Lessons for today: how the Gulf War shaped Israel's defense strategy – analysis
How the 1991 Gulf War reshaped Israel’s defense strategy and the Middle East’s modern military landscape.
It has been almost a quarter century since the 1991 Gulf War which began with Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait in August 1990. The war began with Operation Desert Storm on January 17, 1991, and saw a US-led coalition destroy Iraq’s large army. The war can teach us many lessons for today.
The Gulf War began a new order in the Middle East and throughout the world. The Soviet Union had collapsed, and the US was the sole superpower. Saddam challenged this new order by invading Kuwait. This was seen as a major break with international norms. The US laid down the gauntlet asserting that countries should no longer settle matters through war.
The new Iran-Russia agreement signed this week is also part of how these countries are reshaping the world. The US deployed 500,000 troops to Saudi Arabia to fight Saddam, thus beginning a deep US involvement in the region. US Central Command’s important role today is a legacy of that.