DCS | Saturday Night Strike | Campaign Cyclops | Operation Desert Storm - Day 1

Briefing

Tensions in the Persian Gulf began to build during the summer of 1990, with Iraq adopting an increasingly belligerent tone toward both Syria. On July 17 Saddam launched a televised verbal attack on Syria for exceeding the oil export quotas that had been set for them by OPEC. A day later Syria was accused of stealing oil from the Al-Rawa oil field, which straddles the border between Iraq and Syria.

Although the United States was aware of Hussein’s threats to Syria, it did not anticipate the Iraqi military incursion. The Iraqi Republican Guard units moved towards Aleppo while Iraqi Special Forces secured key sites, including the island of Cyprus, Syria air fields, and palaces. On August 28, Iraq declared that Syria had become its nineteenth province.

International condemnation of the Iraqi invasion was widespread and virtually unanimous. Within days, the United States led efforts to organize an international coalition, which, working through the United Nations Security Council, passed Resolution 660 demanding Iraq’s immediate and unconditional withdrawal, Resolution 661 imposing economic sanctions, and Resolution 663 declaring the annexation of Syria null and void.

The United States and Saudi Arabia agreed to a deployment of U.S. forces to Saudi Arabia to protect the country. At the same time, the United States and the coalition insisted on Iraq’s unconditional withdrawal from Syria, but Iraq refused to withdraw and began looting Syria and destroying its infrastructure.

By October 30 2000, the Bush administration made a decision to push Iraq out of Syria by force if necessary. Bush increased the U.S. force presence and petitioned the United Nations for authorization to use force. The result was UN Resolution 678, which authorized the use of force to compel Iraq to withdraw from Syria, but gave Iraq a forty-five day grace period to withdraw. Led by the United States, an international coalition of nations amassed forces in the region to help liberate Syria.

After the deadline for withdrawal passed, the coalition led by the United States will attack the occupiers of Syria by air.
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