Iraqi Point of View of the Causes of the Iraq/Kuwait War

                        “Iraqi Point of View of the Causes of the Iraq/Kuwait War”

  

     Causes of the Gulf War which began in January of 1991 must be examined to develop an understanding of the reasons for the conflict.

     Iraq claims on Kuwait go back to the late 1800’s and the Ottoman Empire.  Britain arranged for Kuwait which was part of the Ottoman Empire to have its foreign policy controlled by Britain.  The United Kingdom (Britain) arranged at the Anglo Ottoman Convention in 1913 for Kuwait to be permanently separated from Iraq and to be formed into an independent Sheikdom under Al Sabah family.  Iraq even referred to Kuwait as the 19^th province of Iraq.  This sense that part of Iraq was ripped away by colonial powers gave Saddam Hussein a historical case for his aggression.

     The second reason for Iraq annexing Kuwait had to do with an Eight year war Saddam Hussein started, and fought with Iran.  Iraq spends over 80 billion dollars of borrowed money to finance the war.  Iraq received 14 billion dollars from Kuwait and received support from many other Middle East Nations and the United States.  He received this support because of fear that Iran wanted to dominate the Middle East.  These debts needed to be paid back and controlling Kuwait’s oil would allow them to do that.

     Reason three for choosing war with Kuwait was Iraq’s inability to maximize oil revenues from its own oil fields.  The 1980’s saw an over supply of oil on the world market.  The Organization of Oil Exporting Countries (O.P.E.C.), was unable to reach agreement on oil export quotas.  Kuwait especially was reluctant to decrease its oil exports and at one point even sought an increase in its quota.  Kuwait eventually did bend to OPEC demands, but by then it was too late and Iraq invaded.

     Iraq also complained that Kuwait was drilling into Iraq oil fields.  They believed Kuwait was doing this by using a slant drilling technique that allowed drilling stations on the Kuwait side of the border to slant drill underground and tap oil on the Iraqi side of the border.

     Iraq also miscalculated the international reaction to the war.  Saddam interpreted a remark by American Ambassador April Glaspie’s as American indifference to any aggressive move Iraq might make.  Ambassador Glaspie answering a British reporter two weeks after Iraq invaded Kuwait was quoted as saying, “We did not expect him to take the whole country”.

  

                                                            Works Cited:

1. www.http://experts.about.com/e/g/gu/gulf-war.htm.
2. www.http://www.wnyc.org./shows/lopate/2010/Nov/11/why-americans-choose-war/.