MILITARY LESSONS OF THE GULF WAR

BOOK REVIEW

(MILITARY LESSONS OF THE GULF WAR)

Introduction

1.            In 1899, Great Britain and Kuwait signed a treaty in which Britain assumed control of Kuwait’s foreign affairs. World War I led to the creation of Iraq and number of other countries by the European powers. Kuwait was artificial creation imposed by the West and it Deprived Iraq from a considerable amount of oil and restricted its access to the sea. When Kuwait received its independence on Jun 19, 1961, Baghdad immediately claimed it. Threatened by invasion, Kuwait to the British whose military reaction in Jul 1961 was enough to threat Iraq. The continuity of same resulted in the gulf war.

 2.            About the Book

a.            Name                              :         Military Lessons of the Gulf War

b.            Written by                       :         Bruce W. Watson, Bruce George MP,                                                 Peter Tsouras and B.L. Gyr

c.            Printed by                       :         Services Book Club                           

d.            No of Pages                    :         272

e.            Quality of Paper              :         Good

f.             Hard bound / Paper back:          Hard bound

About the Author

3.             Authors Bruce W Watson, Bruce George MP, Peter Tsouras and B.L Gyr has written this book. Bruce W. Watson served as a naval intelligence officer for twenty two years. Bruce George, MP (labour), is a senior opposition member of the House of Commons Defence Select Committee, and Editor of Jane’s Nato Hand Book, 1991-1992. Peter Tsouras is an analyst at the US Army’s Intelligence and Threat Analysis Centre, Washington, DC. B.L Gyr. Jr is a senior analyst at the US Army’s Intelligence.

Summary of the Book

4.            This book provides a complete overview of the conflict’s international dimensions. Virtually every chapter, whether it deals with diplomacy, military operation or a more specific subject, reveals the actions and roles of all major participants into a narrative that fully explains the war’s dynamics. In most cases, it has been written by people who observed the conflict in an official capacity. Hence the book speaks with considerable authority.

5.            Book has the relevant statistical data on the war’s air, ground and naval forces, order of battle, dimensions of combat operation, combat losses, and related facts. It goes beyond providing a military account of the war to explain why the conflict’s military aspects were important and how the war affected many other aspects of our lives. Such as freedom of the press, danger of terrorism and the morality of war.

6.            The book does not consider the war in isolation but see it as a highly significant event in a dynamic rapidly changing international situation. It is difficult to exaggerate the war’s importance to today’s international affairs and the book attempts to convey the impact of the War on them. 

a.            EW.   EW contributed greatly and the war showed that EW could be successfully integrated into many weapon systems.

b.            High Technique Weapons.      The war showed that the spending in high technology weapons had been worthwhile.

c.            NVDs.         Night Vision Devices were a great success reaffirming what the US military had learned in Panama. 

d.            Comd and Log.     The war showed that a united command can be expanded successfully into a multinational coalition. Logistics was a success story. A lesson of the war was that in multinational warfare, it is best if one nation controls logistics and supports of all other participants.

7.            Recommendations.        The book provides a comprehensive analytical story of gulf war. It is, therefore, recommended for the officer to go through this book for enhancing their known how of politico-military operations of a super power.   

8.            Conclusion.          In comparison with history’s earlier conflicts, the war was rather small. Its significance is in its profound political, economic, and military impact, which makes it of the greatest importance to all of us. If we can fathom its significance and the lessons it offers, then we can learn form the experience.