From: anwar+@cs.cmu.edu (Anwar Mohammed)
Newsgroups: alt.politics.clinton,talk.politics.misc,alt.rush-limbaugh,alt.politics.bush
Subject: Re: The Difference Between Conservatives and Liberals
Date: 28 Sep 92 12:39:54 GMT
Organization: School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon

In article <visser.717647524@convex.convex.com> visser@convex.com (Lance Visser) writes:
>In <1992Sep26.070856.17952@news2.cis.umn.edu> bunt0003@student.tc.umn.edu (Monthian Buntan) writes:
>
>+>I have one more point about Iraq.
>+>The Bush administration failed to tell the whole
>+>truth to the American people why they went to war with Iraq.
>+>The whole truth that started from 1890 until Sadam invaded
>+>what used to be part of Iraq but taken away by greedy western emperialist.
>
>	I really hope your not serious.  Kuwait has never been a part of
>"Iraq" because historically there was not an Iraq until the 1920's.  The
>most you could claim is that the Ottoman tax collector in Basra managed
>to extort money out of the small village that would become Kuwait.
>	There was never any Ottoman presense in the town and if your going
>to claim Kuwait as part of Iraq, I suppose you could claim chunks of Syria
>and Jordan along with Saudi Arabia as well.

Lance is correct, of course.  Kuwait has existed as an entity 
since around 1752, well before Iraq ever existed.  Kuwait was
subject to the political pressures of the time, and played a
balancing act between British and Ottoman interests in the 
area until finally throwing its lot with British.  However,
dealing with the Ottomans is not to be confused with being
subject to the Ottomans.

True, Iraq is an aritificial creation, but the only artificial 
thing about Kuwait was that territories were actually ceded by 
Kuwait to its neighbors at the behest of the British.

For further documentation check the following files (if you read
talk.politics.mideast, you've seen this all before):


----------------------------------------------------------------------------
First is a note on the bogus arguments that the British 
drew the maps to deprive Iraq of Oil. Then follows a 
chronology of events in Kuwait's history.   Following 
the chronology is a speech by the Kuwaiti ambassador 
to the U.N.. Following this is an article on the origins
of Kuwait. Following this is a series of articles
which attest to the fact that Kuwait was independent of both 
Iraq and the Ottoman Empire.  Nearly all of this information 
was recorded well before Iraq invaded Kuwait.

---

The Iraqi regime claims that Kuwait was cut from Iraq by the British
in order to deprive Iraq of its oil. The 1913 and 1932 border treaties
between Kuwait and Iraq represent clear testimonies against such an
allegation since oil was discovered in Kuwait in 1938!

---

Kuwait: A Chronology

[BC 600] The Hellens settled in Al-Khazna Hill area on Failaka
Island.

[529] Al-Monzer Bin-Ma'a Al-Sama'a defeated Al-Hareth Al-Kindi in
the Kuwaiti area of Wara.

[300] The Greeks lived on Failaka Island for two centuries.

[73] A royal message was inscribed on the Ikarus stone which is
now on view in the National Museum of Kuwait.

[AD 623] The Arabs defeated the Persians at the battle of Zat
Al-Salassel in the Kazima area.

[1672] The approximate date of the establishment of Kuwait town
when Barrak was the Amir of the Beni Khaled tribe.

[1711] Approximately when the Al-Sabah family arrived in Kuwait.

[1752] The approximate date of the election of Sabah Bin Jaber
from the Al-Sabah family to be the first ruler of Kuwait.

[1760] The first wall, 750 meters long, was built around Kuwait
City.

[1762] Abdulla Bin Sabah, the second ruler of Kuwait, came to
power.

[1765] C. Niebuhr, the Danish traveler, visited Kuwait which he
referred to on his map as ``Grane.''

[1773] Kuwait was attacked by an epidemic  and most of its
inhabitants died.

[1783] The Kuwaitis defeated the tribe of Bani K'ab in the sea
battle of Riqqa.

[1811] The second wall of Kuwait, 2300 meters long, was built.

[1871] The Al-Taba'ah accident, in which many Kuwaiti diving
ships were sunk, was caused by a massive tidal wave between India and
Muscat.

[1886] The first Kuwaiti currency was minted in copper during the
reign of Sheikh Abdulla Al-Sabah II.

