9 January 1991Final Prewar NegotiationTariq Aziz
Iraq refuses unconditional withdrawal from occupied Kuwait.
Historical records for Iraq in 1991, rendered directly from the World History Database and ordered by month, day and event.
Iraq refuses unconditional withdrawal from occupied Kuwait.
Meets James Baker in a final high-level diplomatic attempt.
Meets James Baker in a final major prewar negotiation.
The USA leads the allied bombing of Baghdad
Coalition aircraft begin sustained attacks on Iraqi command, air-defence and military targets.
Military action begins after Iraq fails to meet the United Nations withdrawal deadline.
Saddam's forces face the opening day of the United States-led air and missile campaign.
Iraq launches its first Scud missile toward Saudi Arabia during the opening phase.
Iraq launches Scud missiles against Riyadh & Dhahran
Iraq launches Scud missiles against Israel
Iraq launches Scud missiles against Riyadh & Dhahran
Iraq launches Scud missiles at Israel in an effort to disrupt the coalition.
A Scud missile hit the Israeli city of Ramat Gan, after two coalition Patriots failed to intercept it. Three elderly people suffered fatal heart attacks, another 96 people were injured, and 20 apartment buildings were damaged.
After this attack, the Israelis warned that if the US failed to stop the attacks, they would.
At one point Israeli commandos boarded helicopters prepared to fly into Iraq but the mission was called off after a phone call from US Defence Secretary Dick Cheney
reporting on the extent of coalition efforts to destroy Scuds and emphasizing that Israeli intervention could endanger US forces
A Scud missile hit the Israeli city of Ramat Gan, after two coalition Patriots failed to intercept it. Three elderly people suffered fatal heart attacks, another 96 people were injured, and 20 apartment buildings were damaged.
After this attack, the Israelis warned that if the US failed to stop the attacks, they would.
At one point Israeli commandos boarded helicopters prepared to fly into Iraq but the mission was called off after a phone call from US Defence Secretary Dick Cheney
reporting on the extent of coalition efforts to destroy Scuds and emphasizing that Israeli intervention could endanger US forces
The spill creates a major wartime environmental disaster.
The action creates a severe Gulf environmental disaster.
Iraqi forces release large quantities of oil from Kuwaiti facilities.
Coalition commanders declare air supremacy after ten days of intensive operations.
Iraqi forces attacked and occupied the lightly defended Saudi city of Khafji with tanks and infantry. The Battle of Khafji ended two days later when the Iraqis were driven back by the Saudi Arabian National Guard, supported by Qatari forces and US Marines
Mounts an offensive across the Saudi frontier & captures Khafi, recovered 2 days later
Iraq invades Saudi Arabia
Iraqi forces attacked and occupied the lightly defended Saudi city of Khafji with tanks and infantry. The Battle of Khafji ended two days later when the Iraqis were driven back by the Saudi Arabian National Guard, supported by Qatari forces and US Marines
Saddam's forces cross the Saudi border and occupy parts of Khafji.
A coalition strike destroys the Al-Amiriyah facility and kills many civilians sheltering inside.
Iraq agreed to a Soviet-proposed ceasefire agreement
Iraq offers withdrawal terms that the coalition rejects as conditional and incomplete.
Iraqi forces set large numbers of Kuwaiti oil wells ablaze.
The fires cause immense economic and environmental damage.
Hundreds of oil wells are set alight by Iraq as it faces defeat, extinguished Nov 3
Saddam accepts a Soviet proposal containing conditions unacceptable to the coalition.
Iraq fails to accept the coalition's unconditional withdrawal deadline.
Coalition ground forces attack while Iraq continues seeking a settlement through Soviet mediation.
The Allied land offensive begins against Iraq
Iraqi forces fired a Scud missile at an American barracks in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. The missile attack killed 28 US military personnel
Saddam orders Iraqi forces to withdraw from Kuwait as coalition troops advance.
The retreat marks collapse of Iraq's occupation.
Orders Iraqi forces to leave Kuwait during the coalition advance.
The fires devastate oil infrastructure and pollute the environment.
Retreating Iraqi forces ignite hundreds of Kuwaiti oil wells.
A revolt against the Government begins in Basra & spreads to other Shiite cities
A revolt against the Government begins in Basra & spreads to other Shiite cities
Accepts coalition conditions governing the immediate postwar situation.
Represents Iraq during military ceasefire talks at Safwan.
Sultan Hashim accepts coalition terms concerning prisoners, boundaries and military movements.
US forces move into northern Iraq to set up safe havens for Kurdish refugees
US forces move into northern Iraq to set up safe havens for Kurdish refugees
US forces move into northern Iraq to set up safe havens for Kurdish refugees
US forces move into northern Iraq to set up safe havens for Kurdish refugees
60,000 are killed during the Shia & Kurdish uprisings
During several visits to Iraq by UNSCOM, weapons inspectors interviewed British-educated Iraqi biologist Rihab Rashid Taha
By January 1991, a team of 100 scientists and support staff had filled 157 bombs and 16 missile warheads with botulin toxin, and 50 bombs and five missile warheads with anthrax
This page is generated from stored World History Database records matching the exact country and year shown above. Exact duplicate display records are collapsed. Records without a month are listed after the monthly sections. Source provenance varies by record; formal academic citation should be checked against the relevant primary source, archive or specialist historical reference.