Section3 The Previous Iraqi Regime Invasion of Kuwait on the 2 of August 1990

A Introduction
Th world was shocked on the 2 August 1990 when the Iraqi army of the previous regim.e
. ~estate ofKu~it. The Iraqi army unlawfully occupied the country, killing innocent
mva
~ d women. - - - families were dnven away and madh
Many
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e ome1ess. Th' -
e invasion was
::en and ex;mely violent. It was inconsistent with Islamic morals, international law
and the principles of the neighbourliness.
The Iraqi invasion on the 2 August 1990 was not the first aggressive act of Iraq against
the state of Kuwait. A good example from the past was when a previous ruler of Iraq,
Abdel Kareem Kasim, spoke against the independence of Kuwait in 1961, He 'held a
press conference and oeclared that Kuwait was part of the rovince of Basra. Moreover,
he ten to use force to prove this claim. Naturally the state of Kuwait closed its
borders and asked the British forces from Bahrain to protect them. However, in October
1963 Iraq declared its recognition of Kuwait as an independent sovereign state.
In. spite of this in 1973 Iraq attacked Alsamta, a Kuwait border post, killing many
Kuwaiti youths. Other Arab countries mediated and forced the Iraqi forces to withdraw
fromAlsamta. However, none of these events had prepared the world for Iraq's invasion
of Kuwait in August 1990. It was sudden, fierce, bloody, destructive and inhuman. It
caused the death of many innocent children, men, women and old people.

B Why did Iraqi Regime invade?

t ~i ~ e spreads many false claims that it had historical rights to the state of Kuwait
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Justify ~ts aggression. These claims were untrue for the following reasons:
:here is 1~0 historical eviden~e of Kuwait's affiliatioq to Basra or the Otto~
( 12sh) rule in ljjq. lnaeed, the Ottoman empire acknowledged the agreement of
1899 between Kuwait and Britain.

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 2. ~uwait had been recognised as an independent state since its foundation at the
beginning of the 18th century.
~- Kuwait has been an independent state since 1961 and a member both of the
Arab League and the United Nations.
4. Iraq was one of the countries that recognised the state of Kuwait as an
independent state, with sovereign rights over its territories and established political
relations with it.

C The steadfastness of the Kuwaiti people

In spite of the violent and bloody acts of the Iraqi army against the peaceful
citizens of Kuwait, the Kuwaiti people did not surrender. Frgm the first day of the
iqvasion they demonstrated their refusal t~ accept the ~cupation of their country.
This was shown through acts of civil disobedience, including many peaceful
marches which filled the streets of Kuwai!, demanding the return of their rightful
leaders and sovereip oder

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 D Armed resistance
In sp.ff.;of huge differences in the quantity of arms and fighting personnel, the
anned forces of Kuwait stood resolutely against the invading forces. The Kuwaiti
soldiers never surrendered, preferring to give their lives in the defence of their
,,gatio~ Many were also captured and some remain as prisoners of war to this day .

E Civil disobedience
K:1waitis refused to co-operate with the inva¥ . They refused to send their
children to schools. They also refused to change their car number plates, refused to
resume their previous jobs, preferring to strike. They worked secretly to provide
food and water for the needy, working in bakeries to make their own bread. They
distributed money, rice and water to the poor people. They refused to give any
support to the miqi ~ Xor co-operate in any way with the occupying for~s.

F Civil resistance

The Kuwaiti people did more than ~:.:,,

demonstrate civil disobedience. They
formed armed resistance groups. They !=~.3-
harassed the Iraqi army day and night . --.;i
with ambushes and other heroic acts
.that made the Iraqis lose many of their
men and weapons. The battle a1
Al-Qurain was a glorious witness to thi,:s
as brave resistance . fighters Jed the
~ps in the final freeing of Kuwait. A
museum has been established at a house
in AJ-Qurain to remember the bravery
Figure 47 A house at AJ-Qurain
of the Kuwaiti people.

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