Gulf war 1990 without NATO and USA

WI Iraq attacks kuwait as in the OTL in Aug 1990

but USA and NATO promises to help gulf states logistically but refuses to deploy their active military forces

so it is upto gulf /arab and muslim states to evict Iraq out of Kuwait

KSA + UAE + Qatar + egypt and likely Syria as well

maybe pakistani military helping KSA

How would such a campaign go ?


Please just focus on the military aspects of it and disregard the political implications ( thanks )
Which side would the Soviets take ?
 
Which side would the Soviets take ?

The Soviets had been arming Iraq for years, but assuming everything else goes as in OTL, by 1990 the USSR was on its last legs and would've gone along with the West (i.e. it wouldn't have backed the Iraqi adventure strongly if at all). As Jeffry Record has said, and I've repeated in blogs, Iraq's move was very badly timed.
 

Khanzeer

Banned
The Soviets had been arming Iraq for years, but assuming everything else goes as in OTL, by 1990 the USSR was on its last legs and would've gone along with the West (i.e. it wouldn't have backed the Iraqi adventure strongly if at all). As Jeffry Record has said, and I've repeated in blogs, Iraq's move was very badly timed.
France and others were arming Iraq too
Saddam was not q Soviet ally
 

DougM

Donor
Ok so how does this result in a war if no one that is able to defeat Iraq is willing to fight Iraq in order to protect Kewait? It looks more and more like a gamble on the part of KSA and I can’t see the taking the chance just to protect tiny Kewait. I think the sit on the boarder and do nothing unless directly attacked.
So without outside support from NATO or at least major NATO powers I just don’t see this happening. So Iraq gets to keep what it took
 

Khanzeer

Banned
I'm not sure if Saddam will stop just at Kuwait
Plus its sets a really bad precedent for gulf monarchies to appease regional strongmen
 
I'm not sure if Saddam will stop just at Kuwait
Plus its sets a really bad precedent for gulf monarchies to appease regional strongmen
one book I have on the Gulf War noted that Saddam didn't really have designs on the other tiny Gulf states... and in fact, suggested to a Saudi official once that Iraq should take Kuwait and SA should take the small emirates; the Saudi official politely declined...
 

Khanzeer

Banned
Aren't they all regional strongmen? A monarchy is just a strongman who didn't have to work for it.
in some way yes
but 'strongmen" usually earn their position by eliminating their rivals and after a bloody power struggle
the princes of middle east are just born into the ruling family
 
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