Resolution 678

Resolution 678
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Number	678
Organ	Security Council
Date	29 November 1990
Meeting	2963
Code	S/RES/678
Subject	Iraq and Kuwait
Result	Adopted

Resolution 678

Resolution 678 was a United Nations Security Council decision adopted on 29 November 1990 that authorized Member States to use "all necessary means" to uphold previous Council demands related to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait. It was adopted amid escalating crisis diplomacy involving George H. W. Bush, Saddam Hussein, Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, and a coalition of states led by the United States and supported by United Kingdom, France, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Syria. The text linked prior Security Council measures with a firm deadline for Iraqi withdrawal and provided the legal basis for multinational military operations that culminated in the Gulf War (1990–1991), also known as Operation Desert Storm.

Background

In August 1990, forces of Iraq under Saddam Hussein invaded and annexed Kuwait, prompting rapid international reaction involving Kuwait City, Baghdad, and regional capitals such as Riyadh, Cairo, and Damascus. The sequence of Council actions included United Nations Security Council Resolution 660, which condemned the invasion, and United Nations Security Council Resolution 661, which imposed comprehensive sanctions affecting Iraq and Kuwait. Subsequent measures—United Nations Security Council Resolution 665 authorizing measures to enforce sanctions at sea and United Nations Security Council Resolution 670 restricting air travel—escalated pressure. Diplomatic efforts featured envoys and mediators from James Baker, the United States Department of State, Arab League interlocutors, and bilateral initiatives by France and Soviet Union diplomats, while regional concerns engaged Iran, Turkey, Jordan, and United Arab Emirates.

Adoption and Vote

The vote on the resolution occurred during United Nations Security Council meeting 2963 with permanent and non-permanent members including United States, United Kingdom, France, Soviet Union, China, Canada, Czech Republic (then Czechoslovakia had rotating representation via successor states), Colombia, Hungary, Malaysia, and Yemen represented. The resolution passed with 12 votes in favor, 2 against, and 1 abstention; negative votes came from Yemen and Cuba, while China abstained. Sponsors and drafters included representatives from the United States and United Kingdom, with intensive negotiations involving delegations from France, Soviet Union, Egypt, and Syria to secure the language authorizing force and setting a withdrawal deadline.

Provisions and Mandate

The operative language authorized Member States cooperating with Kuwait to use "all necessary means" to uphold and implement prior Council resolutions if Iraq did not withdraw by 15 January 1991. The resolution invoked earlier texts such as United Nations Security Council Resolution 660 and United Nations Security Council Resolution 661 and reaffirmed the inviolability of Kuwait’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. It requested that the Secretary-General keep the Council informed and called on Member States to report on measures they intended to take. The mandate effectively created a time-limited authorization for coercive measures involving states such as United States, United Kingdom, France, Egypt, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Canada.

Implementation and Military Action

Following the deadline of 15 January 1991, the multinational coalition initiated Operation Desert Storm on 17 January 1991, following a lengthy Operation Desert Shield buildup in Saudi Arabia and the Persian Gulf. The campaign combined air operations conducted by units from United States Air Force, Royal Air Force, Armée de l'Air (France), and air arms of Egypt and Saudi Arabia with a ground offensive involving United States Army, I Corps (United States), VII Corps (United States), British Army, Royal Marines, French Army, and contingents from Saudi Arabian National Guard, Egyptian Army, Syria, Argentina, Australia, Canada, and others. Major battles and maneuvers included the air campaign over the Iraqi Air Force installations, the breaching of Iraqi defensive lines in Kuwait, and liberation operations in Kuwait City. The operation employed strategic systems such as Tomahawk (missile), F-117 Nighthawk, A-10 Thunderbolt II, M1 Abrams, and Challenger 1 tanks.

Aftermath and Impact

The military expulsion of Iraqi forces restored Kuwait's government under Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah and led to widespread debates on post-war reconstruction, oil infrastructure damage in Kuwait and Iraq, and environmental consequences from Kuwaiti oil fires. The conflict precipitated the Iraq internal uprisings of 1991 involving Shia uprising in Iraq and Kurdish rebellion, leading to humanitarian crises and no-fly zones enforced by United States and United Kingdom aircraft. Sanctions regime and continuing Council resolutions such as United Nations Security Council Resolution 687 established ceasefire terms, disarmament obligations related to Iraq's weapons programs, and the UN Compensation Commission to address claims from Kuwait and other states.

Legal and Political Significance

The resolution has been cited in debates over the scope of Security Council Chapter VII powers, the legal basis for collective enforcement actions, and precedents for authorizing force to reverse aggression. It influenced subsequent jurisprudence and commentary regarding the use of force, sovereignty, and enforcement of Council decisions in contexts involving NATO interventions, Rwanda, and later Iraq War (2003). Scholars and practitioners at institutions like International Court of Justice, Harvard Law School, Yale Law School, Chatham House, and Council on Foreign Relations have analyzed the resolution's drafting, vote patterns, and implications for United Nations authority, regional security architecture, and the interaction between coalition politics and multilateral law.

Category:United Nations Security Council resolutions