Gulf War Notes
-UN kept insisting Saddam to withdraw • Needed to expel him from the Kuwait • And US was the only state with capability to do so
POLITICS: Liberate Kuwait (kick out Iraq armed forces) • No expectation that US would follow into Iraq and overthrow Saddam • LIMITED political objective
STRATEGY: Make Iraq defenseless as QUICKLY as possible • No messing around with political constraints • Just destroy any capability to use force • No coercion strategy used, just rapid offensive • “First cut off the army, then kill it” – Colin Powell
MEANS: Overwhelming force (500k Soldiers, artillery, etc) • Unlike Vietnam, where 500k was built up slowly, there was 500k FROM the START o Use of overwhelming FORCE • Massive air offensive to reduce Iraqi strength to 50% • Blow up major highways into Kuwait o Prevent reinforcement of Kuwait from Iraq • Attack Iraqi command & control centres with airstrikes, destroy means of resistance ASAP • Then finally, a GROUND offensive o Envelop Iraqi forces, cut them off, DESTROY them • OP. Rolling Thunder vs. INSTANT Thunder o Increasing attrition of Iraqi occupation through airstrikes CONSIDERED, but not used o As well as a decapitation strike against Saddam himself or Baghdad • Why not attrition through airpower? Powell’s foresight of political constraint: o 1) Saddam has extraordinary political ability to ABSORB casualties (compared to US) § As a non-democracy, e.g. in Iran-Iraq war o 2) Gives Saddam initiative and allows him to focus on airstrike threat alone § And either derive countermeasures or focus media attentio
-Worries about attacking Iraq • Iraqi army is experienced, well-equipped from Iran-Iraq war o Plus entrenched into defensive positions • Posibillity of chemical attack even on home ground o Effects of morale at
POLITICS: Liberate Kuwait (kick out Iraq armed forces) • No expectation that US would follow into Iraq and overthrow Saddam • LIMITED political objective
STRATEGY: Make Iraq defenseless as QUICKLY as possible • No messing around with political constraints • Just destroy any capability to use force • No coercion strategy used, just rapid offensive • “First cut off the army, then kill it” – Colin Powell
MEANS: Overwhelming force (500k Soldiers, artillery, etc) • Unlike Vietnam, where 500k was built up slowly, there was 500k FROM the START o Use of overwhelming FORCE • Massive air offensive to reduce Iraqi strength to 50% • Blow up major highways into Kuwait o Prevent reinforcement of Kuwait from Iraq • Attack Iraqi command & control centres with airstrikes, destroy means of resistance ASAP • Then finally, a GROUND offensive o Envelop Iraqi forces, cut them off, DESTROY them • OP. Rolling Thunder vs. INSTANT Thunder o Increasing attrition of Iraqi occupation through airstrikes CONSIDERED, but not used o As well as a decapitation strike against Saddam himself or Baghdad • Why not attrition through airpower? Powell’s foresight of political constraint: o 1) Saddam has extraordinary political ability to ABSORB casualties (compared to US) § As a non-democracy, e.g. in Iran-Iraq war o 2) Gives Saddam initiative and allows him to focus on airstrike threat alone § And either derive countermeasures or focus media attentio
-Worries about attacking Iraq • Iraqi army is experienced, well-equipped from Iran-Iraq war o Plus entrenched into defensive positions • Posibillity of chemical attack even on home ground o Effects of morale at