Republic of Kuwait
Encyclopedia
The Republic of Kuwait was a short-lived and self-styled "Republic
" formed in the aftermath of the Invasion of Kuwait
by Iraq
under Saddam Hussein
. During the invasion the Iraqi Revolutionary Command Council
stated that it had sent troops into the State of Kuwait
in order to assist an internal "coup d'état
" initiated by "Kuwaiti revolutionaries." A "Provisional Government of Free Kuwait" was set up on August 4 by the Iraqi authorities under the leadership of 9 allegedly Kuwaiti military officers (4 colonels and 5 majors) led by Alaa Hussein Ali
, who was given the posts of Head of State
(Rais al-Wuzara), commander-in-chief, minister of defense and minister of the interior. Emir Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah
(who fled Kuwait and established a Government in exile
based in Saudi Arabia
) was declared deposed by the new regime, which accused the royal family of pursuing "anti-popular," "anti-democratic," pro-"imperialist" and "Zionist
" policies along with the "embezzlement of national resources for the purpose of personal enrichment." The formation of an indigenous Popular Army to allegedly take over from Iraqi troops was immediately proclaimed (immediately claiming 100,000 volunteers) and citizenship rights were conferred to non-Kuwaiti Arabs who had come for work from abroad under the monarchy. The newspaper of the regime was known as Al-Nida, named after the "Day of the Call" proclaimed on August 2 to "commemorate" the Iraqi "response" to the alleged "calls" of the Kuwaitis for Iraq's assistance in overthrowing the monarchy.
Walid Saud Abdullah, who was placed in charge of foreign affairs, achieved some notoriety for the provisional regime when on August 5 when he stated that "countries that resort to punitive measures against the provisional free Kuwait government . . . should remember that they have interests and nationals in Kuwait . . . . If these countries insist on aggression against Kuwait and Iraq, the Kuwaiti government will then reconsider the method of dealing with these countries." Saddam's half-brother, Sabawi Ibrahim al-Tikriti
of the Iraqi Intelligence Service
, was sent on August 4 to establish a security system similar to Iraq's own.
The regime and the Iraqi Government failed in attempts to persuade Kuwaiti opposition groups to partake in the new puppet government
, and instead these groups threw their support behind the monarchy. Iraq initially claimed that its presence in Kuwait would be limited to helping to foster "a new era of freedom, democracy, justice, and real prosperity in the society," and promised to leave Kuwait once the provisional regime deemed its internal security situation secure which was estimated to take only weeks. International condemnation of Iraq's invasion and a lack of support for the new regime amongst the Kuwaiti citizenry quickly rendered it nonviable.
On August 7 the "Provisional Government of Free Kuwait" proclaimed an internationally unrecognized Republic with Hussein Ali as its Prime Minister. A day later the Iraqi Government declared the "merger" of Iraq and Kuwait, basing itself off of historical claims. The Iraqi Revolutionary Command Council released a statement stating that: "The free provisional Kuwaiti government has decided to appeal to kinsfolk in Iraq, led by the knight of Arabs and the leader of their march, President Field Marshal Saddam Hussein, to agree that their sons should return to their large family, that Kuwait should return to the great Iraq—the mother homeland—and to achieve complete merger unity between Kuwait and Iraq." Hussein Ali was then made Deputy Prime Minister of Iraq while Ali Hassan al-Majid
was proclaimed Governor. The Turkish
daily Milliyet
reported Hussein in September 1990 saying to Bülent Ecevit
that, "Kuwait is now ours, but we might have refrained from taking such a decision if U.S. troops were not massed in the region with the threat of invading us." He also said on the subject of the short-lived provisional regime that had the U.S. not opposed Iraq, Iraq "would have attempted to develop the status of the temporary revolutionary administration," and that, "We would not have been able to ask our people and the armed forces to fight to the last drop of blood if we had not said that Kuwait was not part of Iraq. We would not have been able to prepare our people for the possibility of war."
On August 28 Kuwaiti territory was transformed into the Kuwait Governorate, Iraq's 19th province, and thus formally annexed. Refusal to withdraw from Kuwait would lead to the Gulf War
, and on 26 February 1991 the pre-occupation government was returned to power.
Republic
A republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of...
