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Citizens for a Free Kuwait
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Citizens for a Free Kuwait
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FOIA Number:
1998-0099-F; 2003-0257-F
2003-0257-F
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This is not a textual record. This is used as an
administrative marker by the George Bush Presidential
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Record Group/Collection:
George H.W. Bush Presidential Records
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Public Liaison, White House Office of
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Schaefer, James, Files
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07541
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07541-029
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Citizens for a Free Kuwait
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CITIZENS FOR A FREE KUWAIT
CITIZENS FOR A FREE KUWAIT
Citizens For A Free Kuwait is an association of citizens of all
countries who oppose the brutal, unprovoked, unlawful invasion and
occupation of the State of Kuwait by Saddam Hussein's Iraqi forces.
United States' citizens, Kuwaiti citizens, and citizens of other
countries have joined together (and more are joining every day) to
demonstrate support for Kuwait's legitimate, constitutional
government and its return to a peaceful status within secure
borders.
Citizens For a Free Kuwait will support every effort --including
armed resistance within Kuwait -- to achieve just ends. We are
determined to expel the aggressor and occupier from the soil of
Kuwait.
We welcome support in the form of membership or volunteer
assistance. The association is organized under the laws of The
District of Columbia.
For more information, please write Citizens For A Free Kuwait at
P.O. Box 21, Falls Church, VA 22040-0021 or telephone
(202) 364-2232 or (202) 364-2210.
P.O. Box 21, Falls Church, VA 22040-0021 (202) 686-2185/6/7/8 (202) 686-2865 FAX
Hill and Knowlton, Inc., Washington, D.C., has circulated this material as the international communications counsel for the prinicipal noted
above. Hill and Knowlton, Inc. is registered pursuant to 22 U.S.C. §612 with the Department of Justice, where its registration statement and this
material are available for inspection. Registration does not indicate approval of this material by the U.S. Government.
CTON POST
ADVERTISEMENT
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1990 A7
National
ouncil
onUS-
Arab
1735 Eye Street, N.W., Suite 515 Washington, D.C. 20006
Relations
(202) 293-0801 . Fax: (202) 293-0903 Telex: 989927 NCUSAR WASH
President George Bush
September 5, 1990
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, D.C. 20500
Dear Mr. President:
The National Council on U.S. -Arab Relations extends its full
support to your Administration's handling of the crisis in the Gulf to
date and our country's participation in the international response to
the Security Council resolutions. Our actions have been taken in
defense of the principles of: (1) the restoration of Kuwait's national
sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity; (2) the inherent
right, underscored in the U.N. Charter, of any country to take measures
for its self defense and to request the assistance of other member
nations; and (3) the Charter's unambiguous declaration on the
inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by force.
The National Council asks all Americans for the necessary national
resolve to stand with the world community in its efforts to resist
Iraq's blatant disregard for international law. Without such resolve,
an Iraqi withdrawal from Kuwait is highly unlikely. And any
acquiescence to non-withdrawal is a recipe for disaster. The unchecked
invasion and absorption of one country by another would invite further
adventurism from many possible directions. The disaster would be first
and foremost to the Kuwaiti people whose national identity, dignity,
and sovereignty have been trampled underfoot, and whose previously
vibrant political and financial institutions have been seized and
looted.
To the loved ones of the Americans held hostage in Kuwait and Iraq,
we extend our heartfelt consolation and sympathy. No pray for their
safety, their speedy release, and the reunion of all families whose
unity has been shattered by Iraq's invasion, occupation, and annexation
of Kuwait.
Let us not forget, also, that hundreds of thousands of Kuwaitis,
like our fellow Americans, are also'hostages -- in their own country --
and that tens of thousands more are daily swelling the ranks of the
world's homeless and stateless refugees. They, too, must be included in
our prayers and in the reasons for our resolve. They, too, must be
reunited with their loved ones in their homeland.
Please accept my warm regards and best wishes,
John President Sincerely, Duke Duke Anthony
THE WASHINGTON POST
Najeeb E. Halaby
A Few Suggestions for the Commander in Chief
Saddam Hussein has acted illegally
freer marketplace for oil and the possi-
Kuwaiti billions. His contempt for the oil
and immorally by invading Kuwait and
"We do need to understand what 200
ble dissolution of OPEC.
sheiks exceeded his compassion for the
holding innocent hostages. The United
6. A renewal of the peace process-
illiterate, poverty-stricken and hopeless
States and the West have reacted right-
million residents of the Arab Middle East
concurrently but separately-by the
peoples. The hypocrisy of this unholy
eously and mightily. Now, we must
dispatch of a U.S. "peace squad" under
man calling for a holy war will not sell
either face a disastrous counter-invasion
or seize an opportunity for a comprehen-
need and expect of the West."
Cyrus Vance and George Shultz to ex-
even to the least-informed Moslems
ploit the current cooperative spirit of
when they see the lot of the average
sive initiative for peace and stability in
Syria, Egypt and Saudi Arabia and the
Iraqi family.
the Middle East-one, in which Presi-
dent Bush, who has mobilized a magnifi-
security can be made to work and to
current peace-seeking efforts by King
But we don't need to match his
lution to the fundamental problems of
save lives. The United States should
Hussein. The goal would be to develop
miscalculations. We do need to under-
cent coalition against aggression, moves
the Middle East an economic develop-
an Arab-American peace proposal as a
stand what 200 million residents of the
from massive military reaction to an
lead the effort.
ment plan financed by Saudi Arabia,
basis for negotiations between Israel
Arab Middle East need and expect of
American political and economic initia-
2. All-out international effort by the
Kuwait and the Gulf Emirates, Japan,
and representative Palestinians, with
the West. They want the West to under-
tive in that region so full of resources
U.N. to recover the hostages and repa-
the European community, the U.S.S.R.
these talks leading to an international
stand and treat them as fellow humans
and risks. Some steps toward that goal:
triate the evacuees unbearably flood-
and the United States. This would offer
conference to achieve at last a compre-
with equal rights and opportunities for
1. Rely on the U.N. Security Council
ing Jordan.
real incentives toward peace and coop-
hensive settlement of the Arab-Israeli
health and wealth and education. Free of
and put U.S. forces under U.N. com-
3. Let the U.N.-sponsored economic
eration. It would involve a five-year
conflict.
colonialism and occupation, they seek to
mand to return the aggressor to Iraq.
forces squeeze Saddam Hussein out of
conversion of military aid into develop-
Saddam Hussein has made some hor-
live with an Israel contained within its
Surely, the 20th century has taught us
Kuwait. If necessary, let the United
ment aid, an arms control agreement by
rible miscalculations. He forgot the
United Nations-approved 1967 borders.
that with U.S.-Soviet cooperation so
Nations command force Saddam Hus-
all the principal parties including signa-
U.S.-Soviet Cold War is over and, there-
They seek societies in which wealth
mutually essential, we must reinforce
sein to release the hostages and push
ture of a nuclear and chemical nonprolif-
fore, the United States could be free to
can be earned and shared through pro-
and rely upon the U.N. to roll back
him back into Iraq. (You won't be sur-
eration treaty, a reconstruction program
intervene to protect the oil flow and the
gressive taxation. They want a market
aggression in regional conflicts.
prised if I make a clear distinction from
for war-damaged countries, an Interna-
price at the American gas pumps. He
price for the oil that is their only re-
The most nearly successful count-
the good King Hussein, my beloved and
tional Monetary Fund rescheduling of
thought the world would accept his
source for the future and a fair sharing
er-invasions in 40 years were achieved
beleaguered son-in-law who is the most
massive debts owed by Egypt, Israel,
invasion of Kuwait as it had the Israeli
of the scarce water on which life de-
by the U.N. command in Korea and the
genuine and essential peacemaker in the
Jordan, Syria and, yes, even Iraq and
invasion of Lebanon and the occupation
pends. They want the best of Islamic
Organization of American States in the
Middle East.)
Iran.
of Palestine, the Soviet subjugation of
tradition and American modernism.
Dominican Republic. The most disas-
4. Drop the announced goal of the
Eligibility for this multi-billion-dollar
the Afghans and our own raid on Gen.
Espousing these measures, President
trous counter-invasions have been ours
U.S. soldiers fighting to restore the
plan would require release of all hos-
Noriega. He believed that in 1990 you
Bush becomes a world statesman as
in Cuba, Vietnam and Lebanon, and the
Sheik Sabah to his throne in Kuwait.
tages, return of all occupied territories,
could capture by force an outlet to the
well as a prudent commander in chief.
Soviets' in Afghanistan-not to mention
The former rulers should be allowed to
right of return of refugees and a national
Gulf and stop Kuwait's pumping of oil
Israel's strikes into Baghdad and Beirut
return and face a United Nations-su-
commitment to the development of de-
out of the joint Ruwailah field.
The writer was assistant secretary of
and our costly military intrusion into
pervised electoral process, with all quali-
mocracy and capitalism (as has been
He believed there is an Arab nation
defense for international security
Grenada and Panama. Yes, it is a harsh
fied residents allowed to vote.
occurring in Jordan and Eastern Eu-
and he. could command it if he com-
affairs under Presidents Truman
world, but after the Cold War collective
5. Propose for the longer-term so-
rope). This could eventually lead to a
manded enough oil and captured the
and Eisenhower.
