The Gulf War

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The Gulf War (1990–1991) was a conflict in the Persian Gulf region between Iraq and a coalition of nations led by the United States. When historians study a war, they take into account the historical

context,

or circumstances, leading up to the event. Read about the context that led to the Gulf War. Then answer the question below.

Saddam Hussein became the leader of Iraq in 1979. Seeking to expand Iraq's power in the Middle East, Hussein ordered the invasion of Iran in 1980. The U.S. considered Iran to be a hostile nation, so it supported Iraq's invasion by providing military aid and intelligence despite concerns about Hussein's history of human rights abuses. The Iran–Iraq war ended with no clear winner in 1988.

The war left Iraq deeply in debt, particularly to wealthy Arab nations like Kuwait. Hussein pressured Kuwait to forgive these debts, arguing that Iraq had protected the entire region from Iranian expansion. He also accused Kuwait of hindering Iraq's postwar economic recovery by stealing Iraqi oil.

Despite diplomatic attempts to resolve the growing tension, Hussein ordered the invasion of Kuwait on August 2, 1990. Within two days, Kuwait was taken over completely. After this rapid conquest, U.S. leaders worried that Saudi Arabia, an important American ally, would be Iraq's next target.

Based on the passage, which statement best describes relations between the U.S. and Iraq before the Gulf War?

The U.S. had no involvement with Iraq due to concerns about Saddam Hussein's poor human rights record.

The U.S. consistently opposed Iraq because it considered both Iran and Kuwait to be important allies.

The U.S. pressured Iraq to invade Kuwait so Iraq could pay the debts from its war against Iran.

The U.S. supported Iraq against a common enemy, but Iraq later posed a threat to U.S. interests in the Middle East.

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