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BACKGROUNDGUI
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Functions and powers of the Security Council of the United
Nations
Mandate
The UN Charter established six main organs of the United Nations, including the Security Council. It gives
primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security to the Security Council, which may
meet whenever peace is threatened.
According to the Charter, the United Nations has four purposes:

to maintain international peace and security;

to develop friendly relations among nations;

to cooperate in solving international problems and in promoting respect for human rights;

and to be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations.
All members of the United Nations agree to accept and carry out the decisions of the Security Council. While
other organs of the United Nations make recommendations to member states, only the Security Council has
the power to make decisions that member states are then obligated to implement under the Charter.
Maintaining Peace and Security
When a complaint concerning a threat to peace is brought before it, the Council’s first action is usually to
recommend that the parties try to reach agreement by peaceful means. The Council may:

set forth principles for such an agreement;

undertake investigation and mediation, in some cases;

dispatch a mission;

appoint special envoys; or

request the Secretary-General to use his good offices to achieve a pacific settlement of the dispute.
When a dispute leads to hostilities, the Council’s primary concern is to bring them to an end as soon as
possible. In that case, the Council may:

issue ceasefire directives that can help prevent an escalation of the conflict;

dispatch military observers or a peacekeeping force to help reduce tensions, separate opposing
forces and establish a calm in which peaceful settlements may be sought.
Beyond this, the Council may opt for enforcement measures, including:

economic sanctions, arms embargoes, financial penalties and restrictions, and travel bans;

severance of diplomatic relations;

blockade;