[1911] December 22. Al-Mubarakiya School, the first formal
school in Kuwait, opened.

[1920] The third wall of Kuwait, 6400 meters long, was built.

[1921] Kuwait took the first step toward democracy, the formation
of a consultative council, but did not last for long.

[1922] The total number of Kuwaiti pearl diving boats reached
800, manned by over 10,000 sailors and divers.

[1922] The first public library in Kuwait was established.

[1926] The historian Abdul Aziz Al-Rasheed published the first
book on Kuwait.

[1928] Kuwait's first periodical, the ``Kuwaiti Magazine,'' was
published by Abdul Aziz Al-Rasheed.

[1930] Kuwait Municipality was established.

[1930] An Amiri Decree was issued prohibiting the wearing of the
Bisht because of soaring prices.

[1933] The Municipality installed lighting in the Kuwait market.

[1934] December 7. Heavy rainfall destroyed many Kuwaiti houses.
Therefore this year was called ``The destructive Year,'' ``Al-Sannah
Al-Hadamah.''

[1938] February. Oil was discovered in Burgan oilfield.

[1938] The first general elections, resulted in the first
Legislative Council.

[1942] The first bank in Kuwait was opened.

[1945] ``Kuwait House'' was established in Egypt to look after
Kuwaiti missions and interests.

[1946] The first Kuwaiti crude oil shipment was exported.

[1948] ``Kazima Magazine'' was issued, the first Kuwaiti magazine
to be both printed and published in Kuwait.

[1950] Sheikh Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, who had ruled Kuwait for
thirty years, died.

[1951] May 12. Kuwait Radio went on the air for the first time.

[1952] The first ``Kuwait Masterplan'' was drawn up.

[1954] Khalid Al-Faraj, the man of letters and poet, died.

[1954] December, 11. ``Kuwait Al-Youm'' (Official Gazette) was
issued for the first time.

[1955] Oil was struck in Al-Rawdhatain, north of Kuwait.

[1957] Kuwait wall was demolished and removed.

[1957] The ``Social Affairs Department'' conducted the first
population census.

[1958] December 1. The first issue of ``Al-Arabi'' magazine was
published.

[1960]  The first Kuwaiti woman was employed by Kuwait Oil
Company.

[1961] April 1. The Kuwaiti Dinar became the official currency
in Kuwait.

[1961] June 19. The agrrement of January 23, 1899, concluded
between Kuwait and Great Britain, was terminated.

[1961] July 20. Kuwait became a member of the Arab League.

[1961] December, 31. Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development
was established.

[1962] January 20. The elected constituent assembly met to draw
up the Constitution of Kuwait.

[1962] An Amiri Decree was issued providing for the division of
the country into three governorates.

[1962] November 11. The Amir of Kuwait, Sheikh Abdulla Al-Salem
Al-Sabah ratified the first Constitution of Kuwait.

[1963] January. The first elected National Assembly of Kuwait
convened.

[1963] May 17. Kuwait became a member of the United Nations
Organization.

[1963] August 7. The great Kuwaiti poet Saqr Al-Shebaib died.

[1965] November 24. The Amir of Kuwait, Sheikh Abdulla Al-Salem 
Al-Sabah, passed away.

[1966] The Neutral Zone was partitioned between Kuwait and Saudi
Arabia.

[1966] November 27. Kuwait University was inaugurated.

[1968] May 13. Kuwait freed itself from all external obligations
when it canceled the agreement of June 19, 1961.

[1969] April 1. Central Bank of Kuwait was established.

[1969] October 18. The first communications satellite earth
station in Kuwait was inaugurated.

[1973] July 6. The Kuwaiti pioneer and reformer Sheikh Yousef Bin
Eisa Al-Qina'ai died.

[1975] March. The government acquired full ownership of Kuwait
Oil Company.

[1976] The Social Security Law, applicable to Kuwaiti nationals,
was issued.

[1976] The Future Generations Reserves Law was issued. It
stipulates the allocation of 10\% per annum of the State revenues for
future generations.

[1977] December 31. The Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Salem
Al-Sabah died.

[1981] May 25. Kuwait signed the Articles of Association of the
Gulf Cooperation Council.

[1983] The Bubiyan Bridge, linking Bubiyan Island to the
mainland, was opened for traffic.

