Washington converged in many areas.
Occupation of Kuwait
Kuwait was occupied within 24 hours and turned into another province of Iraq, Emir Jaber III fled to Saudi Arabia.
Since the occupation of Kuwait, according to various estimates, from 4 to 7 thousand of its citizens have died. 12 thousand Kuwaitis were captured or disappeared.
Seven months is like seven years - this is what the Kuwaitis say about the occupation.
“It was the worst thing that happened in my life... We “died” every day. The Iraqis checked houses every day and took someone away. My pregnant wife was in the USA and could not contact me."- Abdel Aziz Bu-Dustour, an employee of one of the Kuwaiti departments.
Photo: Burning well, Kuwait, 1991 AP Photo/Michael Mipchitz
The Kuwaitis cannot forget how they tried to make them Iraqis: they forced them to change their documents, car numbers, and renamed departments.
Kuwait was plundered, the Iraqis took everything they could out of the country: valuables, cars, clothing, food, equipment.
Enormous damage was caused to the country's economy. During the retreat, the Iraqis set fire to oil wells - the sky over Kuwait turned black, it was impossible to breathe. This became one of the largest environmental disasters.
But the most important thing was the atmosphere of fear that reigned in the country. Thousands ended up in prison; those who were not transported to Iraq were considered lucky.
Ibrahim al-Shaheen, deputy director of the Kuwait National Committee for Prisoners of War and Missing Persons, recalls:
“In 1990, I worked for more than a month in the administration of the Kuwait Red Crescent Society. We even went to Baghdad to meet with representatives of the Iraqi branch. They wanted to include us in their membership, but we said that there are international norms and conventions, there are Geneva agreements, and we have nothing to do with politics.
A week after we returned, we were arrested and detained in An-Naif Palace. We spent a little over a month under arrest... Twice we were transported from the palace to another place, from where captured Kuwaitis were transported to Iraq.
Thank God we were lucky, but I still don't know why. For the first seven to ten days we didn’t even know what would happen to us, and thought that we would be executed... One of my friends had diabetes and he needed medicine. His wife tried to find us and went around all the places where prisoners were kept, including An-Naif Palace.
She even said that she agreed that she would not be allowed to meet, and that she would simply hand over the medicine. And the Iraqis told her that her husband was not among those arrested... Ultimately, thanks to some Kuwaitis who had serious connections with Iraqi officers, we were released.”
To date, 605 dossiers have been registered with the National Committee for Prisoners of War and Missing Persons. Of these, 550 are for Kuwaitis, the rest are for citizens of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and citizens of the Philippines, India and Lebanon.
“The work in the search for missing persons continues. Once every two months we hold meetings with the Iraqi side. We are currently searching for the mass graves of Kuwaitis who were executed by Iraqi troops under the command of Saddam,”- Al-Shahin emphasized.
To date, the remains of 236 people have been discovered and identified through DNA testing. However, the bodies of the rest are still in mass graves in several places in Iraq, and the main problem is that it is now impossible to work in many places due to security reasons.
Kuwaitis also note the contribution of Russian diplomats Yuli Vorontsova and Gennady Tarasov, who took turns serving as UN coordinator high level on the repatriation of Kuwaiti citizens and their remains and the return of Kuwaiti property.
"They did a tremendous amount of humanitarian work,"- said al-Shahin.
Ultimatum to Iraq
The occupation of Kuwait split the Arab world, but the majority of the international community condemned Iraq's actions. Between August 2 and November 29, 1990, the UN Security Council adopted 12 resolutions on the Iraq-Kuwait conflict, including those introducing a ban on arms supplies to Iraq and a number of economic sanctions.
By Resolution No. 678 of November 29, 1990, the UN Security Council authorized the use of “all necessary means to restore peace and security in the area” and declared January 15, 1991 the final deadline for the withdrawal of Iraqi troops from Kuwaiti territory. It was an ultimatum.
Contrary to Iraq's predictions, Washington did not remain aloof from the conflict. Kuwait was one of the main suppliers of oil to the American market; Saudi Arabia, another US partner in the region, was exposed to a potential threat from Iraq. An important factor was that as a result of Hussein’s adventure, oil prices jumped from $15 to $41 per barrel.
