Egypt Joins the Gulf War Coalition
After Iraq's invasion of Kuwait on 2 August 1990, Mubarak played a crucial role in building the Arab component of the US-led coalition, contributing approximately 35,000 Egyptian troops — the second-largest non-US contingent after Saudi Arabia. Egyptian forces served in the Arab Joint Forces Command-East and participated in the ground offensive into Kuwait. Mubarak's decision was politically risky at home: significant Egyptian public opinion opposed Arab-on-Arab warfare. The strategic calculation proved correct: in return for joining the coalition, the United States wrote off Egypt's $7 billion military debt, Gulf states cancelled additional debts, and Mubarak's regional standing was dramatically enhanced. The Gulf War confirmed Egypt's position as the anchor of US Middle East policy and Mubarak's role as the indispensable Arab partner of successive American administrations.
- Year: 1991 CE
