The UN at Bay, 1990-2011 » The UN and the Gulf Wars

The first Gulf War: freeing Kuwait, 1990-91

On 2 August 1990 Iraq, led by Saddam Hussein, invaded its small neighbour Kuwait, which has large oil reserves. This was one state attacking another, exactly the kind of aggression the UN was created to stop. The Security Council reacted within hours.

• 2 August 1990: Resolution 660 condemned the invasion and demanded that Iraq withdraw.
• 6 August 1990: Resolution 661 put sanctions on Iraq, banning most trade with it.
• 29 November 1990: Resolution 678 gave Iraq until 15 January 1991 to withdraw and allowed members to use 'all necessary means' to make it leave. It passed by 12 votes to 2, with China abstaining. Cuba and Yemen voted against.

Iraq did not withdraw. On 17 January 1991 a coalition of more than 30 countries, led by the USA, began an air campaign, followed by a ground attack on 24 February. Kuwait was freed within days and a ceasefire began on 28 February 1991. The coalition did not march on Baghdad, because the UN mandate was only to free Kuwait.

Key terms:

• Mandate: the permission and instructions given by the Security Council for an action.
• Weapons inspectors: UN experts who search a country to check that it has destroyed banned weapons.
• Weapons of mass destruction: chemical, biological or nuclear weapons that can kill very large numbers of people.

Why the Council could agree in 1990

During the Cold War the USA and the USSR often used their veto, the power of the five permanent members to block any Council decision. In 1990 the Cold War was ending, and the USSR under Mikhail Gorbachev voted with the USA and the other members. The Council acted quickly and firmly. Many people hoped this was the start of a new era in which the UN could stop aggression, as its founders had planned.

Sanctions and weapons inspections, 1991-2002

The ceasefire terms were set out in Resolution 687 on 3 April 1991. Iraq had to destroy its weapons of mass destruction and its long-range missiles. A UN team called UNSCOM was sent to inspect, and sanctions stayed in place until Iraq complied.

UNSCOM found and destroyed large amounts of banned weapons, but it met constant obstruction. Iraqi officials hid equipment and blocked inspectors from some sites. In December 1998 the inspectors were withdrawn, and the USA and Britain then bombed Iraq for several days. For about four years no inspectors were in the country.

Sanctions also hurt ordinary Iraqis, who faced shortages of food and medicine, while the government stayed in power. In 1996 the UN began the oil-for-food programme, which let Iraq sell some oil to buy food and medicine under UN supervision. Many people questioned whether sanctions were working.

The Iraq war of 2003

After the terrorist attacks on the USA on 11 September 2001, the US government became more worried about hostile states with dangerous weapons. The USA and Britain said Iraq still had weapons of mass destruction. On 8 November 2002 the Council passed Resolution 1441 unanimously (15-0). It gave Iraq a 'final opportunity' to comply and warned of 'serious consequences'. Inspectors, led by Hans Blix, returned to Iraq.

Then the Council split over what 1441 meant:

• The USA and Britain argued that Iraq was still not cooperating fully, and that Resolution 1441, together with earlier resolutions such as 678, already allowed force.
• France, Russia and Germany said the inspectors should be given more time and that a second resolution was needed before any attack. France said it would use its veto against a resolution authorising war.

The USA and Britain did not ask for a vote on a second resolution. On 20 March 2003 they invaded Iraq with forces from other countries, including Australia and Poland. Saddam Hussein's government fell within weeks. No weapons of mass destruction were found. In 2004 the UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, said the invasion was not in line with the UN Charter.

The 2003 invasion left the UN badly shaken. A great power had gone to war after failing to win the Council's clear backing. Yet the UN had not been powerless: its inspectors had been in Iraq, and its debates had forced the world to argue over the law.

Changed or stayed the same?

Changed: in 1990-91 the Council worked together, with no Cold War veto standoff, and approved force. By 2003 it was divided again. Stayed the same: the UN had no army of its own, so it still depended on the great powers, especially the USA, to act, and it could not stop them acting without its approval.

Exam-style question

Explain TWO causes of the invasion of Iraq in 2003 going ahead without a clear UN mandate. [8 marks]

Remember: one cause alone can score no more than half marks. Explain how each cause led to the outcome.