Given the current staus of the Middle East, just how big an event was the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq?

Question

Could US policy haved helped precipitate this event?
Did we do anything to stop it even though we were told of their intentions before the invasion?
Did we secretly want them to invade?

Answer 1

The invasion was a great thing because it precipitated 'the fight for the oil.'
Instability in the Middle East was always a good thing for the US. It meant that control of the oil was still 'up for grabs' - the invasion was an excellent excuse to send troops in after it.

Ask the troops what they were told their first priority was. It's no secret.

Answer 2

I don't think US policy prompted Iraq's invasion of Kuwait. Saddam wanted to get his hands on some Kuwaiti oil in order to get his own regime back on track economically. The previous war with Iran was rather expensive. I do remember a lot of tough talk and threats against Iraq after Saddam had invaded, although he laughed at them. The invasion had a lot of significance because it triggered a sequence of events that have a lot to do with our current war on terror. We (The US) talked Saudi Arabia into allowing us to use their land as a staging ground for the retaking of Kuwait by coalition forces. As you know, Saudi Arabia is home to Mecca and Medina, which are important cities in the Muslim religion. This is one of many issues which enraged Osama Bin Laden, the infamous founder of al queda. It also enraged many other muslims. After all, an infidel force was occupying sacred soil, in their eyes. The Persian Gulf war opened the door for the US to have a more visible presence in the middle east and made us vulnerable to attacks by islamic extremists. The Kobar Towers incident was one of them, followed by the embassy bombings in '98. Then there was the USS Cole bombing. Then last but definitely not least there was September 11. The Persian Gulf issue was not the sole thing that caused this culture clash but it was an important milestone.