To prevent a possible Iraqi invasion of Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries, the United States sent troops to Saudi Arabia and began creating a multinational group under its auspices to counter Baghdad.
From August 7, 1990 to January 1991, Operation Desert Shield was carried out, which consisted of concentrating the forces of multinational troops in the conflict zone. In addition to the United States, France and Great Britain sent military contingents; Egypt, Syria, the Persian Gulf monarchies and other states (about 30 countries in total) joined the coalition.
Balance of power by mid-January 1991:
Multinational Force -
About 700 thousand military personnel (of which over 500 thousand are Americans);
About 2.5 thousand combat aircraft and 2 thousand helicopters;
Over 4 thousand tanks, 3 thousand field artillery guns and mortars;
More than 100 warships.
Iraqi Army -
About 700 thousand people;
Up to 700 aircraft;
More than 5 thousand tanks;
8 thousand guns and mortars;
Up to 500 installations of Scud-type surface-to-surface missiles.
Photo: Meeting of the personal representative of the President of the USSR, Academician Yevgeny Primakov (left) with the President of Iraq Saddam Hussein, October 6, 1990. Reproduction of TASS Photo Chronicle
Moscow tried to the last to prevent military action in the region. The Soviet strategy boiled down to persuading the Iraqis to comply with the demands of the UN Security Council, and the Americans to give Hussein a chance to leave Kuwait without losing face.
Yevgeny Primakov flew to Baghdad several times as a special envoy of Moscow, proposing a plan for a gradual withdrawal of troops. However, nothing came of his mission: the United States demanded immediate withdrawal, while the Iraqis proposed very sticky schemes. Baghdad understood that Moscow did not approve of the Kuwaiti adventure and would not resist Washington as in previous times.
Viktor Posuvalyuk, Ambassador of the USSR and the Russian Federation in Baghdad (1990-1992), about Primakov’s visit to Baghdad in October 1990:
“When Primakov left the president’s office and we got into the car, Yevgeny Maksimovich was very excited and repeated: “What a big breakthrough! He agrees to leave! What a breakthrough!” It turned out that Hussein actually agreed to leave Kuwait, but proposed sending (Deputy Prime Minister) Tariq Aziz to Moscow to agree on the final scheme and details.
Saddam made it clear that this was the limit of his progress. We went to the embassy to report the contents of the conversation to Moscow. Between 1:00 and 2:00 a.m. Aziz arrived at the embassy. It turned out that as a result of the meeting with Hussein, the scheme of the Iraqis’ consent to the withdrawal of their troops from Kuwait became even more viscous, indigestible, and that this would entail new unacceptable, literally deadly, delays.”
39 days and 100 hours
On the night of January 17, 1991, the bombing of Iraq by the forces of a multinational coalition led by the United States began. This was the beginning of Operation Desert Storm. The attacks mainly targeted military installations, government complexes, and buildings belonging to security services. The road leading from the Iraqi capital to Jordan was shelled. The Americans and their allies tried to prevent the escape of Iraqi leaders, as well as the movement of Iraqi complexes towards Israel, on whose territory Baghdad launched 18 missile strikes in retaliation against the coalition. Fired at Iraq and Saudi Arabia.
“I was 9 years old then, I only remember how scared I was, the sounds of missiles hitting targets scared me the most, and I clung to my mother.”- Ali Jafar, native of Baghdad.
In the very first days, Jafar’s family moved from Baghdad to another city, only his father remained in the capital, but the economic situation throughout the country was deplorable: lack of electricity (power plants were destroyed by coalition strikes), queues for many kilometers for bread. But most of all, many were afraid that Saddam Hussein would use chemical and bacteriological weapons, and then not only the coalition troops would suffer, but also the Iraqis themselves.
United States Air Force
The air campaign of the multinational force came as a complete surprise to the Iraqi leadership. Hussein expected that the coalition would actually immediately begin a ground operation and get bogged down in the war, as had happened before with the Americans in Vietnam. However, the air phase of the campaign lasted 39 days. During this time, coalition aircraft carried out up to 110 thousand sorties (84% accounted for the United States), dropping 88.5 thousand tons of ammunition (75% American), including 6.5 thousand tons of precision-guided (American - 90%).
