Introduction
The First Gulf War between coalition and Iraqi forces began in January 1991 and ended in February of the same year, lasting a little more than a month. However, the conflicts in the Arabian Gulf preceding the war lasted eight years (Bulloch & Morris, 2017). The coalition was the largest alliance since World War II. It consisted of 35 nations with a total of 543 thousand soldiers assembled initially and more than 956 thousand people by the end of the war (Carmichael & Anderson, 2021; Ansbacher & Schleifer, 2021).
The majority of coalition forces were from the US, Saudi Arabia, the UK, and Egypt. On the other hand, Saddam Hussein had the fourth largest armed forces globally, with 955 thousand regular army and 650 thousand paramilitaries (Carmichael & Anderson, 2021). The main military scene was Kuwait, from where Iraqi forces planned to invade Saudi Arabia. The latter became a place of military buildup and the main base of operations for the coalition. The resources and armed forces of Saudi Arabia played a significant role during the war.
Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm
Members of the coalition used various names for war operations, with the most prominent two being operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. On the 2nd of August, 1990, Iraqi forces invaded Kuwait’s capital, which is considered the starting point for the war countdown. Corrigan (2017) notes about the day: “Helicopters descended on the city like locusts, their beating blades announcing the invasion” (p. 8).
Iraq completely occupied Kuwait within 48 hours and started consolidating armies near the Kuwait border with the Saudis (Carmichael & Anderson, 2021). Fearing the invasion, King Fahd of Saudi Arabia asked other countries to help with the troops. US military immediately answered with operation Desert Shield, building up forces in Saudi Arabia and preparing for defense. The Saudis themselves had a formidable air force, but their ground troops were limited in number (Corrigan, 2017). Moreover, the Iraqi army outnumbered and outgunned the Saudis, and the invasion could end with their defeat if it started immediately after Kuwait.
The five-month waiting period for Iraqi to vacate Kuwait was over, and Operation Desert Storm commenced. The name ‘Desert Storm’ is often confused with the name of the war because of the operation’s significance. The coalition attacked Iraq on the night of the 17th of January, 1991. It was the aerial campaign to liberate and defend Kuwait. “Dawn broke, removing the safety of the night, but the airstrikes continued without pause” as the coalition wanted to pressure Saddam Hussein (Corrigan, 2017, p. 78). The Iraqi leader liked to “micro-manage his forces,” so the coalition tried to erode his control (Carmichael & Anderson, 2021, p. 436). The alliance air force flew thousands of sorties and expanded a significant amount of ammunition up until the 29th of January.
It was a surprise attack on the Saudi coastal city Ras al-Khafji located a little more than a dozen miles away from Kuwait border. The results of this attack had not met Hussein’s expectations leaving the Iraqi army wide open for the coalition’s airstrikes (Allison, 2021). This attack hastened the war, and the first ground battles between the coalition and Iraqi started two weeks later. However, the major ground war began on the 24th of February, ending in four days with the coalition’s victory on the 28th of February, 1991.
Saudi Arabian Impact on Desert Operations
First and foremost, Saudi Arabia granted the coalition lands to amass three-quarters of a million forces. It was “an enormously complex logistical exercise, feeding and supplying millions of gallons of water” to the troops (Gornall, Ch. 2, para. 96). Prince Khaled (1993) recalled that it was a hard decision for King Fahd to invite western forces to Saudi Arabia because of “the Islamic nature of that soil” (as cited in Gornall, Ch. 2, para. 76). Nevertheless, the Saudis knew they needed western support because they helped build Hussein’s army over the years and realized its strength. Ultimately, members of the coalition showed mutual respect and tolerance. The coalition summarily spent more than 60 billion dollars on the operations against Iraq, and Gulf states provided over 30 billion dollars for the cause (Gornall). Without Saudi resources and considerable symbiosis among the alliance members, the war would not be possible.
The Saudi armed forces were part of two out of four command areas: Joint Forces Command North, represented by joint Arab forces, and Joint Forces Command East, comprised of three task forces. Overall, five Saudi brigades took part in the war, from 15 to 25 thousand people (Gornall). Both Joint Forces North and East fought in Kuwait and defended Ras Al-Khafji. Prince Khaled was appointed as the commander of Arab forces. He remembers it in his memoir as a “complex operation to stop a terrible dictator” (Khaled, 1993, as cited in Gornall, Ch. 2, para. 48). Saudi Arabian army was prominent during Operation Desert Storm and helped achieve the operation’s objectives.