[1985] May 25. His Highness the Amir survived a vicious attempt
on his life when a bomb-laden car rammed into his motorcade on Arabian
Gulf Street.

[1985] October 29. The Amir said, ``Our decision will remain a
free one that does not succumb to blackmail, terrorism or
emotionalism.''


---From Kuwait, Facts and Figures, 1986.

Shedding Some Light

On September 29 1990, the National Council on US-Arab Relations
invited the Kuwaiti Ambassador to the United States, Saud Nasser
Al-Sabah. The following are quotes of his speech:

``Kuwait itself was an entity identified as Kuwait even before
Iraq was identified as Iraq in the Ottoman Empire. Kuwait was in
existence since 1752. We continued to be in existence until the
conflict between the Ottoman Empire and the British and others in the
area. Thereafter, we signed with the British in 1899 a protective
agreement whereby the British guaranteed the sovereignty and security
of Kuwait.''

``In 1913, the British and the Ottoman signed an agreement defining
without any doubt the borders of Kuwait as they stand today. Such an
agreement was reconfirmed in 1932 between the Kuwaiti government 
and the Iraqi government at that time. That is when Iraq became a state,
after Kuwait itself.''

``In 1961, when we declared our independence Iraq seized the
opportunity to claim Kuwait as part of Iraq. There were threats. The
British came in, and Arab forces came in to guarantee the sovereignty
and territorial integrity of Kuwait. In 1963, Kuwait and Iraq again
signed border agreement, thereby defining our territory and Iraq's
recognition to the sovereignty and territory of Kuwait.''

---Compiled by Firyal Alshalalbi


Origins of Kuwait

The establishment of Kuwait is attributed to Barrak b. Ghurair of the
Bani Khalid who used Kuwait as a summer residence. The beginning of
Kuwait goes back to the late 17th century and some historians go
further up to 1611. Kuwait's name is derived from al-Kut which means
fortress. Kuwait is also called Qurain, which is the diminutive of qarn, a
horn or hill. Kuwait town flourished and grew since its
establishment.

The 'Utub, al-Sabah family is a branch of 'Utub, settled in Kuwait
during the early 18th century. They lived under the protection
of Bani Khalid until 1752. After that, they became independent and
Sabah Bin Jabir was chosen as the first ruler for 'Utub.

Carsten Niebuhr (1733-1815) a Dutch explorer was among the first who
wrote about the Arabia. He was the mathematician in the scientific
expedition sent in 1760 by the King of Denmark to Arabia. He
documented details of Arab tribes inhabiting both coasts of the Gulf
and in the case of Kuwait, he was the first writer to give the two
names by which the town was known, Kuwait and Qurain. Niebuhr's chart
of the Persian Gulf was the best one drawn before the end of that
century, see the map from Abu Hakima, History of Eastern Arabia
1750-1800. pub.1965.

Al-Sabah ('Utub) kept good relations with other powers in the eastern
Arabia. According to Ahmed Abu Hakima's conclusions in his well
documented study about the history of eastern Arabia between 1750-1800,
there was no Ottoman rule on the region. ``In the second half of
the 18th century, there was no Ottoman ruler in Eastern Arabia.
In fact, Ottoman rule was not even nominally acknowledged. Their
attempts to restore their lost position in al-Hasa through the
campaign of Thuwayni in 1786, and Ali Pasha's expedition against the
Wahhabis in 1798, were unsuccessful. At Kuwait, the nearest point of
the Utbi domains to the Ottoman Mutasallimiyya of Basra, the Shaikh
was under no form of Ottoman control. The aim of 'Utbi external policy
was to keep on friendly relations with all the forces working in the
Gulf.'' (p. 182-183) Abu Hakima continued in his conclusions that ``Kuwait
was not a dependency of Basra, the Persian occupation of Basra
(1775-79) did not affect Kuwait.'' (p.183)

Kuwait had its own identity through the Ottoman domination on the Arab
world. This identity was clear to the British and the French who
tried to win the support of Kuwait's Sheikh between 1793-95 when the
British wanted his support in their conflict with the French in the
Gulf area.

---

Independent Kuwait

This is the first of a series of articles that testify to the
independence of Kuwait throughout its history from both Iraq and the
Ottomans.