P.01
09-06-90 THU 13:09 (703) 749-2954
12.8
AIRFT
i,landing - is,ill
AMERICAN IRAQI FINANCE & TRADE, INC.
Very URGENT
TELEFAX MESSAGE
Date : 6 SEPT 1990
To : ofc. of Public LiAisoN, THE WHITE HOUSE
Att. : MR. ChARIES SACARISSE Assist. DiRECTOR
Fax : 456 6218
2667
From : FUAY K. TAIMA
Number of pages (including cover sheet) :
Remarks
PER Our PREVIOUS TELECON., AND FAX of
16 August 1990., We Wish To REITERATE our
SMONE INTEREST in MEETING with PRESIDENT
Dush. Copy of SAID FAX is ENCLOSEY.
THE AmERicAN JRAQi FOUNDATION is Willine TO
Assist THE Administration in THE PEACEFUL
RESOLUTION of THIS Conflier.
THANKS
FAY S. TAIMA
8280 Greensboro Drive
Suite 710
McLean. Virginia 22102 USA
Tel: (703) 749-2951
Telex 5101012883
FAX (703) 749-2954
09-06-90 THU 13:09 (703) 749-2954
P.02
AIRFT
June is , ill
AMERICAN IRAQI FINANCE & TRADE, INC.
VERY URGENT
TELEFAX MESSAGE
Date
: August 16, 1990
To
: Office of Public Liaison, The White House
Attention: Mr. CHARLES BACARISSE, Assistant Director
Fax
: (202) 456-6218
From
: Fuad K. Taima
Number of pages (including cover sheet) : Two
Subject: American Iragi Foundation meeting with
President Bush.
Good afternoon;
Per your telecon, yesterday, with Dr. Salim Mansoor, I
enclose letter regarding this matter.
The Foundation was incorporated in Delaware. Its DC office
will be operational next week. The phone and fax numbers are
those of A.I.F.T. pending istallation of Foundation
Alich phone and fax numbers.
Thank You,
Fuad K6 Taima
8280 Greensboro Drive Suite 710 McLean, Virginia 22102 USA
Tel: (703) 749-2951
Telex 5101012883
FAX (703) 749-2954
09-06-90 THU 13:10 (703) 749-2954
AMERICAN IRAQI FOUNDATION
1902 18th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20009
Tel: 749-2951 - Fax: 749-2954
August 16, 1990
Mr. Charles Bacarisse
Assistant Director
Office of Public Liaison
The White House
Washington, DC
Subject: Meeting with President George Bush
Dear Sir;
The unfolding and rapidly escalating confrontation between
the USA and Iraq is a major and vital concern to the
American Iraqi Foundation and its nationwide members. The
Foundation is a non profit public interest organization
dedicated to promoting strong and positive ties between the
people of Iraq, the USA and hopefully their respective
Governments. Our membership is open to US citizens and
permenant residents who share a strong commitment to these
goals.
The American Iragi community in the USA numbers
approximately three hundred thousand people. They have
distinguished themselves as successful and prominent
business executives, scientists and educators. Furthermore,
the American Iraqi community has nearly three million
immediate members living in Iraq. Our community in the USA,
and our relatives in Iraq, are comprised of Chaldeans,
Assyrians, Kurdish, Turkish and Arab backgrounds. Likewise,
it reflects Iraq's religious mix of Moslems and Christians.
Our community in the USA, Worldwide and Iraq, is a living
reflection of Iraq's history and culture including our
forefather Abraham who was a native of Iraq.
We urgently seek a meeting with President Bush to express,
our views on the issues at hand and to offer the services of
the Foundation as a vehicle for equitable and peaceful
resolution of this explosive crisis. We strongly believe
that this situation must be resolved immediately by non
military means.
Your immediate attention to the above would be greatly
appreciated.
Cordially,
SALIM Salim Y. Mansoor, Y.MANSOOK,M.) MD
Fuad K. Taima
President
Executive Vice President
09-06-90 THU 13:11 (703) 749-2954
P.04
AMERICAN IRAQI FOUNDATION
P. O. Box 10623
McLean, Virginia 22102
Tel: (703) 749-2951 - Fax: (703) 749-2954
1902 18th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20009
OFFICERS
Salim Y. Mansoor, MD
President
Fuad K. Taima
Executive Vice President
Ali Al-Hussaini, Ph.D
Secretary
Abdul-Sahib Jassim
Treasurer
REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENTS
Raad Stephan, Ph.D
California, Nevada, Washington,
Oregon, Alaska.
Sa'adi A. Aljboury
Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado,
Utah, Arizona, New Mexico.
Abdul-Sahib Jassim
North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska,
Iowa, Minnesota.
Klamos Ganji
Wisconsin, Illinois.
Riadh Al-Khudhairy, Ph.D
Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana,
Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee
Mississippi, Alabama.
Faisal Arabo
Michigan, Indiana, Ohio.
Fareed Ossi
Florida, Georgia, South Carolina,
North Carolina.
Ali Al-Hussaini, Ph.D
Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia,
Washington, DC.
Abdul-Zahra Al-Dulaimi
Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New York,
Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont,
Maine.
BOARD MEMBERS
Sa'adi A. Aljboury
Colorado
Jamil Esshaki
California
Emad Al-Banna, MD
Maryland
Klamos Ganji
Illinois
Hisham Al-Douri
Texas
Demspey George
Illinois
Abdul 2. Al-Dulaimi
New York
Amir Goryoka
California
Ali Al-Hussaini, Ph.D Virginia
Abdul S. Jassim
Minnesota
Adnan Al-Kateb
Wash., DC
Abraham Lutfi, Ph.D California
Riadh Al-Khudhairi, Ph.D Texas
Saad Maarouf
Michigan
Farouk Al-Salihi, MD New York
Salim Mansoor, MD
Virginia
Layla Al-Yacouby
Virginia
Fareed Ossi
Florida
Shahin Al-yacouby
Virginia
Yasir Shallal
Virginia
Faisal Arabo
Michigan
Raad Stephan, Ph.D
California
George Asker
Michigan
Fuad K. Taima
Virginia
Andriyous Youkhanna
Illinois
09-06-90 THU 13:11 (703) 749-2954
P.05
AIRFT
Jessill - -
AMERICAN IRAQI FINANCE & TRADE, INC.
TELEFAX MESSAGE
Date : 17 Aug 90
:
A.A.I
HELEN SAMHAN
:
Fax : 4299214
From : F.R. TAIMA
Number of pages (including cover sheet.) : 4
Remarks
WHITE HOUSE MEETING
PER Our TELECON - Copy of FAX TO White
HOUSE ENCLOSED IF Possi &LE, PLS STAY in
Touch WiTH DR. SALIM MANSOOR., PRESIDENT.,
OF THE FOUNEDATION PHONE (301)8994573.
Iwill CONTACY you AND GIVE You A Number
@ THE SEACH OTHERWISE You CAN LEAVE A
MESSAGE AT my OFC. THANKS
WAY
8280 Greensboro Drive
Suite 710
McLean, Virginia 22102 USA
Tel: (703) 749-2951
Telex 5101012883
FAX (703) 749-2954
igible
CITIZENS FOR A FREE KUWAIT
THE IRAQI INVASION:
ITS ROOTS AND IMPLICATIONS
A White Paper
August, 1990
P.O. Box 21, Falls Church, VA 22040-0021
(202) 686-2185/6/7/8
(202) 686-2865 FAX
Hill and Knowlton, Inc., Washington, D.C., has circulated this material as the international communications counsel for the prinicipal noted
above. Hill and Knowlton, Inc. is registered pursuant to 22 U.S.C. §612 with the Department of Justice, where its registration statement and this
material are available for inspection. Registration does not indicate approval of this material by the U.S. Government.
FORWARD
Iraq's dictator Saddam Hussein stunned the world by sending tens of thousands of troops to seize
the State of Kuwait in the predawn hours of August 2, 1990, and shortly thereafter announcing
the annexation of Iraq's tiny neighbor and former ally.
Saddam Hussein's attack drew a unanimous vote of censure and repeated demands for an
immediate withdrawal by the United Nations Security Council and scores of nations around the
world. The United States and Kuwait's alarmed Arab neighbors quickly agreed on the need for
an international, military counterforce to be assembled in the region. Oil and financial markets
reacted immediately, gripped by buying and selling frenzies costing investors hundreds of
billions of dollars and driving oil prices to record levels, threatening worldwide recession.
The very boldness of the assault on Kuwait's sovereignty made the U.S. and Arab military
response understandable to the world. However, because the assault and response occurred so
rapidly and in a little-understood part of the world, observers elsewhere remain confused about
the roots and meaning of the crisis.
This White Paper, to be made available to the media, political leaders, and individuals seeking
more information, is intended to eliminate that confusion. It was prepared, too, with the hope
that the light it sheds on the crisis may contribute to its resolution.
We are grateful for your interest in the plight of the State of Kuwait and hope that this effort
will help to contribute to your further understanding of it.
CONTENTS
Who are the Kuwaitis?
1
What are the Roots of the Crisis?
3
What is Happening in Kuwait?
5
What is the Position of Citizens For a Free Kuwait?
6
Why is a Prompt Resolution Vital?
7
Bibliography
8
ii
WHO ARE THE KUWAITIS?
