Al-Zain Al-Sabah: 'Shield and Desert Storm' Monument Commemorates Resilience and Sacrifices of the People and Affirms Values of Friendship
Al-Zain Al-Sabah: The memorial monument for Operations Shield and Desert Storm in Washington commemorates the resilience and sacrifices of the Kuwaiti people and affirms values of friendship and alliance.
Translated by Qiyas from الراي — Original source
Kuwait’s Ambassador to the United States, Sheikha Al-Zain Al-Sabah, affirmed that the memorial to Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, located in the heart of Washington, D.C., immortalizes the resilience of a nation and the sacrifices of its people, while underscoring the values of friendship, alliance, and peace for future generations.
This statement was made in an article published by Ambassador Al-Zain Al-Sabah in the American magazine Newsweek, ahead of the unveiling of the Desert Shield and Desert Storm memorial at the National Mall in downtown Washington, D.C., next Saturday. The memorial honors the efforts and sacrifices of U.S. and coalition forces that participated in the liberation of Kuwait in 1991.
She stated that the memorial will preserve a “pivotal chapter” in the shared history of Kuwait and the United States, highlighting the Kuwaiti people’s gratitude for the efforts and sacrifices made to liberate Kuwait and conveying these memories to future generations.
She noted that the memorial represents “the resilience of a people and the courage of those who fulfilled their duty, as well as timeless friendships, and it constantly reminds us of what can be achieved when the principles of international law and justice prevail.”
She added that “memories will remain vivid for those of us who witnessed the invasion and liberation, even as they fade from news headlines and become part of history’s pages. We recall those we have lost and the initial moments of liberation, along with the overwhelming sense that our country had regained its freedom.”
She emphasized the importance of the memorial in “bridging the gap between the history we lived through and the history we inherited, providing space for Kuwaiti and American youth, as well as visitors from around the world, to connect with the past, honor those who fulfilled their duty, and absorb the most valuable lessons of that era and what nations and peoples can represent to one another in critical moments.”
She stated that “the United States led an extraordinary international coalition comprising more than thirty countries, whose forces united alongside the Kuwaiti Armed Forces to defend Kuwait’s sovereignty and its people’s right to freedom,” praising the courage and sacrifices of military personnel from various coalition countries who left their homes and families, crossed oceans and borders, to participate in the liberation of Kuwait.
She affirmed that “the sacrifices made by these countries and the international solidarity they embodied will remain an integral part of Kuwait’s liberation story and its national memory.”
Regarding Kuwait-U.S. relations, the Ambassador underscored the strength and durability of the friendship between the two countries, noting that “what was forged amid crises endured and evolved in times of peace.” She explained that the bonds formed through shared sacrifices have become the foundation of a friendship that has deepened over 35 years.
She concluded her article by saying, “After 35 years, when I stand before this memorial, I will recall the image of that 15-year-old girl—a girl who never imagined she would one day stand in Washington as Kuwait’s Ambassador to the United States, before a monument honoring men and women whose courage restored her faith in a world beyond the boundaries of her own, and who stood in defense of what we all value: homeland, society, friendship, and belonging.”
