Iraq captured Kuwait. Iraq's external debts

Ilya Kramnik, military observer for RIA Novosti.

“I have direct instructions from the president to seek improved relations with Iraq. We have no point of view on inter-Arab conflicts, such as your border dispute with Kuwait... This topic is not related to America.” These words of the US Ambassador to Baghdad, April Glaspie, are still considered by many to be one of the main reasons for the events that unfolded on August 2, 1990, when the Iraqi armed forces invaded Kuwait.

The Gulf War, which became one of the main events of the late 20th century that outlined the contours of the new world that replaced the world of superpowers, is fraught with many mysteries. And one of the first is the reason for Iraq's invasion of a neighboring state.

Kuwait, a small but oil-rich emirate, has long been of interest to Iraq. Iraq made its first attempt to annex Kuwait by force back in 1961, when the emirate had just become independent. In those days, Great Britain had to restrain the aggressive aspirations of the Baghdad Qasem regime, which, like the United States later, put together a coalition and sent its own sea and air forces to the Persian Gulf. Things did not come to war - after assessing the situation, General Kassem limited himself to aggressive rhetoric.

Thirty years later, Saddam Hussein did not limit himself to rhetoric. Events developed quite quickly. On July 18, 1990, Iraq accused Kuwait of “oil theft” - the emirate allegedly pumped it out of Iraqi fields using directional drilling technologies.
As compensation for damages, Kuwait had to forgive Iraq's debt and pay another $2.5 billion. The Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Jaber al-Ahmed al-Jaber al-Sabah, refused to comply with the demands.

Iraqi troops began to converge on the Kuwaiti border, but Saddam Hussein told the mediator in negotiations with Kuwait, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, that he was ready to resolve the dispute peacefully.

On July 25, a meeting took place between Saddam Hussein and US Ambassador April Glaspie, at which the ambassador spoke the words with which we began the article. Historians interpret these words differently. Some argue that the US de facto provoked Iraq by authorizing the ambassador to declare non-intervention. The second is that Hussein interpreted them incorrectly.

On July 31, 1990, the Iraqi side disrupted negotiations in Jeddah, and already on August 2, simultaneously with the message about the “revolution” in Kuwait, a 120,000-strong Iraqi group crossed the border. The capital of the country, Kuwait City, was captured. The emir managed to evacuate to Saudi Arabia.

On the same day, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution No. 660, obliging Iraq to immediately withdraw its troops from Kuwait. The USA, France and Great Britain announced sanctions against Baghdad, and the USSR and China soon joined these sanctions.

Already on August 7, the United States launched Operation Desert Shield - the first units of the US Air Force and Army arrived in Saudi Arabia.
War seemed inevitable, but Saddam Hussein was in no hurry to withdraw his troops from Kuwait. According to some experts, he still relied on the fact that the ongoing preparations were being made “for show”; according to others, he relied on the ability of the Iraqi armed forces to win the impending war.

It should be noted that the hopes of the Iraqi leader were not unfounded. Equipped with relatively modern weapons of Soviet, Chinese and French origin, the Iraqi armed forces had almost 10 years of experience in the bloody Iran-Iraq War and counterinsurgency operations in the Kurdistan Region. The size of the army and its equipment inspired hope of victory - in a traditional war.
But the West was not going to wage a traditional war. Having studied the experience, both its own - in Vietnam and other conflicts, and others, the United States relied on superiority in air power, on an air offensive that was supposed to deprive Iraq of the opportunity to continue the war.

At the same time, large-scale ground battles were not planned, although they were considered an option. The United States and its allies have pulled together an impressively large military group to the borders of Iraq. Coalition forces numbered up to 600 thousand people, over 4 thousand tanks, more than 3,700 field artillery pieces and mortars, about 2 thousand aircraft and more than 100 ships, including six multi-purpose aircraft carriers and two battleships with modern Tomahawk cruise missiles.

About 80% of these forces and assets were American, they were equipped with the latest strike systems of precision weapons and military equipment. Iraq was somewhat superior to the anti-Iraqi coalition in personnel, tanks and artillery systems (over 700 thousand military personnel, about 5 thousand tanks, more than 8 thousand field artillery guns and mortars) but was significantly inferior in the number of combat aircraft (about 700) and naval forces ( about 10 ships).

Iraq was even more inferior in terms of control and communications, and most importantly, in military doctrine. Iraq was not ready for a massive air offensive that knocked out critical targets and was unable to counter it.

But the most important mistake was Hussein’s own miscalculation regarding the US’s readiness for war and the scale of the changes that had occurred in the world. By underestimating all this, Saddam Hussein doomed his country to defeat.

Operation Desert Storm weakened Britain's position in the Persian Gulf and showed China the seriousness of American intentions

The 20th century has been alarming from the very beginning. The European colonial metropolises are preparing for a world war, bringing disaster closer. Germany, with the support of American capital, is building the Baghdad railway to reach the shores of the Persian Gulf. William II declares his "personal interest in the Baghdad enterprise." And the Ottoman Turks insist on building a road through Sivas and Diyarbakir (Eastern Anatolia). The Germans are adamant - the path must go through Konya, Adana and Aleppo. In response, Britain is trying to secure the route to India, which covers Arab possessions Ottoman Empire. The final destination of the German infrastructure project is Kuwait, which has been part of the Ottoman Basra vilayet since 1875.