The people of Kuwait have been free and proud, and they have lived peaceably alongside their Arab
neighbors for almost three centuries. They have been governed since 1752 by a succession of thirteen
rulers, all descendants of the Al-Sabah family, chosen to be the ruling family by tribal consensus.
The tiny nation of Kuwait, whose name is derived from the Arabic word meaning "little fortress," had
lived in the shadow of the Ottoman Empire for most of its history. By the mid-1500s, the Ottoman
Turks had established the southeastern outpost of their empire in the lands constituting modern Iraq,
which borders Kuwait on the north.
The Kuwaitis conducted a thriving trade with the Ottomans, who coveted the pearls they recovered
from oysters in the Arabian Gulf. At times, Kuwaiti rulers paid tribute to the Ottoman sultans. On
several occasions, the Ottomans sought to extend their control over Kuwait. While none of these
attempts succeeded, the fear of Ottoman domination was ever present and eventually led to an 1899
agreement that shaped Kuwait's modern history.
It was in 1899 that Sheikh Mubarak Al-Sabah, reacting to another threatened takeover by the Ottoman
Empire, persuaded Great Britain to act as his nation's protector in return for the right to act for Kuwait
outside the country.
Shielded by Great Britain during the first half of the 20th century, the Kuwaitis patiently went about
the task of converting to an economy driven by oil, rather than pearl diving. World War II interrupted
the nation's oil exploration program; but the Kuwaitis eventually located immense oil reserves totaling
more than 91 billion barrels, of which 66 billion barrels -- a 233-year supply at current production rates
-- are estimated as recoverable by today's methods. Only Saudi Arabia (which borders Kuwait on the
south and west) and the Soviet Union have greater oil reserves.
Kuwait's first commercial oil production in 1948 began a period of revolutionary economic growth and
political and social change. When the British protectorate ended in 1961, the Kuwaitis restructured
their government, basing it on a constitution guaranteeing a broad range of human rights.
The constitution of 1962, the legal basis of modern-day Kuwaiti democracy, has two important articles
at its core: Article 4, which gives legitimacy to the Al-Sabah family as the ruling family, and Article
6, which establishes the government as democratic and sovereign. The constitution further upholds the
freedoms of religion, speech, and the press, as well as human rights.
In the early 1950s, the estimated 100,000 residents of Kuwait had but one hospital, no roads, and
virtually no social services. By 1985, the two million residents (including 679,000 native Kuwaitis)
enjoyed free medical care at thirty hospitals, free education through 12th grade, free scholarships to
study at leading institutions around the world, generous retirement and unemployment benefits, and
some of the finest highways and public and private buildings in the world.
Oil production thriving, Kuwait instituted astonishing social changes. Writes Daniel Pipes, director of
the Philadelphia-based Foreign Policy Research Institute and a recent visitor to Kuwait:
Surprisingly, in a single generation, Kuwait emerged as an intellectual and
cultural center of the Middle East. It supported serious research into medical and
ecological programs. Its universities attracted some of the brightest minds of the
Arabic-speaking world. As Kuwaitis became educated (literacy rate: 71%), they
came to recognize the value of liberal tolerance. Their newspapers, magazines,
and books were among the freest and most important in the region. Whether it
was accurate news from Lebanon or the Arabic version of Sesame Street, chances
were good it came from Kuwait.
In the vanguard, Kuwait's women enjoy a status unlike that of their sisters in other Arab lands.
Observes Mr. Pipes, "In Kuwait, women drove cars, joined men in university classrooms, shared
business space with them, and held positions of responsibility in the government." However, they have
yet to be granted the vote.
Kuwait has more than fifteen Christian churches catering to Kuwaiti citizens and foreigners. The
Vatican has maintained its Papal Nuncio to Kuwait for many years. Not surprisingly, tolerance has
been the hallmark of modern Kuwait's foreign policy. Writes Mr. Pipes, "In the effort to maintain
good relations with nearly everyone, the government gave away billions of dollars in aid." Mr. Pipes
underscores Kuwait's role as Mideast conciliator: "Unlike many of its oil-rich peers, it neither
supported terrorist groups nor sought to shape a new international order."
In 1977, Kuwait became one of the world's major foreign aid donors when its contributions reached
eight percent of gross domestic product. It remained in first place from 1981 to 1985.
The legacy of hostile acts by Iraq, the rise of Shiite extremism, and spill-over of the eight-year Iran-
Iraq War have, at times, forced the leadership of Kuwait to adopt emergency security measures to
protect the people of Kuwait. These measures have included restrictions on communications and public
gatherings and the dismissal of the assembly.
The first set of measures was adopted in the mid-1970s in response to a border incursion in which
several Kuwaitis were killed. Other measures were implemented in 1986, when Kuwait was threatened
in the cross-fire of the Iran-Iraq War.
With the death of the Ayatollah Khomeini in June of 1989, the cessation of the Iran-Iraq War, and the
cooling of tensions in the Gulf region, the Amir, Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahman Al-Sabah, had begun working
for the removal of emergency security measures and movement toward the full restoration of govern-
ment assemblies in accordance with Kuwait's 1962 Constitution.
The Iraqi invasion has preempted these discussions about democracy.
1 Pipes, Daniel, "What Kuwait Was Like," The Washington Post, Aug. 10, 1990.
2 Ibid.
3 Ibid.
2
WHAT ARE THE ROOTS OF THE CRISIS?
The historical roots of the Iraqi invasion lie in a territorial dispute brewing since the early 1920s --
practically from the very birth of Iraq. It is a fascinating story with a preface that began years earlier.
In 1913, Great Britain evinced concern over the decaying Ottoman Empire's cozy relations with
Germany. England negotiated an agreement with Turkey to define the boundaries of the Turks' Persian
Gulf and adjacent territories. This agreement included the boundaries of modern Kuwait. Before the
1913 convention could be ratified by either country, World War I broke out, with the English and
Turks as enemies.
The trouble began after the war when the victorious allies carved up the Ottoman Empire under the
Treaty of Versailles. What had been the Ottoman Empire Provinces of Baghdad, Mosul, and Basra
were combined, under British protection, into the new kingdom of Iraq.
In April of 1921, England's Winston Churchill decided at the Cairo Conference that the Hashemite
Prince Faisal should rule as king of the new nation of Iraq, subject to approval by a plebiscite. Faisal
subsequently was proclaimed king on August 23, 1921.
The British mandate ended in 1922, replaced by a treaty of alliance. A month later, negotiations began
regarding Iraq's official boundaries; negotiators included Sabih Bey, Iraq's Minister of Communica-
tions; King Ibn Sa'ud of Saudi Arabia; and Sir Percy Cox, representing Kuwait.
H.R.P. Dickson, a British official present at these early negotiations, later reported in his book Kuwait
and Her Neighbours this assertion by the Iraqi minister:
Since God created the world and history began to be written, Iraq's boundary
extends south to within 12 miles of Ibn Sa'ud's capital, Riyadh...and east to
include Hufuf and Qatif on the Persian Gulf. As God is my witness, this and
only this is the true boundary and cannot be disputed.
Then, Dickson reports, an enraged Ibn Sa'ud rose to his feet and roared back:
I know nothing about creation, but I do know that from the days of Abraham, my
great grandparent, the territories of [my people] have extended as far north as
Aleppo on the river Orantes in north Syria, and included the whole country on the
right bank of the Euphrates from there down to Basra on the Persian Gulf.4
4
Harold Richard Patrick Dickson, Kuwait and Her Neighbours (London: Alan and Unwin,
1956).
3
To keep peace, Cox offered to cede some of Kuwait to each. Fortunately for the Kuwaitis, that deal
never was approved. In fact, in the formal agreement signed ten years later, Kuwait's borders were set
exactly where they had been in the 1913 agreement between Great Britain and Turkey.
However, since the 1930s, Iraqi rulers have asserted that Iraq, as the central state in a pan-Arab union,
should include northern Kuwait. Iraq, lacking access to deep seaports, hoped to incorporate the island
of Warba and a portion of the coastline of the island of Bubiyan, part of Kuwait. In return, they
promised fresh water, which Kuwait lacks. In 1961, the year Britain granted independence to the State
of Kuwait, Iraq announced it would annex all of Kuwait, without success.
Iraq again moved on Kuwait in 1969. Troops marched onto Kuwaiti lands, ostensibly to protect against
attack by Iran, and refused to leave. In fact, they built a road through Kuwaiti territory to their station
in the Gulf. In March of 1973, shots were exchanged and Kuwait declared a state of emergency.
Kuwait found support from Gulf states, the Arab League, and other Arab nations, not to mention an
influx of Soviet ships, and succeeded in forcing the Iraqis to back down. However, complete with-
drawal of Iraqi troops did not occur until July, 1977.
In the late 1970s, the Iranian revolution meant an end to regional stability. Kuwait had opposed the
Shah's position as guardian of foreign interests in the Gulf but benefitted from the Shah's ability to
neutralize its stronger neighbors and mediate on issues. By contrast, when the Ayatollah Khomeini
came to power, he labeled Kuwait and other Gulf countries the "American Islam." The Kuwaitis turned
back the Ayatollah at the border in October, 1978, an event he would always remember.
Policy toward Iran changed as unrest began within the growing Shiite population of Kuwait, who took
inspiration from the Islamic revolution. Externally, Kuwait could hardly afford confrontation with so
large a neighbor. The result: a neutralizing of the relationship with the new Iranian regime in July,
1979.
