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| Operation Desert Storm |
The Persian Gulf War, or Operation Desert Storm, was waged in early 1991
between Iraq and a coalition of thirty-nine nations organised by the Unites
States and the United Nations. Leading the coalition were the U.S., France,
Great Britain, Egypt, Syria, and Saudi Arabia.
On the morning of August 2, 1990 the mechanised infantry, armour, and tank
units of the Iraqi Republican Guard invaded Kuwait and seized control of
that country. The United Stated responded by launching what is known as
Operation DESERT SHIELD, in an attempt to try and deter any invasion of
Kuwait's oil rich neighbour, Saudi Arabia.
Iraq wanted Kuwait because of its long coastline and harbour as well as the
wealth to be had through its petroleum. The interests of the coalition
revolved around protecting the petroleum supply upon which they were
dependent.
On August 7, the deployment of U.S. armed forces began. United Nations
Security Council Resolutions 660 and 662 condemned Iraq's invasion and
demanded the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of Iraqi forces. On
August 20 President Bush signed National Security Directive 45, "U.S. Policy in
Response to the Iraqi Invasion of Kuwait," outlining U.S. objectives - which
included the "immediate, complete, and unconditional withdrawal of all
Iraqi forces from Kuwait," and the "restoration of Kuwait's legitimate
government to replace the puppet regime installed by Iraq."
A U.N. ultimatum, Security Council Resolution 678, followed on November 29,
1990 which stipulated that if Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein did not remove
his troops from Kuwait by January 15, 1991 a U.S.-led coalition was
authorised to drive them out. Early in the morning of January 17, Baghdad
time, the U.S.-led coalition launched air attacks against Iraqi targets. On
February 24, coalition ground forces began their attack. On February 27,
Kuwait City was declared liberated, and with allied forces having driven
well into Iraq, President Bush and his advisers decided to halt the war. A
cease-fire took effect at 8:00 the following morning.
Although members of the coalition suffered fewer than 400 deaths, perhaps
close to 100,000 Iraqi troops died, although the figure is not clear. Also,
thousands of Iraqi and Kuwaiti civilians were killed, and the devastation to
the area was enormous.
The history of the Gulf War has a lot of different components - including
internal decision-making as well as diplomatic, economic, and conventional
military activities.
A briefing book available from The National Security Archive primarily
focuses on the intelligence, space operations, and Scud-hunting aspects of
the war. It also includes a report describing how Desert Storm affected
China's view of future warfare, a document that raises questions as to what
lessons other nations have drawn from U.S. military engagements in the
Middle East and the Balkans. For a comprehensive list of documents and the
description of each that are available to download from this website,
please click here.
Higher Education for Peace Teaching Peace- and Conflict Journalism PDF
References, Credits, Teaching & Student Lesson Plans, and Further Resources:
Wikipedia
American Friends Service Committee
Totally Explained
UUA Archives
http://www.gwu.edu
between Iraq and a coalition of thirty-nine nations organised by the Unites
States and the United Nations. Leading the coalition were the U.S., France,
Great Britain, Egypt, Syria, and Saudi Arabia.
On the morning of August 2, 1990 the mechanised infantry, armour, and tank
units of the Iraqi Republican Guard invaded Kuwait and seized control of
that country. The United Stated responded by launching what is known as
Operation DESERT SHIELD, in an attempt to try and deter any invasion of
Kuwait's oil rich neighbour, Saudi Arabia.
Iraq wanted Kuwait because of its long coastline and harbour as well as the
wealth to be had through its petroleum. The interests of the coalition
revolved around protecting the petroleum supply upon which they were
dependent.
On August 7, the deployment of U.S. armed forces began. United Nations
Security Council Resolutions 660 and 662 condemned Iraq's invasion and
demanded the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of Iraqi forces. On
August 20 President Bush signed National Security Directive 45, "U.S. Policy in
Response to the Iraqi Invasion of Kuwait," outlining U.S. objectives - which
included the "immediate, complete, and unconditional withdrawal of all
Iraqi forces from Kuwait," and the "restoration of Kuwait's legitimate
government to replace the puppet regime installed by Iraq."
A U.N. ultimatum, Security Council Resolution 678, followed on November 29,
1990 which stipulated that if Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein did not remove
his troops from Kuwait by January 15, 1991 a U.S.-led coalition was
authorised to drive them out. Early in the morning of January 17, Baghdad
time, the U.S.-led coalition launched air attacks against Iraqi targets. On
February 24, coalition ground forces began their attack. On February 27,
Kuwait City was declared liberated, and with allied forces having driven
well into Iraq, President Bush and his advisers decided to halt the war. A
cease-fire took effect at 8:00 the following morning.
