Kuwait (1990–1991)

Kuwait (1990–1991)
Name	Kuwait (1990–1991)
Caption	Flag of Kuwait after liberation
Start	2 August 1990
End	26 February 1991
Capital	Kuwait City
Leaders	Saddam Hussein; Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah
Combatants	Iraq; Coalition forces including United States; United Kingdom; France; Saudi Arabia

Kuwait (1990–1991) was the period encompassing the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, Iraqi occupation, international mobilization, Operation Desert Storm, and the subsequent liberation and reconstruction of Kuwait City and the State of Kuwait. The crisis involved regional powers such as Saudi Arabia and Iran, global actors including the United States Department of Defense, United Nations Security Council, and institutions such as the International Court of Justice and the Red Cross. It produced major legal, political, and human rights consequences reflected in decisions by the United Nations and actions by military leaders like Norman Schwarzkopf and political figures like George H. W. Bush.

Background and lead-up to the invasion

Iraqi claims and disputes over oil and borders involved institutions and agreements including the United Nations Security Council, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, and the Iran–Iraq War, with leaders such as Saddam Hussein citing debts owed by Kuwait to Iraq. Regional rivalries featured King Fahd of Saudi Arabia, Hafez al-Assad of Syria, and Hosni Mubarak of Egypt while diplomatic channels included the Arab League and the Gulf Cooperation Council. Strategic interests of the United States and Soviet Union intersected with energy security concerns of companies like Exxon and BP, and legal instruments such as the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation were invoked amid skirmishes near Rumaila oil field and Burqan oil field.

Iraqi invasion and occupation

On 2 August 1990 Iraqi forces under command structures linked to Republican Guard (Iraq) and leaders including Saddam Hussein executed the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, seizing Kuwait City and key installations like Kuwait International Airport and the Al Jahra oilfields. Occupation authorities attempted to annex Kuwaiti territory drawing attention from jurists at the International Court of Justice and provoking condemnation from the United Nations Security Council. Incidents such as the looting of the Grand Mosque in Kuwait City and sabotage of the Kuwaiti oil fires illustrated the destruction of infrastructure linked to multinational firms including Halliburton and Schlumberger. Iraqi proclamations referenced historical claims and military operations reminiscent of campaigns involving the Iraqi Ba'ath Party.

Kuwaiti resistance and collaboration

Resistance networks in Kuwait City and towns like Al Ahmadi and Jabriya included royal loyalists to Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah and civilian groups inspired by exiles in London and Cairo, cooperating clandestinely with allied intelligence agencies such as the CIA and MI6. Collaborationist elements emerged, sometimes associated with Iraqi administrative organs and units related to the Iraqi Ministry of Interior. High-profile defections and broadcasts through outlets like BBC Arabic and Al Jazeera (later) publicized sabotage, while humanitarian actors including the International Committee of the Red Cross reported on detainees and refugees who fled to Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Notable resistance episodes paralleled uprisings elsewhere, invoking comparisons to events involving the Peshmerga and anti-occupation movements.

International response and coalition buildup

The United Nations Security Council passed resolutions including United Nations Security Council Resolution 661 and United Nations Security Council Resolution 678, authorizing sanctions and use of force, while diplomatic efforts involved envoys from James Baker and summits such as the Taif Conference style negotiations. A US-led coalition assembled forces from United States, United Kingdom, France, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Syria, and Kuwait's government-in-exile under Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, coordinated through commands like Central Command (United States) and commanders such as H. Norman Schwarzkopf and Charles Guthrie. Logistics drew on bases in Dhahran and Diego Garcia with naval task forces including elements of the Royal Navy and United States Navy enforcing maritime interdiction by United Nations panels and applying sanctions devised by Boutros Boutros-Ghali-era diplomacy.

Operation Desert Storm and liberation

Following the Gulf War air campaign code-named Operation Desert Shield transition to Operation Desert Storm, coalition air strikes targeted Republican Guard (Iraq), Amiriya Shelter, and command centers in Baghdad while naval and special operations struck at coastal targets and oil facilities such as Ruwais and Saddam's evacuation routes. Ground operations led by H. Norman Schwarzkopf and involving divisions like the 1st Cavalry Division (United States) and British Army units executed the left-hook maneuver culminating in the liberation of Kuwait City in February 1991. High-profile incidents included the destruction of the Kuwaiti oil fires set by retreating Iraqi units and the liberation broadcast by CNN and BBC featuring correspondents like Peter Arnett. Ceasefire terms were negotiated under United Nations Security Council Resolution 687 and implemented with monitoring by UN observers.

Aftermath and reconstruction

Post-war reconstruction involved reparations frameworks administered through United Nations Compensation Commission, reconstruction contracts awarded to firms including Brown & Root and multinational oil companies such as ExxonMobil and Royal Dutch Shell, and environmental remediation to extinguish the Kuwaiti oil fires with specialists recalling techniques used by teams including those from Red Adair Company. Political restoration reinstated Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah and prompted internal debates involving Emir of Kuwait and parliamentary actors from National Assembly (Kuwait). Regional diplomacy recalibrated relations among Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Western capitals such as Washington, D.C. and London, while veterans and NGOs like Human Rights Watch documented wartime destruction.

Legal, political, and human rights consequences

Legal consequences included prosecutions under international law, UN resolutions such as United Nations Security Council Resolution 687, and claims before the International Court of Justice. Political ramifications affected the tenure of leaders like Saddam Hussein and prompted shifts in alliances involving Egypt and Syria, while sanctions regimes influenced institutions like the International Monetary Fund. Human rights investigations by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch documented abuses including executions, forced displacement, and property confiscation with cases heard in venues such as the European Court of Human Rights and national courts pursuing reparations. The conflict influenced doctrines in NATO and military legal scholarship, and its legacy shaped Gulf security initiatives embodied by the Gulf Cooperation Council.

Category:Gulf War Category:History of Kuwait Category:International relations 1990