Viktor Posuvalyuk, Ambassador of the USSR and the Russian Federation in Baghdad (1990-1992):
“The missiles resembled sharks, swaying rhythmically in flight, strangely illuminated by the explosions of shells from the frantic firing of Iraqi air defense. And the most unpleasant, ominous feeling that remained with me was that this missile seemed to be alive, it was flying, as if peering closely at the intended target... But the accuracy of missile hits is not allowed to be made absolute real facts. There were hits in residential areas, although not many; instead of bridges, houses with their residents flew into the air. The bombing of Felluja, for example, caused many casualties.”
There are many versions of the hit in the bomb shelter in Baghdad's Ameria quarter, where about 200 civilians were killed. According to one version, one of the government structures was temporarily located in this bomb shelter (at that time the work of many departments was carried out underground). For some reason, on the eve of the bombing, officials left the shelter and residents of nearby houses were allowed to enter. As Baghdad residents recall, in those areas where intelligence services and government agencies were not located, one could feel safe.
United States Air Force
The ground phase of the operation began on February 24 and was called "Desert Sabre". The USSR tried to prevent this part of the military campaign, fearing a large number of casualties. At the end of February, Primakov visited Baghdad again and met with Saddam Hussein.
Viktor Posuvalyuk, Ambassador of the USSR and the Russian Federation in Baghdad (1990-1992), about Primakov’s visit to Baghdad in February 1991:
“At that meeting, Hussein struck me with his paleness and thinness. He clearly lost more than 15 kg. The eyes glowed with an unhealthy light, there was something tragic in them. These were the most difficult days for him and, perhaps, the most difficult decisions...
He, I think, hoped that during this part of the conversation Primakov would express or tell something secret, something “sort of” from the Americans, make some attractive offer...
In fact, Primakov, of course, trying to increase the level of confidentiality, did not so much put new documents on the table as, from the position of an old acquaintance, he tried to convince Hussein that it would be beneficial for him to leave Kuwait as soon as possible.”
There is a version that Hussein agreed with Primakov and gave the order to begin the withdrawal of Iraqi troops, but the coalition still began the ground phase of the military operation. In fact, the withdrawal of troops began on February 26, already at the height of the “Desert Sabre”.
Ground forces from the United States, Great Britain, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Syria took part in the ground phase. The main striking force of the multinational troops were the American Abrams tanks (M1 Abrams), the British Challenger tanks (FV4030/4 Challenger), as well as the Syrian Soviet-made T-62. The hostilities lasted 100 hours. On February 28, the capital of Kuwait was liberated and Iraq accepted the demands of the UN Security Council.
On March 3, 1991, the Iraqi military and the leadership of the multinational forces signed documents regulating the ceasefire at Safwan Air Base (Iraq). Kuwait's sovereignty was restored.
Features of "Desert Storm"
The first international conflict since the end of the Cold War (December 1989).
USSR and USA for the first time after cold war had no fundamental differences in their assessment of what was happening in the third country.
For the first time, the UN Security Council was able to play exactly the role for which this organization was intended since its creation - “maintaining or restoring international peace and security", including through the use of force.
. Desert Storm was the first international experience in the formation of a multinational force.
For the first time, Arabs, together with foreign forces, participated in a military operation against an Arab country. Israel found itself on the same side of the “barricades” with part of the Arab countries.
The first military operation, the progress of which was covered live. Special “pools” were created for journalists, and correspondents from television channels of coalition countries could accompany the troops.
During the operation, some components of the armed forces that became widespread in the 21st century were tested for the first time. In particular, satellite navigation systems and drones were used. For the first time in combat conditions, Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems (MIM-104 Patriot) intercepted ballistic missiles launched by Iraq. Total number"smart" ammunition accounted for 8%, and their cost - 85%. The United States massively used Tomahawk ship-based cruise missiles (BGM-109 Tomahawk, 297 missiles were fired, of which 282 successfully hit targets). For the first time, the large-scale use of F-117 stealth strike aircraft was carried out.
Losses
According to various estimates, from 30 to 150 thousand Iraqi citizens became victims of the operation. During the operation, the country's infrastructure was seriously damaged, big number industrial and oil producing enterprises.
