Desert Storm Revisited

The Oil Fields
As the Iraqis retreated, they left a terrible reminder of their brief stay in Kuwait behind them, setting fire to almost 600 oil wells as a "scorched-earth" tactic. The blazes spewed poisonous fumes across the region while consuming Kuwait's vast oil reserves and causing immeasurable damage to the local wildlife and environment. The presence of landmines made it difficult for firefighters to approach the wells and snuff them out. The effort took nearly ten months and cost close to $1.5 billion, not counting the value of the oil that was lost.

• Going Home from Iraq