If Operation Desert (Storm) Shield/Gulf War Did Not Occur?

How different would the world be?

How would the United States and the Arab Word have been (adversely) affected?

The United States deployed more than 600,000+ troops to the region to repel Iraqi troops and "liberate" Kuwait (and apparently deter any potential assault on Saudi Arabia).

In a [very, very?] unlikely hypothetical, what if the United States did nothing? What if 600,000+ US troops were not sent back in 1990?

Would the planet be even worse than it already is?

Gulf war (1990-1991)

The (First) Gulf War occurred shortly after the longstanding Iraq-Iran War (1980-1988).

a reply to: AnakinWayneII

Well first of all the FIRST gulf war was completely justified and legal, the second was NOT.
The first was about liberating an ally of the US a regionally neutral country called Kuwait as you know.

The first one stopped when it's objectives had been completed, it did not loiter too long in the area and forced the Iraqi's into stopping there attempt to develop several types of WMD, the second war was about oil but used the now known to be completely false claim that Iraq was still developing WMD.

BUT.

Saddam was undoubtedly a bad man in any definition of the word, the first man he killed was when he was a minor and he killed and robbed the man, somehow he eventually became leader of that nation and due in part to the divisions within it he then used Chemical weapon's upon the Kurdish population whom wanted there own nation - so in fact some of them were rebels but definitely not the entire town's and settlements' that he gassed leaving innocent mothers with there baby's in there arm's lying dead in the street's.

He also had a long war with Iran, actually neither side won that war it was a stalemate though one in which both sides claimed victory.

Iraq was Hated by Iran though some of Iraq's population share more in common with Iranian's than they do with there countrymen - a divided nation much like Syria in fact along ethnic, religious and tribal line's.

Had the US followed the more ethical route they have used many times in the past, that of turning one of Saddam's allies to there own and manoeuvring him into power while using Assassin's or elite special forces, perhaps even an Iraqi mig, updated of course and armed with something a bit more powerful to perform a precision strike on Saddam taking him out while leaving the regime now more friendly to them and in there control then the entire middle east would look very different indeed.

No ISIS/ISIL, The Taliban would also have been very much quieter, Iran would still be a rogue nation but would have serious problems with it's neighbours whom would be a present and continuous threat to them, Iran would still be pursuing there own atomic bomb - there neighbour Pakistan has them so they want them as well and this in turn may have then meant that even a friendly regime in control of Iraq may itself have seen the need to give itself a similar trump card to play should the game become nuclear.

Either way it would look different but be no less of a powder keg, the economy's of both the EU and the US meanwhile would have not taken the hit they did from having to fund the immensely expensive second Iraq war and rebuilding post war effort and the Arab spring (more like humanitarian autumn overall though wasn't it) would likely not have happened leaving the simmering tensions' that drove it to explode in some other manner.


If you look at the past everything in life is a what if, fingers are pointed to lay blame and that blame is then used to justify future tensions leading to future strife, we live in the here and now and this is our world and our time, we may not be God, we do not even know what the weather is really going to be like in the next five minutes never mind the next day despite the best efforts of our meteorological analysts so all we can really do is our best with what we have.

The past is only worth looking at to remember those we love and have lost, the lesson's it teaches and to tell us whom we have been and are now, tomorrow if I am still here is another day, another world and another person calling himself me.

a reply to: AnakinWayneII

Would the planet be even worse than it already is?

Probably not , the first Gulf war was a set up with far reaching ramifications that would spark the mess we see now.
The US knew of moves by Iraq to take back territory they believed was their's (Kuwait) and stated that they had no interest in Middle Eastern border disputes so Iraq saw that as a green light , hawks in the H. W. Bush administration then went back on that after Iraq invaded.

That's why Saddam tried to have Bush assassinated , a move Bush jr would try to avenge with the disastrous Gulf war 2.

Politics has led us to where we are now and Dick Cheney's name is written all over it.

a reply to: gortex

I have to admit that is one interpretation and maybe actually a canny one, I don't agree but you are absolutely correct I just don't know how much could have been manoeuvring that early on given that the following war was so long after the first one.

What if the moon really was made of green cheese ?
What if unicorn farts turned to gold ?
Why speculate ?
What is done , is done.

The US hoodwinked Iraq into invading Kuwait. The UN sold Kuwait the machinery to slant drill into Iraq. Saddam Hussein, as evil as he was, did have a legitimate complaint; Kuwait was stealing his oil.

Never steal another man's oil. There is a saying in TX about stealing a man's oil and cattle. I don't recall the saying but it's basically a death sentence. Still going on today. insideenergy.org...

Saddam presented the facts to the US and was given the go ahead to invade Kuwait without any retribution. This of course was a ruse. The details were buried in the media but some did try to cover the story. rense.com...

If the first gulf war didn't happen Kuwait likely would have become part of Iraq. Iraq would have become more powerful than Saudi. It would have created a global crisis of a couple of oppressive regimes controlling most of the world's energy.

originally posted by: AnakinWayneII
How different would the world be?

How would the United States and the Arab Word have been (adversely) affected?