" formed in the aftermath of the Invasion of Kuwait
Invasion of Kuwait
The Invasion of Kuwait, also known as the Iraq-Kuwait War, was a major conflict between the Republic of Iraq and the State of Kuwait, which resulted in the seven-month long Iraqi occupation of Kuwait, which subsequently led to direct military intervention by United States-led forces in the Gulf...
by Iraq
Ba'athist Iraq
The History of Iraq , referred to as Ba'athist Iraq, covers the period of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party's rule over Iraq. Ba'athist rule in Iraq first occurred briefly in 1963 under Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr until overthrown that same year. Ba'athism was restored to power five years later after...
under Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
. During the invasion the Iraqi Revolutionary Command Council
Iraqi Revolutionary Command Council
The Iraqi Revolutionary Command Council was established after the military coup in 1968, and was the ultimate decision making body in Iraq before the 2003 American-led invasion. It exercised both executive and legislative authority in the country, with the Chairman and Vice Chairman chosen by a...
stated that it had sent troops into the State of Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
in order to assist an internal "coup d'état
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
" initiated by "Kuwaiti revolutionaries." A "Provisional Government of Free Kuwait" was set up on August 4 by the Iraqi authorities under the leadership of 9 allegedly Kuwaiti military officers (4 colonels and 5 majors) led by Alaa Hussein Ali
Alaa Hussein Ali
Ala'a Hussein Ali Al-Khafaji Al-Jaber served at the head of a puppet government in Kuwait during the initial stages of the Gulf War from August 4, 1990 to August 8, 1990....
, who was given the posts of Head of State
Head of State
A head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...
(Rais al-Wuzara), commander-in-chief, minister of defense and minister of the interior. Emir Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah
Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah
Jaber III al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, GCB , GCMG of the al-Sabah dynasty, was the Emir and thirteenth Sheikh of Kuwait, serving from December 31, 1977 until his death on January 15, 2006...
(who fled Kuwait and established a Government in exile
Government in exile
A government in exile is a political group that claims to be a country's legitimate government, but for various reasons is unable to exercise its legal power, and instead resides in a foreign country. Governments in exile usually operate under the assumption that they will one day return to their...
based in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
) was declared deposed by the new regime, which accused the royal family of pursuing "anti-popular," "anti-democratic," pro-"imperialist" and "Zionist
Zionism
Zionism is a Jewish political movement that, in its broadest sense, has supported the self-determination of the Jewish people in a sovereign Jewish national homeland. Since the establishment of the State of Israel, the Zionist movement continues primarily to advocate on behalf of the Jewish state...
" policies along with the "embezzlement of national resources for the purpose of personal enrichment." The formation of an indigenous Popular Army to allegedly take over from Iraqi troops was immediately proclaimed (immediately claiming 100,000 volunteers) and citizenship rights were conferred to non-Kuwaiti Arabs who had come for work from abroad under the monarchy. The newspaper of the regime was known as Al-Nida, named after the "Day of the Call" proclaimed on August 2 to "commemorate" the Iraqi "response" to the alleged "calls" of the Kuwaitis for Iraq's assistance in overthrowing the monarchy.
Walid Saud Abdullah, who was placed in charge of foreign affairs, achieved some notoriety for the provisional regime when on August 5 when he stated that "countries that resort to punitive measures against the provisional free Kuwait government . . . should remember that they have interests and nationals in Kuwait . . . . If these countries insist on aggression against Kuwait and Iraq, the Kuwaiti government will then reconsider the method of dealing with these countries." Saddam's half-brother, Sabawi Ibrahim al-Tikriti
Sabawi Ibrahim al-Tikriti
Sabawi Ibrahim al-Tikriti , half brother of Saddam Hussein, was the leader of the Iraqi secret service, the Mukhabarat, at the time of the 1991 Gulf War...
of the Iraqi Intelligence Service
Iraqi Intelligence Service
The Iraqi Intelligence Service , also known as the Mukhabarat, General Directorate of Intelligence, or Party Intelligence, was the main state intelligence organization in Iraq under Saddam Hussein...
, was sent on August 4 to establish a security system similar to Iraq's own.
