Iraqi invasion of Kuwait

The Iraqi invasion of Kuwait began on 2 August 1990, when Iraq, on the order of Saddam Hussein, sent four elite Republican Guard divisions and special forces across the border under the codename Project 17. Most Kuwaiti units were overrun within two days and the leadership went into exile in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. Iraq then occupied the country for seven months, set up a puppet Republic of Kuwait and annexed the territory on 28 August 1990. The United Nations Security Council condemned the invasion and demanded withdrawal, and its refusal led to the American-led coalition that opened the Gulf War in January 1991. The reasons for the attack are disputed; commonly cited ones are Iraq's US$14 billion debt to Kuwait, oil production above the OPEC quota and Iraqi accusations of slant drilling.