No outside involvement in the Gulf War. Can the Middle Eastern nations defeat Iraq on their own?

Khanzeer

Banned
Most likely saudis and gulf Emirates will have a few air and naval skirmishes with iraqis
THEN iraq will threaten to invade the eastern provinces of KSA
If no foreign help is coming the Saudis will buy out Saddam, maybe recognize his claim over a part of kuwait
Remember even in 1990 saudis would not a totally defeated and demilitarized Iraq, as they need it as a counter to iran
 
Why was Saudi Arabia so weak?
Why the past tense? Today after almost 30 years of additional massive spending on shiny toys and having been at war for for 4 years Saudi Arabia is still unable to secure its southern border against guerrilla incursions or defend its critical economic assets against mystery air attacks. The only effective defense it has are foreign hirelings and Uncle Sam.
It probably hasn’t had a properly functional military since old ibn Saud’s tribal warriors hung up their rifles to enjoy the spoils of victory.
 
Any thoughts about the ability of the Saudis to hire foreign experts to provide some of the needed skills if given a reasonable warning time (say six months ?) and foreign nations that were willing to allow their citizens to provide the needed expertise to the Saudis ?

The name you are looking for here is Pakistan. Which the Saudis would be bringing in, in large numbers, just as they did in the Grand Mosque seizure in 1979 when they brought in Pakistani Special Service Group commandos and French special forces to do the job. Now Pakistan in 1990 also happens to be a nuclear power and there have been persistent rumours that Saudis helped finance the program as part of a nuclear gurrantee from Pakistan.
 

Khanzeer

Banned
The name you are looking for here is Pakistan. Which the Saudis would be bringing in, in large numbers, just as they did in the Grand Mosque seizure in 1979 when they brought in Pakistani Special Service Group commandos and French special forces to do the job. Now Pakistan in 1990 also happens to be a nuclear power and there have been persistent rumours that Saudis helped finance the program as part of a nuclear gurrantee from Pakistan.
Pakistanis going in large numbers to fight iraq against saudi is not very likely
Very unpopular with army top brass probably unless saudi gives them some really massive assistance against india
 

raharris1973

Gone Fishin'
Donor
Monthly Donor
Right so how willing would they been to act in 91 with out USA and the other Western counties ?

The way I see it, they are not going to go to war with Iraq to get the latter to cough up Kuwait.

But if the Iraqis continue to extend themselves into the Arabian peninsula, they will think hard about attacking the Iraqis in the north, and damming up the Tigris. The Saudis were certainly offer to pay them for their trouble, and it becomes a bigger, broader regional balance of power thing.

Likewise, if Iraq violates Syrian territory -- not to be ruled out, in 1990 Iraqi and Syria were backing opposed factions in Lebanon and Iraq wanted to get even with Syria for its pro-Iranian attitude in the prior war, then Turkey intervening to aid the Syrian defense appears both prudent and feasible.
 
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