Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/644004
ByBassemMroue The Associated Press BEIRUT TheIslamicState group on Monday released the last of some 230 Assyr- ian Christians kidnapped a year ago in Syria after the receiving millions of dol- lars in ransom, Christian officials said. Younan Talia, of the Assyrian Democratic Or- ganization, told The As- sociated Press that about 40 remaining Chris- tian captives were re- leased early Monday and are on their way to the northeastern town of Tal Tamr. RANSOM IS frees Syrian Christians held since 2015 By Jon Gambrell The Associated Press The 1991 Gulf War saw only 100 hours of ground fighting as U.S. forces en- tered Kuwait to end the Iraqi occupation, but echoes of that conflict have lingered for decades in the Middle East. The war pushed America into opening military bases in the Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia, drawing the anger of an upstart militant named Osama bin Laden and laying the groundwork for al-Qaida attacks lead- ing up to Sept. 11, 2001. Saddam Hussein, demon- ized as being worse than Adolf Hitler by President George H.W. Bush, would outlast his American rival in power until Bush's son launched the 2003 Amer- ican-led invasion that top- pled the Iraqi dictator. Now, 25 years after the first U.S. Marines swept across the border into Ku- wait, American forces are battling the extremist Is- lamic State group, born out of al-Qaida, in the splin- tered territories of Iraq and Syria. The Arab allies that joined the 1991 coalition are fighting their own conflicts at home and abroad, as Iran vies for greater regional power following a nuclear deal with world powers. Iraq itself is now frag- mented and war-torn to a degree few could have imag- ined after that 1991 U.S. vic- tory. The IS jihadis have im- posed their rule over many of the Sunni-dominated ar- eas of the country, Kurds in the north have their own virtual mini-state and Shi- ites — many of them allied to Iran — lead the govern- ment in Baghdad. In all, the United States finds itself in the quandary it hoped to avoid back in 1991. "Had we taken all of Iraq, we would have been like the dinosaur in the tar pit — we would still be there, and we, not the United Na- tions, would be bearing the costs for that occupation," the late U.S. Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf, commander of Desert Storm, wrote in his memoirs. Iraq invaded Kuwait on Aug. 2, 1990, angry that the tiny neighbor and the United Arab Emirates had ignored OPEC quotas, which Saddam claimed cost his nation $14 billion. Saddam also accused Ku- wait of stealing $2.4 billion by pumping crude from a disputed oil field and de- manded that Kuwait write off an estimated $15 billion of debt that Iraq had accu- mulated during its 1980s war with Iran. Fearing Saudi Arabia could be invaded next, U.S. officials moved quickly to deploy troops to the re- gion. After months of ne- gotiations and warnings, the U.S. launched its assault on Iraqi forces in Kuwait on Feb. 24, 1991. In purely military and political terms, the first Gulf War marked a tre- mendous success for a U.S. still haunted by Vietnam. America suffered 148 com- bat deaths during the entire conflict, while 467 troops were wounded out of more than 500,000 deployed, ac- cording to the Defense De- partment. The U.S. held to- gether an allied army, its war effort was supported by a number of United Nations resolutions, and the conflict cemented its position as the sole world power following the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the So- viet Union. America's Arab allies also footed much of the bill for the $61 billion war, with both Saudi Arabia and Ku- wait contributing some $16 billion, while the United Arab Emirates offered $4 billion, according to U.S. congressional reports. Ja- pan and Germany together contributed another $16 billion, while South Korea gave $251 million. The U.S. covered the rest. The key players in the Arab world at the time of the conflict are now long gone. Saudi King Fahd died in 2005. A popular uprising toppled Egyptian autocrat Hosni Mubarak in 2011. Syr- ia's totalitarian ruler Hafez Assad, a longtime U.S. foe who joined the Gulf War ef- fort to reap billions in aid and diplomatic benefits, died in 2000. His son, Pres- ident Bashar Assad, still clings to power amid a five- year civil war that has killed more than 250,000 people and flooded Europe with tens of