Qanbar was a commander in the navy during Saddam Hussein's reign, and took part in the Iran–Iraq War of 1980–88, and the war over Kuwait in 1990-91. In the latter, he commanded a garrison on the Kuwaiti island of Failaka, and was taken prisoner by U.S. Marines. He was a brigadier general in the navy during the 1991 Gulf War. After being captured in Failaka, he was briefly transferred to Saudi Arabia before his release. Despite being captured by American forces, Qanbar was later decorated by Saddam for his bravery in defense of the island. After the war, Qanbar was posted in Basra, but was excluded from new commands after he refused to stop the 1991 Shiite uprising.