Twenty years after the United States launched Operation Desert Storm, newly-declassified archival transcripts give us a fresh look at the first Iraq War — with more than a few surprises. The documents reveal that as the U.S. was bearing down on Iraq in February 1991, Hussein turned to Gorbachev, hoping the Moscow leader would help him convince the United States to retreat. 

Gorbachev refused, surprising Hussein, who apparently believed that the Soviet president would flout United States and NATO coalition forces in order to save the ostracized Iraqi government. Michael Gordon is the military correspondent for The New York Times and author of the book “The General’s War: The Inside Story of the Conflict in the Gulf.” He explains what can be found in the archive.