ABSTRACT
The dramatic events that had shaken the Middle East during the latter part of 1990 continued into 1991, reflecting, in many ways, the fundamental power shift that was taking place in world politics. The Gulf War of January-February 1991, which ended with the military defeat of Iraq by a US-led coalition, was the first case of major post-Cold War conflict, a conflict which might not have occurred in the previous era. The principal focus of events during the remainder of the year was on American attempts to establish a “new order” in the region. The Gulf War was a military rarity, taking place at a moment when the US could bring to bear the full weight of its richly equipped forces against an enemy that did not yet possess nuclear weapons and modern missiles and was maladroit, or strangely passive, in the face of its menacing build-up.