London is not ready to leave a legacy of such magnitude to Berlin. The diplomatic siege of Constantinople begins, which on July 29, 1913 ends with the signing of the Anglo-Ottoman Convention, which granted greater autonomy to the princes of Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain. True, under the de facto protectorate of London, which now controls navigation on the Shatt al-Arab River. Kuwaiti Sheikh Mubarak al-Sabah gains power over a zone within a radius of 80 kilometers from the capital. His gratitude knows no bounds: in October 1913, he gave the British exclusive rights to oil production. The Anglo-Ottoman Convention would never be ratified due to the outbreak of the First World War. And there is no need. After all, the Arab Revolt of 1916 would freeze the Baghdad Enterprise, and from 1919 to 1921 Kuwait would fight with Najd (the future Saudi Arabia). In 1922, British High Commissioner to Iraq Percy Cox, British political agent in Kuwait John More and Ibn Saud (then Sultan of Najd) agreed on the Uqair Protocol, which determined the borders of modern Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Iraq. For Kuwait, the document will turn into a real curse - the British will give Ibn Saud two-thirds of the territory of the principality.

Ground phase of Operation Desert Storm

Who would have thought then that on August 2, 1990, Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, now in defiance of the Saudis and Americans, would decide to completely take over Kuwait, thereby devaluing the colonial idea of ​​state borders? “I could not remain silent when Kuwait, by agreement with Saudi Arabia and under pressure from the United States, decided to sharply lower the world price of oil,” Hussein would later say in a conversation with academician Yevgeny Primakov. In the book “Confidential. “The Middle East on stage and behind the scenes,” the former head of the Russian government will describe Baghdad’s motivation as follows: “After the end of the war with Iran, Saddam turned to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Abu Dhabi with a request to provide him with loans and maintain OPEC oil production quotas so that world oil prices remain at high level. Kuwait responded that since there was no longer an Iranian threat, there was no need to continue financial assistance Iraq. At the same time, Kuwait and Abu Dhabi increased their oil production quota, and the price fell sharply from $19 to $11 per barrel. According to Saddam, Iraq in such a situation would turn into a bankrupt state. And together with Kuwait, whose independence was never recognized by Baghdad, even under the monarchy, Iraq will be the most important oil center, on which world oil prices will primarily depend.”

At first glance it may seem strange, but Hussein received an unspoken sanction for the war from the United States. Suffice it to recall July 25, 1990, when the President of Iraq met with the American Ambassador April Glaspie for discussion"Kuwait issue". “I have direct instructions from the president to seek improved relations with Iraq. We do not have a point of view on inter-Arab conflicts, such as your border dispute with Kuwait... This topic is not related to America,” Glaspie said at the time. But why? The situation will become clearer following the results of military operations, when it turns out that Iraqi units retreating from Kuwait will blow up 100 oil wells in Rumaila, which belonged to the British corporation BP. American investments in the emirate will not be touched by Hussein’s troops: for the sake of “decency,” only one tower belonging to the British competitor, Standard Oil, will be blown up.

Burning oil fields

By his actions, the Iraqi leader violated the British “East of Suez” doctrine, adopted by the authorities of the united kingdom in 1964 in order to maintain a presence in the Persian Gulf, Indian and Pacific Oceans, as well as the 1980 doctrine of US President Jimmy Carter, which warned: “Attempts by any outside power to gain control of the Persian Gulf region will be considered an attack on the vital interests of the United States of America, and such attack will be repelled by any means necessary, including including military force." And the Americans reacted. 36 countries joined the international coalition, led by US President George H. W. Bush. On January 17, when the allied group in Saudi Arabia reached a million people, Operation Desert Storm began, during which the entire territory of Kuwait was liberated by the end of February. What was it?

“Lord, we got rid of the Vietnam syndrome once and for all!” - Bush Sr. declared in public. But in the strange Iraq-Kuwait war, something more happened than overcoming psychological complexes. First, the Pentagon operated in former colonial territories of the British Empire, which seemed unshakable even despite the Suez crisis of 1956. Secondly, the operation was carried out in the context of the capitulation of the USSR leadership led by Mikhail Gorbachev and the rise of China as a world economic power, which since 1993 began to import large volumes of oil from the Persian Gulf zone. That is, the White House was solving several strategic problems at once: obstructing British oil interests in the region of Kuwait and Iraqi Basra, and also imposing new rules of the game on Beijing in conditions when Soviet Union withdrawn from his global role. The colonial song “Rule, Britannia!”, authored by the famous Scottish playwright James Thomson (1700−1748), has lost its former appeal.

Sarkis Tsaturyan

In modern historiography, there are two wars in the Persian Gulf. The first one ran in 1990-1991. The conflict over oil led to the Iraqi army's invasion of Kuwait and occupation of the small emirate. In response to Saddam Hussein's actions, the UN initiated an international coalition invasion of his country. Then the status quo was restored. Another 12 years later, there was a second invasion of Iraq, initiated by the United States. This war is sometimes called the second Gulf War. As a result, Saddam Hussein's power was overthrown, and he himself was executed by decision of the Baghdad court.

Causes of the conflict

The famous Gulf Wars began on August 2, 1990, when Iraqi troops invaded neighboring Kuwait. The basis of the economy of this small state was oil production. It was because of this resource that the conflict began.

In July, Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein publicly accused the Kuwaiti authorities of illegally extracting oil from a field located in Iraq for several years. Baghdad demanded to pay a multi-billion dollar fine. Emir of Kuwait Jaber III refused to follow Hussein's lead.

Invasion of Kuwait

After this, the Iraqi army invaded the small neighboring country. Most of the Kuwaiti forces managed to relocate to Saudi Arabia. The emir, who headed the government in exile in the city of Dhahran, did the same. The invaders did not encounter any serious resistance. Just two days later, on August 4, the Iraqi army took control of the entire territory of Kuwait. Saddam Hussein's troops lost almost 300 people dead. In the Kuwaiti armed forces, this figure reached 4 thousand.