The following text is related to an expedition carried out by the
Ottomans in 1871 against the Wahhabis in Eastern Arabia (where the oil fields
in Saudi Arabia now). Kuwait and its ruler at that time, Sheikh
Abdulla Ibn Sabah Ibn Jabir, allied themselves with the Turks:}

Abdullah' role in the fighting was not a minor one. He joined the
expedition as a commander of the large Kuwaiti fleet and was the first
to use its guns against the besieged town of Al-Qatif. Had it not been
for this bombardment by the Kuwaiti fleet, Al-Qatif obviously would
not have surrendered in a mere three hours.

In relation to this, a question arises as to why the Ottoman warships
refrained from participating in the bombardment. The answer lies in
reports relating to the political movements that preceded accounts of
the progress of the expedition. Because the Ottomans were unwilling to
jeopardize the maritime peace imposed by Britain in the area,  the
Sultan and the Pasha promised their warships would not be used in the
war against Su'ud or any Sheikh in the war zone. Kuwait, which was not
a party  to the above-mentioned treaty of 1861, was under no such
obligation especially since the expedition was not directed against
those who had signed it.


[ From the above text, we can see that Kuwait was not part of the
Ottomans or the British colonies. For more details about the mentioned
expedition, please check out the source of the above text:

The Modern History of Kuwait, 1750--1965, by Ahmed Abu-Hakima, McGill
University, Canada ]

---

Independent Kuwait--2

This is another article of a series of articles that testify to the
independence of Kuwait throughout its history from both Iraq and the
Ottomans.

The following text discusses a dispute on an estate called Sufiyya in Zubair, 
Iraq, between the Sheikh of Kuwait and Al-Zuhair tribe in Zubair.

In 1866, trouble developed over the possession by Sheikh Sabah of the
estate which was [purchased] by his father, Sheikh Jabir, in 1836. This
property was sequestered by a Turkish Qa'immaqam [representative] on
the basis of a claim by the Al-Zuhair that the vendor had been the
owner of a share and not of the n 100e Sufiyya. At the same time,
Sheikh Sabah was required to expel from other lands owned by him at
the island of Fao some cultivators who had immigrated from Persian
territory.

It should be recalled that  the Turkish officials from the start
showed strong prejudice in favor of the Zuhair claimants. Abdulla Ibn
Sabah,  the eldest son of the ruler of Kuwait who went to Basra as his
father's agent in the case,  narrowly escaped being thrown  into jail
upon his refusal to make a payment amounting to the value of seven
years produce which the Ottoman authorities deemed the plaintiffs were
entitled to receive.

Eventually, the dispute was settled by the Wali [Governor] of Baghdad
in favor of the Sheikh of Kuwait. The decision of the Governor of
Basra in favor of the Sheikh was apparently made for various reasons.
Some writers think that the Governor wanted to win Abdulla over to the
Turkish side, and suggest that the Governor, Namiq Pasha, even offered
him the title of Qa'immaqam, which he declined. Nevertheless,  the
proceedings of the Turks in this case were regarded by the inhabitants
of Kuwait as attempts to cause a confrontation with Zubair. It seems
that they had anticipated a conflict and according to reports by the
British Agent at Basra, the people of Kuwait were prepared to a man to
abandon their town rather than submit to Turkish rule. Lorimer suggests
that the final order of Namiq Pasha, upholding the Kuwait Sheikh's
title to Sufiyya, was perhaps due to a report that Sheikh Sabah,
``with the object of attacking Zubair if the decision should go
against him, had obtained a promise of countenance and armed support
from the Wahhabi Amir.''

In addition to this legal matter with Zubair, Kuwait had had other
problems with Basra whose courts tried to jail Abdulla Ibn Sabah, as
explained above. However, Kuwait's relations with the Ottoman
mutasallims of Basra had at times been amicable and in several
instances, those mutasallims even sought refuge at Kuwait when
pressured by the Pashas of Baghdad who exercised control over them.

[ Source: The Modern History of Kuwait, 1750--1965, by Ahmed Abu-Hakima, 
McGill University, Canada ]

---

Independent Kuwait--3

This is another article that testifies to the
independence of Kuwait throughout its history from both Iraq and the
Ottomans.


