"Highway of Death" Iraqi Army Armed Retreat from Kuwait 1991

The Highway of Death refers to a road between Kuwait and Basra on which retreating units of the Iraqi army as well as Iraqi civilians were attacked and destroyed by American aircraft and ground forces during the United Nations Coalition offensive in the Gulf War, on the night of February 26-February 27, 1991, resulting in the destruction of hundreds of vehicles and the deaths of an unknown and disputed number of Iraqi soldiers and civilians. The scenes of carnage on the road are some of the most recognizable images of the war. According to Elaine Sciolino of the New York Times, the images suggested a turkey shoot and contributed to the war's resolution soon afterwards.

American attacks were conducted on two different roads: some 1,400-2,000 vehicles hit on the main Highway 80 north of Al Jahra (the "actual" Highway of Death) and, few days later, another 400-700 or so on the much-less known coastal road to Basra.

On the main highway, aircraft bombed the front and rear of the massive vehicle column of Iraqi Regular Army, trapping the convoy, and leaving sitting targets for later airstrikes. When visited by journalists the main highway had been reduced to a long uninterrupted line of destroyed, damaged, and abandoned vehicles, sometimes called the Mile of Death. The wreckage predominantly consisted of stolen civilian vehicles (such as cars, trucks, and buses) which were manned by Iraqi conscripts and the Palestinian fighters, accompanied by their family members fleeing the advancing Coalition forces.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Highway
• of
• Death
• Operation
• Desert
• Storm
• Iraqi
• army
• retreat
• airstrikes
• Gulf
• War
• Kuwait
• bombing
• cluster
• bombs
• F-15E
• USAF
• B-52
• A-10
• A-6
• Al
• Jahra
• Basra

[goyim1999]

this reporter is full of shit.

he says what happened may qaulify as a war crime because we used excessive force on a

enemy surrendering,... they were not fucking surrendering,,..they were in retreat or even worse, being routed... nothing to do with "surrendering"..

[mikey1600]

as a desert storm vet.this was our revege for the troops killed in bombing attack. we got the order to let all hell to break lose and this is the end result of a coward running to save his own ass!!!! May saddam rot in HELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!­!!!

[IsleptTRUhighSchool]

This is war ppl what do you expect!

[neverfearchrisishere]

The claim of 1500 vehicles has by the US has been proven false - as photographic evidence of a small fragment of the highway includes more vehicles than in the official count for the entire 60km highway. As mentioned in the video most of the vehicles were civilian - yet official tallies count 0 (zero) civilian casualties

no outside party was allowed to see the carnage before the clean up was well underway.

[neverfearchrisishere]

"We were under constant fire"

Yet took zero casualties... Seems highly unlikely that in 2 days of flying every aircraft America had in the region through ' constant fire ' that they would take zero hits. In fact it is preposterous.

[baron8107]

@myhandsunclean

EVERYONE.

[baron8107]

@myhandsunclean

Biased imbecile.

Any army can be deadly, it doesn't matter where they're from.

Besides, Obama's a cowardly shit-for-brains, or else Iran would be in pieces, not that I have any love for that vile place, Iran I mean. I hate everyone.

[dobatron]

@dark7element Yes they do, Americans are being humiliated every day. 12 years fighting militia the whole time claiming to be the best military in the world that's humiliation in it's self.

[myhandsunclean]

Go USA! These colors do not run! USA! USA!

It's not our fault the other militaries sux. USA kicks everyones ass.

[StreetFighter314]

this is a war crime!

[conspiracymedia]

people

[GENESISEQUUSAZERA]

This Is American Democracy