Thus began the Gulf Wars. In the occupied country, the puppet Republic of Kuwait, dependent on Baghdad, was proclaimed. This quasi-state was headed by officers who agreed to become collaborators with Hussein. Another week later they asked the neighboring country for a merger, which was done. On August 28, Kuwait became one of the provinces of Iraq.

International response

On the very first day of the Gulf War, it was urgently convened. At its meeting, a resolution was adopted in which the organization demanded that the Iraqi authorities withdraw troops from the neighboring country. At the same time, the Western powers seized all bank accounts of the Baghdad leadership on their territory and imposed an arms embargo.

After the occupation of Kuwait, shootings began on the border between Iraq and Saudi Arabia. The leaderships of both countries began to pull their divisions and regiments to their borders. The Middle East has always been a boiling cauldron. Now this region could finally turn into a sea of ​​blood.

Meanwhile, in Iraq itself, arrests began of citizens of Western countries who announced sanctions against its authorities. Until the end of the Gulf War, these people essentially remained hostages. The main initiator of the fight against Iraq was the United States. By 1990 it was virtually over. The Soviet Union was on the verge of an economic crisis, and the entire communist world system was in its death throes. Under these conditions, the United States became the only state that could speak from a position of strength with Saddam Hussein. It was around this that a coalition began to form (mainly from NATO member countries), which would later be deployed to Iraq. It should be noted that the USSR supported the actions of the multinational forces (MNF).

"Desert Shield"

From August 1990 to January 1991, the armies of the international coalition concentrated their aviation and ground forces on Saudi Arabian territory in order to prepare for the invasion of Iraq and prevent Hussein from attacking Saudi Arabia itself. There were no intense battles during this period, so we can say that it was an organizational pause that took place during the Gulf War. Participants called the effort to transfer forces to Saudi Arabia Operation Desert Shield.

Not only equipment was delivered to the Middle East, but also food, fuel, medicine and much more. All this was done on the assumption that the war could be extremely prolonged. By the beginning of 1991, the coalition managed to concentrate significant forces near the Iraqi border, superior in power and capabilities to the enemy’s equipment.

"Desert Storm"

On January 17, 1991, international coalition aircraft began bombing Iraq. The attacks were carried out mainly at night. Their main goal was the country's important military and economic infrastructure. A record number of flights (almost five thousand) were made over two days. The First Gulf War has reached its decisive stage. The coalition immediately managed to gain air superiority and destroy important production plants. At the same time, Iraqi ground artillery began bombing neighboring Saudi Arabia (where the enemy sorties originated) and Israel. In February, Allied attacks affected communications, ammunition depots, launch sites, industrial facilities, etc. All this was done in order to facilitate future ground operations. The First Gulf War was a unique event for its contemporaries precisely because of the importance that aviation received.

On the night of February 24, 1991, the coalition ground operation began. An American landing force was deployed on the coast of the Persian Gulf (in the territory of occupied Kuwait). The offensive was rapid on all sectors of the front. The units that crossed the Iraqi border in the western and central directions easily overcame the border fortifications and advanced 30 kilometers overnight.

By the evening of February 26, Saddam Hussein was liberated from the troops. Two days later, the Iraqi army ceased resistance on all sectors of the front. Its equipment was largely destroyed, and people were demoralized. The coalition's superiority in strength and technology had an effect. In fact, isolated Iraq fought with the entire civilized world, which condemned the illegal annexation of Kuwait.

Results

With the advent of peace, all parties to the conflict began to analyze the consequences of the war in the Persian Gulf. In the coalition, the heaviest losses occurred in the US Army. 298 people were killed, 40 aircraft, 33 tanks, etc. were destroyed. The losses of the remaining countries were insignificant due to the small proportion of the contingent compared to American units.

Data on deaths on the Iraqi side are more contradictory. After the war in Western media mass media a variety of assessments appeared. Figures were given from 25 to 100 thousand dead soldiers. According to official statistics provided by the Iraqi government, more than two thousand civilians were killed due to airstrikes. Data on army casualties in Baghdad were not published or advertised, making them very difficult to judge. Western research in any case could not be based on verified and confirmed information. In technology, Iraq lost more than 300 aircraft, 19 ships, and about 3 thousand tanks. It is interesting that a considerable part of them were Soviet-made. The government of Saddam Hussein has been massively purchasing USSR equipment since the 70s. By 1990, all these tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, etc. were already noticeably outdated compared to the new models of the Americans and Europeans.

Films about the Gulf War (Jarhead, Courage in Action) show another unique phenomenon associated with this conflict. Many American soldiers who were in Iraq began to experience severe stress upon returning home. In some ways, this mass disease was similar to what veterans of Vietnam in the USA and Afghanistan in the USSR had previously experienced. In popular culture, the phenomenon is called the “Gulf War Syndrome.”

Environmental consequences

Before leaving Kuwait, Iraqi troops began dumping oil into the Persian Gulf. These actions were later called environmental terrorism. Although Allied aircraft tried to paralyze the oil industry of occupied Kuwait with the help of precision bombing, more than 8 million barrels of harmful oil ended up in the sea. environment substances.

The consequences were terrible - thousands of birds, many fish and other fauna died. In the Middle East, for some time after this, there were so-called black rains. The actions of the fleeing Iraqi army led to the largest environmental disaster of its time.

Isolation of Iraq

What were the political consequences of the Gulf War? In short, the status quo was restored in the region. Kuwait was liberated and a legitimate government returned there. Saddam Hussein made his official apology to this country in 2002, which, however, was not accepted. For Iraq, after Desert Storm, a period of isolation began. Western sanctions remained in place.

After the defeat in the war, uprisings of Kurds and Shiites began in the north of the country. Protests by ethnic and religious minorities were brutally suppressed by the Iraqi army. Punitive operations resulted in the region. Because of this, international coalition troops were sent to the northern regions. This decision was motivated by ensuring the security of the Kurds. In addition, to stop the bombing of civilians, no-fly zones were introduced where Iraqi planes could not fly.

