Excerpts from netnews.talk.politics.mideast: 16-May-93 Re: Saudi
clergy   condemns d.. Robertc. Moldenhauer@par (2149) 

  The whole "saddam is going to invade Saudi Arabia" was nothing but US State 
  Department propeganda.  Saddam (and Iraq in general) never recognised the 
  British created Kuwait.  

This is complete garbage.   It is Kuwait FAQ number 1 (maintained, but
not compiled, by me to rebut the leftist drivel frequently posted wrt
Kuwait): 

------------------------------------------------------------ 

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 
(non-existent) Iraq and the Ottoman Empire. 

--- 

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. 

[1899] Kuwait signs a treaty with Britain and becomes a protectorate. 
(see note below) 

[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. The Amir survived an attempt 
on his life when a bomb-laden car rammed into his motorcade on Arabian 
Gulf Street. 



---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 ] 

--- 






  They were trying to recover land they believed 
  was theirs, much like the Argentines in the Faulklands.  The Kuwaitis pushed 
  just a little too far by taking Iraqi oil and Saddam thought he'd settle 
  the dispute the old fashioned way... 

Are you really this cartoonish?  Or do you seriously believe this?  If
so, please post  your proof. 

  Everybody would have been much better off had they left the reunited Iraq 
  together and concentrated on taking out Saddam.  A strong, united Iraq with 
  an elected government would have gone a long way to ridding the world of 
  the feudal dictatorships in the Gulf. 