According to the leadership of the multinational forces, their losses amounted to about 340 people, of which 293 were American military personnel (including 145 non-combat losses). The war cost the United States $61 billion. Aviation losses of the coalition countries amounted to 52 aircraft and 23 helicopters.
Lessons unlearned
It would seem that this was an ideal operation with ideal goals - the liberation of a country occupied by the aggressor with minimal losses. However, its consequences were not so successful. Many military experts began to have questions during the final phase of the operation.
According to the memoirs of the Saudi commander, General Khaled bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, he was quite puzzled when, on the second day of the ground offensive, his American colleague, General Norman Schwarzkopf (commander of American and European units) suddenly announced that "may soon receive an order from President George H. W. Bush to cease hostilities."
Sergei Pechurov, Major General, Doctor of Military Sciences, Professor (publication in Red Star):
“The allies then still had questions to which there are still no comprehensive answers. Why did the Americans, when they invaded Iraq, not close the encirclement and allow more than 100 thousand Iraqis, mainly from the elite Republican Guard divisions, to escape? Why did the ground phase of the operation end so unexpectedly for the US allies, although everyone was sure that the Americans’ goal was to defeat the Iraqi military machine and eliminate the regime of Saddam Hussein?”
The finale of the military operation allowed Saddam Hussein to present the results of the war within the country as a victory. According to Posuvalyuk’s recollections, in January 1992, on the occasion of the anniversary of the start of the war in Baghdad, a large-scale propaganda campaign was organized about the “victory” in the war, the legendary heroism of the army and people, and the unparalleled leadership talent of Hussein. The Iraqi leader himself stated that “Iraq did not ask for a ceasefire,” it was, they say, the coalition forces themselves who asked for it.
That part of Iraqi society that was opposed to Hussein was also disappointed. They hoped that the defeat of the Iraqi army would lead to the fall of the regime.
“For many of us, the beginning of Desert Storm was like the threshold of freedom, we did not want to be liberated by foreign troops, and certainly did not think that the country could be occupied, but assumed that our opposition would be able to take advantage of the situation and overthrow Hussein"- Hashem al-Mosawi, native of Baghdad
Many experts believe that one of the reasons for maintaining the Hussein regime is the reluctance of the Americans to strengthen Iran’s position in the region. In addition, the continued instability in Iraq made it possible to leave a large military contingent in the Persian Gulf region. In addition, at that time Washington would hardly have decided to act in circumvention of the UN Security Council resolution, which approved the liberation of Kuwait, but not the overthrow of the regime.
However, the Iraqi population was placed in difficult conditions: the repressive apparatus continued to operate, international sanctions applied to Iraq in connection with programs related to the development of weapons of mass destruction led to impoverishment and hunger, in addition, Western military attacks on Iraqi territory were periodically renewed .
From 1991 to 2003, the international community either tried to seek a compromise with Iraq or applied unprecedented pressure. Many countries profited from the Iraq crisis. The main scandals are related to contracts under the Oil-for-Food program, established by the UN in 1995 to provide assistance to the population. But it did not change the situation for the bulk of Iraqis, most of whom were on the brink of poverty, the level of education sharply decreased, and the psychology of an entire nation, brought to the brink of survival, changed.
Photo: Demolition of Saddam Hussein statue in Baghdad, April 2003 AP Photo/Jerome Delay
In 2003, US President George W. Bush completed what his father had started. A multinational coalition assembled by the Americans overthrew Saddam Hussein. This time, international forces acted without a UN Security Council resolution. As a result, Iraq plunged into chaos for another 12 years: civil war, occupation of part of the country by terrorist groups (“Al-Qaeda in Iraq” and “Islamic State” are banned in the Russian Federation).
"We had one Saddam, but now we have 25"- say some Iraqis. Someone now recalls with nostalgia the times when it was safe inside Iraq, there was no dominance religious extremism. But others argue that while Iraqi citizens had no hope of change under Hussein, now there is a chance.
For a nation that has been accustomed to living under a totalitarian regime and a cult of personality for almost a quarter of a century, it is not easy to accept new rules of the game. Especially in conditions of interfaith conflicts and clashes of interests of external forces. In addition, the country is still de facto split into parts: Iraqi Kurdistan in the north, the Shiite south under the influence of Iran, and the Sunni center.
