Gulf War Effect

The article by Melissa Krupa speaks about the immediate effects of the First Persian Gulf War on various Middle Eastern Countries, especially Kuwait and Iraq. The effects Krupa speaks of are in regard to the economic shifts and environmental destruction.

Like the hundreds of thousands humans killed or wounded during the Gulf War, the environment was hugely effected. Solid waste pollution, and air pollution contaminated the soil and polluted the waters. Oil related issues damaged the environment the most.

As promised, upon evacuation, Iraqi troops set fire to over six-hundred oil wells in several Kuwait oil fields. The effect that the oil fires had on the Gulf environment were enormous.

Krupa also estimates that 11 million barrels of oil were dumped into the Arabian Gulf, twenty times more than the famous Exxon Valdez Spill. The price to clean up the oil spills is estimated at $700 million.

Oil was also the driving force for economic issues. Krupa states that the Gulf War started due Kuwait overproducing oil, driving the prices down. At the moment, Iraq was still repaying debt, and were greatly effected by the decrease in oil prices. Saddam's frustration and start of the Gulf War led to a bigger debt for Iraq, an estimated $50 billion in military equipment alone.