The Gulf War, the causes of which lay in the adventurous decisions of Saddam Hussein, led to an escalation of tension throughout the Middle East. Although the situation has relatively stabilized since its end, many unresolved contradictions and conflicts remain in the region. Because of them, more than ten years later, the second war began in the Persian Gulf.

Prerequisites for a new war

After the end of the war in 1991, the UN demanded that Iraq get rid of existing weapons of mass destruction (chemical, bacteriological) and suspend the development of new ones. For this purpose, an international commission was sent to the country. She successfully monitored the implementation of the UN decision until the end of the 90s, when the Iraqi authorities refused to cooperate with this structure. The problem of Hussein's possession of prohibited weapons became one of the reasons for the next war in the Persian Gulf. There were no other reasons for the invasion of US forces and its allies until 2001. Then on September 11, terrorist attacks carried out by the al-Qaeda group occurred in New York. Later, the American leadership accused Hussein of having connections with these Islamists.

The US claims have been questioned from a variety of angles. There is still a widespread view that the American invasion was not only misguided, but also illegal. The US and coalition allies (primarily the UK) attacked Iraq without UN permission, thus violating the organization's Charter.

Second invasion of Iraq

On March 20, 2003, a new invasion of Iraq by the international coalition began. In addition to the United States, the union includes 35 more countries. This time, unlike the First Gulf War, there was no such thorough aerial bombardment. The emphasis was on a land invasion, for which Kuwait became the springboard. The active phase of the operation in March-May 2003 is today known as the Second Gulf War (although in fact the fighting took place throughout the country, and not just on the coast).

In three weeks, the coalition managed to capture everything Largest cities countries. The battle for Baghdad took place from April 3 to April 12. International troops met almost no resistance. The Iraqi army was demoralized. In addition, a significant part of the local population was dissatisfied with the dictatorial power of Saddam Hussein and therefore only welcomed foreigners with joy. The president of the country himself fled the capital, and for a long time was on the run. He was discovered only on December 13, 2003, in the basement of an unremarkable house in the small village of Ed-Daur. Hussein was arrested and put on trial. He was accused of genocide of the Kurds and numerous war crimes (including during the war in Kuwait in 1990-1991). December 30, 2006 former dictator was executed by hanging.

The results of another war

The overthrow of the former Baath Party government in Iraq was the main result of the second Gulf War. Photos of the arrested and tried Saddam Hussein spread all over the world. After the territory of Iraq was occupied by troops of the international coalition, democratic elections were held in the country, as a result of which a new government was elected.

American troops remained in Iraq until 2011. This was due to the fact that, despite the fall of Hussein’s regime, the situation in the region only became worse. Documentaries about the Gulf War, which criticized the American invasion, clearly showed how Islamist movements intensified in Iraq. The radicals declared jihad against the interventionists. Terrorist attacks (mostly suicide bombings or car bombs) began to occur regularly in Baghdad.

Now there is a civil war in Iraq, which has taken the form of single attacks by radicals against civilians. Such acts of intimidation are the main instrument of pressure on the pro-American government, which is disliked by the Islamists. In 2011, the general “Arab Spring” began in the Middle East. Because of a similar situation, a quasi-state of Islamists and jihadists - ISIS - emerged in the border areas of these two countries. Today this organization is considered the vanguard of world terrorism (it has managed to eclipse even Al-Qaeda).

The US leadership is often accused of deteriorating the situation in the region due to the American invasion, which led to the emergence of numerous extremist groups fighting not only in their homeland, but also launching attacks on civilians in Europe and the rest of the world. . On the other hand, after the 2003 war, the issue of the Kurds fighting for their independence in northern Iraq is still unresolved.

In the summer of 1990, a three-day armed conflict occurred in the Middle East, which most seriously affected the future of not only the region, but the entire world. At the center of events was Kuwait, a small but extremely oil-rich state on the shores of the Persian Gulf.

The Ottomans, British, and Germans fought for control of Kuwait. Kuwait, while maintaining formal institutions of local government, for many decades maneuvered between various external forces trying to subjugate it.

The Emirate of Kuwait gained official independence in 1961. And almost immediately he almost lost her. Iraq, Kuwait's neighbor, had its own views on history. Iraqi politicians believed that Kuwait was nothing more than the 19th province of Iraq, previously illegally seized from it.

The annexation of Kuwait to Iraq was prevented by Great Britain, which threatened official Baghdad with armed intervention. The then Iraqi authorities preferred not to bring the matter to war.

Saddam's "Right War"

Ayatollah Ruhollah al-Musawi al-Khomeini. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org

In 1979, the Islamic Revolution took place in Iran, bringing to power Ayatollah Khomeini- a fierce opponent of the United States and the Soviet Union.

The United States, extremely dissatisfied with this development of events, which weakened its influence in the Middle East, began to look for force that could be directed against Iran.

Iraq became such a force, led by the energetic leader Saddam Hussein. Iran actively supported Shiite groups operating in Iraq, and Iraq made territorial claims against Iran. On September 22, 1980, the Iraqi army launched its invasion.

The United States supported Iraq by providing Saddam Hussein with intelligence information, loans, and weapons and even materials to create chemical weapons.

The Iran-Iraq war lasted for eight long years, resulted in large material losses for both countries, huge human casualties, and ended in peace on the conditions that existed before it began.

Invasion as a means of paying off debt

The war caused great damage to the Iraqi economy and resulted in a serious decline in the living standards of its citizens. In addition, large loans were taken from other states to wage the war. All this made the position of the Hussein regime quite unstable.

The Iraqi leader was painfully searching for a way out of the crisis. At this time, he remembered his long-standing claims to Kuwait.

