This research paper is about “Operation Desert Storm.” A war which took place in 1991 between Iraq and the allied troops of the United Nations Organization (UNO) under the command of the US Army after Iraqi troops had conquered Kuwait.
The second chapter is about the war itself and the origin of the conflict between Kuwait and Iraq. It also deals with the question of why the USA intervened and includes a short summary of the development of the war. The chapters 2.2.2, 2.2.3 and 2.2.4 detail the role of the UNO, an interesting point in this war.
The third chapter is about the disinformation of the public before and during the war. This topic is still not largely known about and is also very ongoing. It contains a detailed description of the pool system and its origin. It also shows how Kuwait became popular in the USA and gives an exact view on the “Incubator Incident” in 3.3.1.
The topic about the conflict at the Gulf is still up to date, especially since resistance against the American forces in Iraq after the 3rd Gulf War is still growing today. Because of the immense size of the topic, this work shall not be a summary of the war but a work that gives an insight into certain aspects of this war, in particular the role of the UNO in the second chapter and the disinformation of the public in the third chapter.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. The war
2.1 The history and the political situation of Iraq and Kuwait
2.2 The Second Gulf War
2.2.1 The Iraqi Army conquers Kuwait
2.2.2 The role of the UNO
2.2.3 Resolution 660 – Resolution 678: “Enforcement with all necessary means”
2.2.4 The behaviour of the UNO – a critical review
2.2.5 Oil: The reason why the USA intervened?
2.2.6 The development of war
3. The role of the media in the Gulf War
3.1. First Amendment: The freedom of the press
3.2 The pool system in the Gulf War
3.2.1 Vietnam, Grenada and Panama: Reasons for the pool system
3.2.2 The failure of the media: The acceptance of the pool system
3.3. How the war was made popular
3.3.1 An invented story: The Incubator Incident
3.4 Official justification of the pool system
3.5. The censorship in the times of the Second Gulf War – a critical review
4. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Themes
The paper examines the historical and political origins of the 1991 Gulf War, specifically focusing on the critical role and dependency of the United Nations (UNO) on the United States and the systematic use of media manipulation and censorship during the conflict.
- The historical geopolitical tensions between Iraq and Kuwait.
- The role of the UN Security Council and U.S. intervention dynamics.
- Media control through the "pool system" and its historical precedents.
- Propaganda techniques, specifically the "Incubator Incident."
- The relationship between war reporting and the U.S. First Amendment.
Excerpt from the Book
3.3.1 An invented story: The Incubator Incident
The most remarkable disinformation of the public before the war is the incubator lie. The origin of this lie is not clear, but it first appeared in the English “Daily Telegraph” and two days later in the “Los Angeles Times.” Both papers report, independent from each other, that Iraqi soldiers took babies out of the incubators and threw them on the ground. The biggest and definitely most significant part of this lie was the statement a girl named “Nayirah” made in front of the Human Rights Caucus. She claimed that she had been a nurse in a hospital in Kuwait and reported what she had seen:
“While I was there, I saw the Iraqi soldiers come into the hospital with guns, and go into the room where fifteen babies were in incubators. They took the babies out of the incubators, took the incubators, and left the babies on the cold floor to die.”
The catch is Nayirah’s true identity. She was neither a nurse in Kuwait nor had she been in a Kuwaiti hospital. In fact she was the daughter of Saud Al Sabah, the Kuwaiti ambassador in the USA.
So, she was everything but an independent witness that saw Iraqi soldiers taking out babies from incubators. This story with babies being killed by cruel Iraqi soldiers had a great impact on the American public and thus its attitude towards the upcoming war changed. Investigating in Kuwait, Aziz Abu-Hamad, who worked for the human rights group “Middle East Watch,” found out that there was no evidence for Iraqi soldiers taking babies out of incubators.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Outlines the scope of the research on Operation Desert Storm, focusing on the origins of the conflict, the UN's role, and public disinformation.
2. The war: Investigates the historical roots of the Iraq-Kuwait dispute and the escalation leading to the Second Gulf War.