Although members of the coalition suffered fewer than 400 deaths, perhaps
close to 100,000 Iraqi troops died, although the figure is not clear. Also,
thousands of Iraqi and Kuwaiti civilians were killed, and the devastation to
the area was enormous.
The history of the Gulf War has a lot of different components - including
internal decision-making as well as diplomatic, economic, and conventional
military activities.
A briefing book available from The National Security Archive primarily
focuses on the intelligence, space operations, and Scud-hunting aspects of
the war. It also includes a report describing how Desert Storm affected
China's view of future warfare, a document that raises questions as to what
lessons other nations have drawn from U.S. military engagements in the
Middle East and the Balkans. For a comprehensive list of documents and the
description of each that are available to download from this website,
please click here.
Higher Education for Peace Teaching Peace- and Conflict Journalism PDF
References, Credits, Teaching & Student Lesson Plans, and Further Resources:
Wikipedia
American Friends Service Committee
Totally Explained
UUA Archives
http://www.gwu.edu
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Talking to Children about War and Terrorism: 20 Tips for Parents ~ By David
Fassler, M.D.
Once again, parents and teachers are faced with the challenge of
explaining war and the threat of terrorism to their children. Although these
are understandably difficult conversations, they are also extremely
important. While there's no "right" or "wrong" way to have such discussions,
there are some general concepts and suggestions that may be helpful.
These include:
1. Create an open and supportive environment where children know they
can ask questions. At the same time, it's best not to force children to talk
about things until they're ready.
2. Give children honest answers and information. Children will usually know,
or eventually find out, if you're "making things up". It may affect their ability
to trust you or your reassurances in the future.
3. Use words and concepts children can understand. Gear your
explanations to the child's age, language and developmental level.
4. Be prepared to repeat information and explanations several times. Some
information may be hard to accept or understand. Asking the same
question over and over may also be a way for a child to ask for reassurance.
5. Acknowledge and validate the child's thoughts, feelings and reactions.
Let them know that you think questions and concerns are important and
appropriate.
6. Be reassuring, but don't make unrealistic promises. It's fine to let children
know that they are safe in their house or in their school. But you can't
promise children that there won't be a war or that no one will get hurt.
7. Remember that children tend to personalise situations. For example, they
may worry about friends or relatives who live in a city or state directly or
indirectly associated with terrorist incidents.
8. Help children find ways to express themselves. Some children may not
want to talk about their thoughts, feelings or fears. They may be more
comfortable drawing pictures, playing with toys, or writing stories or poems.
9. Avoid stereotyping groups of people by country or religion. Use the
opportunity to explain prejudice and discrimination and to teach tolerance.
10. Children learn from watching their parents and teachers. Children will be
very interested in how you respond to events in the world. They will also
notice changes in your routines such as reducing business travel or
modifying vacation plans, and they will learn from listening to your
conversations with other adults.
11. Let children know how you're feeling. It's OK for children to know if you
are anxious, confused, upset or preoccupied by local or international
events. Children will usually pick it up anyway, and if they don't know the
cause, they may think it's their fault. They may worry that they've done
something wrong.
12. Don't let children watch lots of TV with violent or upsetting images. Ask
local TV stations and newspapers to limit the repetition of particularly
disturbing or traumatic scenes. Many media outlets have been receptive
to such overtures.
13. Help children establish a predictable routine and schedule. Children are
reassured by structure and familiarity. School, sports, birthdays, holidays and
group activities all take on added importance.
14. Don't confront your child's defenses. If a child is reassured that things are
happening "very far away" it's probably best not to argue or disagree. The
child may be telling you that this is how they need to think about things right
now in order to feel safe.
15. Coordinate information between home and school. Parents should know
about activities their child's school has planned. Teachers should know
about discussions which take place at home, and about any particular
fears, concerns or questions a child may have mentioned.
16. Children who have experienced trauma or losses in the past are
particularly vulnerable to prolonged or intense reactions to news of war or
heightened fears of possible terrorist attacks. These children may need
extra support and attention.
17. Monitor for physical symptoms including headaches and stomachaches.
Many children express anxiety through physical aches and pains. An
increase in such symptoms without apparent medical cause may be a sign
that a child is feeling anxious or overwhelmed.
18. Children who are preoccupied with questions about war, fighting or
terrorism should be evaluated by a trained and qualified mental health
professional. Other signs that a child may need additional help include
ongoing trouble sleeping, intrusive thoughts, images, or worries, or recurring
fears about death, leaving parents or going to school. Ask your child's
pediatrician, family practitioner or school counselor to help arrange an
appropriate referral.
