Persian Gulf

As of November 15, 1991, allied countries had pledged about $54 billion in cash and in-kind support, such as equipment and transportation, to the United States and contributed about $50.5 billion, or 94 percent of their pledges. Major contributors were Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Japan, Germany, and Korea. As of October 31, 1991, the Defense Department (DOD) reported receipts of in-kind support valued at about $5.6 billion. In valuing the support, DOD officials generally relied on information from the contributing countries; however, in some cases, such data were unavailable and, therefore, they estimated the value. As a result, the assigned value may differ from the actual cost incurred by the contributor. In addition to their U.S. contributions, allied contributors provided various other types of support during the crisis. The European Commission and 24 nations participated in the Gulf Crisis Financial Coordination Group, established by the U.S. President, and pledged about $16.2 billion in economic assistance to countries affected by the crisis. As of October 1991, actual contributions totaled about $10.6 billion. Allied countries have also become part of the multinational military force and have provided financial and other assistance, through bilateral arrangements, to affected countries and international organizations involved in refugee relief efforts.

GAO found that: (1) as of December 15, 1991, allied countries had pledged about $54 billion in cash and in-kind support, such as equipment and transportation, to the United States and contributed 94 percent of their pledges; (2) Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Japan, Germany, and Korea were major contributors to the United States; (3) the executive branch initially reported that allied countries pledged about $54.6 billion, but revised this figure in July 1991 to about $54 billion to reflect a reduction in the 1991 Japanese and Korean pledges due to a misunderstanding between governments; (4) as of October 31, 1991, the Department of Defense (DOD) reported receipts of in-kind support valued at about $5.6 billion by relying on information from the contributing countries, but the assigned value may differ from the actual cost incurred by the contributor, since there were instances where DOD had to estimate the value due to an absence of such data; (5) the European Commission and 24 countries participated in the Gulf Crisis Financial Coordination Group by pledging about $16.2 billion in economic assistance to countries affected by the crisis, with actual contributions totalling about $10.6 billion as of October 1991; and (6) allied countries joined the multinational military force and provided financial and other assistance, through bilateral arrangements, to affected crisis countries and international organizations involved in refugee relief efforts.