The world after the "Storm"
. "Desert Storm" drew a line between bipolar and unipolar systems of international relations.
Over the next 10 years, Russia had virtually no influence on the situation in the Middle East. The return to the region began in the 2000s in anticipation of the second Iraqi crisis. However, Moscow began to fully oppose US policy in the region again only in 2013, when Washington was preparing to overthrow Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
The split in the Arab world became obvious, in particular, the Palestinians took the side of Iraq, ultimately losing the financial and political support of the Arab countries of the Persian Gulf. This was one of the reasons that influenced the beginning of the Middle East settlement process between the Arabs and Israel.
Many of the political instruments tested during Desert Storm, including the creation of a multinational force and an attempt to obtain UN Security Council approval for military intervention, have become popular for resolving Middle Eastern crises in the 21st century. However, an ideal solution for post-conflict resolution has not yet been found. The lesson of Desert Storm has not yet been learned - military victory does not lead to peace and stability.
Desert Storm, which began in 1991, has not yet subsided.
Iraq was short of money, waging wars both internally (against the Kurds) and external conflicts (Iran). We decided to raise the price of oil.
Saudi Arabia and Kuwait did not like this. Saddam accused Kuwait of theft and illegal use of oil production on the Iraqi-Kuwaiti border.
For this, Iraqi President Saddam Hussein demanded the following from the Kuwaiti emir: forgive the debt, stop oil exploration, and pay $2.5 billion in cash for the trouble. And while the emir was thinking, Iraqi troops captured his country.
The world gasped - a fifth of the world's oil reserves were in Saddam's hands! And the beacon of democracy, America, gasped loudest of all. And she decided, hiding behind the UN flag, to liberate Kuwait.
This means returning oil production under your control, and if you’re lucky, taking away Iraqi oil as well. This operation was called "Desert Storm".
Preparing for war
Based on UN Security Council Resolution No. 678 of November 29, 1990, the United States created an anti-Iraqi coalition of 28 countries. The multinational coalition forces (MNF) included 16 divisions (800 thousand people), over 4 thousand aircraft and helicopters, 4 thousand tanks, about 4 thousand guns, 170 ships, including 7 aircraft carriers.
Operation Desert Storm photo
An orbital constellation of 50 reconnaissance satellites was also involved. Iraq fielded 40 divisions (about 500 thousand people), up to 4 thousand tanks, over 5 thousand guns and mortars, 711 aircraft, 489 helicopters.
War is a path of deception
Guided by this saying of Sun Tzu, the Americans carried out a number of successful measures to misinform the enemy. The Iraqis were confident that the coalition would deliver the main blow from the Persian Gulf. Therefore, they transferred their main forces to the coast and equipped it with anti-landing fortifications.
Operation Desert Storm begins
On the night of January 17, 1991, MNF troops launched a sudden massive airstrike against Iraqi command and communication centers, air defense, missile and air bases, nuclear and chemical facilities. In just three days, about 4.5 thousand combat sorties were carried out, and this is a lot.
Operation Desert Storm photo
Complete air supremacy was achieved. However, the system of command and control of the Iraqi troops was in effect. In response to the bombing, Iraq began to launch attacks with SCAD missiles on the territory of Saudi Arabia and Israel, which was not at war with Iraq. Iraq also launched an “ecological war.” He carried out a massive release of crude oil into the waters of the Persian Gulf, and then blew up and set fire to all of Kuwait's oil wells.
Development of the conflict
Subsequently, the intensity of airstrikes was halved, but their effectiveness increased. Reconnaissance was carried out again. Strategic, front-line and carrier-based aviation operated around the clock against identified targets, and cruise missiles were also launched from coalition warships.
war photo
As a result of these actions, the Iraqi control system was completely destroyed, air defense was suppressed, and the Iraqi fleet was sunk. About 30 thousand Iraqi troops died. Iraq's infrastructure - power plants, bridges, factories - was destroyed. All this took the Ministry of Taxes a month, from January 19 to February 23, 1991.
Denouement
It took the MNF about five days to defeat the Iraqi ground army, from February 24 to 28. The coalition delivered the main blow not from the sea, but from land, from the territory of Saudi Arabia. After airstrikes and artillery bombardment, the Iraqi defense was destroyed, and MNF troops moved unhindered deep into Kuwait and Iraq.
