The Military Option: The Conduct and Consequences of War in the Persian Gulf
Abstract
Hearings and Purpose of Report On December 4, 1990, the House Armed Services Committee began a series of hearings on the Persian Gulf crisis. The purpose was to provide a systematic, thorough examination of the three main avenues for resolution of the conflict: sanctions, war, and diplomacy. The committee examined the costs and risks of each, what chance each option had of succeeding and what success might mean in each case. The committee dealt with sanctions during the first week of hearings, the military option during the second week, and the diplomatic avenue during the third. I issued a White Paper with my views and analysis on sanctions on December 21,1990 and a second White Paper on the diplomatic option on December 28, 1990. From December 12 - 17 the committee held five hearings on the military option. See Appendix 1 for hearing topics and witnesses. This White Paper summarizes what I have drawn from these hearings and other sources on the military option. It is my report and not that of the House Committee on Armed Services. I offer it in hope of contributing to the substantive debate on the Persian Gulf crisis. My analysis of the military option will address several key areas: the readiness of U.S. forces in the Persian Gulf; options for use of military force in the Gulf; the costs and risks associated with each option; the advantages and risks of relying upon force to resolve the Gulf crisis; and the implications for U.S. interests of a crisis solution arrived at through war. It is intended to help provide the information Congress needs to understand fully the costs and consequences of U.S. options and make an informed judgement as it carries out its constitutional responsibilities with regard to U.S. actions in the Persian Gulf. U.S. Interests and Objectives In the Persian Gulf. The invasion of Kuwait on August 2,1990 confronted the U.S. government with three concerns. In three words, they were: oil, aggression and nukes.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 08, 1991
- Accession Number
- ADA640712