The Battle of Khafji was the first major ground engagement of the Gulf
War. It took place in and around the Saudi Arabian city of Khafji, from
29 January to 1 February 1991 and marked the culmination of the
Coalition's air campaign over Kuwait and Iraq, which had begun on 17
January 1991. Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein ordered the invasion of Saudi
Arabia from southern Kuwait. He ordered the 1st and 5th Mechanized
Divisions and 3rd Armored Division to conduct a multi-pronged invasion
toward Khafji, engaging American, Saudi and Qatari forces along the
coastline. These three divisions, which had been heavily damaged by
Coalition aircraft in the preceding days, attacked on 29 January. Most
of their attacks were fought off by U.S. Marines as well as U.S. Army
Rangers and Coalition aircraft, but one of the Iraqi columns occupied
Khafji on the night of 29–30 January. Between 30 January and 1
February, two Saudi Arabian National Guard battalions and two Qatari
tank companies attempted to retake control of the city, aided by
Coalition aircraft and American artillery. By 1 February, the city had
been recaptured at the cost of 43 Coalition soldiers dead and 52
wounded. The Iraqi Army lost between 60 and 300 dead, while an
estimated 400 were captured as prisoners of war. The battle serves as a
modern demonstration that air power can halt and defeat a major ground
operation. It was also a major test of the Saudi and Qatari armies.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Khafji>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1373:
English mystic Julian of Norwich recovered from a severe illness,
during which she experienced a series of intense visions of Jesus
Christ; later she would describe them in Revelations of Divine Love,
the first known English language book written by a woman.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_of_Norwich>
1779:
Russian and French mediators negotiated the Treaty of Teschen to end
the War of the Bavarian Succession.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_of_the_Bavarian_Succession>
1888:
Isabel the Redeemer , heiress of Brazil, signed the Lei Áurea into law,
formally abolishing slavery in Brazil.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/slavery_in_Brazil>
1992:
Li Hongzhi introduced Falun Gong in a public lecture in Changchun,
Jilin province, China.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Li_Hongzhi>
2008:
Nine bombs placed by the heretofore-unknown terrorist group Indian
Mujahideen exploded in 15 minutes in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaipur_bombings>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
faubourg (n):
A suburb
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/faubourg>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
Always dying, never dead;
Ever ending, never ended;
Loathed in darkness,
Clothed in light,
He comes, to end a world,
As morning ends the night.
--Roger Zelazny
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Roger_Zelazny>