Desert Shield and Desert Storm

On July 17, 1990, Saddam Hussein accused Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates
of overproduction of oil, thereby flooding the world market and decreasing its
income from its sole export. Talks between Iraq and Kuwait collapsed on August
1, 1990. On August 2, Iraqi with a population of 21 million invaded its little
neighbor Kuwait, which had a population of less than two million.

Much of the world expressed outrage at the reported abuses of human rights by
the conquerors of Kuwait. The United States immediately claimed concern about
our suffering brothers in Kuwait and U. S. interests.

A few days later Iraqi troops massed along the Saudi Arabian border in position
for attack. Saudi Arabia asked the United States for help.

In spite of severe economic sanctions, countless United Nations resolutions,
and diplomatic measures, Iraq refused to withdraw from Kuwait. During the
early hours of January 17th, about 27 hours after the expiration of the United
Nations deadline for withdrawal of Iraqi forces from Kuwait, U. S. warplanes
began a bombing campaign against strategic targets in Iraq. Desert Shield --
U.S. protection of other Allies in the region -- was officially over. Desert
Storm had begun.

One month later, on the night of February 23, U. S. warships bombarded the
coastline of Kuwait, as if softening up the area for an amphibious landing.
Fighters from several aircraft carriers in the Persian Gulf launched coordinated
air strikes. Meanwhile Allied land forces, comprising hundreds of Abrams M-1
tanks and Bradley armored vehicles, drove across 200 miles of brand-new highway
across the Saudi Arabian desert to attack Iraq.

The "100 Hour War" would destroy the vaunted Iraqi Republican Army, 500,000
strong.

Why the six-month delay in liberating the citizens of Kuwait and defending our
interests -- i.e. protecting one of our major oil suppliers? A large part of
the answer is supply.

Every general knows tactics and logistics are intertwined in planning a military
campaign. Hannibal used elephants to carry his supplies across the Alps during his
invasion of the Roman Empire. George Washington's colonial militias had only nine
rounds of gunpowder per man at the start of the Revolution, but American privateers
brought in 2 million pounds of gunpowder and saltpeter in just one year.

Dwight Eisenhower's plans for the June 1944 invasion of Normandy hinged on a
massive build-up of war materiel in England and the "Mulberry" artificial harbors
which allowed for unloading reinforcements and supplies. The most brilliant tactics
are doomed without the ability to get the manpower and supplies in the right place
at the right time.

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