thousands fleeing violence across the region. In Israel, the memory of Iraqi Scud missile-fire prompted the military to speed up a missile-defense program that included the development of its Iron Dome rocket-defense sys- tem with the help of the Americans. Then-Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir, a hard-liner, held back from retaliating at the request of Bush, who feared los- ing Arab support for the war. Though American aid to Israel exceeds $3 billion a year, relations have been strained over stalled Pales- tinian peace talks. Yet despite seeing his forces routed from Kuwait, Saddam clung to power and survived an uprising by both Shiites and Kurds following the war. The U.S. and its allies began to patrol a northern and southern no- fly zone to protect the Shi- ites and the Kurds while Saddam remained a thorn in the side of American pol- itics for more than a decade. "I miscalculated," Bush said in a December 1995 interview. "I thought he'd be gone." ANALYSIS Ec ho es o f 19 91 G ul f Wa r linger on in the Mideast SADAYUKIMIKAMI—THEASSOCIATEDPRESSFILE U.S. Marines prepare to board Chinook CH-46helicopters during a deployment exercise in the desert of Saudi Arabia during the Persian Gulf crisis in 1991. Construction Burrows Construction Remodel, New Additions, Siding Repair and Replacement, Water and Dryrot New Construction Foundation to Finish Ph:(530) 515-9779 Residential•Commerical PATIOS•DECKS REFRENCES Lic#824770 InPrintEveryTuesday-Thursday-Saturday Online:Publishes24/7 www.redbluffdailynews.com Threeadditionalonline locations at no extra cost! Print and On-Line HOME SERVICES DIRECTORY Full Size $ 117 .50 Per Month No early cancellation, non-refundable TWO SIZES TO CHOOSE FROM Half Size $ 70 .00 Per Month Roofing Call for Estimates! Residential, Commercial & Mobiles www.harbertroofing.com HARBERT ROOFING, INC. 530-223-3251 Lic# 696974 Time To Roof? Blinds Need Blinds? C A L L P A U L 527-0842 North State Blinds & Draperies www.nsbd.biz Lic.#906022 Paul Stubbs Construction A l l en s C o n s t r u c t i o n FREE ESTIMATES 530 949-6162 CA LIC#914460 Advertisement Ifthiswasyour Service Directory ad customers would be reading it right now!! Call us at 527-2151 For more information Clock Repair 20910 Pebblestone Dr. Red Bluff 530-736-7079 Grandpa's Clocks Jim Paul Call for appt. Your Clock Repair Shop Member NAWCC Mechanical, Battery and Electrical clocks Landscape/Fence Steve's Tractor & Landscape Service www.stevestractorandlandscape.com • Fence Building • Landscaping • Trenching • Rototilling • Disking • Mowing • Ridging • Post Hole Digging • Blade Work • Sprinkler Installation • Concrete Work Cont. Lic. #703511 SteveDyke 385-1783 Plumber Call Paul 530-840-7290 Office # (530) 840-7419 Lic#667733 After Hour Calls Available SunGold Solar Plumbing AFFORDABLE When You Need An Experienced Plumber Landscape Contractors David P. McFann Office (530) 527-3163 visit us @ dpm-landscaping.com Cont. Lic #560133 Est. 1979 Experts in: * Custom Landscaping * Irrigation Systems * Xeriscape *Hardscape * Landscape Maintenance Tree Service CROWDER TREE SPECIALIST TRIMMING STUMP GRINDING REMOVAL YARD CLEAN UP $50 OFF ALL SERVICES OVER $200 24 HOUR EMERGENCY SERVICE COMMERCIAL GENERAL LIABILITY INSURANCE WOOD FOR SALE (530) 899-1853 FREE ESTIMATES CA.S.L.#979193 Serving you since 1947 We accept credit cards EXP. 3/31/2016 Lawn Care A L L L A W N C A R E • Mowing • Edging • Weedeating • Clean-ups • Free Consultation Commercial • Residential (530) 529-3689 Serving The Greater Tehama County Area Since 1994 Professional Lawn Care Lic # 6478 www.alllawncare.net Tree Service norcaltreeexpert@yahoo.com www.norcaltreeexpert.com Eric Eslinger Owner Phone: 530-416-0425 Voted Best Tree Service 2011, 2012, 2013, & 2014 Lic#987325 Workers Comp Insured & Bonded • Shape • Trim • Lot Clearing • Fire Breaks • Hazard Tree Removal • Stump Grinding 10% Discount to Seniors Tractor Service Tractor and Weed Control Rotary, Flail Mowing Rototilling, Disking Dump Trailer 530-200-1040 1 DAY LEFT TO VOTE! Vote for your favorite Tehama County Businesses! OnlineBallotsOnlyat www.redbluffdailynews.com Five Lucky Voters will be selected at random from all eligible ballots on March 4. Each will receive a $100 Shopping Spree at the Tehama County business of their choice! Must vote for 10 categories to qualify. | NEWS | REDBLUFFDAILYNEWS.COM TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2016 6 B