The regime and the Iraqi Government failed in attempts to persuade Kuwaiti opposition groups to partake in the new puppet government
Puppet state
A puppet state is a nominal sovereign of a state who is de facto controlled by a foreign power. The term refers to a government controlled by the government of another country like a puppeteer controls the strings of a marionette...
, and instead these groups threw their support behind the monarchy. Iraq initially claimed that its presence in Kuwait would be limited to helping to foster "a new era of freedom, democracy, justice, and real prosperity in the society," and promised to leave Kuwait once the provisional regime deemed its internal security situation secure which was estimated to take only weeks. International condemnation of Iraq's invasion and a lack of support for the new regime amongst the Kuwaiti citizenry quickly rendered it nonviable.
On August 7 the "Provisional Government of Free Kuwait" proclaimed an internationally unrecognized Republic with Hussein Ali as its Prime Minister. A day later the Iraqi Government declared the "merger" of Iraq and Kuwait, basing itself off of historical claims. The Iraqi Revolutionary Command Council released a statement stating that: "The free provisional Kuwaiti government has decided to appeal to kinsfolk in Iraq, led by the knight of Arabs and the leader of their march, President Field Marshal Saddam Hussein, to agree that their sons should return to their large family, that Kuwait should return to the great Iraq—the mother homeland—and to achieve complete merger unity between Kuwait and Iraq." Hussein Ali was then made Deputy Prime Minister of Iraq while Ali Hassan al-Majid
Ali Hassan al-Majid
Ali Hassan Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti , , was a Ba'athist Iraqi Defense Minister, Interior Minister, military commander and chief of the Iraqi Intelligence Service...
was proclaimed Governor. The Turkish
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
daily Milliyet
Milliyet
Milliyet is a major Turkish daily newspaper founded in 1950.-History:Milliyet came to publishing life at the Nuri Akça press in Babıali, Istanbul as a daily private newspaper on 3 May 1950...
reported Hussein in September 1990 saying to Bülent Ecevit
Bülent Ecevit
Mustafa Bülent Ecevit was a Turkish politician, poet, writer and journalist, who was the leader of Republican People's Party , later of the Democratic Left Party and four-time Prime Minister of Turkey.- Personal life :...
that, "Kuwait is now ours, but we might have refrained from taking such a decision if U.S. troops were not massed in the region with the threat of invading us." He also said on the subject of the short-lived provisional regime that had the U.S. not opposed Iraq, Iraq "would have attempted to develop the status of the temporary revolutionary administration," and that, "We would not have been able to ask our people and the armed forces to fight to the last drop of blood if we had not said that Kuwait was not part of Iraq. We would not have been able to prepare our people for the possibility of war."
On August 28 Kuwaiti territory was transformed into the Kuwait Governorate, Iraq's 19th province, and thus formally annexed. Refusal to withdraw from Kuwait would lead to the Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
, and on 26 February 1991 the pre-occupation government was returned to power.
Cabinet
- Prime Minister, Defense Minister and acting Interior Minister: Col. Ala'a Hussein Ali al-Khafaji al-JaberAlaa Hussein AliAla'a Hussein Ali Al-Khafaji Al-Jaber served at the head of a puppet government in Kuwait during the initial stages of the Gulf War from August 4, 1990 to August 8, 1990....
- Minister of Foreign Affairs: Lt. Col. Walid Sa'ud Muhammad Abdullah
- Minister of Oil and acting Finance Minister: Lt. Col. Fu'ad Hussein Ahmad
- Minister of Information and acting Transport Minister: Maj. Fadil Haydar al-Wafiqi
- Minister of Public Health and Housing: Maj. Mish'al Sa'd al-Hadab
- Minister of Social Affairs and acting Works and Labour Minister: Lt. Col. Hussein Ali Duhayman al-Shammari
- Minister of Education and acting Minister of Higher Education: Maj. Nasir Mansur al-Mandil
- Minister of Justice and Legal Affairs and acting minister of AwqafWaqfA waqf also spelled wakf formally known as wakf-alal-aulad is an inalienable religious endowment in Islamic law, typically denoting a building or plot of land for Muslim religious or charitable purposes. The donated assets are held by a charitable trust...
and Islamic Affairs: Maj. Isam Abd al-Majid Hussein - Minister of Trade, Electricity and Planning: Maj. Ya'qub Muhammad Shallal