Home · War & Conflict · 1991 Gulf War · The 1991 Gulf War
Topic spans: 1990 - 2001
The 1991 Gulf War
Unlike any conflict before, the Gulf War of 1991 played out in a brave new world of biological warfare. A round-the-clock television audience was captivated by the flying missiles that lit up the night sky. Canadian troops, sent abroad for combat for the first time since the Korean War joined the Allied forces to fight Iraq's invasion of Kuwait. On the surface, the occupation ended swiftly and decisively as the Iraqi forces retreated. But as was evident over the next decade, the problems remained unresolved.
32 television clips
6 radio clips
The highway of death
Broadcast Date: March 2, 1991
It's called the "Highway of Death" because it's littered with burned tanks, trucks, cars and the corpses of defeated Iraqi soldiers who attempted to flee Kuwait. Saudi and American soldiers pry open the car trunks and take as much ammunition and as many weapons as they can carry. A British soldier stands by shrugging his shoulders. He says he lacks the authority to stop them. On the scene, the CBC's Joe Schlesinger tells how the devastating spoils of war are indeed being looted by the victors.The highway of death
• The "Highway of Death" spans the roadway from Mutlaa, Kuwait, to Basra, Iraq. Human rights groups cite the attack as a war crime of great magnitude — the deliberate bombing of a stretch of highway where fleeing Iraqi soldiers were stuck in a frenzied traffic jam. The United States, however, maintains that few Iraqi soldiers were found in the wreckage.The highway of death
Medium: Television
Program: Saturday Report
Broadcast Date: March 2, 1991
Host: Alison Smith
Reporter: Joe Schlesinger
Duration: 2:59
Last updated:
July 15, 2008
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38 clips in this topic . page
Television
3:10
July 15, 1983
American cruise missile testing to take place on Canadian soil.
Radio
4:23
Nov. 11, 1944
In this 1944 CBC Radio clip, war correspondent Matthew Halton reflects on Remembrance Day.
Topic from Radio-Canada
For Teachers - Educational activities
External sites
- Department of Defence: 10 Years ago…The Gulf War!
- Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade: Canada-Iraqi Relations
- Department of Defence: Airfield Engineers: The Gulf War
- Department of Defence: Canada's Military Legacy
- Department of Defence: Status of Gulf War Veterans
- CIA: Iraq's Weapons of Mass Destruction Report
The highway of death.
The CBC Digital Archives Website.
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
Last updated: July 15, 2008.
[Page consulted on Feb. 15, 2012.]