Description
The Gulf War resulted from Iraq’s attempted invasion and occupation of Kuwait on August 2, 1990. Iraqi President Saddam Hussein wanted to annex Kuwait for its rich oil reserves, for the debt Iraq owed to Kuwait, and merely to show his prowess in the region. On August 3 the United Nations Security Council called for Iraq withdraw from Kuwait by mid-January 1991. Hussein defied United Nations Security Council demands, and so the Persian Gulf War began with a massive U.S.-led air offensive known as Operation Desert Storm. After 42 days of relentless attacks by the allied coalition in the air and on the ground, U.S. President George H.W. Bush declared a cease-fire on February 28. 5 million people were displaced and forced out of their homes. My mom, Sabiha Syed, was a teenager living in the prosperous, oil rich country of Kuwait. On August 2, 1990, the day of her birthday party, she found herself suddenly stuck in the war zone. In this interview, she talks of her experiences as a refugee.
