# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
We were there to report on the war but at the same time it was a scary prospect. We'd wake up in the morning feeling brave, get scared by lunchtime, and have a fortifying and morale-boosting drink by bedtime.

It had been a six-month long buildup to this moment. A roller coaster that started with the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in early August the previous year -- the thrill of being the daily news lead. The daily diplomatic highs and lows of efforts at a negotiated settlement. The back and forth verbal salvos between the Americans, their allies and Saddam Hussein's regime. The buildup of military hardware, forces and power in the region. The fear felt by foreign hostages held in Iraq, or "human shields" as Saddam called them. The fear Iraqis endured but were afraid to speak of, lest they be punished.

And the constant threat of war.

Mother of all battles

But this was it. President George H. W. Bush had just gone on U.S. television announcing the start of the war, the air campaign on "military targets in Iraq," code name Operation Desert Storm.

Saddam called it "the mother of all battles."

How much time did we journalists have to commit to staying or leaving before the much anticipated fierce bombing began? None. That decision was made for us. The bombers and missiles were heading towards Baghdad.

The howling and barking of dogs broke the tense quiet of that Baghdad night, and our discussion whether to stay or go was over. I'd read somewhere that animals could hear things before humans could, and alert us to danger. The dogs signaled the imminent bombing. Within minutes the air raid sirens screamed, followed by the thunder of explosions, an unearthly light show from exploding big ordnance and the Iraqis lighting up the sky with anti-aircraft fire.

"Holy crap!" was the most innocent expletive heard in the halls of the hotel, as journalists scrambled, some to watch, some to run to the shelter. Most of us instinctively did what we there to do -- report the war. Adrenaline replaced any thoughts we may have had of being used as human shields by Saddam's regime.

Nothing was easy

We had prepared for this moment for months, but nothing was easy in Saddam's Iraq. Television satellite transmission equipment was not allowed into the highly controlled, secretive, authoritarian state. Saddam's spooks were everywhere; it was next to impossible to sneak anything, especially something as large as a satellite dish, into the country.

The Iraqis said all journalists would have to rely on filing reports from Iraqi state television facilities. Of course we all knew Iraqi TV was high on the list of targets -- in any war, you want to cripple your enemy's communications capabilities. We guessed that international phone calls, which always had to be booked in advance so a censor could monitor conversations, would not be reliable -- surely the phone exchange had to be a priority target?

So, months in advance, we set to work on installing a 4 WIRE, a simple piece of equipment -- in essence two open parallel phone lines -- one in each direction.

If nothing else, it would allow us to communicate at all times between our Baghdad office, and CNN headquarters in the U.S. The trick was getting the Iraqis to allow it. It took weeks of endless negotiations, schmooze, and persuasion to get the Iraqis to agree.

In the end, they did. Probably because they believed it would benefit them to listen to all our conversations; the Iraqis really thought we knew more than we did, and they hoped to learn what the Bush administration was thinking and planning.

CNN's advantage was that we were the only global 24-hour satellite news network, and the Iraqi leadership watched us. They thought we were indispensable to broadcasting their point of view to the world, and especially to the Americans. Like any other government, they considered the media key -- whether you call it information or propaganda.

CNN makes history

"Something's happening outside... the skies over Baghdad have been illuminated," CNN anchor Bernie Shaw urgently intoned over the 4 WIRE. Our live audio broadcast started as we watched targets being struck from our ninth floor windows.

The telephone exchange building was one of those. That was the end of journalists phoning in their reports. But our 4 WIRE bypassed the regular phone exchange and we were able to give a blow by blow account of the opening night of the war.

We were the only journalists able to report. What I didn't realize at the time was that it was a global coup. News organizations around the world carried CNN's live reporting of the first night of the Gulf War I; that night made television history and catapulted CNN into permanent news prominence. From that moment on, live news coverage is what audiences demanded and news organizations strived to achieve.

It was the first major conflict I covered, and it taught me a lot. The most important thing I took away from it was not that hard work pays off, but that we as journalists are privileged. We have a choice whether to report from conflict zones or not -- but civilians like the Iraqis we worked with and who helped us achieve our goals, didn't.