2.1 The history and the political situation of Iraq and Kuwait: Analyzes the colonial history, shifting borders, and the lack of democratic governance in both nations leading up to 1990.
2.2 The Second Gulf War: Details the economic context of the conflict, specifically Saddam Hussein's debts and oil field disputes.
2.2.1 The Iraqi Army conquers Kuwait: Examines the Rumailah oil fields as a primary driver and the U.S. diplomatic signals preceding the invasion.
2.2.2 The role of the UNO: Explores the history of the UN Security Council and how the end of the Cold War changed its operational dynamics.
2.2.3 Resolution 660 – Resolution 678: “Enforcement with all necessary means”: Tracks the legal progression of UN resolutions used to authorize the coalition military response.
2.2.4 The behaviour of the UNO – a critical review: Critiques the UN’s loss of control over military operations to the U.S.-led command structure.
2.2.5 Oil: The reason why the USA intervened?: Assesses the strategic importance of oil markets and resources in the U.S. decision to intervene.
2.2.6 The development of war: Provides a brief overview of the military progression from air strikes to the ground campaign.
3. The role of the media in the Gulf War: Introduces the thematic focus on state-sponsored information control and censorship.
3.1. First Amendment: The freedom of the press: Discusses the constitutional protections for the press in the U.S. and their relevance during war.
3.2 The pool system in the Gulf War: Explains the origins of the embedded journalism system used to manage media access.
3.2.1 Vietnam, Grenada and Panama: Reasons for the pool system: Reviews past military conflicts where the U.S. felt "burned" by unmanaged media reporting.
3.2.2 The failure of the media: The acceptance of the pool system: Documents how media organizations acquiesced to Pentagon restrictions.
3.3. How the war was made popular: Discusses the use of professional PR agencies to shift American public opinion.
3.3.1 An invented story: The Incubator Incident: Details the false testimony regarding Iraqi soldiers and hospital incubators.
3.4 Official justification of the pool system: Summarizes the government's rhetoric regarding "security" and the reality of managed information.
3.5. The censorship in the times of the Second Gulf War – a critical review: Concludes the analysis on the critical ethical failures of both the state and the media.
4. Conclusion: Synthesizes the findings, reflecting on the power dynamics between the U.S., the UN, and the public's right to truthful information.
Keywords
Operation Desert Storm, Gulf War, UNO, UN Security Council, Saddam Hussein, Kuwait, media censorship, pool system, First Amendment, propaganda, Incubator Incident, Hill & Knowlton, public opinion, disinformation, oil reserves.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary subject of this research paper?
The paper provides a critical review of the 1991 Gulf War (Operation Desert Storm), focusing on the political role of the United Nations and the methods used by the U.S. government to manage and censor public information.
What are the central thematic fields discussed?
The central themes include international diplomacy, military intervention justifications, the history of media management in war, and the influence of strategic public relations campaigns.
What is the author's primary research goal?
The goal is to analyze how the UN was dominated by U.S. interests and to expose the systematic disinformation used to gain public support for the war, such as the Incubator Incident.
Which scientific methods are employed in this analysis?
The author uses historical analysis, critical discourse analysis of UN resolutions, and the evaluation of journalistic sources—most notably John MacArthur’s work on war propaganda.
What core topics are covered in the main section of the paper?
The main section covers the geopolitical origins of the conflict between Iraq and Kuwait, the procedural and political failures of the UNO, and the implementation of the "pool system" to control war reporting.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
The most relevant keywords are Operation Desert Storm, media censorship, the pool system, disinformation, U.S. foreign policy, and the Incubator Incident.
Why is the "Incubator Incident" highlighted as a key point?
It is highlighted as a primary example of how fabricated emotional narratives were successfully used to influence U.S. Senate voting and public opinion in favor of intervention.
How does the author characterize the role of the media in this conflict?
The author argues that the media failed its democratic duty by passively accepting the Pentagon's "pool system," which effectively functioned as a state-sanctioned censorship mechanism.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Torben Jonsky (Autor:in), 2005, Operation Desert Storm - a critical review, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/111041