The situation again changed in 1988 with the Iran-Iraq war. With the war zone fewer than 150 miles
from Kuwait City and Iran occupying the Faw peninsula less than 10 miles from the border, Kuwait's
stated official neutrality turned to support for Iraq, perceived as the lesser of two evils.
To support Iraq, Kuwait, along with Saudi Arabia, donated 100 percent of the revenue from shared oil
fields in eastern Kuwait that produced 300,000 barrels a day. Government records indicate wartime
monetary gifts from Kuwait to Iraq of a staggering $15 billion. In addition, Kuwait also allowed Iraq-
bound shipments of material into its ports to evade Iran's shipping blockade, and they permitted Iraqi
aircraft en route to targets to use its air space. This exposed Kuwaiti ships, ports, public buildings, and
citizens to numerous rocket, bomb, and terrorist attacks through the mid-1980s.
For their help, President Saddam Hussein of Iraq called Kuwait "our few distinguished brethren.' 5
Now with his current occupation of Kuwait, Saddam Hussein has renounced that brotherhood, reiterated
the old pan-Arab mandate, and claimed a right of access to the Gulf.
5 Al-Yaqza, March 4-10, 1988, p.6
4
WHAT IS HAPPENING IN KUWAIT?
In the pre-dawn darkness of August 2, 1990, tens of thousands of Iraqi troops with armored tanks swept
over the border of Kuwait and overcame unsuspecting and heavily outnumbered Kuwaiti border forces
in a quick, bloody battle. Many of the remaining members of Kuwait's 16,000-man army managed to
withdraw into Saudi Arabia with vehicles and equipment. Virtually all of Kuwait's 2000-man air force
and its small naval force escaped to Saudi Arabia and other friendly neighboring countries. All are
nearby and available for action, official Kuwaiti sources report.
The speed and stealth of the Iraqi assault stunned even seasoned Kuwaiti government officials. More
than a week after the attack, his Excellency Sheikh Saud Nasir Al-Sabah, Kuwaiti ambassador to the
United States, was still reeling. "It wasn't in our mind or in our vision of a thousand years that
something like this would happen," he told a Washington Post reporter. "It was a stab in the back."
Since the invasion, little hard information emerges from inside Kuwait. Individuals who have escaped
the siege report looting, begging, and desertion by hungry and disillusioned Iraqi soldiers; they tell of
thousands of shade trees dying in the blazing sun because the Iraqi invaders don't know how, or refuse
to irrigate them each day; they speak of violence. There are other unconfirmed, disturbing reports.
Here are some samples:
A Kuwaiti banker in the U.S.: "I've heard from my neighbor and there's nothing left
in my house. He says they're breaking into every empty house, every one, and they're
taking everything out clothes, rugs, furniture, anything they could possibly ever use."
A Kuwaiti educator in Washington: "I feel sorry for the Egyptians; the Egyptians
and the Filipino maids. Anyone identifiable as an Egyptian (typically by his accent)
is being beaten right there on the street, my friend says. He says a lot of the maids
are being raped."
But the Iraqis have been unable to convince even one Kuwaiti to work with them. An active resistance
against the invader grows within and without the Kuwaiti borders. Reports range from resisters
confusing the enemy by spray-painting over street signs to outright harassment and attack.
"They're undermining the Iraqis' spirit," says a Kuwaiti educator visiting the U.S. during the invasion.
"Some Iraqi soldiers are deserting, others selling their guns to buy food. The going rate for a Russian-
made sub-machine gun in Kuwait City is now $50. Some Kuwaitis got together and bought a tank from
defectors. Then they burned it." Other reports come from escapees, who tell of brave Kuwaiti citizens
who helped them escape, who face their enemy without guns.
Meanwhile, as the troop build-up continues in Saudi Arabia, the Kuwaiti Council of Ministers -- the
nation's cabinet confers daily at its temporary capital headquarters in Taif, in the western mountains
of Saudi Arabia, planning the liberation of their homeland.
6 Roberts, Roxanne. "The Envoy on the Edge of Crisis," The Washington Post, August 10,
1990, p. C1.
5
WHAT IS THE POSITION OF CITIZENS FOR A FREE KUWAIT?
Citizens for a Free Kuwait, a Washington, D.C.-based organization, is comprised of citizens of many
nations -- Kuwait, the United States, and others -- and is dedicated to an early end to the Iraqi occupa-
tion of the State of Kuwait.
Specifically, the group is committed to these goals:
(1)
resisting the invasion, internally and externally, for as long as it takes to
restore Kuwait's sovereignty;
(2)
supporting President Bush and the UN, including Kuwait's Arab neigh-
bors, in demanding an immediate, complete, and unconditional Iraqi
withdrawal from Kuwait, restoration of Kuwait's legitimate constitutional
government, security and stability for Saudi Arabia and the Persian Gulf,
and the protection of the lives of American citizens -- indeed the rights of
all private citizens -- abroad; and
(3)
seeking a peaceful resolution of Iraq's unprovoked aggression, although it
will not stand by idly while its country is dismembered.
Citizens for a Free Kuwait is wholly convinced that Saddam Hussein is a terrorist leader who commits
atrocities against his own people and against all international principles of responsible behavior. The
organization also is equally convinced that Saddam Hussein's Iraq has become a bloody-handed, outlaw
state that richly deserves the censure of the United Nations, expulsion from the Arab League, and
excommunication by all civilized societies.
Citizens for a Free Kuwait and Kuwaitis everywhere will be ever grateful to the people and the
government of the United States and to Kuwait's Arab neighbors and international supporters for their
vital support and sacrifices. The presence of the American troops is especially appreciated.
6
WHY IS A PROMPT RESOLUTION VITAL?
In the few weeks since Iraq's disastrous misadventure in Kuwait began, the world's investment markets
have suffered horrendous, unnecessary shocks now threatening the social fabric of the nations in which
those markets operate.
During the first three weeks of August, shares traded on the New York Stock Exchange lost some $350
billion of their value. Bond prices, too, have fluctuated wildly. The price declines in European and
Asian stock and bond markets have been similarly precipitous. Japan's Nikkei Stock Average lost
approximately one-third of its value during the initial period of the crisis.
Meanwhile, a concomitant and equally disturbing oil price spiral is disrupting the spot and futures
markets for crude oil, refined petroleum products, natural gas, and coal. These pernicious dislocations,
in turn, are disrupting shipping and short-term financing schedules on a worldwide basis.
Furthermore, these blows are raining down on economies more fragile now than at any time in recent
memory. The economies of the United States and a number of other developed nations are sliding
rapidly into recession, with their corporations carrying high debt loads at a staggering rate of interest.
The sudden surge in energy prices is most seriously damaging the economies of precisely those poor
and developing nations least able to absorb such punishment.
How can the Middle East ever find true peace if it is denied the moderating influence of Kuwait's
thoughtful and compassionate foreign policy? When would the next explosion occur? If left free to
control the production of fully 20 percent of the world's known oil reserves, does not Hussein pose still
greater threats for world economies?
But the challenge to the world goes beyond the question of whether Americans will pay $1.00 or $2.00
per gallon of gasoline. It goes also to the heart of acceptable standards of civilized behavior. Those
standards are at risk because of a sudden nighttime attack on our small, relatively unarmed nation.
They are at risk because of Hussein's turning thousands of innocent visitors in Kuwait and Iraq into
pawns.
Accordingly, Citizens for a Free Kuwait will continue turning to men and women of goodwill every-
where, asking them to join us in every conceivable effort to end this nightmare before still more
damage is done.
7
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Al-Yaqza. March 4 - 10, 1988.
Assiri, Abdul Reda. Kuwait's Foreign Policy: Bolder, San Francisco, London: Westview Press, 1990.
Crusoe, Johnathan. "Meeting the Challenge of Progress." Middle East Economic Digest. April,
1990.
Dickson, Harold Richard Patrick. Kuwait and Her Neighbours. London: Allan and Unwin, 1956.
Pipes, Daniel. "What Kuwait Was Like." The Washington Post. August 10, 1990.
Roberts, Roxanne. "The Envoy on the Edge of Crisis." The Washington Post. August 10, 1990.
8
CITIZENS FOR A FREE KUWAIT
FACT SHEET
CHRONOLOGY OF KUWAIT CRISIS
July 31
Iraq and Kuwait begin talks in Saudi Arabia under mediation
of King Fahd on oil pricing/production, Iraqi territorial
claims.
August 1
Iraq breaks off talks with Kuwait. Press reports claim 120
Iraqi officers executed by firing squads for opposing
aggression against Kuwait.
August 2
Iraq launches pre-dawn attack on Kuwait and achieves quick
success. UN Security Council condemns invasion, calls for
unconditional withdrawal. U.S. initiates economic embargo;
freezes all Kuwaiti and Iraqi assets.
August 3
Iraqi forces move near Saudi Arabian border. Western
civilians are trapped in Kuwait. U.S. proposes UN
resolution for complete economic boycott of Iraq.
August 4
Iraq consolidates hold on Kuwait and appoints new military
government. European Community joins trade embargo on Iraq.
August 5
Iraqi-appointed government of Kuwait claims Iraqi troops are
starting to leave Kuwait. Japan halts Iraqi oil imports.
