</s> ▁The ▁invasion ▁of ▁K uw ait ▁on ▁ 2 ▁August ▁ 1 9 9 0 ▁was ▁a ▁two - day ▁operation ▁conducted ▁by ▁Ira q ▁against ▁the ▁neighbor ing ▁State ▁of ▁K uw ait , ▁which ▁resulted ▁in ▁the ▁seven - month - long ▁Ira qi ▁occupation ▁of ▁the ▁country . ▁This ▁invasion ▁and ▁Ira q ' s ▁subsequent ▁ref us al ▁to ▁withdraw ▁from ▁K uw ait ▁by ▁a ▁dead line ▁mand ated ▁by ▁the ▁United ▁Nations ▁led ▁to ▁military ▁inter vention ▁by ▁a ▁United ▁Nations - author ized ▁coal ition ▁of ▁forces ▁led ▁by ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁These ▁events ▁came ▁to ▁be ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁first ▁G ulf ▁War ▁and ▁resulted ▁in ▁the ▁exp ulsion ▁of ▁Ira qi ▁forces ▁from ▁K uw ait ▁and ▁the ▁Ira q is ▁setting ▁ 6 0 0 ▁K uw ait i ▁oil ▁well s ▁on ▁fire ▁during ▁their ▁retre at . ▁ ▁In ▁early ▁ 1 9 9 0 ▁Ira q ▁was ▁acc using ▁K uw ait ▁of ▁ste aling ▁Ira qi ▁pet role um ▁through ▁sl ant ▁dr illing , ▁although ▁some ▁Ira qi ▁sources ▁indicated ▁S add am ▁Hus sein ' s ▁decision ▁to ▁attack ▁K uw ait ▁was ▁made ▁a ▁few ▁months ▁before ▁the ▁actual ▁invasion . ▁Some ▁feel ▁there ▁were ▁several ▁reasons ▁for ▁the ▁Ira qi ▁move , ▁including ▁Ira q ' s ▁in ability ▁to ▁pay ▁the ▁more ▁than ▁US $ 1 4 ▁billion ▁that ▁it ▁had ▁borrow ed ▁to ▁fin ance ▁the ▁Iran – I ra q