Gulf War Oil Spill

The Gulf War oil spill was one of the largest oil spills in history, resulting from the Gulf War in 1991. The apparent strategic goal was to foil a potential landing by US Marines. It also made commandeering oil reserves difficult for US forces. The immediate reports from Baghdad said that American air strikes had caused a discharge of oil from two tankers. Coalition forces determined the main source of oil to be the Sea Island terminal in Kuwait. On January 26, three US F-117 fighter bombers destroyed pipelines to prevent further spillage into the Persian Gulf. Several other sources of oil were found to be active: tankers and a damaged Kuwaiti oil refinery near Mina Al Ahmadi, tankers near Bubiyan Island, and Iraq's Mina Al Bakr terminal.

Read more about Gulf War Oil Spill:  Environmental Impact

Famous quotes containing the words gulf, war, oil and/or spill:

    His father watched him across the gulf of years and pathos which always must divide a father from his son.
    —J.P. (John Phillips)

    But is an enemy so execrable that tho in captivity his wishes and comforts are to be disregarded and even crossed? I think not. It is for the benefit of mankind to mitigate the horrors of war as much as possible.
    Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826)

    Can he who has discovered only some of the values of whalebone and whale oil be said to have discovered the true use of the whale?
    Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)

    Didn’t spill a drop. The shakes are gone just because of a piece of music. Until they played that piece, I, I forgot how I got into this thing. Keep on playin’ it. I don’t think I’ll ever forget again.
    Jules Furthman (1888–1960)