Contrary to the first Gulf War between Iraq and Iran, the second Gulf War became very fast internationalized beyond all regional borders even if its roots were mainly placed in the broader regional environment. Especially the US was very concerned about the Iraqi invasion and its impact on the regional and on the international economical, political and military balance. The so called Gulf War III in the year 2003, which rooted to a big part in the second one, showed, that this concern kept on being vital for the US.
This paper mainly focuses on two aspects of the Gulf Crisis of 1990/91, namely on the US Administration, its goals and its policy for the Middle East in general, and the Gulf region and Iraq specifically. Additionally it´ll deal with the role of the United Nations or rather the Security Council and its permanent members during this crisis.
At a glance
- Grade: 1.0 (1.0 is the best grade)
- Compares UN involvement in the Korean War and Gulf Crisis
- Examines Resolution 678 and the UN Military Staff Committee
- Examines the positions of Britain, France, the Soviet Union and China
- 44 sources in the bibliography
Table of Contents
Table of content
1) Introduction
2) The Gulf Crisis 1990/1991 – background and facts
3) The role of the United Nations and the United States in the Gulf Crisis until the declaration of war against Iraq
3.1) US Policies for the Middle East until 1991
3.2) The UN and its role in the Gulf Crisis
3.2.1) Security Council and its Resolutions
3.2.2) Reaction of the permanent members of the Security Council on the Crisis
3.2.3) Resolution 678 and the Military Staff Committee of the UN
3.3) From Korea to the Gulf Crisis
4) Conclusion
Objectives and Topics
This work examines the relationship between United States policy and United Nations diplomacy during the Gulf Crisis of 1990–1991. It asks how American regional interests interacted with Security Council decisions, what role the crisis gave the United Nations, and who determined the objectives of the war against Iraq.
- The regional background to Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait
- United States policy towards the Middle East after the Second World War
- Security Council resolutions and the positions of its permanent members
- Resolution 678 and the Military Staff Committee
- Comparison of UN involvement in the Korean War and the Gulf Crisis
Excerpt from the Book
3.1) US Policies for the Middle East until 1991
To understand the role of the US during the Gulf Crisis - as a nation with own interests and as a permanent member of the UN - we have to start with the analysis of the US policy for the Middle East from the aftermath of World War II until the year 1991.
During and even more after World War II the US showed a huge interest in the Gulf region, which for a long time didn´t result in concrete actions. These interests were, pursuant to Bassam Tibi, based on four pillars: 1. threat of the Soviet Union and its expansion into the Middle East, 2. access to the oil wealth of the region, 3. maintenance of the stability and security of the pro-western regimes in the region, 4. the special relationship to Israel. Especially during the first years after World War II the US involvement in the Middle East, which was at that time directly linked to the Truman-Doctrine, was characterized by considerations related to the uprising Cold War. According to the strategy of collective security the Baghdad-Pact, which flowed into the already existing CTO-Pact, the Central Treaty Organization, was created in 1957 in order to build a belt around the Soviet Union with Iraq as the (only) Arab member to prevent a Soviet expansion into the region. With Iraq as a member, all states inside the Arab League became US-allies in the fight against communism, because e.g. an attack on Iran by the USSR would have also been, according to the Baghdad Pact, an attack on Iraq and this would have been, according to the Arab Defense Treaty of the Arab League of 1951, an attack on all Arab states. With the Iraqi coup in 1958 “the most important Arab government accepting the American anti-Soviet line was no more.” Shortly before this event, in 1957, the Eisenhower-Doctrine was elaborated. It stated that the US was willing to give to any desiring state financial supply against the communist threat. This supply was conditioned by allowing the US to install military bases on the territory of the supported country in order to be able to give military assistance.
But the only country following this call was Lebanon. Instead of improving the US-relations with countries in the Middle East, this new US policy was at last the reason for the Iraqi anti-western coup d`etat.
Chapter Summaries
1) Introduction: The introduction frames the Gulf Crisis within regional disputes and the end of the Cold War. It sets out the work’s questions about US objectives and the role of the United Nations.
2) The Gulf Crisis 1990/1991 – background and facts: This chapter traces the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, the responses of regional and international actors, and the movement from diplomacy and sanctions towards military intervention.
3) The role of the United Nations and the United States in the Gulf Crisis until the declaration of war against Iraq: The main chapter examines the history of US policy, Security Council resolutions and the positions of its permanent members. It also considers Resolution 678, the Military Staff Committee and parallels with the Korean War.
4) Conclusion: The conclusion assesses the relationship between American interests and UN legitimacy and considers consequences for regional and international politics.
Keywords
Gulf Crisis, Gulf War, Iraq, Kuwait, United States foreign policy, United Nations, Security Council, Resolution 678, Military Staff Committee, collective security, Cold War, Korean War, Middle East, oil, diplomacy
Frequently Asked Questions
What is this work about?
It examines the Gulf Crisis of 1990–1991, focusing on the relationship between United States policy and United Nations diplomacy.
What are its central themes?
The work considers regional security, American interests, Security Council decisions, international legitimacy and the use of military force.
What is the main research question?
It asks how US policy and UN decisions interacted during the crisis and what role the United Nations played in the response to Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait.
What research method does the author use?
The author uses a historical and political analysis of published sources, UN Charter provisions and Security Council resolutions, including a comparison with the Korean War.
What does the main chapter cover?
It discusses US Middle East policy, the Security Council and its permanent members, Resolution 678, the Military Staff Committee and the Korean War comparison.
Which keywords characterize the work?
Key terms include the Gulf Crisis, Iraq, Kuwait, US foreign policy, the United Nations, collective security and Resolution 678.
Why does the work discuss the Korean War?
The comparison explores similarities and differences in UN involvement and US military leadership across the two conflicts.
How does the author approach Resolution 678?
The discussion examines its authorization of member-state action alongside questions about Security Council oversight and the role of the Military Staff Committee.
Which Security Council members receive particular attention?
Alongside the United States, the work examines Britain, France, the Soviet Union and China and their responses to the crisis.
- Quote paper
- Stephan Schmid (Author), 2006, Gulf War II (1990/91) - Iraq between United Nations' Diplomacy and United States' Policy, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/80912
