Events Schedule
Last Resort? US Diplomacy and the Gulf War 1991
- Time
- 4pm - 5pm
- Date
- 27 Nov 2025
- Duration
- 1 hour(s)
More information
- Theme
- Academic
- Registration Required
- No
- Organising Department
School of History
The first, UNSC 660, condemned the invasion, demanded immediate and unconditional withdrawal, and negotiations on the dispute. The last, UNSC 678, provided the recourse to use ‘all necessary means’ to eject Iraq from Kuwait. Sanctions, diplomacy and force were the key instruments for the coalition. The paper contends that war was not the last resort, sanctions were constrained by time and considered ineffective by the White House. The diplomacy was selective, limited and stringent. France, the Soviet Union and many others sought some form of compromise to avert the use of force given its consequences. Various compromises were advanced, yet there was always an obstacle. The consequences were significant.