August 6
UN Security Council votes 13-0 for Res. 661, ordering
worldwide trade/financial embargo.
August 7
President Bush orders troops, warplanes be sent to Saudi
Arabia. Turkey blocks Iraqi oil pipeline to Mediterranean.
August 8
Iraq announces Kuwait is "part of Iraq."
August 9
U.S. troops begin deployment in Saudi Arabia. Iraq closes
borders; cancels $45 billion debt to Kuwait. UN Security
Council passes Res. 662 by 15-0 vote, declaring annexation
of Kuwait null and void.
August 10
12 Arab League states vote to send all-Arab military force
to defend Saudi Arabia. Egyptian forces arrive in Saudi
Arabia. Iraq demands closure of all foreign embassies in
Kuwait. Saddam calls for Arab "holy war" against U.S.
forces in Gulf.
-more-
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Chronology
August 11
Saudi anti-aircraft batteries reportedly fire at Iraqi
reconnaissance planes.
August 12
U.S. pledges to "interdict" Iraqi oil shipments.
August 13
Iraqi troops remove American, British civilians from two
hotels in Kuwait to unknown destination. Britain, Australia
join naval force in Gulf. Pakistan agrees to send ground
troops. Netherlands, Belgium, agree to send naval forces.
August 14
Italy sends ships to eastern Mediterranean. Moroccan troops
arrive in Saudi Arabia.
August 15
Saddam moves to end Iraq's war with Iran on Iranian terms.
Syrian troops arrive in Saudi Arabia. Iraq defines detained
Westerners as "restrictees" who may be used for bargaining.
August 17
President Bush decides to call up 80,000 military
reservists. Iraq says Western hostages will be held until
U.S. withdraws forces from Saudi Arabia and war threat ends;
35 U.S. hostages taken from Baghdad hotel to undisclosed
location.
August 18
U.S. navy ship fires warning shots across the bow of Iraqi
oil tanker. UN Security Council votes 15-0 for Res. 664,
demanding release of all foreigners in Kuwait and Iraq.
August 19
Iraq orders all Westerners in Kuwait to report for
relocation.
August 20
Iraq reports relocation of Western hostages to military
installations as human shields against any U.S. attack.
August 21
Arab and Western nations condemn threats against hostages.
August 22
President Bush signs order calling up 40,000 reservists;
announces U.S. will defy order to close embassy in Kuwait.
August 23
Saddam says keeping Kuwait embassies open after August 24
will be regarded as "act of aggression."
August 25
UN Security Council votes 13-0 to approve Res. 665
authorizing military force to halt maritime trade with Iraq.
# # #
CITIZENS FOR A FREE KUWAIT
FACT SHEET
SADDAM HUSSEIN'S HISTORY OF HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS
[Compiled from newswires and various news sources]
The son of a peasant, Saddam Hussein committed his first murder at
14.
Saddam has been called the "Butcher of Baghdad" and "The Most
Dangerous Man in the World," a reputation that started to take shape
as far back as 1959.
Saddam Hussein was a member of a Ba'athist hit-squad that attempted
unsuccessfully in 1959 to assassinate the then Communist-backed
military president, General Qassem.
Shortly after becoming president in 1979, the regime sentenced a group
of its own senior officials to death for conspiracy. The state's
leaders were officially reported to have been present at the
execution, and all members of the Ba'ath Party, including those in
Britain, were ordered to watch the executions on video.
Iraqi forces began using poison gas against Iranian troops in 1983.
In 1984, 600 members were executed from an Iranian-backed Shiite
organization formed to disrupt Saddam's rule.
In 1985, Saddam arrested 300 children of parents who were political
activists. At least 29 were reported executed.
An Iraqi Mirage F1 fired two Exocet missiles at the frigate USS Stark,
killing 37 American soldiers in May 1987.
In March 1988, more than 8000 people were killed by nerve gas in the
Kurdish town of Halabja. Whole families were found dead, defenseless
against chemical weapons.
In March 1990, the Iraqi government announced a new legal exemption
for Iraqi men: they were entitled to kill women members of their
family, including mothers, grandmothers and cousins, if they suspected
them of adultery.
On March 10, 1990, Saddam Hussein ignored British protests and ordered
the execution of Iranian born, London journalist Farzad Bazoft based
on erroneous charges of espionage. Bazoft, who tried to gather
information about a massive explosion at a military complex, was
hanged five days later on March 15.
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Human Rights
Mrs. Daphne Parish, a British nurse, was sentenced to 15 years in jail
for giving the journalist a lift in her car.
In April 1990, Saddam Hussein pledged to "scorch half of Israel" with
poison gas.
On April 19, 1990, a House panel approved a non-binding resolution
condemning Iraq for human rights abuses, including torture, executions
and persistent repression of all political opposition.
On April 6, 1990, a federal grand jury indicted a former employee of
Iraq's United Nations mission, charging that he was part of a plot to
assassinate opponents of the Iraqi government in this country.
On August 8, 1990, Iraqi soldiers reportedly fired on 35 women and
youths who were peacefully protesting against the annexation of Kuwait
in Kuwait City. A witness said two teenagers and a 20-year-old died,
shot in the heart and head.
Saddam took his health minister, Riyadh Ibrahim, to another room and
shot him after he had suggested during a cabinet meeting that Saddam
consider stepping down temporarily to help end the Iran-Iraq War.
In its recent review of human rights, the State Department cited
Iraq's extensive surveillance, disappearances, torture and summary
executions of dissidents; "non-existent" press freedom; the
destruction of villages and the forced removal of nearly 500,000
people since 1987 from "security zones" along the border with Iran.
Reports in the Egyptian press indicate that 120 officers of Saddam's
army who objected to the invasion of Kuwait, for example, were
executed.
Iraqis are often frightened to voice their opinions even within the
family, so fearsome is the security apparatus and so effective its
network of informers. Executions are commonplace.
Saddam Hussein's underlings are so terrified of execution and
reprisals against their families that they dare not tell him
unpalatable truths.
It is a capital offense in Iraq to insult the President, espouse
Zionism, leave the ruling Ba'ath Party or persuade someone else to do
so. Using these laws, Iraq has executed thousands.
It [Iraq] has waged genocidal war against its own Kurdish minority,
using poison gas in contravention of a Geneva protocol to which it is
a party.
-more-
Human Rights .../3
Amnesty International has received several reports of human rights
violations by Iraqi forces, including allegations of rape, killings
and summary executions of unarmed civilians.
Ninety members of Saddam Hussein's dissident family in the town of
Najaf had "disappeared" under Saddam's regime and 20 more had been
executed.
From student days onward, killing has always been part of Saddam
Hussein's political repertoire. Those who have opposed Saddam Hussein
more openly have disappeared or have been imprisoned and, in dozens
of cases, executed.
During the Iran-Iraq War Saddam used chemical weapons, contrary to
the Geneva protocol.
On a recent appearance on ABC, Saddam defended his use of chemical
weapons against the Kurds because, as he put it, they were "traitors." "
Saddam deported half-a-million Shiite Arabs to Iran, confiscated their
property, and has attempted to destroy the ancient Shiite institutions
based in Najaf and Kerbala, in central Iraq. Schools there have been
closed, and leading clerics killed under torture, executed or
banished.
Iraq marked the end of the war by beginning active support for General
Aoun in Lebanon, undermining the reconciliation policy of the Arab
League.
Amnesty International this year said eight teenagers were held for
more than 15 months and horribly tortured for political reasons.
Saddam arrested 90 members of a prominent Shiite family -- ages 9 to
76 -- after one of them made anti-Iraq broadcasts from Iran. When
the broadcasts continued, he killed six members of the family in front
of the rest.
# # #
CITIZENS FOR A FREE KUWAIT
FACT SHEET
STATE OF KUWAIT
GEOGRAPHY: The State of Kuwait lies at the northwest extreme of the
Persian (Arabian) Gulf. It comprises a mainland region and nine small
islands. Kuwait City is its capital. The total area of Kuwait is 6,940
square miles, approximately the size of New Jersey. It is bordered to
the north by Iraq and by Saudi Arabia in the south and southwest. The
terrain is a flat, sandy desert gradually sloping down from 300 meters in
the west to sea level in the east, broken by a 145 meter ridge.
PEOPLE: Population in 1990 is estimated to be 2.1 million. Of this
total, Kuwaitis constitute 826,500, non-Kuwaitis 1,316,000. Of the non-
Kuwaitis, Arabs constitute 37.9 percent; Asians, 21 percent; Europeans,
0.7 percent; and Americans 0.2 percent. (These figures are based on pre-
invasion estimates.)
LANGUAGE: The official language is Arabic, but English is used in
commercial circles and is considered the second language.
HISTORY: The modern State of Kuwait traces its origins to the early 18th
Century when the Utubi clan of the Anaza tribe settled in the area. As
a sign of their influence and the respect with which they were viewed,
the Sabah family were elected as the hereditary ruling family, first
among equals. Nominally under Ottoman Turkish suzerainty, Kuwait became
affiliated with Great Britain by treaty in 1899. A British Protectorate
was established in 1914, but in 1961 Kuwait gained its full sovereignty.
From 1752 until the present, there have been thirteen rulers from the
Sabah family. The current ruler is His Highness, Shaikh Jabir Al-Ahmad
Al-Sabah.
