The Gulf War began when a joint force of numerous nations headed by the United States launched an air raid against Iraq on 16 January 1991. Several squadrons of fighter-bombers unloaded their bombs over the capital city, Banghad, destroying roads, bridges, military instalations and improtant communications centres. These attackes were launched in order to force the dictator of Iraq, President Saddam Hussein, to withdraw his forces from Kuwait. Several months earlier, on 2 August 1990, under orders of Saddam Hussein, Iraqi tanks rolled across the border into Kuwait at two o’clock in the morning, taking the Kuwait people by surprise. It took only seven hours for the  Iraqi troops to capture the whole country. The Gulf War had serious effects on the world and its economy. Oil prices soared while the stock markets around the world plunged. A series of bombing public installations by terrorists occured in several countries. People were afraid to travel by aeorplanes for fear of bombing or hijacking. Fortunately, after a massive land offensive into  Iraqi terrotories by coalition forces, the war ended. Iraq agreed to cmply within the demands of the United Nations Security Council. Thus, the fighting was brought to an end.