During the Iran-Iraq War, Kuwait, openly fearful of the rise of Iran and the expansion of its influence in the region, allocated loans to Iraq totaling $15 billion. However, after the end of the war, relations between the two countries began to deteriorate.

Iraq accused Kuwait of “stealing” oil from border Iraqi fields. This meant Kuwait’s use of directional drilling technologies, which, by the way, were received by the Kuwaitis from the United States.

Saddam Hussein demanded that Kuwait write off the Iraqi debt completely, as well as pay two and a half billion dollars in compensation.

Burning oil wells during the invasion of Kuwait. Frame youtube.com

“This topic has nothing to do with America”

Kuwait had close ties with the United States, which the Iraqi leader was well aware of.

The main question that historians and political scientists still cannot find an answer to is why Saddam Hussein decided to attack Kuwait?

At various times, quite exotic versions were put forward - they either talked about Saddam’s addiction to hashish, or they claimed that the Kuwaiti ambassador at the negotiations allowed himself the audacity to call Iraqi women prostitutes.

However, serious analysts are inclined to believe that the head of Iraq was convinced that no tough response would come from Washington.

Meeting between April Glaspie and Iraqi President Saddam Hussein on July 25, 1990. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org

This could be attributed to Saddam Hussein's self-confidence, if not for Washington's rather vague and vague position during the period of aggravation of the situation between Iraq and Kuwait. Despite the fact that the Iraqi leader spoke quite transparently about his intentions, the United States did not stop him.

On July 25, 1990, Saddam Hussein met with US Ambassador April Glaspie. The “Kuwait issue” was also discussed at the negotiations. “I have direct instructions from the president to seek improved relations with Iraq. We do not have a point of view on inter-Arab conflicts, such as your border dispute with Kuwait... This topic is not related to America,” Glaspie said.

These words, according to experts, became a signal for the Iraqi leader to take active action.

Washington combinators

It can be said that Hussein misinterpreted the ambassador's words. But if Washington wanted to prevent an invasion of Kuwait, why didn't Ms. Glaspie be clearer?

Hussein's ambitions were very convenient for Washington. Strengthening the military presence in the oil-rich region, not far from the borders of Iran, was considered necessary by US military strategists. However, the deployment of large military forces without good reason could provoke resentment among Arab countries, which already did not favor the Americans.

Military intervention to restore justice and suppress the aggression of large Iraq with a powerful army against its small and defenseless neighbor is another matter.

An interesting point: when the Iraqi army is subsequently completely defeated during Operation Desert Storm and the United States, at the head of the coalition forces, will be able to dictate its will to Iraq, for some unknown reason they will not demand Hussein’s departure and will allow it for another 12 years being the leader of the country. It seems that Washington politicians skillfully used Saddam for their own purposes, from the Iran-Iraq war until his death.

Be that as it may, after July 25, 1990, Saddam Hussein was sure that now no one and nothing would interfere with him.

Saddam Hussein. Photo: www.globallookpress.com

"Revolution" in Kuwait

At the end of July, through mediation Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak Negotiations were organized between Iraq and Kuwait. On August 1, 1990, they were finally disrupted. Iraq insisted on debt cancellation, compensation and grant assistance. Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah stated that such demands are unacceptable.

At that moment, Iraqi troops were actively advancing to the Kuwaiti border.

On the morning of August 2, 1990, Iraqi television announced that a revolution had occurred in Kuwait and the “Provisional Government of Free Kuwait,” consisting of 9 officers of the Kuwaiti army, turned to Iraq for help in the fight against the monarchical regime, pursuing an anti-people policy and mired in corruption. In response to a call for help, Saddam Hussein ordered the army to enter Kuwait.

The “Provisional Government of Free Kuwait” did exist, but it did not have any widespread support. The force operation was carried out entirely by Iraqis.

At about 1:30 on August 2, Iraqi special forces landed from helicopters in the area of ​​​​the residence of the Emir of Kuwait in the Dasman Palace, intending to capture the head of state. However, the emir's guard, which entered the battle, repelled this attack, which allowed the leader of Kuwait to escape by helicopter to Saudi Arabia.

Three-day blitzkrieg

At 2 a.m., a full-scale invasion of 120,000 Iraqi troops began. Aircraft bombed Kuwait, and marines landed on the coast.

By 5 o'clock in the morning the main forces of the Iraqi army approached the Dasman Palace. The battle for him lasted until the evening and ended in the defeat of the Kuwaiti forces. During the capture of the palace he was killed brother of the Emir of Kuwait Fahad al-Ahmed al-Jaber.

Resistance by various units of the Kuwaiti Army continued until August 4. The 35th Tank Brigade of the Kuwaiti Army in the area of ​​the western suburb of Kuwait Al-Jahra held back the advance of a large enemy tank group for more than two days.

War in Kuwait, 1990. Frame youtube.com

Despite this, by the evening of August 4, the Kuwaiti army was completely defeated, and the territory of the country came under the control of Iraqi forces.

During the military operation, the Iraqis lost 295 people killed and about 360 wounded. The losses of the Kuwaiti army were much greater: 4,200 people were killed, and about 12 thousand were captured. Kuwaiti soldiers who escaped death and capture took refuge in Saudi Arabia.

Fatal Delusion

A few days later, the "Provisional Government of Free Kuwait" turned to Iraq with a request to join. On August 28, Kuwait was officially declared the 19th province of Iraq.

Clouds were already gathering over Iraq. The UN Security Council demanded the immediate withdrawal of Iraqi troops from Kuwait. Economic sanctions were introduced against Hussein's regime. Washington put together an international coalition and brought its elite military units to the region to punish the aggressor.