Iraqi tanks photo
Attempts at tank counterattacks were suppressed by the massive use of aircraft. Over the course of three days, from February 25 to 27, the Iraqi army found itself dismembered and surrounded in several pockets. And at 8 o'clock in the morning on February 28, 1991, she stopped resisting.
Results of the war
- The Iraqi army suffered a crushing defeat from which it has not yet recovered
- Kuwait liberated from Iraqi occupation
- The US has regained control of Persian Gulf oil.
MNF troops won a victory on foreign territory and with little bloodshed
Without going into the political background of the US-Iraq war of 1990-1991, Operation Desert Storm actually cured the United States of the Vietnam syndrome. The military and political mistakes of Saddam Hussein cost dearly not only to him personally and Iraq, but subsequently to the entire Third World.
Of course, the Iraqi army did not have the necessary military power to defeat the pro-American coalition forces of General Norman Schwarzkopf, but the army and air force of Baghdad could inflict more severe damage on the allied forces, and thereby create the conditions for a truce.
Our special correspondent Alksandr Sitnikov discusses the lessons of the American-Iraq war on the pages of the Russian Arms news agency.
Meanwhile, by the beginning of the 1990s, D. Bush’s America had to not only overcome the consequences of the economic recession that arose due to the reforms of the previous President R. Reagan, but also nullify the political scandal “Irangate”.
We are talking about secret military assistance to Iran, which was waging a war with Iraq and which Washington officially considered an enemy. “Irangate” demonstrated to the world the policy of “double standards” and undermined the image of the United States.
Norman Schwarzkopf, commander of the Multinational Force during the Gulf War in 1990-1991
Obviously, under these conditions, large casualties among the American military in the new war with Iraq could have a negative impact on the domestic political situation in the United States.
In other words, the main task Saddam Hussein's goal was to destroy as many American soldiers and officers as possible, at any cost.
Operation Desert Storm, Iraq 1991
This could be achieved through decentralized methods of war and, most importantly, effective patriotic propaganda. However, the military-political leadership of Iraq was preparing for a classic war, based on the experience of previous battles with Iran. Moreover, the factor of national patriotism was replaced by clan loyalty, which did not make it possible to make the war a people's war and a liberation war.
Meanwhile, the US leadership considered one of its main tasks to be undermining the morale of the population. To achieve this, the information structure of Iraq was not destroyed, as previously assumed, but was used for the purposes of coalition forces. Saddam Hussein's propagandists turned out to be powerless in the face of the "black" PR of the private company Rendon Group, which in the eyes of the world community and ordinary Iraqis looked like an objective informant.
However, journalists not only worked on the image of the allies, but also conducted their own investigations. A few days before the start of Operation Desert Storm, ubiquitous correspondents obtained and even published some details of the first stage of the air war.
It became known to the general public that Iraq's air defense had 300 modern fighter-interceptors (out of 600 in service with the Air Force) and 700 anti-aircraft guided missile systems (SAM), united by centralized control.
Only with the suppression of these air defenses did coalition forces plan to begin large-scale bombing. Saddam Hussein's analysts did not draw any conclusions from these publications.
Soviet S-200 air defense systems in Iraq. 1991
On the very first day of War K, the Americans and allies used the positive experience of Blitzkrieg, in particular, to strike the air defense center and disabled almost all communication channels, including Saddam Hussein’s special one. As practice has shown, the commanders of anti-aircraft guided missile systems did not have clear instructions for this case. As a result, most of the Iraqi PVL nodes were discovered and destroyed.
And yet, on January 17, 1991, Iraqi pilots put up worthy resistance to ally aviation. According to the USSR Ministry of Defense, as a result of the first phase of air battles, the Allies lost 68 aircraft and 29 helicopters (according to American data, 10 aircraft), while the losses of the Iraqi Air Force amounted to 34 aircraft and 7 helicopters.
“The more fierce the fighting in the skies of Iraq becomes, the more regularly missile attacks on Israel follow, the more restrained the coverage of the ongoing war in the American media becomes,”- noted the Pravda newspaper on January 21, 1991.
