How does this war with Iraq differ from the 1991 Persian Gulf War?
They are different wars. 1991 involved a large number of partners, willing to pony up troops, financial support, basing rights and the like. Diplomatic efforts were far more successful for the simple reasons that a) there was genuine outrage about Iraq’s blatant invasion, b) 9/11 hadn’t happened, and c) many other countries felt the threat (e.g., Japan and most of Europe to critical oil supplies, parts of the Middle East [most notably Israel] to security, Saudi Arabia to internal stability). Obviously, too, there was a different President in 1991, more seasoned internationally, and willing to work via Secretary of State James Baker and others to build a coalition. The U.S. military, operating under what was called the Weinberger-Powell doctrine, believed in amassing and applying overwhelming force. Desert Storm succeeded in blinding Iraqi electronic defense systems. It could move on the ground with such speed (after months of preparation) because of months of softening up. Iraqi troops
