The fist of God - Frederick Forsyth

During those fateful weeks before Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait, a fragment of radio intercept had referred to Qubth-ut-Allah, a devastating secret weapon that could rain death and destruction on the Allied forces.

Despite Allied scepticism, Major Mike Martin, an SAS man who can pass as an Arab, is sent into Kuwait to assess Iraqi strength and help the resistance. What he discovers there takes him into the heart of Baghdad, where he is to ‘run’ the Iraqi spy known as Jericho, the sleeper who might be prepared to provide vital information for money. It is a highly dangerous operation, the results of which will influence the victory in the war that lies ahead. For days, while Martin parachutes into the Iraqi mountains on the most hazardous mission of his life: to find and destroy Qubth-ut-Allah—the Fist of God.

Not until you read THE FIST OF GOD will you realise why Saddam Hussein thought he could win the Gulf War and so refused to pull out of Kuwait.