Which of the following statements most accurately characterizes the circumstances leading up to armed confrontation with Iraq? The chain of events began with the Iraqi bombing of Saudi Arabia in the summer of 1990, followed by the invasion of Kuwait in the fall. The UN General Assembly requested that the United States send American troops to the Persian Gulf to oppose Iraqi actions. The U.S. Senate voted overwhelmingly to approve the use of American forces against Iraq. In November 1990 the UN Security Council voted to authorize the use of force if Iraq did not withdraw from Kuwait by January 15, 1991.