Close-up Chocolate Chip camouflage uniforms of desert tan + desert brown, pattern broken up by white and black clusters. This pattern was phased out by mid-1990s. New Iraqi Army formed by US in 2004 received surplus Chocolate Chip uniforms. Soldier in foreground carries M16 assault rifle + M203 grenade launcher, soldier on left carries M60 machine gun, while soldier in back carries the M249 SAW light machine gun. Army Fact File - www.army.mil/fact_files_site/in_crew.html

Rollover : Another view of Chocolate Chip uniforms from US 82nd Airborne division (identified by AA shoulder patch insignia). During 1990 Panama invasion, 82nd Airborne was stationed inside the canal zone along with other US armor forces, thus was able to rapidly takeover the entire country within one week. Advanced Combat Uniform - www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ground/acu-advanced.htm

Dramatic geopolitical realignment after 1991 Gulf War. US established a permanent military presence to protect its oil import lifeline. Islamic fundamentalist viewed presence of non-Moslem troops as a desecration against their Medina and Mecca holy sites. Assassinations and terrorist attacks ensued against foreign nationals (ex. 1996 Khobar Tower, 2003 Riyadh bombings). However, with conquest of Iraq in 2003, US transferred bulk of her forces from Saudi Arabia & Kuwait to occupation duties inside Iraq. Hence, there was no need to negotiate with any foreign government about American troop levels since the US defeated the Iraqi army in an one month campaign and now runs the entire country. Khobar Towers 1998 - www.afa.org/magazine/june1998/0698khobar.asp

• 2003 Riyadh compound bombings - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riyadh_compound_bombings

As for the Palestinians and PLO organization, massive setback struck them as they backed wrong horse, namely Iraq. Before 1991, most Arab countries publicly offered solidarity and revenue in support of Palestinian struggle against Israel. Privately, this funding was used as protection money to prevent local Palestinian populations from conspiring against the host government. PLO - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PLO

With its 1990 conquest of Kuwait, Iraq demanded Arab League recognition of its Kuwaiti annexation. In return, Iraqi leader Saddem Hussein offered to launch an offensive against Israel to liberate Palestine. Arab League rejected this proposal, except Yasser Arafat of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). PLO supported Iraq's conquest of Kuwait, hailed Iraqi missile attacks against Israel, planned to send 50,000 men to fight with the Iraqis, assisted Iraqi occupation of Kuwait, and attempted to destabilize the Saudi government. When war ended in Feb 1991, Arab states retaliated against the PLO. Arab League - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arab_League

PLO funding was severed, her activists were arrested in some Arab host nations. In Kuwait, Palestinian collaborators fleeing with Iraqi forces were wiped out on the "Highway of Death" leading to Basra, while others were summarily executed by Kuwaitis. With no upfront funding, PLO secretly opened peace talks with Israel resulting in Oct 1993 Camp David peace accords. Haggling over the final peace treaty and territorial concession continues to this date. Highway of Death : The Unseen Gulf War - digitaljournalist.org/issue0212/pt04.html

Israel faired no better strategically, the country was unable to eliminate nationwide Palestinian rebellion since the late-1980s. By late-1990s, US cut military funding, thus forcing at end to Israel's 20-year occupation of southern Lebanon, unilateral withdraw completed in 2000. Israel's ally the Christian Lebanese militia collapsed immediately as pro-Iranian Hezbollah faction seized the power vacuum. From a security perspective, Israel is right back where she started from in 1978 when the nation first invaded Lebanon to wipe out Palestinian rocket bases bombarding northern Israel settlements. With 150,000 US troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, Israel now has to balance both Arab and American power in the region. 2000 Israel’s Withdrawal from Lebanon - www.adl.org/backgrounders/lebanon_withdrawal.asp