August 28, 1990: Iraq Renames Kuwait Kadhima and Calls It Its 19th Province

August 28, 1990: After invading Kuwait on Aug. 2, Iraq's Saddam Hussein renames the small country Kadhima--Kuwait's name in the 19th century, when it was an Ottoman Empire trading post--and declares it Iraq's 19th province. The new name is announced in a decree printed by Al Jumhuriya, a government newspaper.

Hussein also declares that foreigners in Iraq and Kuwait, whom he'd been preventing from leaving since the invasion, could leave. Some 11,000 westerners, including between 2,000 and 3,000 Americans, are in Iraq and Kuwait at the time.

President George H.W. Bush launches Operation Desert Storm on Jan. 17, 1991. By February 28, Kuwait had been cleared of Iraqi forces.

See Also:

• Operation Desert Shield
• Operation Desert Sorm
• Iraq War Timeline 1973-1993
• Iraq War Timeline 1993-2003
• Iraq War Timeline, 2003-2008