On 2 August 1990, Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait and one of the largest international military coalitions in modern times was assembled to liberate that small oil rich state. At the time I was employed on Riyadh military air base, so got to witness some of what came to be known as ‘Desert Shield’ and then ‘Desert Storm’.
Desert Shield
This began with the build-up of an international coalition of military forces. There was an awareness that the scud missiles Saddam Hussein possessed could contain biological nerve agents. Whilst military personnel were receiving their cocktail of injections to provide protection against possible nerve agents, civilian (expats) were not included.
After much delay gas masks were issued to civilians by the British Embassy. There was speculation about whether or not they would prove to be effective against the types of gas that Saddam was alleged to be in possession of.
Nothing was provided and so to improvise we came up with the solution of putting a bin bag over our head, donning a pair of dish washing gloves and hoping it would prove to be effective.
Western troops in the desert
There was concern about the fact that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was opening its borders up to an international military force and the impacts this would have on a traditionally conservative culture. Most forces were based well away from civilian populations which restricted interaction to a degree. Nevertheless there was a significant military presence in Riyadh, or, as the media had to universally state for security reasons, ‘at an unknown desert location’.
This invitation did not sit particularly well with the ultra-religious, unaccustomed to seeing women uncovered, driving vehicles and flying aircraft.
The real death toll
As if the culture shock and rapid adjustment in preparation for an offensive was not enough to contend with there was the driving to get accustomed to. There would appear to have been limited preparatory exposure to driving in Saudi. At the time there were frequent reports of fatalities of coalition forces on the roads.
A headline from the time read: ‘Biggest killer of soldiers in Gulf is traffic accidents’. This was tragic, military personnel training and preparing to liberate Kuwait losing their lives in this way. The roads and highways may have been built to a standard that the driver is familiar with but you have to learn to be prepared for just about anything. By way of example, a slip road onto a highway may not always mean traffic is joining the highway; or someone may or may not choose to indicate even when exiting the highway at short notice from the third lane.
The ultimatum
I and others in my situation were given two days to decide: remain or take a one-way ticket to Munich with one suitcase. Based on the balance of probabilities as to what the outcome of any action would be, I made the decision to stay, as did most of the other people given this ultimatum.
There is a good social life amongst western communities in Saudi. When I first arrived someone took me out into the desert with a group of people known as the ‘Hash House Harriers’ (aka the ‘Riyadh Megamob’ – a competitive/non-competitive running and walking group with an associated host of bizarre rituals!).
After every 100 runs a magazine would be produced. A selection of printable extracts are from expat ‘hashers’ living through Desert Storm from the time are included and do display a sense of humour.
Such get togethers of so many people from different countries provided an opportunity to learn about what each embassy was planning should what the military endeavour not go the way the coalition forces were hoping.
One of the more extreme ideas was for some bulldozers to set off from Riyadh making a road directly south, across the Empty Quarter (a large desert). The ‘get in lane’ cartoon shows what may have happened on the existing road and prompted this solution.
Desert Storm
Operations commenced in the early hours and in a state of alarm I went to inform colleagues in the next apartment of what was happening. Being former US military ‘vets’, they were totally unphased. They responded to me with the comment ‘Yeah, ok’ and promptly went back to sleep.
Scud missiles
Scud missiles began to target Riyadh. The attacks happened in the early hours of the morning. Around 1.30 to 2.30am the eery warning sirens would go off. There would then be a period of silence – an opportunity to grab the gas mask and prepare the bin bag. If a scud missile did impact close by the effect of the blast could be felt against the apartment window (photo 26/02/91). Then you had to get up and go to work.
When it was known where a scud had landed it acted as something of a magnet as locals would jump in their cars and travel to the scene to inspect the damage.
The picture right shows the damage caused to a school from an unexploded scud warhead fired into Riyadh. The school caretaker was killed. A line of sightseers can be seen driving by.
Scud mobile missile launcher: Riyadh Air Base. At the time each Patriot missile launch was stated to cost more than $1mn.
The two photographs below taken by Mark Anderson were rumoured to have netted him circa $1mn. These would have been the first time Patriot defence missiles were being used to counter a genuine threat.
Scud bonus
A scud bonus scheme was introduced for each missile fired at Riyadh by my employer. I have no idea what was behind this, but to be sure it was nothing like the size of a banker’s bonus! It was further qualified that the missiles had to have exploded to count and the tally was shown on a map in the human resources department.
Retreating Iraqi forces fleeing Kuwait City along what came to be known as the ‘Highway of Death’ which ultimately led for the calls to stop at the border with Iraq. The Iraqi Republican Guard looted Kuwait. The burnt-out vehicles were reported to be full of stolen goods.
Then it was over, the coalition left and the only visible reminder was the blackened haze across the horizon present for months afterwards.
The aftermath
The mastermind who headed up the coalition, General ‘Stormin Norman’ Schwarzkopf, adjusted to a ‘new normal!’. He is quoted as saying: “Seven months ago I could give a single command and 541,000 people would immediately obey it; today I can’t get a plumber to come to my house.”
It is important to remember that people were killed and injured on both sides during the ousting of Iraqi forces from Kuwait, many more suffered subsequently as a result of the actions of Saddam Hussein.
Military and civilian personnel gave their lives or suffered life changing injuries during this operation, with some not seeing combat – instead suffering from the result of friendly fire or accidents.
Those living in Kuwait (skip to heading Human Rights Developments in Iraqi Occupied Kuwait), or who arrived at the time of the invasion on the BA flight were trapped and isolated from the rest of the world, used as human shields to deter military action to prolong the stand-off for the duration of the occupation.
In the final stages of Desert Storm it was decided to cease hostilities at the Iraqi border. It subsequently became President George Bush Jr’s mission to invade Iraq and oust the Hussein regime over a decade later.