Saudi Arabian Armed Forces in Desert Storm
Operation Desert Storm can be divided into four major phases. The first phase was to destroy the Iraqi logistics, air force, and Scud missile sites. Iraq had nearly a thousand air vehicles, including fighters and jets (Allison, 2021). The Tomahawk missiles were bombing Baghdad’s electricity, communication, research, production and supply facilities, air defense systems, and other infrastructure. Meanwhile, the coalition aircraft, including the Saudi air force, were striking at numerous strategic targets in southeastern Iraq, namely Iraqi airbases, with most enemy aircraft not even leaving the ground (Gornall).
Royal Saudi Air Force F-5E Tiger II fighters were supporting the operation. “Saudi pilots flew more than 7 thousand sorties” out of over 100 thousand sorties flown by the coalition (Britannica, para. 2; Carmichael & Anderson, 2021). It was a swift, precise, and deadly collaboration to cripple Hussein’s chain of command and resources.
The Iraqi ground attack on Ras Al-Khafji was reckless and irrational, possibly out of frustration. Gornall notes that three weeks of the war were one-sided, and “Iraqis had done nothing but take casualties and fire Scud missiles … at targets in Saudi Arabia and Israel” (Ch. 3, para. 21). Ras Al-Khafji had been evacuated immediately after the Kuwait occupation. Still, the coalition dispatched two Saudi Arabian National Guard battalions and the US Marine Corps to stop the Iraqi advance inwards Saudi Arabia (Gornall). US aircraft spotted the mechanized and armored divisions before Iraqi reached the city; thus, air attacks heavily damaged the columns (Allison, 2021). After stopping the Iraqi advancement, Saudi Arabian and Qatari forces retook the city with the help of the coalition artillery and aircraft.
The second, third, and fourth phases were to free Kuwait. Much time went into planning the ground attack on Iraqi positions because they had built defensive belts during a five-month waiting period. The coalition surrounded Kuwait attacking from the left and right flanks while joint Arab forces, Saudi, Egyptian, Syrian, and Kuwaiti armies, were advancing from the front. Despite solid defenses, including minefields, fire trenches, and barriers, Arab forces penetrated the border. By the end of the second day of the four-day ground war, they reached Kuwait City (Gornall).
Left flank forces cut the retreat of a portion of the Iraqi army, while US Marines on the right flank and US battleships supported the Arab force’s advancement towards the capital. After firing a couple of Scud missiles at Saudi Arabia as a last of power, Saddam Hussein ordered a general withdrawal resorting to the scorched earth policy (Carmichael & Anderson, 2021). The Saudis and Arab forces led by Prince Khaled had the honor to liberate Kuwait City.
Conclusion
Saudi Arabia had a major role in the First Gulf War in January-February 1991. The Saudi king invited western forces and provided the coalition with land, money, and provisions during Desert operations. The Saudi army and air force were part of every major phase of Operation Desert Storm. Royal fighters supported strikes at Iraqi strategic targets, and National Guard defended Ras Al-Khafji. The joint Arab army under the command of Prince Khaled overwhelmed the Iraqi at the border to Kuwait, proceeded to its capital, and helped drive out Iraqi forces from the country. The coalition achieved victory due to the well-coordinated warfare of all parties involved. Careful planning, enormous money inputs, workforce, soldiers, and machinery made the war swift and nearly one-sided. Apart from the US, Saudi Arabia made the next most substantial contribution toward the military success of the operations.
References
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Britannica. (n.d.). The Persian Gulf War and its aftermath. In Encyclopædia Britannica. Web.
Bulloch, J., & Morris, H. (2017). The Gulf War: Its origins, history and consequences. Routledge.
Carmichael, E. B., & Anderson, Q. (2021). The First Gulf War: Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm (17 January-28 February 1991). British Dental Journal, 230, 435–443. Web.
Corrigan, J. (2017). Desert Storm air war: The aerial campaign against Saddam’s Iraq in the 1991 Gulf War. Rowman & Littlefield.
Gornall, J. (n.d.). Desert Storm: 30 years on. Arab News. Web.