or even collective military action.
A chief concern is to focus action on those responsible for the policies or practices condemned by the
international community, while minimizing the impact of the measures taken on other parts of the population
and economy.
Organization
The Security Council held its first session on 17 January 1946 at Church House, Westminster, London.
Since its first meeting, the Security Council has taken permanent residence at the United Nations
Headquarters in New York City. It also travelled to many cities, holding sessions in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in
1972, in Panama City, Panama, and in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1990.
A representative of each of its members must be present at all times at UN Headquarters so that the Security
Council can meet at any time as the need arises.
(ref. http://www.un.org/en/sc/about/)
The Iraqi invasion of Kuwait
2 August, 1990
2.00 am
Kuwait - August 1990
Country profile
Kuwait is located in the Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, Iraq and Saudi Arabia.
Population: 2,832,776 (note: Kuwait's Public Authority for Civil Information estimates the country's total
population to be 4,183,658, with immigrants accounting more than 69%)
Ethnic groups: Kuwaiti 31.3%, other Arab 27.9%, Asian 37.8%, African 1.9%, other 1.1% (includes
European, North American, South American, and Australian
Religions: Muslim (official) 76.7%, Christian 17.3%, other and unspecified 5.9%
Government: Constitutional Monarchy
Economy: Kuwait has a geographically small, but wealthy, relatively open economy with crude oil reserves
of about 102 billion barrels - more than 6% of world reserves. its strategic location and massive oil reserves
make it one of the world's richest countries per capita. (World Fact Book and BBC world)
BRIEF HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
The origins of the state of Kuwait is usually placed at the beginning of the 18th century, when a group of
families belonging to the Anizah tribe moved from the Arabian peninsula to the area that today is Kuwait. It
became a Sheikdom in 1756 with the Sabah as the ruling family. In the course of the 19th century, under the
threat of being annexed by the Ottoman Empire, the Sheik decided to establish closer ties with the British
Empire, granting it the control over its foreign policy. At the outbreak of the First World War, Kuwait became
a British protectorate. In 1923, the British government set out the border between Kuwait and Iraq.
With the discover of the oil fields in Kuwait in 1930s, Iraq started to claim part of its territory, and in
particular the islands of Bubyian and Al- Warbah, and when Britain recognized Kuwait’s independence in
1961, Iraq renewed its claims. Only in 1963, it formally recognized both the independence of Kuwait and its
borders.
The outbreak of the Iran- Iraq war represented a serious threat to Kuwait, as it feared the Iranian
hegemony in the region. For this reason, in an attempt to avoid such hegemony, Kuwait decided to support
Iraq both financially and in terms of conduit of military supplies. In retaliation, Iran attacked a Kuwait refinery
complex in 1981 and in 1985 a pro-Iranian Iraqi radical group attempted to assassinate the Sheik, the
country ruler of Kuwait. In 1986, Iran started to attack on gulf shipping and especially on Kuwait’s tankers.
This move led Kuwait to ask for tankers’ protection both to the USA and the USSR, while it inaugurated a
period of closer relation
with
its
Gulf
neighbours,
namely
Saudi Arabia, Qatar,
Bahrein, Oman and the
United Arab Emirates.
Since the end of the
Iran-Iraq
war,
the
relations between the
latter and Kuwait have
been
rapidly
deteriorating.
Iraq - August 1990
Country profile
Iraq is located in the Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iran and Kuwait
Population: 38,146,025
Ethnic groups: Kuwaiti 31.3%, other Arab 27.9%, Asian 37.8%, African 1.9%, other 1.1% (includes
European, North American, South American, and Australian
Religions: Muslim (official) 99% (Shia 60%-65%, Sunni 32%-37%), Christian 0.8%, Hindu <0.1, Buddhist
<0.1, Jewish <0.1, folk religion <0.1, unafilliated 0.1, other <0.1
Government: Single party state. Head of State: Saddam Hussein
Economy: Iraq's largely state-run economy is dominated by the oil sector, which provides more than 90% of
government revenue and 80% of foreign exchange earnings
BRIEF HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
In ancient times, the land where Iraq is located was known as Mesopotamia (land between the rivers), a
wealthy region that hosted civilizations such as Sumer, Akkad, Babylon and Assyria.
Formerly part of the Ottoman Empire as the provinces of Baghdad, Mosul and al- Basrah, Iraq was
occupied by Britain during the course of World War Iin 1920, it was declared a League of Nations mandate
under UK administration and became a modern nation-state. In stages over the next dozen years, Iraq
attained its independence as a kingdom in 1932, although it was only a formal independence: Britain
continued to influence it from the political point of view.
Iraq was characterized by political instability since its origins and culminated in 1958 in the overthrown of the
monarchy carried out by the Ba’th Party, which installed an Arab-nationalist regime. It bought new stability
to the country, and started to finance development plans in the 70s thanks to the oil revenue. As a matter of
fact, Iraq was second only to Saudi Arabia in oil production. However, when the leadership was assumed
by Saddam Hussein, the country was led to a disastrous 8 year war with Iran (1980-1988).
The war started with the
Iraqi invasion of Iran
on 22 September 1980,
and the roots of the
conflict lay in a series of
political and territorial
disputes between the
two states. In particular,
Iraq wanted to seize
control of an oil rich area
of Iran (Khuzestan) and
on both banks of the
river Shatt al-Arab in a
moment of weakness for
the Iran state. At that
moment,
Iran
was
diplomatically
isolated
(see the seizure of the
USA
Embassy
in
Teheran) and in a phase
of political disorder and
dissolution of the armed
forces. During the war,
the oil export suffered
heavily as the military operations destroyed or damaged the pipelines, with severe repercussions on their
economy. During the war atrocities were carried out, including the use of chemical weapons, forbidden by
the international laws. One of the worst episodes was the killing of approx. 5,000 civilians Kurds in March
1998 made by the Iraqi army. The war ended in July 1998 with the acceptance of the UN Resolution 598.
The number of killed on both sides is approx. 500.000, while between 50.000 and 100.00 were the Kurds
killed by Iraqi forces.
BACKGROUND to the CURRENT IRAQ-KUWAIT CRISIS
In the 1980s, the Kuwaiti support for Iraq during the Iran-Iraq war contributed to a major improvement in the
relations between the two states. Kuwait made its territory a strategic depth for the Iraqi military efforts
