Iraqi Invasion

When the Baath Party took control of Iraq, the Iraqi position with regard to Kuwait changed again. Baath, an Arabic term meaning "resurrection," is a socialist party with one branch in Syria and another in Iraq. In 1979, when Saddam Hussein became the new leader of the Baath Party and the Iraqi president, Kuwaiti territorial sovereignty was threatened again. However, the eight-year Iran-Iraq War postponed Hussein's territorial ambitions toward Kuwait.

The Kuwaiti government was very cooperative with Iraq during the war and allowed the Iraqi military to use the two strategic islands of Warbah and Bubiyan at will. When the cease-fire was reached between Iran and Iraq in 1988, Iraq did not show any intention of leaving the two islands. Iraq's continued pressure eventually led to the 1990 invasion and occupation of Kuwait by Hussein's government.

The Iraqi occupation lasted from August, 1990, to February, 1991, and had a devastating effect on Kuwait. The Kuwaiti population was a hostage to Iraq's demands. Oil production was halted. Iraqi forces drained hundreds of oil storage tanks and poured millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf. This created a serious environmental hazard.

Utilizing the United Nations, the United States quickly orchestrated an international coalition, which included some Middle Eastern countries, to expel the Iraqi military from Kuwait. Operation Desert Storm lasted from January 17 to February 27, 1991, when U. S. president George Bush announced the defeat of the Iraqi armed forces.

As the Iraqi troops retreated, they set fire to eight hundred oil wells, which destroyed production and caused severe environmental concerns. The fires burned for almost one year. During the crisis, Kuwait's water, electricity, and other services were cut off. Buildings were damaged, homes were vandalized, and three thousand gold bars were stolen and taken to Iraq. Half of Kuwait's population left the country.

After the war, Kuwait requested that its northern border with Iraq be readjusted. The subsequent adjustment provided Kuwait with full possession of the Rumailah oil field, which Iraq and Kuwait had shared prior to the 1990 invasion, and a portion of the Iraqi Umm Qasr naval base. For further protection, the Kuwaiti government dug a 130-mile trench around the northern border

Iraqi troops set Kuwait oilfields ablaze as they retreated from their occupation of the country in March, 1991. (U. S. Department of Defense)

With Iraq. United Nations observers were assigned to patrol the border.

After its defeat, Iraq was forced to sign a treaty recognizing Kuwait as an independent nation. Nevertheless, Iraq still posed a potential threat to Kuwait. In January, 2001, Uday Hussein, youngest son and apparent successor to Saddam Hussein, asked the Iraqi parliament to redraw official Iraqi maps to include Kuwait as part of Iraq. It seemed likely that without the constant threat of retaliation from the United States, Iraq would again try to invade its southern neighbor.