Desert Storm was a coalition operation under a UN mandate primarily made up of NATO allies. In addition, there were contingents from various Arab countries, showing the regional interest in the matter. Finally, without basing privileges in Saudi Arabia and Turkey, we would not have been able to have carried it out.
The UN mandate was solely the expulsion of Iraq from Kuwait. In addition, had we marched on Baghdad, the Arab allies in the coalition would have withdrawn, and Saudi Arabia (and possibly Turkey) would have withdrawn basing privileges. Finally, the American people would not have stood for the kind of long term, probably bloody occupation that would have been necessitated by marching on Baghdad.
With Turkey and Iran afraid of the creation of a rump Kurdistan, and Saudi Arabia and the Emirates afraid of the Shi'ites in the south allowing their territory to become a staging area for Iranian aspirations to take the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, and the general fear of finally riling the Arab "street" too much, there were few choices. Bush was banking on a palace coup, which almost happened; or the ability of the opposition to take control of the country, after rebellions in the north and south. The rebellions occured, but they went nowhere. Thus, we were left with Saddam Hussein......... |
