The 1991 Persian Gulf War had devastating consequences for Iraq, Kuwait, and other countries in the Middle East. Thousands of people were killed and millions of people were displaced during the Iraqi occupation of Kuwait, the war against Iraq, and the post-war civil conflict within Iraq. In addition, the war had profound environmental and political consequences for the region.

In Kuwait, the number of people Iraq took prisoner, tortured, and killed during its seven- month occupation is estimated to be in the thousands. Weeks after the liberation of Kuwait, more than 2,000 Kuwaitis were still missing. Another 1.6 million Kuwaitis fled to other countries. Many of these refugees lost their jobs, homes, and life savings.

The Persian Gulf War also had enormous human costs for Iraq. The U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency estimates that 100,000 Iraqi soldiers were killed during the war. An...