Saddam Hussein, extremely pleased with the blitzkrieg carried out, continued to remain convinced that all this vanity was just appearance and window dressing. After all, Ms. Glaspie clearly said that “this topic has nothing to do with America.” Can the United States lie?

25 years ago - on the last day of winter 1991 - Operation Desert Storm ended. Alexander Belonogov, who at that time held the post of Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the USSR, told the “Historian” about the political background and consequences of events in the Persian Gulf zone.

The goal of the operation, carried out by the US-led coalition, was to liberate Kuwait from the Iraqi armed forces that had recently occupied it. It was from this moment that the Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein became one of the main enemies of the West.

It is worth recalling that as a result of the war with Iran, which lasted from 1980 to 1988, Iraq found itself in difficult economic situation. And then Saddam Hussein decided to solve the country's problems at the expense of Kuwait.

On July 18, 1990, he accused Kuwait of stealing oil from Iraqi border fields. Negotiations took place between the two countries, during which Iraq demanded that Kuwait forgive it a debt of $15 billion and pay compensation of $2.5 billion for moral damages. Kuwait refused to meet these demands, and on the night of August 1–2, 1990, Iraqi troops invaded its territory.

The main direction of the attack was the capital - Kuwait. The main battles there took place near the Dasman Palace, where, among others, the emir’s younger brother died Fahd al-Ahmed al-Sabah, known for his activities in the national and Asian Olympic committees. The armed resistance was quickly suppressed by the advancing Iraqi forces, which were many times superior to the enemy.

On the same day, August 2, the UN Security Council (SC) adopted resolution No. 660 on the immediate withdrawal of Iraqi troops from Kuwait. Nevertheless, already in August, Hussein declared Kuwait the 19th province of Iraq. Resolution No. 678, adopted by the UN Security Council on November 29, contained an ultimatum to the President of Iraq: to withdraw troops from Kuwait by January 15, 1991. On January 13, the UN Secretary-General visited Baghdad Perez de Cuellar, but he also could not convince Saddam Hussein of the need to leave the occupied territories.

To force Iraq to withdraw troops, an anti-Iraqi coalition led by the United States was created, which launched Operation Desert Storm. The “Storm” lasted 41 days and included an air operation (January 17–February 23, 1991) and an air-ground operation (February 24–28).

On February 27, Kuwait was liberated. As soon as coalition troops entered Iraq, Saddam Hussein announced his agreement to implement all 12 UN resolutions adopted in connection with the Kuwait crisis. On February 28, hostilities ceased.

ALEXANDER MIKHAILOVICH BELONOGOV

In 1984–1986, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the USSR to the Arab Republic of Egypt.

In 1986–1990, permanent representative of the USSR to the UN. In 1990–1991, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the USSR. Belonogov's terms of reference included relations of the Soviet Union with the countries of the Near, Middle East and Africa.

In 1992–1998, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Russia to Canada. Retired since January 1998. Member Russian Council on international affairs.

Hatred of the Ayatollah

– In 1987, an Iraqi Air Force plane mistakenly attacked the American warship Stark. And although 37 Americans died then, this did not become a reason for the United States to invade Iraq; the scandal was quickly hushed up. What changed in relations between Baghdad and Washington by 1990? Why did the Kuwait crisis occur?

– These two events happened in different conditions and, most importantly, they had different prices. 1987 was the seventh year of a difficult and bloody war between Iraq and Iran. In this war, the sympathies of the United States were on the side of Iraq. And not because of good feelings towards Saddam Hussein and his regime, but because over the American foreign policy hatred of Ayatollah Khomeini prevailed.

Iraqi President Saddam Hussein during the Iran-Iraq War, which lasted eight years from 1980 to 1988

Therefore, when an Iraqi plane, instead of an Iranian tanker, hit an American warship with a missile, the incident was not given any significant political significance, especially since Baghdad hastened to apologize to the United States and paid about $30 million in compensation.

As for Kuwait, it was of great geopolitical importance for the United States. It accounts for approximately 10% of the world's oil reserves, and for the United States it was unacceptable for Iraq to add them to the 10% of the world's oil reserves that it itself owned. Washington also could not allow Iraq to gain wide access to the waters of the Persian Gulf and begin to dominate there. Hence such a reaction to the seizure of Kuwait.

– What were Saddam Hussein’s calculations based on when Iraqi troops invaded Kuwait?

– When developing plans for the attack, Hussein hardly expected to encounter such a harsh reaction from the Soviet Union and the United States. Moreover, I did not think that the UN Security Council would literally within a few hours adopt a resolution condemning Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait and demanding the withdrawal of Iraqi troops.

Hussein, of course, remembered that when he attacked Iran in 1980, the Security Council took no action for six days and then passed a toothless resolution without even calling on Iraq to withdraw its troops. In the case of Kuwait, everything turned out differently.

Fatal mistake

– Why was Hussein confident that Iraq would be able to hold Kuwait?

“He hoped that the blitzkrieg would take everyone by surprise and he would have time to create a puppet regime in Kuwait and, with its help, hold a referendum in the country on the annexation of Kuwait to Iraq. For decades, Baghdad claimed all of Kuwait's territory under the pretext that Iraq and Kuwait were parts of it during the Ottoman Empire.

Hafez Assad - President of Syria from 1971 to 2000 - TASS PHOTO CHRONICLE

But Hussein's plan failed because he did not select in advance those who could be presented as the free government of Kuwait. And then I didn’t find any Kuwaiti quislings from whom such a “government” could be formed.

The quick actions of the UN Security Council created a situation for Saddam for which he was not prepared, and he threw away all disguise, making a fatal mistake - passing through the Iraqi legislature an official act on the annexation of Kuwait to Iraq. No one, even from the Arab governments that sympathized with Baghdad, could agree with this. So Hussein drove himself into a trap.

