General Article: The Persian Gulf War. Iraq's August 2, 1990 invasion of Kuwait sent shockwaves around the world. Not only were the oil-rich states of the Persian Gulf important to the world economy. President George H.W. Bush also saw the invasion as a direct threat to the international system. Good and Evil. Bush, a World War II veteran, condemned the aggression and spoke of it in terms of good and evil, often comparing Iraqi president Saddam Hussein to Adolf Hitler.