When Pelly [Colonel Pelly, the British Resident in the Gulf] visited Kuwait 
for the first time on March 3, 1863, he was
met at Jahra by Sheikh Mubarak, the second son of the ruler, Sheikh
Sabah. Just before he reached Kuwait town on March 4, he was met by
Sheikh Abdulla, the eldest son and heir apparent, who accompanied him
to the town gate on their way to ``a very good home,'' which had been
prepared for Pelly and his companions. ``Scarcely had we entered it,''
says Pelly, ``when Sheikh Sabah himself came.''
This description of Pelly's reception indicates that to a certain
degree it was run according to protocol.

The government system of Kuwait and administration of justice were the
subject of comments made by Pelly. ``The Government is patriarchal,''
says Pelly, ``the Sheikh managing the political, and the Cazee [Qadi]
the judicial departments. The Sheikh himself would submit to the
Cazee's decision.'' Punishment was rarely inflicted. ``Indeed, there
seems little government interference anywhere, and little need of an
army.'' Pelly in admiration of how the Sheikh ran the affairs of the
country, retold the following remark which the Sheikh had made to him:

When my father was nearly 120 years old, he called me and said, ``I
shall soon die. I have made no fortune, and can leave you no money,
but I have made many and true friends, grapple them. While other
states around the Gulf have fallen off from injustice or
ill-government, mine has gone on [flourishing]. Hold to my policy, and
though you are surrounded by  desert, and pressed by a once hostile
and still wandering set of tribes, you will prosper.''

[ Source: The Modern History of Kuwait, 1750--1965, by Ahmed Abu-Hakima, 
McGill University, Canada ]

---

Independent Kuwait--4

This is another article that testifies to the
independence of Kuwait throughout its history from both Iraq and the
Ottomans.


The British had always regarded Sheikh Jabir as a ``good friend,'' but
in October 1839, an event took place at Kuwait which could have
weakened those good relations. On October 30, Lieutenant Edmunds, the
Assistant Resident at Abu Shahr [in Iran], arrived in Kuwait on  a
special mission from the Resident, Captain Hennell. His mission was to
find out if Kuwait was willing to welcome the establishment of a
British line of post across the desert from Kuwait to the
Mediterranean. The British war vessel fired the usual salute in honor
of the Sheikh after it had anchored in the waters of Kuwait Bay. The
salute was not acknowledged and Edmunds waited in the vessel for three
days before he was able to communicate with the Sheikh.

After Edmunds' return to Abu Shahr, both he and Captain Hennell
explained this unusual behavior of the Sheikh, to have been due not
to ill-will, but principally to a desire to mislead the Egyptian agent
at Kuwait as to the nature of his relations with the British.
Therefore, they considered that Jabir's conduct did not indicate any
change in his friendly policies towards the British.

If the British tolerated the attitude of Jabir towards Edmunds, so
also did the Egyptians. Earlier in the same year, some of the most
wanted men in the Wahhabi camp, such as 'Umar Ibn 'Ufaisan, the
Wahhabi general  in Al-Hasa, and Wahhabi tribes like Al-Duwaish,
sought refuge in Kuwait. 

Protection of refugees seeking political
asylum in his country was a policy that had been adopted earlier by
Sheikh Abdulla Ibn Sabah. This can, therefore, be looked upon as an
indication of self-confidence; an outcome of Kuwait's independence
from foreign powers. It corroborates the fact that Kuwait, if
necessary, was prepared to defend itself against more powerful
neighbors.

This defense depended not only on the walls of the city, but also on
bedouin tribes in its neighborhood and a merchant fleet equipped with
the necessary guns comparable to other Arab fleets of the time.

As to Kuwait's position between 1815 and 1839, one can safely state
that it managed to maintain a neutral policy with regard to the
struggling Wahhabis and Egyptians. Relations with the British  and
even with the Pasha of Baghdad continued on good terms.

[ Source: The Modern History of Kuwait, 1750--1965, by Ahmed Abu-Hakima, 
McGill University, Canada ]

---



-- 
Anwar Mohammed                FREE       Graduate Student
anwar+@cs.cmu.edu              THE       School of Computer Science
Voice: +1 412 268 3043     KUWAITI       Carnegie-Mellon University
Fax:   +1 412 681 5739        POWS       Pittsburgh, PA  15213-3890
Newsgroups: alt.politics.clinton,alt.politics.bush