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Causes of Iraq-Kuwait Conflict

1. Economic problems in Iraq


o Iran-Iraq war(1980-1988) ruined Iraq’s economy thus left her heavy in debt
o Falling oil prices resulted in loss of revenue for Iraq
2. Worsening Iraq-Kuwait relationship
o Kuwait and UAE’s non-compliance with OPEC’s quotas on oil production
angered Iraq
o Unclear boundaries between Iraq and Kuwait in the Rumaila oilfield resulted
in dispute over alleged stealing of oil by Kuwait, as both countries shared the
lucrative Rumaila oilfield. Kuwait ignored Iraq’s demand for compensation,
claimed Kuwait had drilled oil from Iraqi side of the oilfield. Iraq took up this
issue wit the Arab league an organization which oversees economic and social
affairs of the Arab States
o The Bubiyan and Warbah islands were located off Iraq’s only port Umm Qasr,
which was a potential theat to Iraq’s oil transportation and access to the Gulf
o Iraq refused to recognize Kuwait’s ownership of these islands because it failed
to lease these islands from Kuwait in 1978
3. Arab League’s failure to resolve rising tensions between Iraq and Kuwait
o Kuwait and UAE gave in to pressure to comply with OPEC quotas
o Iraq believed Kuwait would not honour its promise to cut back on its oil
production
4. Failure of Iraq-Kuwait negotiations
o Iraq-Kuwait dialogue organized by Arab League: Kuwait agreed to write off
Iraq’s debts and supply additional loans
o Talks broke down when Kuwait refused to concede to Iraq’s territorial
demands.
o On 2nd Aug 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait, which fell in 12 hours

Reasons for Iraqi invasion of Kuwait

5. Requests by revolutionaries in Kuwait to free her from ruling government


o Official reason given by Iraqi government: responding to requests made by
revolutionaries within Kuwait
6. Saddam Hussein’s leadership
o He had always considered himself to be a great Arab leader, and was angered
by Kuwait’s defiant refusal to concede to Iraq’s demands
o Iraqis were unhappy with him after Iran-Iraq war, so he had to do something
to improve the situation after the devastation of Iraq’s economy form the war
 Prices of essential goods had skyrocketed
 Large army built up during the war, and they might turn against him
 Shi’a Muslim majority might rise up against him, a Sunni Muslim
7. Misperception of US position
o Saddam did not expect grave consequences from invasion of Kuwait, as he
(wrongly) believed that US
 Sympathized with Iraq’s situation
 Would not help Kuwait

Reactions to Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait

8. Many countries feared Iraqi supremacy


o As a result of the invasion, 20% of world oil production was controlled by
Iraq, which meant it could increase oil prices to solve its economic problems
o Iraqi army was camped near Saudi border, threatening her security
9. Arab solution
o Arab countries did not want Western countries to intervene
 Kuwait sought Arab League for help but members of the league were
not united on how to deal with the crisis
10. American reaction
o Saudis officially appealed for US protection from Iraqi threat at its border
 US forces were deployed to Saudi Arabia and a coalition force of more
than 30 countries was formed to defend her
11. International reaction
o Many countries readily joined the coalition forces because the crisis affected
their economic well-being
 UN Security Council permanent member countries all agreed on
resolutions because they were worried about rising oil prices and eager
to end the crisis
 The resolution called for:
• Immediate Iraqi withdrawal from Kuwait
• Negotiations to begin between Iraq and Kuwait
• Worldwide assets of Iraq and Kuwait frozen
• Economic and military sanctions against Iraq and Kuwait

Reasons for the use of force against Iraq

12. Iraq’s reaction to diplomatic attempts


o Saddam annexed Kuwait after US troop build-up in Saudi Arabia started
o Iraq resorted to hostage taking, using them as human shields to protect key
installations in Iraq from coalition bombings. Hostages eventually released
after international criticism and pressure
o Saddam expressed willingness to withdraw from Kuwait in exchange for the
following:
 End of sanctions
 Full control of Rumaila oilfield
 Guaranteed access to the Gulf
However UN rejected the demands and instead demanded for unconditional
surrender of Iraqi troops
13. Limitations of economic sanctions
o Economic sanctions would only have its full impact a year or so later
o There was a possibility that some UN member countries will not honour the
sanctions due to profit motive
14. Iraq ignored the UN ultimatum to withdraw
o Operation Desert Storm began on 17th Jan 1991: military operation to drive
Iraq out of Kuwait. It resulted in
 Weakening of Iraqi air force
 Iraq’s command and control capability mostly destroyed
o Coalition forces succeeded in liberating Kuwait city