– Which states could he count on for political support?

– I think it’s to Jordan. For the simple reason that this country depended on Iraq for 90% of its energy needs. Baghdad supplied her with oil at a fabulously low price - $5 per barrel.

Hussein could consider Yemen, whose government was spiritually close to his regime, as another possible support. But the main thing in Yemen’s position was still hostility towards neighboring Saudi Arabia. The Yemenis believed that the most important oil-bearing territories of Saudi Arabia should belong to them, so any threat to Riyadh was perceived by Yemen as a good thing.

In the early days of the Kuwait crisis, Saddam was supported by Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, but then quickly changed his position. There were some other Arab leaders who gave Baghdad verbal support.

– Syria was the first Arab country to condemn the Iraqi aggression. Was the Arab world united in condemning Iraq's attack on Kuwait?

– Hafez Assad’s Syria had very bad relations with Saddam Hussein’s Iraq. In both states the Baath Party was in power. However, the Iraqi Baath was at enmity with the Syrian one. During the Iran-Iraq War, Syria was the only Arab country to take a pro-Iranian position. Everyone else supported Iraq, believing that it was protecting them from Khomeini. Not surprisingly, Syria strongly condemned Iraq's invasion of Kuwait.

On August 3, 1990, the Council of the League of Arab States, which then included 21 countries, met to discuss the situation. A resolution was adopted by a majority vote, which repeated the UN Security Council resolution of August 2. Iraq, Yemen, Sudan, Mauritania voted against, while the Palestine Liberation Organization and Jordan abstained.

The representative of Libya was absent from this meeting. There was no unity, just as there was no unity at the pan-Arab summit held on August 9–10, 1990. The confusion of opinion in the League of Arab States in connection with Iraq's aggression against Kuwait continued for a long time. The next pan-Arab summit took place only six years later.

Iranian soldiers at the front in 1988

Multinational Force

– Was there a threat to Saudi Arabia from Saddam’s Iraq?

– In a sense, it was. Iraq invaded Kuwait with a very large military group, numbering approximately 120 thousand soldiers. The ratio of forces between Iraq and Saudi Arabia was 17:1. Saddam Hussein’s obvious mistake was that he pulled this group close to the border with Saudi Arabia and Iraqi tanks penetrated its territory three times, moving several kilometers into the country (although they retreated after protests).

Riyadh took into account that before the invasion, Hussein accused not only Kuwait, but also the United States of America of various sins, including overproduction of oil. United Arab Emirates. The Iraqis could only reach the UAE by passing through the territory of Saudi Arabia. Therefore, Saudi King Fahd had serious reasons to worry about own safety and national security.

The anti-Saddam coalition and multinational forces were quickly created. The general situation of that time contributed to their formation at a very broad based. The coalition included the USA, Canada and many European countries, including some participants in the Warsaw Pact, a number of states Latin America, the Arab world and Africa, as well as Pakistan, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand.

At the start of Operation Desert Storm, the coalition consisted of 27 states, and by the time it ended - of 37. The Soviet Union did not take part in the formation of multinational forces of the anti-Iraq coalition, although Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United States actively invited us to do so. But the USSR provided political support to Kuwait from the very first hours of the aggression.

Let me note that the UN Security Council had no direct relation to the formation of the coalition. It was created not on the basis of decisions of the Security Council, but in response to Kuwait's call for help. However, the coalition used weapons only when the deadline (until January 15, 1991) set by the UN Security Council for the withdrawal of Iraqi troops from Kuwait expired. The Security Council also had nothing to do with the development of military plans for the anti-Iraq coalition.

Thus, Desert Storm was not a peacekeeping or peace enforcement operation, such as is carried out from time to time under the auspices of the UN and by contingents formed by the UN and which are accountable to the Security Council. The 1991 coalition is from a different category: it arose as a response to the call of a victim of aggression for help, which also fits well with the provisions of the UN Charter.

HAFAZ ASAD'S SYRIA HAD VERY BAD RELATIONS WITH SADDAM HUSSEIN'S IRAQ. During the Iran-Iraq War, Syria was the only Arab country to take a pro-Iranian position. All other Arab states supported Iraq

– What goals did Washington pursue in the war against Iraq?

– The war broke out unexpectedly for the United States. After the invasion of Kuwait by Iraqi troops, the United States, together with other countries, began to seek their withdrawal, restoration of the territorial integrity of Kuwait, compensation for the damage caused by the aggression and the imposition of military, financial and economic restrictions on Iraq through a decision of the Security Council.

There is no evidence to support the theory that the United States wanted to overthrow Hussein. Neither US President George H. W. Bush nor other officials of the country expressed such an idea either publicly or in private conversations. The military campaign plan did not include the occupation of Iraq. Entries of coalition troops into Iraqi settlements was not intended.

Everything was limited to the liberation of Kuwait and penetration into the adjacent desert territories of Iraq in order to prevent a counter-offensive by Iraqi troops. The entire ground phase of Operation Desert Storm took exactly one hundred hours. It stopped as soon as Baghdad announced that it was accepting all 12 UN Security Council resolutions concerning Kuwait.

Another important circumstance is indicative. When news of Hussein's capitulation became known, Shiites rebelled in the south of Iraq, and Kurds rebelled in the north of the country. The American troops located in the southern part of Iraq completely calmly, without lifting a finger, watched as Saddam’s troops suppressed the rebel Shiites with tanks and helicopters. This suggests that at that time the US leadership had no thought about regime change in Iraq, although if something had happened to Hussein, no one in the West would have shed tears for him.

– What was the policy of USSR President Mikhail Gorbachev regarding the Kuwait crisis?