GOVERNMENT: In 1962, the Amir Abdullah al-Salim Al-Sabah, in association
with the Constituent Assembly, promulgated the Constitution of the State
of Kuwait. Under the Constitution, the system of government is
democratic under which sovereignty resides in the people. Executive
power is vested in the Amir, the Head of State, and is exercised through
a Council of Ministers under the leadership of the Prime Minister.
Legislative power is vested in a unicameral National Assembly with 50
elected members who serve four years. Literate, adult Kuwaiti male
citizens are eligible to vote, excluding members of the armed forces.
In 1986, severe internal pressures in Kuwait caused by the Iran-Iraq war
necessitated dissolution of the National Assembly and the suspension of
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State of Kuwait.../2
elections. Shortly before the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait the Amir publicly
stated his intention to call for an election.
RELIGION: Article 35 of the Kuwaiti Constitution states that, "The
freedom of belief is absolute. The State protects the freedom of
practicing religion in accordance with established customs, provided that
it does not conflict with public policy or morals." The latest figures
available, 1975, show that about 95 percent of the population is Muslim,
while about 4.5 percent are Christians, Hindus or adherents of other
faiths. Islam is the state religion of Kuwait.
ECONOMY: Kuwait has a mixed economic system which includes both
government-owned and private enterprises. The government owns all
petroleum, natural gas, and derivative industries, while the private
sector operates building materials, construction, trade and finance
companies. Government spending priorities emphasized education, housing,
roads, public utilities, telecommunications, and medical care. The
Kuwaiti economy grew by 5 percent in 1989, reaching a GNP of
approximately US$30 billion. Per capita (GNP) income was $15,308 in
1989, an increase of 15.71 percent over the previous year. Kuwait's
principal exports are crude petroleum and refined products, natural gas,
chemicals, machinery, and transport equipment. Principal foreign markets
for the products are Japan, Italy, the United States, Taiwan, West
Germany and the United Kingdom. U.S. exports to Kuwait soared to $855
million in 1989.
SOCIAL SERVICES: Revenues from petroleum exports are used for the
benefit of citizens and residents alike. Education is free to all from
kindergarten through high school. Free university and advanced technical
education is also provided by the government for all qualified Kuwaiti
citizens of both sexes and to a significant percentage of non-Kuwaiti
residents. Medical and dental services are also provided at a low cost
and the government subsidizes housing for its lower and middle income
citizens. The Kuwait social security system also provides for the care
of orphans and the aged. In addition, the government supports many
cultural, sports and recreational activities.
INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE: Kuwait also uses its annual oil revenues to
assist developing countries. A primary vehicle is the Kuwait Fund for
Arab Economic Development (KFAED), established in 1961. State-funded,
but politically independent, the Fund gives aid on the basis of need to
Arab and non-Arab countries alike. Kuwait's assistance as a proportion of
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was the highest in the world in 1981-1985.
Kuwait was the world's leading source of aid to developing countries,
donating nearly 4 percent of its Gross National Product (GNP) for various
projects in 1988.
# # #
CITIZENS FOR A FREE KUWAIT
FACT SHEET
FOREIGN POLICY OF THE STATE OF KUWAIT
OVERVIEW: Kuwait is a small state strategically located at the
juncture of three larger neighbors -- Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Iran.
Kuwait historically has been highly conscious of its geographic
vulnerability and pursues a pragmatic, moderate foreign policy. While
strongly oriented to the West, it simultaneously has been a supportive
and responsible partner to other Arab nations.
PRE-INDEPENDENCE: Since the 1500s, Kuwait was overshadowed by the huge
Ottoman Empire whose southeastern frontier included the territory which
constitutes modern Iraq. In 1899, a threatened Ottoman takeover led
Shaik Mubarak al-Sabah to ask Great Britain to assume a protectorate
over Kuwait.
During the 1930s, Iraq asserted claims to northern Kuwait, particularly
the island of Warba and a coastal section of the island of Bubiyan,
arguing that these lands were essential to block Iranian naval
offensives. The initiation of commercial oil production in Kuwait
during 1948 generated a period of rapid economic, political, and social
change. This period culminated in the termination of the British
protectorate in 1961. It was replaced by a restructured Kuwaiti
government whose constitution guaranteed a broad range of human rights.
The Constitution of 1962, the legal basis of modern-day Kuwait
democracy, has two important articles at its core: Article 4, which
gives legitimacy to the Al-Sabah family as the ruling family; and
Article 6, which establishes the government as democratic and
sovereign. The constitution further upholds the freedoms of religion,
speech, and press, as well as human rights.
PRIOR IRAQI INCURSIONS: With the emergence of an independent Kuwait in
1961, Iraq's military dictator announced his intention to annex all of
Kuwait. This plan was thwarted by a treaty with Britain which sent
troops and naval units to prevent the threatened invasion. Iraqi
troops entered Kuwaiti territory in 1969 (allegedly to block an Iranian
attack) and refused to leave. When further shots were exchanged in
1973, Kuwait declared a state of emergency and enlisted help from the
Gulf States, the Arab League, and the U.S.S.R. Nonetheless, total
withdrawal of Iraqi troops did not occur until 1977.
FOREIGN AID: Since 1961, Kuwait has provided capital to developing
Arab countries through the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development.
Kuwait was a principal contributor to the Fund, established to help
Egypt and Jordan recover from the 1967 and 1973 wars, and along with
Saudi Arabia, has contributed to the more moderate Palestinian
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Foreign Policy .../2
factions. Kuwait became one of the world's major aid donors in 1977,
when its contributions reached 8 percent of GDP. This percentage was
the largest in the world from 1981-85. While maintaining pragmatically
correct relations with the communist bloc, Kuwait strongly condemned
the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and provided significant economic
assistance to bolster Pakistan. Kuwait encouraged private institutions
to direct economic, medical, and humanitarian aid to Afghan refugees
and to the Mujaheddin resistance.
IRANIAN REVOLUTION: Iran's fundamentalist Islamic revolution in the
late 1970's sent shock waves through Kuwait. Ayatollah Khomeini held
deep personal animosity toward Kuwait (particularly after Kuwait denied
him entry in October 1978) and appealed to Shiite minorities in the
Persian Gulf to overthrow existing governments. Nonetheless, Kuwait
attempted to improve relations with Tehran, sending humanitarian aid to
Iranian flood victims and reaching bilateral agreements on technical
and oil cooperation.
GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL: Faced with threats from Iran's revolution and
the onset of the Iran-Iraq War, Kuwait played a leading role in the
creation of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in 1981. The Council
consists of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United
Arab Emirates. While the group's goal is "to generate coordination in
all fields of economic and social spheres,' one of the GCC's first
substantive acts was to develop mutual defense structures including
joint rapid deployment forces, air defense, transport, and procurement.
IRAN-IRAQ WAR: Ironically, at one time, Iraq was the largest
recipient of Kuwaiti aid. During Iraq's war with Iran (1980-1988),
Kuwait and Saudi Arabia donated 100 percent of the revenue from the
300,000 barrels pumped daily from shared fields in Eastern Kuwait.
Kuwait's share of this subsidy was estimated at $7.2 billion. In
addition, Kuwait gave Iraq approximately $15 billion in noncollectible
"financial-political subsidies" during the war, of which $6 billion was
in cash. The Kuwaiti Government paid Kuwaiti merchants for amounts
unpaid by Iraqi customers and paid up to 10 percent of Iraqi
contractual obligations to British companies.
Kuwait also allowed Iraqi ships to evade the Iranian blockade by using
Kuwaiti ports, even though this assistance exposed Kuwait to numerous
Iranian bombings and terrorist attacks. Threats to Kuwaiti ships
resulted in a request for superpower protection through reflagging or
chartering arrangements for Kuwaiti oil tankers. Saddam Hussein
recognized Kuwait's generous contributions by referring to the Kuwaitis
as, "our few distinguished brethren."
# # #
CITIZENS FOR A FREE KUWAIT
FACT SHEET
THE ECONOMY OF THE STATE OF KUWAIT
OVERVIEW: Prior to the invasion by Iraq, the economy of Kuwait was the
strongest in the region. After several lean years caused by the crash
of oil prices and the Iran/Iraq war, the Kuwaiti economy grew by 5
percent in 1989, reaching a GNP of approximately US$30 billion. This
growth was supported by the government's implementation of expansionary
fiscal and monetary policies. The economy was characterized by
increased export earnings, an expanding current account surplus, low
inflation, and steadily increasing living standards. Government
spending priorities emphasized education, housing, roads, public
utilities, telecommunications, and medical care.
DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY: Despite sharp fluctuations in oil prices, the
Government of Kuwait has pursued a consistent development strategy
based on (1) development of oil and gas exports with an increased share
of value-added and refined product markets; (2) emphasizing domestic
service industries, particularly in the trade and finance sectors; and
(3) pursuit of an active overseas investment program which accounted
for 28 percent of national income. Kuwait's international portfolio is
managed by the London-based Kuwait Investment Office, which remains
authorized by the British Government to continue normal operations.
OIL: With oil reserves of 90 billion barrels, Kuwait has the world's
third largest oil reserves. Refined products had been generating as
much export revenue as crude oil, and approximately 20 percent of crude
and refined exports reached end users via Kuwaiti distributors.
