KABUL: Thirty-five years ago, on January 16, 1991, the Gulf War began to end Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait. On August 2, 1990, the regime of Saddam Hussein launched an assault on Kuwait, swiftly capturing the small Arab nation within hours. Following the invasion, Saddam declared Kuwait a province of Iraq. During the resistance against Saddam’s forces, approximately 4,200 Kuwaiti soldiers lost their lives and the Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, and his family fled to Saudi Arabia for refuge. Immediately after the invasion, Iraqi soldiers looted over $1.5 billion from Kuwaiti banks, along with gold and artwork. Human rights organizations reported that Iraqi forces executed hundreds of Kuwaitis without trial and transported many others to Iraq. On the same day, January 16, a Western coalition led by the United States began bombing Saddam’s forces, a campaign that continued until February 28. An unknown number of Iraqi soldiers were killed, with some estimates suggesting tens of thousands of casualties. Hundreds of Iraqi aircraft, along with thousands of tanks, armored vehicles, and equipment, were destroyed. Fearing the loss of Baghdad, Saddam Hussein eventually recognized Kuwait as an independent country and accepted a ceasefire.