British Tornado fighter-bombers in the skies of Iraq
And this despite the fact that only 15 Iraqi aircraft flew on a combat mission. American experts themselves called the position of the Iraqi military leadership, that is, “saving” aircraft, irrational and contrary to the logic of the air war. After the destruction of the airfields, the Baghdad Air Force fighters would still be lost as combat units.
In addition, almost every day of the first month, MiG-29, Su-24, and Mirage F-1, which were in service with Saddam Hussein’s Air Force, flew to Iran. A total of 147 Iraqi aircraft took off - roughly half of Saddam Hussein's air force's fleet of modern combat aircraft.
Taking into account the statistics of the first days, a full air war could cause damage to US and allied aviation by at least 100 to 300 aircraft and shift the phase of the “non-contact” war by a month, or even two. Such high losses would certainly have led to the suspension of the air operation until a new tactic for introducing war was developed.
Meanwhile, in May-June, the dust storm season begins in Iraq to make it difficult for Allied infantry forces to participate in the ground phase, at least until July. And there we would have to wait until the fall, until the sizzling heat subsides. Despite the technical advantage in terms of space and radar reconnaissance, the Allied air forces could not boast of effectiveness.
Thus, the tasks of destroying Iraq’s Scud surface-to-surface missile launchers, which is a modification of the Soviet R-300 liquid-propellant rocket (delivered in 1962), were not fully completed. The Desert Storm experience showed that mobile missile launchers are extremely difficult to detect and destroy. The Iraqis launched about 88 rocket attacks.
After a Scud hit a residential building in the Israeli Ramat Gan. 1991.
So, at the first stage, the Iraqi military leadership was unable to effectively use Air Force aircraft and air defense systems, as well as mobilize the patriotic factor.
Open Internet sources were used when writing the material:
- Source 1
- Source 2
- Source 3
- Source 4
On January 16, 1991, the military operation Desert Storm began, in which more than 30 countries took part in accordance with the UN mandate. The purpose of the operation was to liberate Kuwait, which had treacherously captured Iraq. Desert Storm ended successfully six weeks after it began. Aviation played a major role in the victory.
Background
Iraq in the second half of the twentieth century was a very restless neighbor of the Arab states. In the 70s, taking advantage of the uncertainty of the border line, Saddam Hussein began to make territorial claims to Iran. At the same time, he supported the Iranian separatists in every possible way. Iran responded quite symmetrically, provoking the activity of the Iraqi Kurds.
The time for decisive action came when the Islamic revolution triumphed in Iran. Saddam Hussein had an excellent reason for starting the war: in an effort to stir up a global Islamic revolution, the Iranians began sending Shiite sabotage groups into Iraq. And they even almost killed Prime Minister Tariq Aziz.
In September 1980, Iraqi troops moved towards Tehran. For two years, luck was on Iraq's side. This was followed by 6 years of equilibrium, exhausting the economies of the warring countries. Over the next two years, Iranian troops drove the Iraqis home. And, quite possibly, Ayatollah Khomeini would have celebrated victory in Baghdad some time later if American carrier-based aircraft had not intervened. One dealt a crushing blow to the Iranians, stopping the “development of the Islamic revolution.” That is, Saddam at that moment was considered an ally of Washington.
Saddam encroached on the sacred
Everything changed in 1990. Iraq, which owed about $100 billion to the countries of the Arab world during the exhausting war, tried to solve this problem, as they say, easily. Saddam Hussein presented an ultimatum to Kuwait, to which Iraq owed 14 billion, demanding to pay 14 billion for the theft of oil in the border strip. And another 2.5 billion as compensation for moral damage. Naturally, territorial claims were also made.
The astonished Emir of Kuwait, Jaber al-Ahmed al-Jaber, refused to pay. And on August 2, 1990, Iraqi troops moved towards Kuwait. This time they met virtually no resistance. And very soon Iraq declared Kuwait its province.
It is quite understandable that the UN immediately adopted a resolution to stop the aggression and withdraw troops. And then she signed a mandate to conduct a military operation to liberate the country captured by Iraq.
The United States became the instigator, driver and propagandist of the military operation to liberate Kuwait, called Desert Storm. Here not only a moral, but also a completely mercantile reflex was at work. The fact is that Iraq, having expanded, began to own a fifth of the world's oil. And, therefore, he could significantly influence the rules of the game in the hydrocarbon market. The United States could not allow Saddam to do this.
