The Iraqi Invasion ... A Victory Narrative
Kuwait has marked thirty-six years since the Iraqi invasion, yet pages from the book of facts and realities remain open to legitimate questions.
While the national memory is emotionally entrenched, it has not been institutionally completed as it should have been; official documentation was delayed and arrived selectively and timidly, failing to match the gravity of the event or the magnitude of the price paid by the state and society.
It is inaccurate to assert that all facts of the invasion have been documented.
With each anniversary, questions and reservations resurface: Where is the systematic national archiving? Where is the coherent educational narrative that conveys facts to new generations? Where is the annual media presence capable of transforming the anniversary from a fleeting emotional occasion into a sustainable project of national awareness that solidifies lessons and makes it a source of pride and esteem for Kuwaiti identity and national history?
It is inaccurate to assert that all facts of the invasion have been documented.
Religion and Beliefs
Newspapers
News
In contrast, according to Iraq’s narrative dynamics, street agitation has not left the public sphere, while populism has continued to steer political decision-making in Baghdad.
This becomes evident whenever internal storms intensify in Iraq, leading to the reopening of border files and an escalation in rhetoric toward Kuwait, as recently seen in the issue of depositing maritime coordinates with the United Nations.
This scene cannot be read in isolation from the weight of Iranian influence in official decision-making circles in Baghdad.
Iran exerts clear influence over the key pillars of the Iraqi state, from forming governments to managing policy-making and decision-making processes in Baghdad, and fueling sectarianism, thereby making border rhetoric part of a broader regional game.
However, pointing out this reality does not absolve Kuwait of an urgent internal responsibility:
The responsibility to bridge the gap in national awareness and repair the cultural and media void affecting the invasion file.
The invasion was not a transient incident or a political narrative that could be reduced to simple terms; it was a state crime led by a head of state, a political system, and a regular army, against a sovereign state recognized internationally.
Kuwaitis wrote epic tales of resistance and endurance, and the international community’s monitoring was precise, contributing to rallying support for the legitimacy of the political leadership and the justice of the cause.
The “Jeddah Popular Conference,” held during the invasion, constituted a pivotal milestone in consolidating popular unity around the leadership and a solid foundation for building the national narrative and history. Meanwhile, organized popular movements began abroad in decision-making capitals, from Cairo to Washington, involving all segments of society. Literary and artistic works flowed in, documenting the tragedy and exposing the occupation to global public opinion.
The fundamental question today is: Have these pages been preserved in the curriculum?
Are they revived annually as part of a systematic national educational and media plan?
Reality indicates that official efforts have not reached the level commensurate with the scale of the invasion disaster, the depth of Kuwaiti national belonging, and the heroism of sacrifices on both military and civilian levels, within Kuwait and abroad.
The comparison between the populism driving decision-making in Baghdad and the Kuwaiti calm, which leans more toward excessive caution in shaping awareness, reveals a striking paradox: there is a street being politically exploited, while here, a street’s awareness has not been sufficiently utilized.
This is not a call for emotional mobilization, but for a quiet and profound national project: comprehensive archiving, accurate curricula, sustainable cultural and artistic production, and media that recalls the event throughout the year, not just during the liberation anniversary season. For states that fail to write their memory well, they leave a void that others will fill.
The memory of the Iraqi invasion remains an epic of Kuwaiti heroism and a political victory, from August 2, 1990, until liberation and through the reconstruction phase in the 1990s, rather than a defeat as some portray it. Kuwait, along with its people, stood firm and upheld its legitimacy under the banner of its legitimate leadership.
We have a narrative of victory, political and popular heroism, yet it has not been utilized as it should have been, nor has it received its due analysis, documentation, and emphasis on its national and historical significance.
The memory of the Iraqi invasion remains an epic of Kuwaiti heroism and a political victory, from August 2, 1990, until liberation and reconstruction in the 1990s, not a defeat as some depict it. Kuwait stood firm with its people, under the banner of its legitimate leadership.
We have a narrative of victory and steadfastness, political, popular, and governmental heroism, yet it has not been utilized, nor has it received its due analysis and documentation.
