During the course of the Persian Gulf War, the Iraqis released tons of oil into the gulf. Later, when it became evident that they were losing the war, the Iraqis set fire to oil fields throughout Kuwait. Both of these events have had a severe impact on the ecology of the Persian Gulf. There is the threat that these events may have a serious effect on the world environment as well. So far, however, the impact on the world environment has not been as bad as experts originally predicted.
The war in the Persian Gulf was basically centered around the control of the oil resources of Kuwait. Saddam Hussein's motivation for invading Kuwait in the first place was related to his desire to control the local production of oil. Oil is an important fuel source for the United States as well as the other nations of the world. In fact, the entire economy of the free world is dependent upon the use of oil. The majority of the world's oil is located in the Middle East region and, as a result, the United States is strongly dependent upon imports of oil from that region. Saddam Hussein sought control over Kuwait's oil supplies because Kuwait is one of the most productive of the oil-rich Middle East nations.
The emphasis on oil in the Persian Gulf War made it logical for Iraq to employ an attack on the Kuwaiti oil industry as part of its overall war strategy. Thus, in an effort to undermine the economy of Kuwait, the Iraqis released massive supplies of oil into the Persian Gulf and set fire to the Kuwaiti oil fields. In addition to providing an attack on the local economy, these acts of terrorism have created a serious assault on the local environment. Both the massive oil spill and the numerous oil fires have contributed to a dramatic increase in water and air pollution in the region. Through the impact of wind and other natural conditions, this pollution has the capacity to not only affect the local ecology of the Persian Gulf, but t...