The effect of first gulf war on the gulf area Essay

The effect of first gulf war on the gulf area - Essay Example The consequence of war causes havoc and mayhem in the environment and ecological systems where battles are fought. The consequences of war are far-reaching not merely from the devastation and destruction of the fighting, but from the long-term repercussions and costs affecting culture, people, lands, water systems, and atmospheric conditions long after the fighting has stopped. Understanding some of the reasons why the first Persian Gulf War was such an environmental destructive war is the intent of this paper. The discussion in the paper will identify some of the effects of the first Gulf War on human life, its impact on animals and plants in the Persian Gulf region, and what made the war so environmentally reprehensible. The Persian Gulf War: â€Å"The Mother of all Wars† The â€Å"Persian Gulf War† fought in the Persian Gulf between August 2, 1990 and February 28, 1991 was a military effort fought in Iraq, Kuwait, and the Saudi-Arabian peninsula in the Middle East. T he claims that Kuwait a former British colony was illegally extracting oil out of Iraqi territory ignited the fighting between Iraq and Kuwait. In response, international military forces were assembled in efforts to stop the action and a United Nations coalition headed by the United States and 34 other nations from around the world converged on the Middle East using aerial, ground, and chemical weapons of warfare. The number of military lives loss in the Gulf War continues to be debated and estimating the number of civilian lives loss is relatively impossible. However, the casualties of war are not only the loss of human life, but also include the demise of governments, economies, infrastructures, and other support systems in the countries in which fighting occur. The list of the casualties or losses of war can include the physical and emotional health of people, the resurgence of future generations, the use of lands, the loss of minerals, and domination from outside military forces . The stress of fighting depletes and weakens the natural properties of the environment destroying Natures ability to regenerate properties loss during times of war. The evidence that the effects of the Persian Gulf War are obvious, in retrospect and continues to manifest themselves as the area undergoes yet more destruction and devastation with the environment as its most vulnerable victim. The â€Å"Mother of all Wars† as Saddam Hussein described it was such a war of destruction that the aftermath of devastation continues to unfold in the Middle East. Tracking the wreckage, the most telltale signs and evidence of the magnitude of the destruction the Gulf War had on the environment is the erosion and depletion of the land masses in the areas. The damage whether intention or consequential resulted in irreversible damage to the region. The aftermath of the fighting continues to plague the area jeopardizing the health and well being of future generations. Whereas the fighting w as primarily between Iraq and Kuwait the influence and impact of the fighting was experienced by military support from various nations from around the world and in neighboring countries adjacent to Iraq and Kuwait in the Persian Gulf. The map shows the general region in