Kuwaiti national security and the U.S.-Kuwaiti strategic relationship after Saddam
By: W. Andrew Terrill.
Contributors: Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute.
Publisher: Strategic Studies Institute, U.S. Army War College
Published: 2007
Place of publication: Carlisle, PA
Language: eng
Number of pages: 102
ISBN-13: 9781584873051
Subjects: National security -- Kuwait; Persian Gulf War, 1991; Kuwait -- Strategic aspects; United States -- Military relations -- Kuwait; Kuwait -- Military relations -- United States; Kuwait -- Relations -- Iraq; Iraq -- Relations -- Kuwait
Description: The U.S.-Kuwaiti military and political relationship has been of considerable value to both countries since at least 1990. This alliance was formed in the aftermath of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein's brutal invasion of Kuwait and the U.S. decision to free Kuwait with military force in 1991. Saddam's later defeat and removal from power in 2003 has ended an important rationale for the alliance, but a close look at current strategic realities in the Gulf suggests that Kuwait remains an important U.S. ally. It is also an ally that faces a number of serious national security concerns in the turbulent post-Saddam era. Problems with an assertive Iran, an unstable Iraq, and the continuing threat of terrorism will require both Kuwaitis and Americans to rethink and revise previous security approaches to meet the shared goals of reducing terrorism and regional instability.
Notes: "September 2007."

Includes bibliographical references (p. 85-102).

Electronic version also available on the SSI website.
Table of contents: title: Introduction; title: The structure of the Kuwaiti political system; title: The nature of Iraqi claims against Kuwait; title: The looming threat: Iraq's long-standing interest in Kuwait; title: Kuwait security policies and relations with the United States before the 1990 Iraqi invasion; title: The Iraqi invasion, Operation Desert Storm, and the emergence of the U.S.-Kuwaiti alliance; title: The evolution of the Kuwaiti military and its capabilities; title: The end of the Saddam Hussein regime and legacies of the sanctions years; title: Kuwaiti concerns about Iraqi insurgency and sectarian warfare; title: Contemporary political differences between Kuwait and the United States; title: Kuwait and Iran; title: The terrorist threat in Kuwait; title: Political tensions and political reform in Kuwait; title: Conclusion.