FOREIGN
RELATIONS
Following
independence in June 1961, Kuwait faced its first major foreign
policy problem arising from Iraqi claims to Kuwait's territory.
The Iraqis threatened invasion but were dissuaded by the U.K.'s
ready response to the Amir's request for assistance. Kuwait presented
its case before the United Nations and preserved its sovereignty.
U.K. forces were later withdrawn and replaced by troops from Arab
League nations, which were withdrawn in 1963 at Kuwait's request.
On August
2, 1990, Iraq invaded and occupied Kuwait. Through U.S. efforts,
a multinational coalition was assembled, and, under UN auspices,
initiated military action against Iraq to liberate Kuwait. Arab
states, especially the other five members of the Gulf Cooperation
Council (Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, and the United Arab
Emirates), Egypt, and Syria, supported Kuwait by sending troops
to fight with the coalition. Many European and East Asian states
sent troops, equipment, and/or financial support.
After
liberation, Kuwait concentrated its foreign policy efforts on
development of ties to states which had participated in the multinational
coalition. Notably, these states were given the lead role in Kuwait's
reconstruction. Kuwait's relations with those nations that supported
Iraq, among them Jordan, Sudan, Yemen, and Cuba, were slow to
recover. Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Chairman Yasir
Arafat's support for Saddam Hussein during the war also affected
Kuwait's attitudes toward the PLO though Kuwait supports the Arab-Israeli
peace process.
The Government
of Kuwait has abandoned its previous policy of limiting the entry
of workers from nations whose leaders had supported Iraq during
the Gulf War. In August 2001, the Interior Minister announced
that there were no longer any special restrictions or permits
required for Palestinian workers wishing to return to the country.
At the end of 2002, there were approximately 30,000 to 40,000
Palestinians, 30,000 to 40,000 Jordanians, and 5,000 Yemenis resident
in Kuwait.
Since
liberation from Iraq, Kuwait has made efforts to secure allies
throughout the world, particularly UN Security Council members.
In addition to the United States, defense arrangements have been
concluded with the United Kingdom, Russia, and France. Ties to
other key Arab members of the Gulf War coalition--Egypt and Syria--also
have been sustained.
During the 2002-03 buildup to and execution of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), Kuwait was a vital coalition partner, reserving a full 60% of its total land mass for use by coalition forces and donating significant assistance in kind to the effort. Kuwait continues to provide generous assistance in kind to ongoing coalition operations in Iraq. Kuwait has been consistently involved in reconstruction efforts in Iraq, pledging $1.5 billion at the October 2003 international donors' conference in Madrid, and consulting closely with Iraqi officials, including former Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaffari, who visited Kuwait in late October 2005, and Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who visited in July 2006 and again in April 2007. Kuwait has been an active and vocal public supporter of the political process in Iraq, welcoming the January 2005 elections and praising Iraq's October 2005 successful constitutional referendum. In April 2008 Kuwait hosted the Iraq Neighbors’ Conference, which was attended by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki, and foreign ministers from throughout the region. In October 2008, Lieutenant General (retired) Ali Al-Mou’min presented his credentials as Kuwait’s Ambassador to Baghdad to Iraqi President Jalal Talabani.
Kuwait
is a member of the UN and some of its specialized and related
agencies, including the World Bank (IBRD), International Monetary
Fund (IMF), World Trade Organization (WTO), General Agreement
on Tariffs and Trade (GATT); African Development Bank (AFDB),
Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development (AFESD), Arab League,
Arab Monetary Fund (AMF), Council of Arab Economic Unity (CAEU),
Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), Group
of 77 (G-77), Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), INMARSAT, International
Development Association (IDA), International Finance Corporation,
International Fund for Agricultural Development, International
Labor Organization (ILO), International Maritime Organization,
Interpol, INTELSAT, IOC, Islamic Development Bank (IDB), League
of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (LORCS), Non-Aligned Movement,
Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC), Organization
of the Islamic Conference (OIC), Organization of Petroleum Exporting
Countries (OPEC), and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
DEFENSE
Before the Gulf War, Kuwait maintained a small military force
consisting of army, navy, and air force units. The majority of
equipment for the military was supplied by the United Kingdom.
Aside from the few units that were able to escape to Saudi Arabia,
including a majority of the air force, all of this equipment was
either destroyed or taken by the Iraqis. Much of the property
returned by Iraq after the Gulf War was damaged beyond repair.
