Kuwait's Lost Lessons!
The lessons that accompany the anniversary of the Iraqi invasion do not necessarily reflect the true lessons learned, nor the magnitude of the lost, i.e., wasted, lessons. Kuwait has not sufficiently presented its vision, documented its lessons, and shared its political experience during the occupation with sister, friendly, and allied nations.
Thirty-six years have passed since the Iraqi invasion, yet Kuwaiti governments and institutions have not provided a comprehensive explanation of the lessons from their political experience during the invasion. This was, in fact, a profound experience worthy of the effort required for documentation, narration, and dissemination.
Certainly, the party to the experience holds the keys to information, documents, and analysis, unlike any other party, even if it was close to the scene and the event. Therefore, Kuwait possesses more than one lesson, narrative, and story to recount and document as realistic political lessons, from a practical perspective that preserves the rights of history and the state’s memory.
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Sister, friendly, and allied nations have the right to learn about Kuwait’s political lessons and experiences from official sources and in the world’s languages, with each anniversary of the Iraqi invasion. The earthquake of occupation that swept through Kuwait was not a transient event to be closed, nor a humanitarian disaster to be forgotten.
One of Kuwait’s deep wounds came from the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), specifically from its then-leader, the ill-fated Yasser Arafat, who was born from the womb of Kuwait. The late Emir, Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, may God have mercy on him, witnessed the depth of the wound and the weight of the pain.
After Kuwait’s liberation, on one occasion, a Kuwaiti political figure, unusually, expressed the heavy burden and personal pain caused by the Palestinian stance, which can hardly be described as less than shame and disgrace, both Arab and Islamic. The shock was profoundly painful for Kuwait, perhaps even more severe than the shock of the invasion itself.
Certainly, official authorities have much to reveal to friends and brothers regarding Kuwait’s political experience with the PLO and its leader, the treacherous “keffiyeh” wearer, Yasser Arafat. They can shed light on the roles and positions witnessed during that period, and the effects they left in Kuwait, Lebanon, and the region, under the banner of alleged struggle.
In reality, we know only the surface of information regarding Kuwait’s relationship with Yasser Arafat, PLO leadership, and Palestinian factions. Nor do we know as much as previous governments knew about the loyal sons of the Palestinian people who stood up for Kuwait’s rights, rejecting the invasion and occupation.
As for Yemen and former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, financial blackmail was most clearly illustrated in a report by the late writer Ahmed Al-Saggaf, following his visit to Yemen on December 14, 1990, as part of a popular delegation. Al-Saggaf documented his conversation with the Yemeni President:
“You formed a club that excluded Yemen from joining, because Yemen is poor, and the club is for the rich. I replied to him: Yemen was divided against itself, so how could the North be accepted while the South is left out? But now, Yemen’s request cannot be rejected. However, there is a new formula we advocate, namely: a confederal union, with Yemen being one of its most important pillars.”
Al-Saggaf added: “Saleh said that although Yemen’s position had been distorted, and he still advised Saddam Hussein to withdraw from Kuwait: ‘Give us ten billion dollars, and we will present them to Saddam Hussein, and you will find Saddam Hussein leaving Kuwait!’”
These brief glimpses highlight the lost lessons that Kuwait has not officially documented. They represent real experiences, while the facts and evidence remain with Kuwaiti official authorities, who can document for future Kuwaiti governments the instances of distortion, falsification, treachery, and betrayal.
