Which leader invaded Kuwait in 1990, prompting a major international response?

Which leader invaded Kuwait in 1990, prompting a major international response?

• A. Saddam Hussein
• B. Osama bin Laden
• C. George H. W. Bush
• D. Mikhail Gorbachev

Answer: (A)

The event tested how the world responds when a country violates another’s sovereignty. Saddam Hussein, the Iraqi leader, ordered the invasion of Kuwait in August 1990. This act challenged international law and led the United Nations to authorize a large, multinational effort to defend Kuwait and compel Iraq to withdraw. A U.S.-led coalition launched operations to remove Iraqi forces, marking a significant moment in U.S. involvement in the Middle East and in post–Cold War international cooperation. Osama bin Laden would become known for later terrorist activity, not this invasion; George H. W. Bush was the U.S. president who led the response; Mikhail Gorbachev was the Soviet leader. The invasion by Saddam Hussein is the event that triggered the major international response.

The event tested how the world responds when a country violates another’s sovereignty. Saddam Hussein, the Iraqi leader, ordered the invasion of Kuwait in August 1990. This act challenged international law and led the United Nations to authorize a large, multinational effort to defend Kuwait and compel Iraq to withdraw. A U.S.-led coalition launched operations to remove Iraqi forces, marking a significant moment in U.S. involvement in the Middle East and in post–Cold War international cooperation. Osama bin Laden would become known for later terrorist activity, not this invasion; George H. W. Bush was the U.S. president who led the response; Mikhail Gorbachev was the Soviet leader. The invasion by Saddam Hussein is the event that triggered the major international response.