Operation Desert Thunder facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Operation Desert Thunder/Operation Desert Viper |
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| Part of the Iraq Disarmament Crisis and no-fly zones | |||||||
 An American B-52H Stratofortress during Operation Desert Thunder. |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Argentina Australia Canada Czech Republic France Hungary New Zealand Poland Romania United Kingdom United States Kuwait |
 Iraq |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Anthony Zinni |
Saddam Hussein |
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Operation Desert Thunder was a plan by several countries, led by the United States, to deal with threats from Iraq's leader, Saddam Hussein. He was threatening to shoot down special spy planes and break rules about "no-fly zones" over his country. A "no-fly zone" is an area where aircraft are not allowed to fly, usually to protect people on the ground.
This operation was meant to show that many countries were serious about keeping peace in the Persian Gulf region. It involved bringing in a lot of military power. This was done during talks between Iraq and the United Nations (UN) about dangerous weapons. The name Operation Desert Thunder refers to the gathering of military forces in the Persian Gulf during 1998. If an actual attack had been ordered, the name would have changed to Operation Desert Viper.
Contents
Why Did Operation Desert Thunder Happen?
Operation Desert Thunder was a response to Iraq's actions. Saddam Hussein was not following rules set by the United Nations. These rules were about getting rid of certain dangerous weapons. He also threatened to shoot down U-2 spy planes. These planes were flying over Iraq to make sure the rules were being followed.
Building Up Forces in the Gulf
In late 1997, the US military command for the Middle East (called CENTCOM) started gathering forces. They brought together about 35,000 soldiers, sailors, and airmen. This was because Iraq was not following the UN rules.
Who Was Involved?
General Anthony Zinni, the head of CENTCOM, set up a special team. This team was called the Coalition/Joint Task Force (C/JTF). It was based in Camp Doha in Kuwait. Lieutenant General Tommy Franks led this group. Many countries joined this effort, including:
- Argentina
- Australia
- Canada
- Czech Republic
- Hungary
- New Zealand
- Poland
- Romania
- United Kingdom
- United States
- Kuwait
More Forces Arrive in 1998
In January 1998, even more forces arrived to support the US-led group.
- About 4,000 soldiers and a lot of equipment came from the U.S. 3d Infantry Division in Georgia.
- Other special units, like air defense and paratroopers, went to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Bahrain.
- Large aircraft carriers, like the USS George Washington and USS Nimitz, joined the fleet.
- British aircraft carriers, HMS Invincible and HMS Illustrious, also arrived.
By this time, there were about 50 ships and submarines in the Persian Gulf. They carried 200 naval aircraft. There were also many soldiers and Marines ready for action.
Iraq Backs Down (for a while)
This large show of military strength made Saddam Hussein change his mind. The aircraft carrier Independence returned to Japan in June 1998. However, in July 1998, more helicopters were sent to Kuwait to keep a strong military presence.
In November 1998, the U.S. 3d Infantry Division returned to Kuwait. More Marine forces also joined the troops already there. During this time, the UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, flew to Baghdad. He met with Saddam Hussein to try and get him to allow UN inspectors to work without problems.
Operation Desert Thunder Begins
On November 11, 1998, Iraq again refused to cooperate with the UN. This led to the start of Operation Desert Thunder. CENTCOM moved its forces into position, ready to launch air strikes on Iraq. About 2,300 more military personnel were sent to the region.
On the evening of November 15, the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower was just minutes away from launching planes. These planes were ready to strike targets in Iraq. But at the last moment, Saddam Hussein again backed down. This meant the air strikes were called off.
Operation Desert Fox
In December 1998, Iraq once more refused to allow UN inspections. Because of this, a different operation called Operation Desert Fox began. This operation involved several days of air strikes. These strikes destroyed important Iraqi military sites and equipment. This action significantly slowed down Iraq's program to develop ballistic missiles.
