Managing Peace and Security - Iraq and Kuwait

Presentations I made for my Social Studies class circa 2011-2013.

1. Managing Peace and Security: Regional and International Conflict by Megan Lee

2. Iraq and Kuwait are two neighbouring countries in the Middle East that share a common history and culture . Both were once British colonies and were once under the Ottoman Empire . Kuwait was granted independence from the British in 1961 . However…. What was the historical relationship like between Iraq and Kuwait?

3. We refuse to recognise your independence from the British. What was the historical relationship like between Iraq and Kuwait? Iraq claimed that Kuwait was historically a part of Iraq and was governed under the same territory during the Ottoman rule.

4. What was the historical relationship like between Iraq and Kuwait? Iraq had on several occasions claimed sovereignty over Kuwait. In 1961 , Iraq even sent troops to claim Kuwait . The Iraqis only turned back when the British as well as other Arab nations sent troops to help defend Kuwait .

5. What was the historical relationship like between Iraq and Kuwait? In 1963 , Iraq gave up its claim on Kuwait after facing pressure from its Arab neighbours as well as receiving a large sum of money from Kuwait. Even with the recognition of Kuwait as a sovereign country , there were several instances wher e Iraq used its military power to threaten Kuwait over border disputes. Oh please please stop attacking us . Take this money and go. Okay, you are now an independent country!

6. What was the historical relationship like between Iraq and Kuwait? Although there were disputes between both sides, Iraq and Kuwait had also worked with one another . For example, during the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s , Kuwait helped Iraq by providing it with a loan of US$14 billion . We’re having a war now. Got it! Here you go..... heh …. (don’t attack us, don’t attack us...)

7. What was the historical relationship like between Iraq and Kuwait? Kuwait’s loan was motivated by its own national self-interest because it was worried about the threat Iran poses, especially after the Islamic Revolution in 1979 led by Ayatollah Khomeini. Countries in the Middle East were worried that this would lead to the rise of fundamentalism in the region. Oh no!

8. Before the start of the Iraq-Iran war, Iraq was a relatively prosperous country with about US$35 billion in reserves. During the war with Iran, Iraq suffered heavy losses of lives and its economy was in ruins . Iraq owed about US$80 billion in debts . Iraq had to find ways to pay off the debt and rebuild the country which required US$230 billion . What worsened the relationship between Iraq and Kuwait? 1: Economic problems in Iraq

9. Iraq had hoped to pay off its debt from the sale of oil . Due to overproduction of oil , OPEC has put quotas on the amount of oil its member countries could produce to prevent further decline in oil prices. Kuwait and the UAE ignored the quota . This caused oil prices to fall from US$18 to US$7 per barrel once. Iraq lost US$1 billion every time oil prices fell by US$1 . Iraq felt that Kuwait and the UAE was waging an economic war on Iraq as 90% of its income come from oil sales. What worsened the relationship between Iraq and Kuwait? 2: Oil production

10. Iraq and Kuwait had inherited their borders from the British . Some of the borders were unclearly-defined and both sides ended up sharing a profitable oilfield , the Rumaila oilfield. In 1990 …. What worsened the relationship between Iraq and Kuwait? 3: Dispute over territory – Rumaila oilfield You have been stealing oil from our side using slant-drilling technology! We took oil only from our own side !

11. What worsened the relationship between Iraq and Kuwait? 3: Dispute over territory – Rumaila oilfield In fact, stop drilling oil from the Rumaila oilfield altogether ! On top of that, we demand that you compensate us with US$2.4 billion . NO. We took oil only from our own side !

12. Iraq is almost lank-locked and has only one port, Umm Qasr , which is shallow and big ships cannot dock there . Most of the port facilities were almost completely destroyed during Iraq’s war with Iran. Another territorial dispute Iraq had with Kuwait was over the ownership of the islands Bubiyan and Warbah Islands , which Kuwait had inherited from the British. These islands were strategically located off Umm Qasr , which means that Kuwait has the ability to block Iraq’s access to the Gulf, and affect Iraq’s oil transportation . What worsened the relationship between Iraq and Kuwait? 3: Dispute over territory – Bubiyan and Warbah Islands

13. Iraq had attempted to claim ownership of the two islands through force in the 1960s and 1970s . These attempts failed. From 1978 , Iraq wanted to lease the islands from Kuwait instead. However, they have failed to make an agreement on the issue. Kuwait refused to lease the islands because it feared that this would lead to Iraq demanding more territories over time. What worsened the relationship between Iraq and Kuwait? 3: Dispute over territory – Bubiyan and Warbah Islands

14. If you governed Kuwait, how would you respond to Iraq’s accusations against you regarding the Rumaila oilfield? Would you have allowed Iraq to lease the two islands of Bubiyan and Warbah ? 2 questions to end off with…