The United States deployed more than 600,000+ troops to the region to repel Iraqi troops and "liberate" Kuwait (and apparently deter any potential assault on Saudi Arabia).

In a [very, very?] unlikely hypothetical, what if the United States did nothing? What if 600,000+ US troops were not sent back in 1990?

Would the planet be even worse than it already is?

Gulf war (1990-1991)

The (First) Gulf War occurred shortly after the longstanding Iraq-Iran War (1980-1988).

If there hadn't of been a war it would mean the deep state weren't doing their job right.

There's very little profit for big corporations in a peaceful world.

Don't think that the first gulf war just happened by chance. It could of been avoided altogether if the US hadn't told Saddam that they wouldn't interfere if he invaded Kuwait. They gave him the green light to do then went after him immediately after. Money, money money, always follow the money

Yeah I’ve got a ready-made reply for this. I’ve already thought about it. If Saddam didn’t go into Kuwait. ( along with stayed in his own play box ) The Middle East would be a much better place. Iraq would still be acting as a counterbalance to Iran and that delicate balance would’ve kept a lid on things . Because neither side wanted another war .

To explain the middle east since 1990. Saddam kicked over the Sandcastle we napalmed the beach .

a reply to: AnakinWayneII

After all the efforts of the US military in the ME it is just as effed up and violent as ever. I will go out on a limb here and predict 20 years from now, 50 years from now, 100 years from now THERE WILL STILL BE WAR AND VIOLENCE in the ME.

This is because the people living there are the most belligerent on the planet!!!

a reply to: Stupidsecrets



google "Nayirah Kuwaiti fake news"

originally posted by: dfnj2015
a reply to: AnakinWayneII

After all the efforts of the US military in the ME it is just as effed up and violent as ever. I will go out on a limb here and predict 20 years from now, 50 years from now, 100 years from now THERE WILL STILL BE WAR AND VIOLENCE in the ME.

This is because the people living there are the most belligerent on the planet!!!

I don't disagree with you but Iraq must have been quite the force to reckon with if the US sent 700,000 troops over to Kuwait in 1990. Staggering numbers and staggering equipment and weaponry deployed...

If it hadn't of occurred then I think the world economy would be entirely different. Saddam Husain wanted to unite Africa's economy with the dinar which was going to be based on gold not petrodollars, thus, no central bank. There was a great thread on how powerful central banks are. I think that thread also says how Syria/Iran are the last economies without central banks and the last on the chopping block.

If Husain were allowed to succeed, this would've really made geopolitics different from how they are today.

Also remember that an unstable M.E. plays into the hands of the M.I.C. Husain was a crazy man but he helped to stabilize the M.E.

a reply to: AnakinWayneII

We spent $50 billion a week invading Iraq and Afghanistan. If we hadn't invaded, we would have had plenty to deal with the 2008 financial crisis. In fact, that financial "crisis" may not even have occurred.

But here we are, ready to put future generations further into debt to rape and butcher more sub-human towel-heads for the greater glory of Israel. I'd like to know what the people who are going to have to pay for it think of that, but they haven't been born yet.

originally posted by: Gothmog
What if the moon really was made of green cheese ?
What if unicorn farts turned to gold ?
Why speculate ?
What is done , is done.

Deny Ignorance. Learn from the past in order to recognize the future.
How can you change direction if you don't know how or why you are where you are?



ganjoa

originally posted by: ganjoa

originally posted by: Gothmog
What if the moon really was made of green cheese ?
What if unicorn farts turned to gold ?
Why speculate ?
What is done , is done.

Deny Ignorance. Learn from the past in order to recognize the future.
How can you change direction if you don't know how or why you are where you are?

ganjoa

And what you posted has absolutely zilch to do with my post
Yes , you learn from the past
But not from speculating what may have been.....

Denying ignorance
Why ?
Posts like I just answered

originally posted by: VictorVonDoom
a reply to: AnakinWayneII

We spent $50 billion a week invading Iraq and Afghanistan. If we hadn't invaded, we would have had plenty to deal with the 2008 financial crisis. In fact, that financial "crisis" may not even have occurred.

But here we are, ready to put future generations further into debt to rape and butcher more sub-human towel-heads for the greater glory of Israel. I'd like to know what the people who are going to have to pay for it think of that, but they haven't been born yet.

I hear what you're saying, but you gotta remember that the United States was operating with a large deficit, so it wasn't so much a case of a budget as it was spending...

a reply to: lostbook

Saddam Husain wanted to unite Africa's economy with the dinar which was going to be based on gold not petrodollars, thus, no central bank.

NO that was Qaddafi that was trying to create a new African currency.

Saddam was pushing for Oil to be sold using another currency and not the US dollar.

originally posted by: InhaleExhale
a reply to: lostbook

Saddam Husain wanted to unite Africa's economy with the dinar which was going to be based on gold not petrodollars, thus, no central bank.

NO that was Qaddafi that was trying to create a new African currency.

Saddam was pushing for Oil to be sold using another currency and not the US dollar.

Thanks for the correction.