the aftermath of the gulf war
Throughout the war, an estimated 8,000 to 10,000 Iraqi troops died, whereas only an estimated 300 U.N. troops died.
Although the Coalition was victorious in the Gulf War, the end result was not necessarily positive. Both Kuwait and Iraq were devastated and it took many years to recover. Saddam Hussein was left in power and persecuted his people for years to come. Although Iraq did not engage in all-out war, they did not obey rules set by the U.N. Security Council involving weapons inspections. Many uprisings were crushed by Hussein's iron fist and he was guilty of many murders of his own citizens. Occasional fights also occurred in the skies over Iraq, where the U.S. and Britain had enforced a "no fly zone". In 1998, brief hostilities resumed due to Hussein's refusal of weapon inspections. In 2002, President George W. Bush , son of the former president, sponsored a new U.N. resolution which consisted of weapons inspectors travelling to Iraq. The inspectors were permitted, but there was discrepancy whether Hussein had followed the rules. Without further permission from the United Nations, the United States and Britain began amassing troops on the border of Iraq. On March 17, 2003, President Bush issued an ultimatum that required Saddam Hussein to give up his position and leave Iraq within the next 48 hours. This ultimatum was under the threat of war. Hussein refused, and the second gulf war, more commonly known as the Iraq war, began three days later on March 20. On December 13, 2003 Saddam Hussein was captured after almost 10 months of hiding. He was found 9 miles outside of his hometown by U.S. forces under the codenamed "Operation Red Dawn". He was kept imprisoned for 3 years, and on November 5, 2005, he was found guilty of crimes against humanity and was sentenced to death by hanging. After an unsuccessful appeal to the court, he was executed on December 30, 2006. |
Uncut video of Saddam Hussein being found here:
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