January 17 In History: Desert Operations Flatten Iraqi Forces

United States warplanes pass a burning oil refinery (Wikimediacommons)

JAKARTA - January 17, 1991, or right on this day three decades ago, the Gulf War Allies sent hundreds of planes to flatten Iraqi troops who were invading Kuwait. This attack, which paralyzed the Iraqi military, is known as Operation Desert Storm.

As quoted by the BBC, planes from the United States (US), Britain, France, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait took off for Kuwait at midnight. Their bombs targeted military targets and strategic locations including oil refineries and Baghdad airport.

This attack is also an opportunity for the US to try out its newest weapons. The US planes with the latest technology come out. Among them, F117, F15, F15e, A10, B-52, and many more.

The total number of flights carried out by the US has reached 65 thousand times. Not only did it disarm Iraq's military potential, US troops had also succeeded in knocking out the country's air force which was heavily dependent on oil exports.

Encourage Saddam Hussein

US Defense Secretary Dick Cheney said the operation appeared to be going very well. Two hours after the attacks began, then US President George W. Bush delivered a speech on television.

He said the military's objective was clear: to force Iraqi forces out of Kuwait and restore legitimate rule. Bush also said the attack was aimed at protecting the coalition nation from Saddam Hussein's military.

"Our operation is designed to protect the lives of all coalition forces by targeting Saddam's extensive military arsenal. General Schwarzkopf's initial report was that our operation was going according to plan," Bush said.

While in Baghdad, Saddam Hussein remained defiant saying: "The mother of all fighting has begun." Hussein urged the Iraqi people to take up arms against evil.

The first news of the bombing came from CNN journalists in Baghdad. According to their report, sirens sounded the signal of an air raid before a bomb exploded.

The British Prime Minister, John Mayor, also commented on the operation. "Nobody wants this conflict. Nobody is happy about the fact that this conflict is necessary," he said.

But he said the problems that Iraq was doing had to be resolved quickly. "He (Saddam Hussein) must get out of Kuwait and end this problem quickly and decisively," he concluded.