1991 George H. W. Bush - Operation Desert Storm

In the late 1980's disputes over territories and oil between Iraq and Kuwait had reached a point where Iraq was accusing the Arab League and America of prejudice against them. On August 2, 1990 Iraq launched an invasion on Kuwait, by bombing it's capital city (Kuwait City). Iraq was well-prepared for this invasion. By then, following the Iran-Iraq war, the Iraqi Army was the fourth largest army in the world, consisting of 955,000 standing soldiers and 650,000 paramilitary forces. Within hours of the invasion, Kuwait and U.S. delegations requested a meeting of the United Nations Security Council which passed Resolution 660, condemning the invasion and demanding a withdrawal of Iraqi troops. Several months later, on January 17th 1991, coalition forces led by the U.S. led naval and aerial attacks on Iraqi troops in Kuwait. Operation Desert Storm had begun. America has sent 540,000 of it's finest men and women to fight Saddam Hussein half-way around the world.

In President Bush's 1991 State of the Union address, he gave tribute to the men and women fighting in Kuwait. This tribute was followed by more than two minutes of commanding applause.

"There is no one more devoted, more committed to the hard work of freedom than every soldier and sailor, every marine, airman, and coastguardsman, every man and woman now serving in the Persian Gulf. Oh, how they deserve -- [applause] -- and what a fitting tribute to them. You see -- what a wonderful, fitting tribute to them. Each of them has volunteered, volunteered to provide for this nation's defense, and now they bravely struggle to earn for America, for the world, and for future generations a just and lasting peace. Our commitment to them must be equal to their commitment to their country. They are truly America's finest"

Bush continued on to explain the reason we were there:

"Most Americans know instinctively why we are in the Gulf. They know we had to stop Saddam now, not later. They know that this brutal dictator will do anything, will use any weapon, will commit any outrage, no matter how many innocents suffer. They know we must make sure that control of the world's oil resources does not fall into his hands, only to finance further aggression. They know that we need to build a new, enduring peace, based not on arms races and confrontation but on shared principles and the rule of law."

http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=19253
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_War
http://www.desert-storm.com/War/nations.html