Once the UN's January 15th deadline failed, the Desert Shield turned into a Desert Storm.
联合国1月15日的最后期限一到,“沙漠盾牌”就变成了“沙漠风暴”。
Allied forces began bombing Iraq on January 16th 1991.
盟军在1991年1月16日开始轰炸伊拉克。
On February 23rd, the land defensive began.
2月23日,陆地防御开始。
Even the elite Iraqi forces preferred surrender to combat.
即使是伊拉克的精英部队也更愿意投降而不是作战。
Kuwait was freed in three days.
科威特在三天内得以解放。
Although deposing Saddam Hussein was a definite option,
尽管废除萨达姆·侯赛因是个肯定的选择,
President Bush held back, fearing that deposing Saddam would be destabilizing to the Middle East.
布什总统没有这么做,他担心废除萨达姆会导致中东的不稳定。
Especially giving Iran to free of a hand.
尤其是会使伊朗坐大。
Indeed, the Shiite regime in Iran would like nothing better than a Saddam-less Iraq dominated by a Shiite majority.
确实,伊朗什叶派更希望一个非萨达姆式的、由什叶派统治的伊拉克政权。
Even Israel, which hated Saddam Hussein even more than the Americans did, recognize the wisdom of President Bush's decision.
甚至以色列,虽然他们比美国人还要恨萨达姆,他们承认布什总统决定的英明之处。
America, as the sole remaining superpower,
美国,作为唯一的超级大国,
had shown itself willing to work with the international community in the form of the United Nations.
展示了愿意通过联合国和国际社会合作的决心。
There was no illusion about who had led the allied coalition against Iraq,
大家都知道是谁促成了反对伊拉克的联盟,
but it speaks tremendously about President Bush's leadership that this coalition worked so well.
但是当时主要谈到的是在布什总统的领导下这一联盟很有效。