They endure, suffer through, and with luck, survive wars without having the choice of staying or leaving.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
operation desert storm: 25 years on - cnn

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Operation Desert Storm: 25 years on - CNN

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
We were there to report on the war but at the same time it was a scary prospect. We'd wake up in the morning feeling brave, get scared by lunchtime, and have a fortifying and morale-boosting drink by bedtime. It had been a six-month long buildup to this moment.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
President Bush Remarks on Success in the Persian Gulf War

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Secretary Baker testified before leaving for Europe and the Middle East. He would be requesting monetary and military contributions for the Persian Gulf crisis...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Facts:
The Allied coalition was made up of 39 countries: Afghanistan, Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belgium, Canada, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Honduras, Hungary, Italy, Kuwait, Morocco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Niger, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Syria, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The US Department of Defense has estimated the incremental costs of the Gulf War at $61 billion, with US allies providing about $54 billion -- Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states covered $36 billion. Germany and Japan covered $16 billion.

Estimates of Iraqi soldier deaths range from 1,500 to 100,000.

Timeline:
August 2, 1990 - Iraq invades Kuwait. Reportedly, Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein decided to invade the small, oil-rich nation in order to pay off debts incurred during Iraq's eight year war with Iran.

August 2, 1990 - The United Nations passes a resolution denouncing Iraq's invasion of Kuwait.

August 6, 1990 - The UN imposes sanctions on Iraq.

August 7, 1990 - US President George H. W. Bush orders the start of Operation Desert Shield.

August 8, 1990 - Iraq formally annexes Kuwait.

August 25, 1990 - The UN passes a resolution to allow enforcement of the embargo by military means.

November 29, 1990 - The UN authorizes use of force after January 15, 1991.

January 16-17, 1991 - Operation Desert Storm begins.

February 24, 1991 - The allied ground assault begins.

February 27, 1991 - Baghdad radio announces that Iraq will comply with UN resolutions.

February 27, 1991 - Kuwait is liberated.

February 28, 1991 - Coalition attacks against Iraq end.

March 14, 1991 - Kuwait's Emir returns home.

April 6, 1991 - Iraq accepts the terms of a cease-fire agreement.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Facts: The Allied coalition was made up of 39 countries: Afghanistan, Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belgium, Canada, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Honduras, Hungary, Italy, Kuwait, Morocco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Niger, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Syria, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States.

# data[].attributes.body
Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein ordered the invasion and occupation of neighboring Kuwait in early August 1990. Alarmed by these action Egypt called on the United states and other western nations. Hussein defied United Nations demands to withdraw from Kuwait by mid-January 1991, and the Persian Gulf War began with a massive U.S.-led air offensive known as Operation Desert Storm. After that of 42 days of attacks by the allied coalition in the air and ground. When that was done President George H.W. Bush declared a cease-fire on February 28

# data[].attributes.body
The stealth bomber,
Hummer,

# data[].attributes.body
Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein ordered the invasion and occupation of neighboring Kuwait in early August 1990.

# data[].attributes.body
August 2, 1990 – February 28, 1991

# data[].attributes.body
All the Allies are going against Iraq

# data[].attributes.body
Allies
United States
France
United Kingdom
Kuwait
Saudi Arabia

# data[].attributes.headline
What are the global impacts of the competition for foreign markets and resources  

# data[].attributes.subject
What are the global impacts of the competition for foreign markets and resources  

# data[].attributes.body
indebted to several Arab countries, including a $14 billion debt to Kuwait. Iraq hoped to repay its debts by raising the price of oil through OPEC oil production cuts, but instead, Kuwait increased production, lowering prices, in an attempt to leverage a better resolution of their border dispute. In addition, greatly antagonizing Iraq, Kuwait had taken advantage of the Iran-Iraq War and had begun illegal slant drilling for oil into Iraqi reserves

# data[].attributes.body
The border between Iraq and Kuwait is a cultural border that was fought over in 1990. At the time, Saddam Hussein was ruling the country of Iraq, and because Iraq believed they owned the land of Kuwait, he invaded the country and began the Persian Gulf War.

# data[].attributes.headline
What causes boundary conflict lead and internal disputes between cultures groups? 

# data[].attributes.subject
What causes boundary conflict lead and internal disputes between cultures groups? 

# data[].attributes.body
As a posses, it is the anti-thesis of cooperation. Almost any human actions is likely to toward the hopes or interferes with plans of someone else. Such action becomes conflict, however, only if the Deliberate attempt is oppose. When a candidate secures a job, it implies that the job is denied others.

# data[].attributes.headline
How does cooperation and/or conflict lead to the division of earth's surface.  

# data[].attributes.subject
How does cooperation and/or conflict lead to the division of earth's surface.  

# data[].attributes.body
Cooperation and conflict have contributed to the divisions of the world as we see them today, including political and economic divisions. Boundary disputes, tensions over larger territories, competition for scarce resources, and control of strategic sites all reveal the kinds of factors that frustrate global cooperation. Alliances based upon religion, resource availability, political beliefs, among many other factors, can be explored fruitfully from a geographic perspective.