1990 airlift of Indians from Kuwait operating 488 flights in association with Indian Airlines, from August 18, 1990 to October 20, 1990 – lasting 63 days. Buses are also used after winning Baghdad's approval to ferry Indians through Basra, Baghdad and to Amman in Jordan. The event was the basis for the 2016 film "Airlift" starring Akshay Kumar, who played a character inspired by the works of Mathunny Mathews and Harbajan Singh Vedi. Some historical facts were however changed in the film for example downplaying the efforts put by the Indian Government. 1990 airlift of Indians from Kuwait The 1990 airlift of Indians from Kuwait was
CIA activities in Iraq [against Hussein's regime]. At the center was Shahwani, a Sunni from Mosul and a charismatic commander who made his reputation in 1984 with a helicopter assault on Iranian troops atop a mountain in Iraqi Kurdistan. His popularity made him dangerous to Saddam Hussein, and he was arrested and interrogated in 1989. He fled the country in May 1990, just before Iraq invaded Kuwait." In 1991, Shahwani began efforts to organize a military coup utilizing former members of the special forces, which Hussein had disbanded. After the Gulf War, CIA took steps to correct the shortcomings identified during the Gulf War