Consequences of Iraq-Kuwait conflict

15. Kuwait
o Loss of lives and property
 1000 Kuwaitis died
 thousands tortured
 thousands became refugees
o economic loss
 retreating Iraqi army set ablaze 600 out of 950 oil wells in Kuwait, a
loss of ~US$25bn
16. Iraq
o Destruction of military capability
 Continuous coalition bombing of Iraqi ground troops resulted in loss
of morale and subsequent fleeing of Iraqi soldiers
o Political instability
 Dissatisfied groups in Iraq were encouraged to rise up against Saddam
but received no help from coalition forces when they attempted to
overthrow Saddam, e.g. Kurdish uprising was brutally put down by
Saddam’s forces and thousands died
o Suffering of Iraqis
 Air raids destroyed most of Iraqi infrastructure, which disrupted
electricity supply and contaminated water supply, which led to spread
of diseases
17. Region and the world
o Environmental disaster
 Kuwaiti oil-fires cost millions to extinguish
 11M barrels of oil dumped into Persian Gulf causing oil slick and
threatening marine life
o displacement of foreign workers
 2M foreigners working in Kuwait fled the country resulting in loss of
income for them and suffering for their families back home
18. Interesting Links
o http://www.desert-storm.com/
o http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/gulf/war/
o
19. Timeline of Gulf War
Timeline: War in the Gulf

In August 1990 Iraq invaded the Gulf state of Kuwait, setting


off a chain of events that led to a war with the West. Look back
at the key moments and click on the video links to see the
television news reports of the time.

1990
2 August: Iraqi troops invade Kuwait, taking the emirate in one day. The BBC's John
Simpson says the Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein is "by far the strongest leader in the
region". In his report he explains how the West
inadvertently helped bring about the invasion.

Click here to watch the report

6 August: The United Nations Security Council


demands an "immediate and unconditional"
withdrawal of Iraqi troops and orders a trade
boycott.

8 August: The US launches Operation Desert Shield.


Baghdad announces Kuwait is now part of Iraq.

9 August: Iraq closes its borders.

10 August: The Arab League meets in Cairo and


votes by a narrow margin to send Egyptian, Syrian Iraqi television showed Saddam Hussein
in Kuwait
and Moroccan troops to join the Western troops.

15 August: Iran and Iraq reopen diplomatic relations after Iraq proposes peace
talks.

18 August: Iraq says the nationals of "hostile countries" still in Kuwait will be held
as "guests" at strategic sites in Kuwait.

25 August: The UN Security Council authorises the use of force to make the trade
boycott work.
17 October: Western troops in the Gulf number 200,000 US troops, 15,000 UK
troops and 11,000 French troops.

29 November: The UN Security Council says Iraq must voluntarily withdraw from
Kuwait by 15 January 1991. It authorises "all necessary means" to force Iraq out if it
does not comply. Baghdad rejects the "ultimatum". In his report the BBC's Brian
Hanrahan says: "President Bush is under pressure not to be hasty."

Click here to watch the report

30 November: US President Bush invites Iraq to join direct talks.

6 December: Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein announces the release of 3,000 foreign
nationals being held in Iraq and Kuwait.

1991
15 January: Iraq ignores the UN ultimatum. There are 580,000 allied troops in the
Gulf, against 540,000 Iraqi troops.

17 January: Operation Desert Storm is launched, with air attacks on Iraq and
Kuwait. The BBC's John Simpson is in Baghdad and witnesses the missile attacks.

"The bombs and the missiles seem mainly to have landed with pin-point accuracy,"
he reports the next day.

Click here to watch the report

18 January: The first of several Iraqi scud missiles


attacks on Tel Aviv. The US warns Israel against
retaliation saying it is an attempt to widen the war
and break up the opposition.

20 January: Iraqi television broadcasts pictures of


seven captured allied airmen.

24 January: Allied forces capture the small island of


Qarawa.

29 January: The US and the Soviet Union offer to


declare a ceasefire if Iraq pledges to withdraw from
Kuwait.
Allied missiles bombarded Baghdad

13 February: An allied missile lands on an air-raid shelter in Baghdad, killing at


least 314 people. Iraqi officials take the BBC's Jeremy Bowen to see the aftermath.
He is accompanied at all times but he says the grief and anger is not a propaganda
stunt.

Click here to watch the report


24 February: President Bush announces the start of
a ground operation. Allied forces commander General
Norman Schwarzkopf says it is a "spectacular
success".

25 February: Iraqi scud missile hits building in


Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, killing 28 US troops and
injuring 98.

26 February: Saddam Hussein confirms a Radio


Baghdad report that Iraqi troops have been ordered
to retreat from Kuwait. But he does not renounce
claims to Kuwait.

27 February: The first Kuwaiti troops enter Kuwait


City and President Bush announces the liberation of Celebrations in Kuwait City

Kuwait. He announces the cessation of hostilities will be effective from 0400 GMT the
following day. The allies say they have destroyed more than half the Iraqi divisions
and captured 500,000 prisoners.

28 February: Iraq accepts all UN resolutions.

20.

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