allowing Iraqi fighters and bombers to use Al-Ahmadi airbase, and to build a pipeline that carried Iraqi oil,
through Kuwait, to the Saudi port of Yanbu at the Red Sea. In this way, Iraq could continue exporting oil
even when the Iranian troops occupied parts of southern Iraq. Moreover, Kuwait provided Iraq with $12
billion in loans to finance its military and civilian purchases. However, as soon as the war was over, the
relations between the two countries started to deteriorate, due to territorial 1 and economic disputes.
Saddam Hussein and the Emir of Kuwait, 1990
While Saudi Arabia commuted an essential part of its loans on Iraq to gifts, Kuwait started to press for the
repayment of the $12 billion of Iraqi war debts. In response, Iraq began to criticize Kuwaiti overproduction of
oil that contributed to the 30 percent decline of oil prices, reaching as low as $14 per barrel. In an Arab
summit conference in May 1990, Iraq pointed out that for every single dollar drop in the price of a barrel of
oil, Iraq would lose $1 billion a year. On July 16, 1990, in a letter to the Secretary-General of the Arab
League, Iraqi foreign minister, Tareq Aziz, accused Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates of overstepping the
quotas of oil production agreed upon by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). The
letter also accused Kuwait of stealing oil from the Rumaila oilfield on the border between the two states.
Iraq did not want to recognize the borders with Kuwait because it aimed at annexing or leasing the two
Kuwaiti islands of Bubayan and Warbah, since the war with Iran demonstrated the vulnerability of Iraq’s
access to the Gulf.
1
On July 20, Iraq moved about 30,000 of its troops to the border, threatening Kuwait. Several Arab leaders
tried to mediate between the two governments and succeeded in reaching an agreement between the two
sides to hold face-to-face talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. By the time the talks began on July 31, Iraq
increased the number of its troops on the border to about 100,000.
In Jeddah, Iraq presented four demands on Kuwait to meet: abiding by OPEC quotas, ceding the southern
part of the border-Rumaila oilfield, writing-off of the war debt, and compensation for oil market losses as a
result of the oil price decline. The Kuwaiti delegation insisted on a once-and-for-all settlement, that is, writingoff the debt in return for border demarcation. The talks lasted less than two days ending with disagreement
on all issues early on August 1.
In the meantime, the United States Bush administration made it known to the Iraqi leadership that it was not
going to interfere in inter-Arab disputes. The Iraqi leadership might have understood that as the American
“green light” to go on with the invasion. Another factor was that Iraq became more nervous of the possibility
of an Israeli attack on its nuclear installations. In addition, pressures on Iraq increased by the Western
demands for repayment of the war debts (Chapter VII).
The Kuwaiti military authorities informed the country’s political leaders about the Iraqi military build-up on the
border and asked for declaring the state of emergency. However, the political leaders did not take the Iraqi
actions seriously and the state of emergency was not declared. 2
CRISIS SITUATION – 2 AGOSTO 1990
This morning, August 2, at 2.00 am, Iraq has launched an invasion of Kuwait with the élite Iraqi
Republican Guard Division. Kuwait’s defence forces have been overwhelmed and those who are not
destroyed are retreating to Saudi Arabia. Kuwait city, is captured. The Emir of Kuwait and his family
have fled to Saudi Arabia.
2
Hassan A El-Najjar, The Gulf War, Amazone Press, 2001
TIMELINE HISTORY OF KUWAIT
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1600s - North-east portion of Arabian peninsula becomes part of the Ottoman Empire.
1700s - Settlers arrive at the site of present-day Kuwait City from the interior of the Arabian
peninsula. The settlement grows into a bustling trading hub by the early 1800s.
1756 - Kuwait comes under the control of the Al-Sabah family, predecessors of Kuwait's present
rulers. A degree of semi-autonomy from Ottoman Turkey prevails.
1899 - Fearing direct rule from Turkey, Sheikh Mubarak "the Great" strikes a deal with Britain and
Kuwait becomes a protectorate. Britain provides naval protection in return for Kuwait allowing
London to control its foreign affairs.
1937 - Large oil reserves discovered by the US-British Kuwait Oil Company. Exploitation is delayed
by World War II, but thereafter fuels the country's development into a modern commercial centre.
1951 - Major public-works programme begins; Kuwait's infrastructure is transformed, residents enjoy
a high standard of living.
1961 June - Kuwait becomes independent with the end of the British protectorate; the sheikh
becomes an emir. The country joins the Arab League. Iraq renews claims that Kuwait is part of its
territory but backs down after British military intervention.
1963 - Elections held for National Assembly, under terms of newly-drafted constitution.
1976 - Emir suspends National Assembly, saying it is not acting in the country's interests.
1980 - Iran-Iraq war: Kuwait supports Iraq strategically and financially.
1981 - National Assembly recalled; dissolved again in 1986.
1985-86 - Domestic security concerns, particularly about Iran's perceived influence over the Shi'ite
minority, prompt the deportations of thousands of expatriates, many of them Iranian.
1990 July - Iraq complains to Opec, accusing Kuwait of stealing its oil from a field near the border.
Iraqi President Saddam Hussein threatens military action.
TIMELINE HISTORY OF IRAQ
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1534-1918 - Ottoman rule.
1917 - Britain seizes control, creates state of Iraq.
1932 - Independence, followed by coups.
1920 - League of Nations approves British mandate in Iraq, prompting nationwide revolt.
1921 - Britain appoints Faysal, son of Hussein Bin Ali, the Sherif of Mecca, as king.
1932 - Mandate ends, Iraq becomes independent. Britain retains military bases.
1941 - Britain re-occupies Iraq after pro-Axis coup during Second World War.
1958 - The monarchy is overthrown in a left-wing military coup led by Abd-al-Karim Qasim and Abdal-Salam Muhammad Arif. Iraq leaves the pro-British Baghdad Pact.
1963 - Prime Minister Qasim is ousted in a coup led by the Arab Socialist Baath Party. Arif becomes
president.
1963 - The Baathist government is overthrown by Arif and a group of officers.
1968 - A Baathist led-coup puts Ahmad Hasan al-Bakr in power.
1972 - Iraq nationalises the Iraq Petroleum Company.
1974 - Iraq grants limited autonomy to Kurdish region.
1979 - Saddam Hussein succeeds Al-Bakr as president.
1980-1988 - Iran-Iraq war
1981 June - Israeli air raid destroys Iraqi nuclear reactor at Osirak near Baghdad.
1988 March - Iraq attacks Kurdish town of Halabjah with poison gas, killing thousands.
Both timelines: BBC World News