What was the reason Saddam Hussein attacked Kuwait?

Kuwait had historically been a part of Iraq rich in oil, but was split off by the British when forming modern Iraq and given to a more stable (read compliant) Arab royalty. Saddam clearly wanted to get at the Kuwaiti oil, but only did it because he had misread the signals given to him from years of nods and winks from the US and European allies, which we all were at the time.

Ok before i answer this question, i want to describe a situation with oil wells that happens to land owners here in the states, so you'll understand a bit of what happened.

here in the sates, people will sometimes get into legal disputes over oil that is being pumped from their land, because even if a deposit is discovered on one side of the property line, it doesn't mean the oil deposit is straight down from that location. in reality, it fans out in great distances, putting large portions of the deposit on the other side of the property lines, but still being pumped out of the well on the opposite side.

American and iraqie relations were on a downward spiral when world opinion of Iran complaining that Saddam was using dual purpose chemicals supplied to him by the United States as chemical weapons delivered by airplanes supplied to him also, by the USA.

Saddam's alleged that Kuwait was illegally pumping oil from Iraq side of the border.(the same as the story i mention above). He demanded they cease. They did not, and Again Saddam demanded they cease illegal Slant-drilling of Iraqi oil, but with a bit of a threat, the second time.

well the third time, he made demands with army tanks and occupied them.

It was to annex (absorb) Kuwait so that Iraq would have a seaport on the Persian Gulf. Otherwise, Iraq has to pay for passage across other countries and shipping charges to get Iraqi oil to market by trucks or pipeline. In a nutshell; greed. Iraq is landlocked; it has no borders on open waters. Kuwait was just the easiest and closest pickins.

Saddam claimed that Kuwait was once Iraq's land. also for money and oil. He wanted power and the more countries he could gobble up the better.

I guess the simple answer is because he thought he could get away with it.

Saddam had depleted his countries wealth in a long war with Iran, and the Kurds. Not to mention his life style. He invaded to plunder their oil fields and economic markets. Besides he was running out of countrymen to experiment with chemical weapons on. Dah!! he was an insane Dictator, with a Hitler/Napoleon complex.

First: he was short on Cash, as he was on brains, to believe what the then administration told him about it was not our business what this region does politically or otherwise....

Saddam....what a "chum"

saddam attcaked kuwait becos kuwait was rich in oil and was prospering as a rich country.

http://www.studyworld.com/biography/historical_fig...