19. Help children reach out and communicate with others. Some children
may want to write to the President or to a State or local official. Other
children may want to write a letter to a local newspaper. Still others may
want to send thoughts to soldiers or their families.
20. Let children be children. Although many parents and teachers follow the
news and the daily events with close scrutiny, many children just want to be
children. They may not want to think about what's happening halfway
around the world. They'd rather play ball, climb trees or go sledding.
"Talking to Children about War and Terrorism" is obtained from the UUA
Archives
Fassler, M.D.
Once again, parents and teachers are faced with the challenge of
explaining war and the threat of terrorism to their children. Although these
are understandably difficult conversations, they are also extremely
important. While there's no "right" or "wrong" way to have such discussions,
there are some general concepts and suggestions that may be helpful.
These include:
1. Create an open and supportive environment where children know they
can ask questions. At the same time, it's best not to force children to talk
about things until they're ready.
2. Give children honest answers and information. Children will usually know,
or eventually find out, if you're "making things up". It may affect their ability
to trust you or your reassurances in the future.
3. Use words and concepts children can understand. Gear your
explanations to the child's age, language and developmental level.
4. Be prepared to repeat information and explanations several times. Some
information may be hard to accept or understand. Asking the same
question over and over may also be a way for a child to ask for reassurance.
5. Acknowledge and validate the child's thoughts, feelings and reactions.
Let them know that you think questions and concerns are important and
appropriate.
6. Be reassuring, but don't make unrealistic promises. It's fine to let children
know that they are safe in their house or in their school. But you can't
promise children that there won't be a war or that no one will get hurt.
7. Remember that children tend to personalise situations. For example, they
may worry about friends or relatives who live in a city or state directly or
indirectly associated with terrorist incidents.
8. Help children find ways to express themselves. Some children may not
want to talk about their thoughts, feelings or fears. They may be more
comfortable drawing pictures, playing with toys, or writing stories or poems.
9. Avoid stereotyping groups of people by country or religion. Use the
opportunity to explain prejudice and discrimination and to teach tolerance.
10. Children learn from watching their parents and teachers. Children will be
very interested in how you respond to events in the world. They will also
notice changes in your routines such as reducing business travel or
modifying vacation plans, and they will learn from listening to your
conversations with other adults.
11. Let children know how you're feeling. It's OK for children to know if you
are anxious, confused, upset or preoccupied by local or international
events. Children will usually pick it up anyway, and if they don't know the
cause, they may think it's their fault. They may worry that they've done
something wrong.
12. Don't let children watch lots of TV with violent or upsetting images. Ask
local TV stations and newspapers to limit the repetition of particularly
disturbing or traumatic scenes. Many media outlets have been receptive
to such overtures.
13. Help children establish a predictable routine and schedule. Children are
reassured by structure and familiarity. School, sports, birthdays, holidays and
group activities all take on added importance.
14. Don't confront your child's defenses. If a child is reassured that things are
happening "very far away" it's probably best not to argue or disagree. The
child may be telling you that this is how they need to think about things right
now in order to feel safe.
15. Coordinate information between home and school. Parents should know
about activities their child's school has planned. Teachers should know
about discussions which take place at home, and about any particular
fears, concerns or questions a child may have mentioned.
16. Children who have experienced trauma or losses in the past are
particularly vulnerable to prolonged or intense reactions to news of war or
heightened fears of possible terrorist attacks. These children may need
extra support and attention.
17. Monitor for physical symptoms including headaches and stomachaches.
Many children express anxiety through physical aches and pains. An
increase in such symptoms without apparent medical cause may be a sign
that a child is feeling anxious or overwhelmed.
18. Children who are preoccupied with questions about war, fighting or
terrorism should be evaluated by a trained and qualified mental health
professional. Other signs that a child may need additional help include
ongoing trouble sleeping, intrusive thoughts, images, or worries, or recurring
fears about death, leaving parents or going to school. Ask your child's
pediatrician, family practitioner or school counselor to help arrange an
appropriate referral.
19. Help children reach out and communicate with others. Some children
may want to write to the President or to a State or local official. Other
children may want to write a letter to a local newspaper. Still others may
want to send thoughts to soldiers or their families.
20. Let children be children. Although many parents and teachers follow the
news and the daily events with close scrutiny, many children just want to be
children. They may not want to think about what's happening halfway
around the world. They'd rather play ball, climb trees or go sledding.
"Talking to Children about War and Terrorism" is obtained from the UUA
Archives