UN General Assembly
1990

Hours after the occupation of Kuwait the Security Council adopted a resolution under Chapter VII of the Charter, demanding the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of Iraqi forces from Kuwait. Five resolutions, condemning the aggression, imposing comprehensive sanctions and calling for concerted international pressure, received the seal of approval of the Council in the span of two weeks; this makes a total of seven resolutions so far. All of a sudden, the major Powers in the Security Council, in particular the United States, rose to the defence of the Charter in an unprecedented manner, claiming that they would not allow any tempering with cardinal and universally recognized principles of international law, employing the means available to the international community in order to ensure the failure of the party which had chosen to solve its problems through resort to force and military occupation of another country, so that the aggressor would be denied any fruit of its aggression. A spectacular public international solidarity to corner the aggressor was painted in front of the unbelieving eyes of the world public.