Desert Storm Revisited

Saddam and Hostage, August, 1990
On August 2, 1990, after a massive troop buildup, Iraq invaded Kuwait. As the West and the remainder of the Arab world grappled with how to respond, Iraqi forces moved on Kuwait City. Caught in the offensive were 15,000 foreigners, including 3,000 Americans who had been living and working in Kuwait. Saddam insisted that the hostages were not "human shields" but "heroes of peace." On August 23, the dictator appeared in a heavily orchestrated video with a group of hostages, focusing his attention on a 5-year-old Briton, Stuart Lockwood. Saddam playfully ruffled the young boy's hair and inquired (through a translator) if he was getting his milk. Stuart pointedly refused Saddam's invitation to sit on his knee.

• Going Home from Iraq