Petroleum and natural gas are under Government ownership. During the
first quarter of 1990, oil production averaged 1.8 million to 2 million
barrels per day, well below the capacity of 2.5 barrels per day. The
Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, which operates 4,500 gas stations
throughout Europe, has moved its headquarters to London in the wake of
the Iraqi invasion. The company is authorized by European governments
to continue normal business operations indefinitely, although oil
products from non-Kuwaiti sources will be utilized.
DIVERSIFICATION: Kuwait has used its oil revenues to reduce its
dependence on oil through diversification of its economic base.
Diversification already has been implemented in sectors such as service
industries, petrochemicals, housing and road construction. Service
industries represent approximately 80 percent of Kuwait's non-oil GDP
and 75 percent of employment.
-more-
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The Economy .../2
INCOME/EMPLOYMENT: Per capita (GNP) income was $15,308 in 1989, an
increase of 15.71 percent over the previous year. Kuwait's labor force
of 663,000 enjoyed full employment, with the service sector employing
20 percent, construction 20 percent, trade 12 percent, and
manufacturing 8.6 percent.
FINANCE: Prior to the invasion, Kuwait's currency, the dinar, was
linked to a basket of international currencies. In 1989, the exchange
for the dinar was approximately $3.40, a highly competitive rate for
U.S. exporters.
In December, 1989, the Government unveiled an economic blueprint which
outlined an increased role for the private sector and revitalization of
the country's stock market through legalization of forward
transactions, establishment of unit trusts with local and foreign
participation, and expansion of the market's base by accelerating the
registration process for domestic and foreign companies.
TRADE: Plans for a free trade zone in Kuwait were underway and
improvements in port efficiency were being implemented by the gradual
introduction of user fees aimed at cutting waste and reducing
government subsidies.
Prior to the trade embargo, Kuwait's principal exports were crude
petroleum and refined products, natural gas, chemicals, machinery, and
transport equipment. Principal foreign markets for the products were
Japan, Italy, the United States, Taiwan, West Germany, and the United
Kingdom.
U.S. exports to Kuwait soared to $855 million in 1989, putting the
United States on a par with Japan as the largest supplier to the
Kuwaiti market. Further increases were projected for the next several
years. Kuwait's major imports from the U.S. are passenger motor
vehicles, automobile and tractor parts, heating and cooling equipment,
and tobacco products.
American firms with operations in Kuwait include American Express,
American Life Insurance, Arthur Young & Co., Avis, Bausch & Lomb,
Boeing, Carrier International, Continental Airlines, Crown Pacific,
Dresser SAK, Ernest & Whinney, Getty oil, Ingersoll-Rand, Hardee's Food
Systems, Honeywell, IBM, Lockheed, McDonnell-Douglas, Merill Lynch,
NCR, Otis Elevator, Pan American Airways, Pepsi-Cola, Pratt & Whitney,
Raytheon, Rockwell International, Sheraton, and TWA.
# # #
CITIZENS FOR A FREE KUWAIT
FACT SHEET
EDUCATION IN KUWAIT
OVERVIEW: Citizens of Kuwait receive free education from kindergarten
through the university level. In some situations, students are provided
living quarters free of charge and monthly stipends of approximately
$525.00 to help them continue their education.
In education, as in some other aspects of life, Kuwait is rated first in
the Arab world in opportunities for women. During the 1987-88 school
year, there were 372,000 students in government-operated schools, of whom
191,000 were boys and 181,000 girls. Fully 41 percent of Kuwait
University degree holders are women.
As of the 1988-89 school year, Kuwait had 571 state-operated schools, 111
private schools, and nine centers for advanced education, with a total of
approximately 550,000 students and 30,000 teachers, professors and
instructors. The 1989 population of Kuwait was approximately 2.1
million.
Kuwait's current education system is relatively new. Prior to 1911, the
basics of religion and the three "Rs" were taught informally at kuttabs,
attached to the local mosques. Boys first received formal education
provided by the state in 1911. This system had no set curriculum and
provided primarily religious instruction and practical subjects such as
pearl diving and trading. A second school with a more structured
curriculum and a broader range of subjects was opened in 1920. The first
school for girls was opened in 1937. In 1955, an educational task force
from Egypt conducted a thorough audit of the Kuwaiti schools and produced
a report and recommendations which provided the basis for the modern
system that exists today.
FORMAL GOVERNMENT EDUCATION: There are four stages of formal government
education:
1. Kindergarten -- Voluntary, for ages 4 to 6.
2. Primary -- Compulsory, for ages 6 to 10.
3. Intermediate -- Compulsory, for ages 10 to 14.
4. Secondary -- Elective, for ages 14 to 18.
PRIVATE EDUCATION: Private schools were started in 1967 to fill the
educational needs of the children of the growing number of expatriate
workers in Kuwait. In 1988-89, more than 118,000 students attended
-more-
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Education
different private schools. At that time there were 61 non-Kuwaiti Arab
schools with 81,000 students, and 29 other schools serving 37,000
students of various foreign origins. The Kuwaiti government gives
financial aid to the Arab schools, paying half of the school fees and
providing free text books.
UNIVERSITY AND HIGHER EDUCATION: Kuwait University was founded in 1966
with 418 students, 31 professors and three courses of study. By 1987,
the number of students had grown to 17,047 and there were 891 professors.
The university is free and is open to all holders of general secondary
diplomas with required grade averages, subject to available openings in
the courses of study selected by the applicants.
ADULT EDUCATION AND ERADICATION OF ILLITERACY: Twenty-six years ago,
Kuwait started a program to end illiteracy and offer adult education.
Students in this program who complete secondary school are eligible to
enroll at Kuwait University.
A law was enacted in 1981 making illiteracy eradication compulsory and
providing financial incentives for the most successful students. The
program has reduced the illiteracy rate from 54.5 percent in 1957 to 26.4
percent in 1985. It is projected the 1990 rate will fall to 20.3
percent.
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION: Kuwait has four religious schools, whose 4,500
students study the same basic curriculum taught in the state schools,
plus Islamic law.
VOCATIONAL TRAINING: A special government agency was established in 1982
responsible for the training of students to fill jobs in various
vocations and technologies. There are now 13 colleges and training
centers preparing some 8,000 students for jobs.
SPECIALIZED SCHOOLS: Kuwait operates 30 Specialized Schools for children
with handicaps and learning problems. These schools concentrate on the
development of skills in practical crafts that will enable the students
to work and function in society.
Kuwait's investment in education -- one of the highest levels in the
world -- underlines the commitment of the government of Kuwait to the
future prosperity of the nation.
# # #
CITIZENS FOR A FREE KUWAIT
FACT SHEET
THE CULTURE OF THE STATE OF KUWAIT
CULTURAL INFLUENCES: Kuwait's heritage derives from its Arab founders
and the Islamic religion. To the Arabs, ties of blood, clan and tribal
organization are important. Values of mutual assistance, hospitality,
loyalty and generosity are highly prized.
The majority of Kuwaitis are followers of Islam. Followers of Islam
believe that God (Allah) gave his unquestioned word to Mohammed, his
greatest prophet, through the angel Gabriel. Mohammed, in turn, set the
word down in the Holy Koran. Muslims are taught to revere the principles
of compassion, honesty, justice and love. Indeed, the Holy Koran begins
with the words, "In the name of God. The compassionate and the
merciful."
EDUCATION: Kuwait today combines a deep attachment to its traditional
values with a commitment to social and cultural progress. The importance
attached to education is perhaps the preeminent manifestation of the
drive to take what is best from the modern world and use it for the
enrichment of its citizens. Free education is provided to all from
kindergarten through the 12th grade. The government also subsidizes
higher education for qualified students, and many Kuwaiti students travel
abroad to gain experience from exposure to a wide variety of cultural
experiences. In 1981 the government embarked on a national drive to wipe
out illiteracy in the country.
ROLE OF WOMEN: Education has been a major vehicle for the enormous
advances made by Kuwaiti women. Although they do not yet have the vote,
their participation in the educational system at all levels has brought
them positions of responsibility in the government and business. Kuwaiti
women now make up over 50 percent of the student body at Kuwait
University, which was established in 1966 and was one of the first
universities in the gulf region.
MEDIA: In Kuwait today, modern means of mass communications stand side-
by-side with more traditional forms of entertainment. Kuwaiti television
carries a variety of programs, including Kuwaiti-produced soap operas and
a national version of "Sesame Street." American serials and British-
produced programming are also available for viewing. In addition, the
government also supports modern theater, artists, writers, a nascent film
industry, and an active press which is afforded considerable freedom when
compared to media in many other areas of the Middle East.
-more-
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The Culture
THE ARTS: While admiring 20th century technical advancements, Kuwait's
attachment to the past is still reflected in their continuing enjoyment
of more traditional pursuits. Links to the past are preserved through
the songs, dances and music from their Arab heritage. Open-air
performances of traditional dances such as the ardah and the freasah are
performed by permanent folk troupes supported by the government.
Retired pearl divers in Kuwait City have a special place where they meet
to talk, sing and hand down their experiences to the younger generation.
Much of the music centers on the drum, tambourine and rabbaba, a single-
stringed instrument covered by goatskin. Kuwait is also committed to
revering its Islamic heritage. The Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah (Kuwait's
National Museum) houses the foremost collections of Islamic art in the
world and the finest private collection of Islamic art in Arab hands.
