Full coverage

[an error occurred while processing this directive]
BBC News
watch One-Minute World News
Struggle for Iraq
Introduction
Click on the events below to read about Iraq's history
Saddam's rise:
1957-79
Iran-Iraq war:
1980-88
Gulf War:
1990 - 1991
Containment:
1991-2002
Second war:
2003-06
Young activist
Hardline deputy
War breaks out
Israeli bombing
Chemical warfare
Western support
Truce and debt
Kuwait invasion
Desert Storm
Scud missiles
Civilian casualties
Ground war
Iraqi ceasefire
Uprisings
After the war
No-fly zones
Oil-for-Food
Desert Fox
Inspectors barred
US-led invasion
Saddam captured
Iraq in turmoil
Trial of Saddam
IRAQI CEASEFIRE, 1991

On 27 February 1991, jubilant Kuwaitis welcomed convoys of allied troops into the city.

Special forces went in first, followed by Kuwaiti troops and then US marines.

At 2100 US time, President George Bush Snr announced a ceasefire from 0400 the following day.

Allied forces across Iraq had by this time captured tens of thousands of Iraqi soldiers.

Many were hungry, exhausted and demoralised and surrendered with little resistance. The US estimated that 150,000 Iraqi soldiers had deserted.

The allies had lost 148 soldiers in battle, and another 145 in deaths described as "non-battle".

Estimates of Iraqi deaths range from 60,000 to 200,000 soldiers. Heaps of Iraqi corpses were buried in mass graves in the desert.

On 2 March the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution establishing the terms of the ceasefire.

These required Iraq to end all military action, to rescind its annexation of Kuwait, to disclose information about any stored chemical and biological weapons, to release all international prisoners and accept responsibility for the casualties and damage done during its occupation of Kuwait.

The next day, Iraqi commanders accepted the ceasefire terms formally at a meeting with US military leaders in a tent at the captured Iraqi military base of Safwan.

Saddam Hussein did not attend.

Allied troops march Iraqi prisoners of war
Thousands of Iraqi prisoners surrendered

Kuwaitis celebrate on a tank after the allied forces reclaimed Kuwait City

Kuwaitis welcomed the allied forces

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

Americas Africa Europe Middle East South Asia Asia Pacific