– At the very beginning of this crisis, Gorbachev without hesitation approved the political course recommended to him by the USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Following him, the Soviet Union condemned the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait and insisted on the unconditional withdrawal of Iraqi troops. It was decided to suspend the supply of Soviet weapons to Iraq. Characteristic feature Our policy was to resolve the crisis peacefully.

At a meeting in Helsinki, USSR President Mikhail Gorbachev and US President George H. W. Bush agreed on a joint initiative to hold a peace conference on the Middle East. 1990 - Photo by Yuri Lizunov and Alexander Chumichev / TASS PHOTO CHRONICLE

Strengthening the US position

– What were the long-term consequences of Iraq’s occupation of Kuwait and Operation Desert Storm?

– Kuwait was completely plundered. In addition, before leaving, Iraqi troops set fire to over 800 oil wells and released existing oil reserves into the Persian Gulf. It took a lot of effort and money to restore the country. And yet, ten years later, there were not even traces left there that would remind of the tragic events of 1990–1991. The same cannot be said about Iraq, which was heavily damaged by Desert Storm. This is also one of severe consequences crisis.

An unpleasant result for the USSR was a significant strengthening of the US position in the Persian Gulf. Although the United States very quickly withdrew its troops from there, the very fact that Hussein remained in power in Iraq, retaining large armed forces, prompted the Persian Gulf countries to ask to come under the American military “umbrella,” and the United States was very happy to create a network of its military bases in the region . This is the long-term outcome of Saddam's adventure.

Another unpleasant consequence of the crisis for us was that the situation in Iraq, which had previously been an important military, economic and political partner of the USSR, was now very deplorable. Figuratively speaking, this bird, which previously sometimes flew with the Soviet flock, after the Kuwaiti adventure found itself with clipped wings and a broken leg. All sorts of restrictions were introduced against Iraq, which seriously complicated cooperation with it. Baghdad's ability to use the funds it received from oil exports was also reduced.

However, it cannot be said that the USSR was an absolute loser. During the crisis and after it, our positions in the Persian Gulf area also strengthened: Soviet embassies appeared in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, and diplomatic relations between the Soviet Union and Israel were completely restored.

A consequence of the Kuwaiti events, which has a very great importance, I also believe that at the meeting between Gorbachev and Bush, held in Helsinki in September 1990, an agreement was reached that immediately after the settlement of this crisis, the USSR and the USA would take the initiative to hold a peace conference on the Middle East.

We have been pushing for the convening of such a conference for several decades, and finally it took place in the fall of 1991 in Madrid. For the first time, it was possible to bring Palestine and Israel to the negotiating table. Since then, although with interruptions, the format of such bilateral negotiations has been maintained. Gradually, step by step, the Palestinians are formalizing their statehood.

– In the book “MFA. Kremlin. "Kuwait crisis" you called these events in the Persian Gulf one of the "most instructive phenomena of international life." What are their lessons?

– One of the obvious lessons is that direct, frontal aggression of one UN member state against another with the aim of absorbing the latter is absolutely unacceptable in the eyes of the world community. And this is an extremely important lesson, since the world is full of territorial claims of some countries to others.

Especially in Africa, where the colonialists drew borders dividing peoples. And if we consider it permissible to solve territorial problems by armed means, then chaos will reign in the world.

Not a lesson, but the experience of Operation Desert Storm is that a new type of war has emerged - war at a distance, without direct contact with the enemy. The entire first – air – phase of the operation took place in this vein. As we know, this tactic was later used by NATO in Yugoslavia. I think that our military also seriously studied Operation Desert Storm.

The air phase of Operation Desert Storm. The defeat of an Iraqi armored column on the march

In addition, the Kuwait crisis is a “handbook” for politicians, telling you what not to do. Saddam Hussein made a lot of mistakes. They are taken into account, presumably, even today.

THE USA HAS BEEN GREATLY PLEASURE TO CREATE A NETWORK OF ITS MILITARY BASES IN THE REGION. This is the long-term result of Saddam Hussein's Kuwait adventure

– Has Iraq itself learned lessons from the crisis?

- No. They're talking about it further actions Hussein, which led to tragic consequences - both for him and for the entire Iraqi people. The situation in Iraq after 1991 did not develop in the best possible way. The final resolution No. 687 of the UN Security Council listed demands on Iraq.

Subject to compliance with this and other resolutions, the country had the opportunity to gradually resolve the situation and come to the point where these demands would no longer exist. The Soviet Union insisted on including in the final resolution a clause on periodic review of its provisions in the light of how their implementation was progressing.

Unfortunately, wherever possible, Saddam Hussein resorted to delaying tactics and obstructing verification missions. Constant confrontations between Iraq and the UN Security Council, and between Iraq and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), became the reason for the United States to invade Iraq in 2003 without the permission of the Security Council.

France, Germany and Russia did not support the aggression, but US President George W. Bush had his own ideas about how to act in Iraq. The result is known.

– What prompted the United States to bypass the UN to start a war with Iraq and deal with Hussein?

– The main goal The eradication of the Saddam regime, which was allegedly preparing to use weapons of mass destruction, was announced, as well as the liquidation of the then state institutions of Iraq, its armed forces and intelligence services, and the Baath Party.

- For what?

“From the American point of view, this was supposed to serve the purpose of promoting the ideas of democracy.

– Did they sincerely think so?

- Of course not. Although there are romantics in every country, Washington's policy was based on naked cynicism. The United States wanted, having destroyed Saddam's regime, to create a new one that would be obedient to it in everything. They achieved this to some extent. But at what a terrible cost to the Iraqi people!

Iraq is still in a state of chaos and unabated civil war, incessant interreligious and interethnic strife, ongoing terrorist attacks. Washington, unfortunately, began to apply the experience gained in Iraq of shaking state and social foundations in other places.

Interviewed by Oleg Nazarov