Contrary to the first Gulf War between Iraq and Iran, the second Gulf War became very fast internationalized beyond all regional borders even if its roots were mainly placed in the broader regional environment. Especially the US was very concerned about the Iraqi invasion and its impact on the regional and on the international economical, political and military balance. The so called Gulf War III in the year 2003, which rooted to a big part in the second one, showed, that this concern kept on being vital for the US.
This paper mainly focuses on two aspects of the Gulf Crisis of 1990/91, namely on the US Administration, its goals and its policy for the Middle East in general, and the Gulf region and Iraq specifically. Additionally it´ll deal with the role of the United Nations or rather the Security Council and its permanent members during this crisis.
Table of Contents
1) Introduction
2) The Gulf Crisis 1990/1991 – background and facts
3) The role of the United Nations and the United States in the Gulf Crisis until the declaration of war against Iraq
3.1) US Policies for the Middle East until 1991
3.2) The UN and its role in the Gulf Crisis
3.2.1) Security Council and its Resolutions
3.2.2) Reaction of the permanent members of the Security Council on the Crisis
3.2.3) Resolution 678 and the Military Staff Committee of the UN
3.3) From Korea to the Gulf Crisis
4) Conclusion
Research Objectives and Thematic Focus
This paper examines the Gulf Crisis of 1990/91, specifically focusing on the intersection of United States geopolitical interests and the diplomatic role of the United Nations. It investigates whether the crisis served as a genuine revival of the UN's collective security framework or as a strategic instrument for the US to legitimize unilateral military and political agendas in the Middle East.
- US administration goals and foreign policy strategies regarding the Middle East and Iraq.
- The relationship between US political initiatives and United Nations Security Council resolutions.
- The impact of the post-Cold War shift in the Soviet Union on international conflict resolution.
- Historical parallels and differences between the 1950 Korea intervention and the Gulf Crisis.
- The role of permanent Security Council members and the bypass of the Military Staff Committee.
Excerpt from the Book
3) The role of the United Nations and the United States in the Gulf Crisis until the declaration of war against Iraq
To understand the strong involvement of the UN in the Gulf crisis we have to take a look on the new international system created by the transformation of the Soviet Union to a (unequal) partner of the US in the international political system. This new circumstance made it possible to answer to the crisis through UN resolutions. But there were very soon doubts whether this was a real revival of a strong UN that would be able to solve in the same manner future conflicts. Some analysts rather saw a new possible lever for the US Administration to make its policy under the flag of the UN.
Resolution 660 of the Security Council on 2 August as a first respond to the Iraqi aggression, which was adopted with the abstention of Yemen and Cuba, clearly stated that the Security Council is acting under article 39 and 40 of chapter 7 of the UN-Charter. This explicitly meant from the beginning that if there was no compliance to the demands of the UN by Iraq - after a gradual strengthening of pressure on Iraq that allows the use of all “measures not involving the use of armed force … [which] include[s] complete or partial interruption of economic relations and of rail, sea, air, …and other means of communication, and the severance of diplomatic relations”, as stated in Art. 41 and 42 of chapter 7 - the Security Council would have the right to use force for the implementation of the resolutions, as written down in Art. 43. In contrast to this an action under chapter 6 of the Charter would just have left the possibility to use peaceful means to settle the conflict while the use of force under Chapter 6 is not allowed.
Chapter Summary
1) Introduction: Provides an overview of the Gulf Crisis events, the context of the end of the Cold War, and the primary focus on US and UN roles.
2) The Gulf Crisis 1990/1991 – background and facts: Details the motivations behind Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, including economic pressures and historical territorial claims.
3) The role of the United Nations and the United States in the Gulf Crisis until the declaration of war against Iraq: Analyzes the interplay between US Middle East policy, the rapid adoption of UN Security Council resolutions, and the geopolitical positioning of permanent council members.
4) Conclusion: Summarizes the argument that the UN provided a veil of legitimacy for US unilateral interests, noting the long-term regional consequences of this interventionist policy.
Keywords
Gulf Crisis, Iraq, United States, United Nations, Security Council, Resolution 678, Cold War, Middle East, Oil, Geopolitics, Collective Security, Military Staff Committee, Saddam Hussein, Kuwait, Interventionism
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this academic work?
The work examines the interplay between US foreign policy and the diplomatic actions of the United Nations during the 1990/1991 Gulf Crisis.
What are the central thematic fields covered?
The study covers US administrative goals, the role of the UN Security Council, the impact of the post-Cold War global shift, and the historical comparison between the Korean War and the Gulf Crisis.
What is the core research question?
The research asks whether the UN acted as a truly independent agent of collective security or whether it functioned as a vehicle for the US to legitimize its own unilateral political and military interests.
Which methodology is utilized in this paper?
The paper employs a historical and political analysis, drawing on international relations theories, UN documents, and geopolitical literature to assess the motivation behind military interventions.
What does the main body address?
The main body examines the history of US policy in the Middle East, the adoption of specific UN resolutions (e.g., 660, 678), the reactions of permanent Security Council members, and the bypassing of the Military Staff Committee.
Which keywords characterize the work?
The work is defined by terms such as Gulf Crisis, Pax Americana, collective security, international law, US interventionism, and regional stability.
How did the relationship between the US and the USSR influence the UN's ability to act?
The decline of the Soviet Union allowed the US to effectively steer the Security Council toward its own goals without the traditional threat of a veto, facilitating a new, US-led polarization within the council.
Why does the author argue that the Military Staff Committee was ignored?
The author argues that the US bypassed the committee to retain direct control over military operations, thereby transforming the "collective" UN effort into a US-led coalition action.
- Quote paper
- Stephan Schmid (Author), 2006, Gulf War II (1990/91) - Iraq between United Nations' Diplomacy and United States' Policy, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/80912