The exhibition encompasses the farthest reaches of Islam from the eighth
to the eighteenth centuries. A portion of the exhibition has recently
traveled to L'Hermitage in Leningrad. From Islam, the Kuwaitis also
derive a love for poetry, still a widely practiced art.
RECREATION: Recreation is an important part of Kuwaiti life where once
again the past and the present live comfortably side-by-side. Soccer is
the most popular spectator sport, but Kuwaitis also enjoy trips to the
beach and amusement parks. Yet for all these modern preoccupations, the
old entertainments remain. The diwania, gathering places where men meet
to discuss every issue under the sun are still popular. Falconry still
attracts its share of adherents and Kuwait's Bedouin roots are reflected
in enthusiasm for horseback riding and racing.
# # #
IRAQ
IRAN
KUWAIT
PERSIAN GULF
SAUDI
ARABIA
CITIZENS FOR A FREE KUWAIT
FACT SHEET
UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTIONS
CONDEMNING THE IRAQI INVASION OF KUWAIT
RESOLUTION 660 (August 2, 1990) Condemns the Iraqi invasion as a breach
of international peace and security. Demands the immediate and
unconditional withdrawal of Iraqi forces from Kuwait. Calls upon Iraq
to begin immediate, intensive negotiations.
RESOLUTION 661 (August 6): Affirms the right of individual and collective
self-defense in response to the Iraqi attack. Determines that the
invasion and occupation of Kuwait by Iraq should end and the sovereignty,
independence and territorial integrity of Kuwait should be restored.
Decides that all Member States shall (1) prevent imports of all
commodities and products from Iraq and occupied Kuwait; (2) prohibit
direct or indirect promotion of exports and trans-shipments to Iraq and
Kuwait, except for certain medical and humanitarian purposes; (3) block
the transfer of any funds or other economic resources to the Iraqi
Government or any other enterprises within Iraq and Kuwait; and (4)
prohibit remittance of funds to any organizations or individuals except
for strictly medical or humanitarian purposes. Urges all States to (1)
take appropriate measures to protect assets of the legitimate Government
of Kuwait and its agencies and (2) not to recognize any regime in Kuwait
set up by Iraq.
RESOLUTION 662 (August 9): Expresses "grave alarm" at Iraq's claim of
a "comprehensive and eternal merger" with Kuwait. Decides that Iraqi
annexation of Kuwait under any form has no legal validity and is null
and void. Repeats demand that Iraq withdraw immediately and
unconditionally. Determines to restore sovereignty, independence,
territorial integrity to Kuwait, as well as the authority of the
legitimate Government.
RESOLUTION 664 (August 18) Demands that Iraq (1) facilitate immediate
departure of detained foreign nationals from Iraq and Kuwait; (2) grant
immediate access of consular officials to such nationals; and (3) take
no actions to jeopardize the safety or health of these nationals.
Reaffirms that Iraq's annexation is null and void. Demands that Iraq
rescind its order for closure of diplomatic missions in Kuwait and
withdrawal of their personnel's immunity.
RESOLUTION 665 (August 25): Calls upon Member States with maritime
forces in the area to use "measures commensurate to specific
circumstances," including military force, to halt shipping in order to
inspect and verify cargoes and ensure strict implementation of the trade
embargo.
P.O. Box 21, Falls Church, VA 22040-0021
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igible
CITIZENS FOR A FREE KUWAIT
FACT SHEET
LIST OF STATES SUPPORTING THE UNITED
NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION
AUGUST 25, 1990
Austria
Luxembourg
Bahrain
Mali
Belgium
Malta
Bolivia
Mexico
Bulgaria
Myanmar
Burundi
Netherlands
China
New Zealand
Colombia
Oman
Costa Rica
Paraguay
Cyprus
Peru
Czechoslovakia
Philippines
Denmark
Poland
Dominican Republic
Qatar
Egypt
Republic of Korea
Ethiopia
Saudi Arabia
Greece
Senegal
Guatemala
Singapore
Iceland
South Africa
India
Sri Lanka
Indonesia
Switzerland
Iran (Islamic Republic of)
Syrian Arab Republic
Ireland
Turkey
Israel
Union of Soviet
Italy
Socialist Republics
Jordan
United Arab Emirates
Lebanon
Uruguay
Lesotho
Yugoslavia
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EXECUTIVE ORDER
- 12722 -
BLOCKING IRAQI GOVERNMENT PROPERTY
AND PROHIBITING TRANSACTIONS WITH IRAQ
By the authority vested in me as President by the
Constitution and laws of the United States of America, including
the International Emergency Economic Powers -Act (50 U.S.C. 1701
et seq.), the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.),
and section 301 of title 3 of the United States Code.
I, GEORGE BUSH, President of the United States of America,
find that the policies and actions of the Government of Iraq
constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national
security and foreign policy of the United States and hereby
declare a national emergency to deal with that threat.
I hereby order:
Section 1. All property and interests in property of the
Government of Iraq, its agencies, instrumentalities and
controlled entities and the Central Bank of Iraq that are in the
United States, that hereafter come within the United States or
that are or hereafter come within the possession or control of
United States persons, including their overseas branches, are
hereby blocked.
Section 2. The following are prohibited, except to the
extent provided in regulations which may hereafter be issued
pursuant to this Order:
(a) The import into the United States of any goods or
services of Iraqi origin, other than publications and other
informational materials;
(b) The export to Iraq of any goods, technology (including
technical data or other information controlled for export
pursuant to Section 5 of the Export Administration Act (50 U.S.C.
APP. 2404)) or services from the United States, except
publications and other informational materials, and donations of
articles intended to relieve human suffering, such as food,
clothing, medicine and medical supplies intended strictly for
medical purposes;
(c) Any transaction by a United States person relating to
transportation to or from Iraq; the provision of transportation
to or from the United States by any Iraqi person or any vessel or
aircraft of Iraqi registration; or the sale in the United States
by any person holding authority under the Federal Aviation Act of
1958, as amended (49 U.S.C. 1514), of any transportation by air
which includes any stop in Iraq;
2
export Iraq to any country;
(d) from The purchase by any United States person of goods for
contract in support of an industrial or other commercial or
(e) The performance by any United States person of any
governmental project in Iraq;
(f) The grant or extension of credits or loans by any
United States person to the Government of Iraq, its.
instrumentalities and controlled entities;
(g) Any transaction by a United States. person relating to
travel by any United States citizen or permanent resident alien
to Iraq, or to activities by any such person within Iraq, after
the date of this Order, other than transactions necessary to
effect such person's departure from Iraq, or travel for
journalistic activity by persons regularly employed in such
capacity by a newsgathering organization; and
(h) Any transaction by any United States person which
of the prohibitions set forth in this Order.
evades or avoids, or has the purpose of evading or avoiding, any
For purposes of this Order, the term "United States person"
means any United States citizen, permanent resident alien,
juridical person organized under the laws of the United States,
or any person in the United States.
Section 3. This Order is effective immediately.
Section 4. The Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation
with the Secretary of State, is hereby authorized to take such
actions, including the promulgation of rules and regulations, as
may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this Order. Such
actions may include prohibiting or regulating payments or
transfers of any property or any transactions involving the
transfer of anything of economic value by any United States
person to the Government of Iraq, its instrumentalities and
controlled entities, or to any Iraqi national or entity owned o=
controlled, directly or indirectly, by Iraq or Iraqi nationals.
The Secretary may redelegate any of these functions to other
officers and agencies of the Federal government. All agencies of
the United States government are directed to take all appropriate
measures within their authority to carry out the provisions of
this Order, including the suspension or termination of licenses
or other authorizations in effect as of the date of this Order.
This Order shall be transmitted to the Congress and
published in the Federal Register.
SBml
THE WHITE HOUSE,
August 2, 1990
EXECUTIVE ORDER
- 12723- -
BLOCKING KUWAITI GOVERNMENT PROPERTY
By the authority vested in me as President by the
Constitution and laws of the United States of America, including
the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701
et sec.), the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et sec.),
and 3 U.S.C. 301.
I, GEORGE BUSH, President of the United States, find that
the situation caused by the invasion of Kuwait by Iraç
constitutes an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national
security, foreign policy and economy of the United States and
have declared.a national emergency to deal with that threat.
I hereby order blocked all property and interests in
property of the Government of Kuwait or any entity purporting to
be the Government of Kuwait, its agencies, instrumentalities and
controlled entities and the Central Bank of Kuwait that are in
the United States, that hereafter come within the United States
or that are or hereafter come within the possession or control of
United States persons, including their overseas branches.
For purposes of this Order, the term "United States person"
means any United States citizen, permanent resident alien,
juridical person organized under the laws of the United States or
any person in the United States.
The Secretary of the Treasury is authorized to employ all
powers granted to me by the International Emergency Economic
Powers ACT to carry out the provisions of this Order.
This Order is effective immediately and shall be transmitted
to the Congress and published in the Federal Register.
CaBmel
THE WHITE HOUSE,
August 2, 1990
is ==5 Jai is igibla
CITIZENS FOR A FREE KUWAIT
Hill and Knowlton, Inc., Washington, D.C., has circulated this material as the international
communications counsel for the principal noted above. Hill and Knowlton, Inc. is
registered pursuant to 22 U.S.C. $612 with the Department of Justice, where its registration
statement and this material are available for inspection. Registration does not indicate
approval of this material by the U.S. Government.