today in history - - - Aug 7, 1990

1990 - President Bush sent U.S. troops and air power to protect Saudi Arabian oil fields from possible Iraqi attack.

The problem is, that this was kept from the Saudi people who had no idea that US forces were even ON Saudi Arabian soil protecting them.
Yes, we know the US was basically protecting their OWN interests because of that Kuwaiti and Saudi oil, but still, allowing the Saudi powers to keep it secret was a gross PR mistake.
Yes, we know that the US basicaly condoned the Iraqi war against Kuwait by the American ambassador's comments at that time, when Saddam Hussein claimed Kuwait as a breakaway state of Iraq and that he was intent on taking it back. To which the American ambassador replied that the US had NO interest in internal Iraqi politics. THEN, when Iraq made a move on Kuwait the US suddenly turned on Saddam. And the result was the Gulf War. (not counting the fact that America NEEDED a convenient war to test new weaponry)

Yes, we know that the prince/shah/potentate/Grand Mufti of Kuwait or whatever he called himself at that time promised to democratize his country in return for US protection of HIS oil riches, and that he has done NOTHING to date to change the attitude toward women, allow citizens to vote or make any inroads to democracy at all.
And yes, we KNOW that the war got quickly out of hand and it was basically the US's doings that actualy caused it to begin with. The war that Iraq fought with US weapons given to it because Iran and the Ayatola Khomeini became the enemy after the Shah was booted.
And yes, even if 'they' were feeding us daily disinformation, most of us KNEW there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.
And finally, yes, we KNOW that George Junior promised his Daddy that HE would get Saddam for him because Saddam was thumbing his nose at George Senior (who was dumped after only one term) and that led us to the present situation where hapless US troops are being killed daily and it looks like there is no way out.
It all seems like certain shadowy Americans in power lost control of their egos, doesn't it?
History is indeed strange.