You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly. You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
alternatehistory.com
In our timeline Saddam Hussein was banking on the fact that the US and its allies would not be willing to go to war to liberate Kuwait. Obviously this plan did not work out for him as the coalition built up their forces and then decimated Saddam’s military driving them out of Kuwait. But what if after conquering Kuwait Saddam decided to be more proactive in his response?
After successfully conquering Kuwait Saddam Hussein began a massive public relations campaign to justify the invasion that Kuwait should have never been a separate country in the first place and was a result of British imperialism. He then moves into a campaign of blaming imperialism/Zionism from the US, UK and Israel of being the biggest threat to peace and unity in the Arab world.
The US began deploying forces to Saudi Arabia and the USS Eisenhower and Independence arrived in the Persian Gulf. Saddam then reached out to King Fahd and tells him Iraq has no territorial ambitions in Saudi Arabia and wants to sign a treaty of friendship with Saudi Arabia provide they expel all the western forces from their nation. Saudi Arabia doesn’t trust Iraq and turns down his offer. Saddam then begins publically blasting Saudi Arabia as being controlled by imperialist infidels and the House of Saud is not a worthy protector of the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.
In early September 1990 Saddam decides it’s time to act rather than let the US continue to build up its forces in the region. He puts his forces on high alert and launches a salvo of Scud missiles at Israel while immediately publically proclaiming many governments of the Middle East are weak and controlled by the Zionist/imperialists. He calls on all Arabs to unite to drive the westerners out and free the Palestinians from Israel, he also calls on all Arabs to overthrow any corrupt governments that are controlled by the Zionist/imperialists. Saddam purposely only targets Israel assuming the US forces in the region will need to respond and he can then accuse Saudi Arabia of allowing their territory to be used by the US to defend Israel.
The US is immediately thrust into a tough spot. Israel of course wants to respond threatening to expand the conflict throughout the entire region and shatter the coalition the US has been working on building.