through the active participation of Canada in the Gulf War. In an extremely interconnected planet, it
becomes inevitable for problems affecting various other nations to have a monumental impact on
Canadians and their society. For instance, high levels of corruption within a country increase the
likelihood for a country to possibly stage international criminal activities. This becomes the case during
the horrific reign of Saddam Hussein, as there was an absence of human rights, adhering and complying
with the laws, residing within political and geographical boundaries, democracy, and fair governance.
Humanitarian intervention was undoubtedly required to prevent the brutal slaughter of Kuwaiti civilian
performed by Iraqi forces under the command of Saddam Hussein. In addition, Iraq’s annexation of
Kuwait was a textbook example of unjust aggression which allowed Hussein to maintain control of
“more than two-thirds of the world's exportable oil" and the Strait of Hormuz; which was "a waterway
through which much of the free world's oil must flow". As a result, Saddam Hussein became a major
threat to Western prosperity. Therefore, Canada responded to urgent pleas from George W. Bush for
countries to deploy armed forces in order to engage in targeting terrorism and crime; after several
peaceful attempts to resolve the conflict resulted in increased aggression from Saddam Hussein with the
intention of reinstating his “dominant” position. Needless to say, authorizing the use of force in Iraq
complied with Canada’s motive to maintain and create a peaceful and interconnected society.
Round the clock television audiences were captivated by flying missiles that lit up the sky
throughout the course of the Gulf War. A war between Iraq and a coalition force led by the United
States had erupted after several diplomatic efforts failed to resolve the conflict. Although Canada’s role
has been modest, the commitment to participate in order to repel the aggression and conclude the
human slaughter of Kuwaiti civilians gained Canada international recognition.
To begin, the incident, first and foremost, qualified with Canada’s belief to support countries
attempting to dissolve oppression, injustice, and terrorism; seeing as the atrocities performed on the
Kuwaiti civilian population qualified for humanitarian intervention. Throughout Iraq’s annexation of
Kuwait, Saddam’s forces performed physiological, physical, and emotional damages through rapes,
tortures, executions, starvation, dehydration, and mass public hangings. Tortures, killings, and mass
arrests had started on the day of the invasion. Men and women were constantly being pulled off the
streets for interrogations and the wrong response would bring pain, mutilation, and in many cases
death. With the constant supply of information through television channels, radio programs, news
articles, leaked internet documents, and public discussion; there was an elevating awareness of the
brutal systematic slaughter of Kuwaiti civilians. In addition, with the knowledge of Saddam’s prior acts of
crimes including an attempted genocide against the Kurdish population, utilization of chemical and
nerve agents against innocent civilians, ruthless mass public executions, destruction of villages, and
public threats against Middle East countries; various pressure groups attempted to fuel debates within
the House of Commons to address the morally and ethically inexcusable aggressions of annexing Kuwait
and help the suffering Kuwaiti population. Therefore, Canada decided to join the coalition force with the
intentions of supplying a minor armed force but supplying support to the armed forces and civilians.
Despite a minor armed force, Canada made unforgettable