By Mohammad Shamselddin
KUWAIT, Aug 1 (KUNA) -- Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait was an attempt to uproot the Kuwaiti identity. This catastrophe came to an end after a mutual effort by the Kuwaiti leadership and people, whom together worked to gather international support to liberate the country.
Led by the then Amir the late Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the then Crown Prince the late Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah, and then Foreign Minister and current Amir His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Kuwait managed to overcome the 204-day long aggression.
The efforts to retain Kuwait's soil and sovereignty began with the Jeddah conference in October 1990, an event which formulated an initial Kuwaiti stance in resisting the Iraqi occupation and the right to liberate the country.
The conference focused on supporting the Kuwaiti resistance within the country and abroad until the goal of liberation was achieved. The Kuwaiti leadership refused, during the course of this event, any attempts to bargain over the sovereignty of the country.
In an effort to spread regional and international awareness over the plight of the Kuwaiti people, the conference took the decision to send dozens of non-official Kuwaiti nationals to countries around the globe.
The delegations, consisting of Kuwaiti citizens, helped in reflecting the people's support of the leadership, presenting an official and popular stance which detested the current status quo set by the Iraqi occupiers at that time.
The Kuwaiti leadership also worked on the military level and made sure that the Kuwaiti troops participating in the liberation war were equipped with the latest weapons and gadgets to carry on this noble effort.
On an economic level, the Kuwaiti leadership continued to financially support citizens and expatriates alike despite the dire situation, providing assistance to citizens abroad and workers from 130 countries who were living in Kuwait prior to the invasion. Also, the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) continued operations even though the country was occupied and provided loans to nations which sought cooperation with the fund.
One of the major efforts that led to the liberation of Kuwait came when His Highness the late Amir Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah delivered a speech to the 45th session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly on September 27, 1990.
His Highness Sheikh Jaber reaffirmed, in his speech, that Kuwait, as always, would continue to aid just causes around the globe, noting that his nation was in need of assistance from friends around the world to end the injustice which befell upon his country.
The current Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah also played an integral role on the diplomatic level when he gathered support for the cause through his efforts as foreign minister.
The Kuwaiti leadership and people's role in liberating Kuwait was an example of how a nation could rise above its differences and face a common foe and thus, the invasion of Kuwait and liberation will forever be remembered as a significant historical event. (end) msd.abd KUNA 011246 Aug 13NNNN