Iraq retained a substantial amount of captured Kuwaiti military
equipment in violation of UN resolutions.
Since
liberation, Kuwait, with the help of the United States and other
allies, has made significant efforts to increase the size and
modernity of its armed forces. These efforts are succeeding. The
government also continues to improve defense arrangements with
other Arab states, as well as UN Security Council members. During
Operation Iraqi Freedom, in 2003, Kuwaiti military elements successfully
operated missile defense systems.
A separately
organized National Guard maintains internal security. The police
constitute a single national force under the purview of civilian
authorities of the Ministry of Interior.
U.S.-KUWAITI
RELATIONS
The United States opened a consulate in Kuwait in October 1951,
which was elevated to embassy status at the time of Kuwait's independence
10 years later. The United States supports Kuwait's sovereignty,
security, and independence, as well as its multilateral diplomatic
efforts to build greater cooperation among the GCC countries.
Strategic
cooperation between the United States and Kuwait increased in
1987 with the implementation of a maritime protection regime that
ensured the freedom of navigation through the Gulf for 11 Kuwaiti
tankers that were reflagged with U.S. markings.
The U.S.-Kuwaiti
strategic partnership intensified dramatically again after Iraq’s
invasion of Kuwait. The United States spearheaded UN Security
Council demands that Iraq withdraw from Kuwait and its authorization
of the use of force, if necessary, to remove Iraqi forces from
the occupied country. The Untied States also played a dominant
role in the development of the multinational military operations
Desert Shield and Desert Storm that liberated Kuwait. The U.S.-Kuwaiti
relationship has remained strong in the post-Gulf War period.
Kuwait and the United States worked on a daily basis to monitor
and to enforce Iraq’s compliance with UN Security Council
resolutions, and Kuwait also provided the main platform for Operation
Iraqi Freedom in 2003.
Since Kuwait's liberation, the United States has provided military and defense technical assistance to Kuwait from both foreign military sales (FMS) and commercial sources. The U.S. Office of Military Cooperation in Kuwait is attached to the American embassy and manages the FMS program. There are currently 107 open FMS contracts between the U.S. military and the Kuwait Ministry of Defense totaling $8.4 billion. Principal U.S. military systems currently purchased by the Kuwait Defense Forces are Patriot Missile systems, F-18 Hornet fighters, the M1A2 main battle tank, AH-64D Apache helicopter, and a major recapitalization of Kuwait's Navy with U.S. boats.
Kuwaiti attitudes toward American products have been favorable since the Gulf War. In 1993, Kuwait publicly announced abandonment of the secondary and tertiary aspects of the Arab boycott of Israel (those aspects affecting U.S. firms). The United States is currently Kuwait's largest supplier of goods and services, and Kuwait is the fifth-largest market in the Middle East. U.S. exports to Kuwait totaled $2.14 billion million in 2006. Provided their prices are reasonable, U.S. firms have a competitive advantage in many areas requiring advanced technology, such as oil field equipment and services, electric power generation and distribution equipment, telecommunications gear, consumer goods, and military equipment.
Kuwait also is an important partner in the ongoing U.S.-led campaign against international terrorism, providing assistance in the military, diplomatic, and intelligence arenas and also supporting efforts to block financing of terrorist groups. In January 2005, Kuwait Security Services forces engaged in gun battles with local extremists, resulting in fatalities on both sides in the first such incident in Kuwait’s history.
In January 2008, three Kuwait citizens were designated by the UN 1267 Committee as terrorist facilitators and in May 2008, in compliance with UN 1267 obligations, the Government of Kuwait froze the assets of the three Kuwaitis.
Principal U.S. Officials
Ambassador--Deborah K. Jones
Deputy Chief of Mission--Alan G. Misenheimer
Political Affairs--Peter A. O’Donohue
Commercial Affairs--Nancy Charles-Parker
Economic Affairs--Oliver B. John
Consular Affairs--Santiago “Sonny” Busa
The U.S. Embassy in Kuwait is located at Al Masjed Al Aqsa Street. Block 13, Bayan Plan 36302. The mailing address is P.O. Box 77, SAFAT, 13001 Safat, Kuwait; or PSC 1280 APO AE 09880.