Strengths of the parties
It was planned to carry out the operation in two stages without a clear definition of their duration. During the first stage, the air stage, it was planned to use massive air strikes to destroy or, in extreme cases, neutralize air defense systems, cause irreparable damage to key military infrastructure and troops, and paralyze the system of military and government administration.
At the second stage, ground forces, ground forces and marines, with the support of attack and bomber aircraft, had to finish off the bloodless enemy.
The Multinational Force (MNF), with the participation of troops from NATO countries, mostly the United States, as well as a number of Arab countries and Eastern European countries, began to accumulate striking power. Dozens of air bases in the Middle East, including civilian airports, were used to base the aircraft. Several aircraft carriers were brought to the region. They transferred 55 thousand US Air Force flight personnel, who were housed in 5 thousand prefabricated buildings with equipment, ammunition and other “related goods”. 16 hospitals were deployed. More than 160 thousand sq.m. were laid. concrete covering.
The balance of forces was as follows: MNF - Iraq
Divisions/military personnel: 16/800 thousand - 40/500 thousand.
Tanks: 4 thousand - 4 thousand.
Guns and mortars: 3.7 thousand - 5 thousand.
Helicopters: 2 thousand - 489
Aircraft: 2600 – 711
Ships: 170 - n/a.
Iraq was losing significantly in the air. And this predetermined the outcome of the war. In reality, the loss in aviation positions was significantly higher when comparing the quality of equipment. The MNF used, first of all, the latest flight equipment, which the Iraqi age-old aircraft fleet did not have enough strength to combat. The Iraqi Air Force was patchy. They included the Soviet Tu-26, Su-20, Su-22, Su-25, MiG-21, MiG-25, and the French Mirages of the first modifications.
The coalition fielded the following strike forces against the Iraqi Air Force:
— F-16 fighter-bomber (244 units);
— F-15С interceptor (120 pcs.);
— F-15E fighter-bomber (48 units);
— F-111 fighter-bomber (82 units);
— stealth attack aircraft F-117 (42 pcs.);
- A-10 attack aircraft (132 units);
— strategic bomber B-52 (66 units);
— fighter-bomber F/A-18 (169 units);
- A-6E attack aircraft (115 units);
— attack aircraft A-7 (24 pcs.);
— F-14 interceptor (99 pcs.).
And these are only US Air Force and Navy aircraft. Several hundred Mirages, Jaguars and Tornados were driven up by the British and French. A significant share of the attracted aviation was service aircraft - tankers, electronic warfare aircraft, transport aircraft.
The air operation, which began on January 16, lasted 38 days. During this time, international forces carried out about 30 thousand combat missions. The main targets of the attacks were troops of the first and second echelons, communications, launchers of operational-tactical missiles, artillery positions, reserves, ammunition and logistics warehouses, military and military-industrial facilities, control points of state and military command and control systems. At the same time, a significant part of the Iraqi aircraft were destroyed at the airfields. More than a hundred planes flew “out of this hell” to Iran.
Results achieved
The ground operation, again with the support of tactical aviation, lasted only 4 days. Because, in essence, there was no one to fight with. More precisely, there was nothing, most of the military equipment was bombed. On February 28 at 8:00, Iraqi troops stopped resistance.
Iraq liberated Kuwait and submitted to all UN resolutions. An attempt to easily earn 16.5 billion dollars ended in failure. In addition to defeat, Iraq also incurred international sanctions. The most sensitive of them were restrictions on oil sales.
The losses of the parties during this fleeting war were as follows.
Iraq:
- 9 thousand killed;
— 17 thousand wounded;
— 150 thousand deserted;
— 3.8 thousand tanks;
— 1.4 thousand armored personnel carriers;
— 2.9 thousand guns;
— 360 aircraft;
— 85% of industrial enterprises were destroyed;
— out of 820 wells, 58 remain.
- 300 killed;
- 600 wounded;
— 4 tanks;
— 9 guns;
— 69 aircraft;
— 28 helicopters.
Photo at the opening of the article: during Operation Desert Storm (1991) planes over the burning oil fields of Kuwait / Photo: Globallookpress
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