Ranjit Singh Kalha, former ambassador to Iraq, states in his book "The Ultimate Prize: Oil and Saddam's Iraq" that the US had prior knowledge about Saddam Hussein's attack on Kuwait in 1990.
Kalha quotes the US envoy in Baghdad, April Glaspie, as telling Saddam on July 25, 1990:
"We have no opinion on Arab-Arab conflict, like your border disagreement with Kuwait."
Iraq invaded Kuwait on August 2nd 1990.
The US envoy also told Saddam:
"We hope you can solve this problem using any suitable methods... All that we hope is that these issues are solved quickly."
Kalha states that on July 27, 1990, the Kuwaiti ambassador to the US was called to the Pentagon and told, "Iraq is going to invade Kuwait."
The day before the Iraqi attack on Kuwait began, Kuwaiti defence minister Sheikh Salem al-Sabah received a text from the US:
"We do not want to alarm you unnecessarily, but we think the contingency plan should be put into effect... under no circumstances should the Emir be allowed to spend the night in Kuwait city. He should cross into Saudi Arabia and go to Khafji, 20 kilometers south of the border."
The US government decided to punish Saddam because he had gone beyond the agreed script, and taken over all of Kuwait instead of a few islands and its main oilfield.
The seeds of the current conflict were sown in the conflict of 1990, which was brought about because of US ineptitude.
Given the above, does anyone really believe that the US has the capability (diplomatically and politically) to resolve the current troubles in Iraq?
Showing posts with label kuwait. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kuwait. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Monday, October 22, 2007
Jailer Jailed
Lieutenant Colonel William Steele, a former US commander at the jail that held Saddam Hussein, was jailed on Friday for two years after a court martial found him guilty of illegally possessing classified documents.
Lieutenant Colonel Steele was also dismissed from military service, and will forfeit all pay and allowances. However, his sentence will be cut by 229 days as he has already served that in detention in Kuwait awaiting trial.
Steele was acquitted on the more serious charge of aiding the enemy by supplying an unmonitored mobile phone to an inmate.
The judge, Lieutenant Colonel Timothy Grammel, also found him guilty of having an inappropriate relationship with an Iraqi interpreter and failing to obey an order.
Lieutenant Colonel Steele was also dismissed from military service, and will forfeit all pay and allowances. However, his sentence will be cut by 229 days as he has already served that in detention in Kuwait awaiting trial.
Steele was acquitted on the more serious charge of aiding the enemy by supplying an unmonitored mobile phone to an inmate.
The judge, Lieutenant Colonel Timothy Grammel, also found him guilty of having an inappropriate relationship with an Iraqi interpreter and failing to obey an order.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Accusations of Torture
Kamil Abu al-Hail, an Iraqi ex-MP, accused the 15 aides of Saddam Hussein of crimes against humanity has said he was falsely imprisoned for months.
Kamil Abu al-Hail said he had been held at a prison in Baghdad, where hundreds were beaten and tortured daily.
The defendants are on trial for allegedly helping to suppress a Shia uprising after the 1991 Gulf War.
Kamil Abu al-Hail said that he had been arrested after arriving in Baghdad to attend a parliamentary session in the aftermath of the uprising, and taken to al-Radwaniya prison.
Quote:
"I heard screams of pain as prisoners were beaten and tortured.
At the end of the day, I could see people being carried out on blankets soaked with blood. They could not walk because of the harsh torture."
Mr Abu al-Hail was released several months later, after receiving a presidential pardon.
Quote:
"I was dismissed from the parliament. My cotton factory and my house were destroyed by the shelling from the army."
The Shaaban Intifada (Uprising) started in March 1991 as defeated Iraqi troops fled back to southern Iraq after US-led forces took control of Kuwait.
Many Shia blame the US for the uprising's failure, as it came to a ceasefire agreement with the Iraqi government and did not intervene.
The trial continues.
Kamil Abu al-Hail said he had been held at a prison in Baghdad, where hundreds were beaten and tortured daily.
The defendants are on trial for allegedly helping to suppress a Shia uprising after the 1991 Gulf War.
Kamil Abu al-Hail said that he had been arrested after arriving in Baghdad to attend a parliamentary session in the aftermath of the uprising, and taken to al-Radwaniya prison.
Quote:
"I heard screams of pain as prisoners were beaten and tortured.
At the end of the day, I could see people being carried out on blankets soaked with blood. They could not walk because of the harsh torture."
Mr Abu al-Hail was released several months later, after receiving a presidential pardon.
Quote:
"I was dismissed from the parliament. My cotton factory and my house were destroyed by the shelling from the army."
The Shaaban Intifada (Uprising) started in March 1991 as defeated Iraqi troops fled back to southern Iraq after US-led forces took control of Kuwait.
Many Shia blame the US for the uprising's failure, as it came to a ceasefire agreement with the Iraqi government and did not intervene.
The trial continues.
Monday, May 29, 2006
Iran Sues Saddam
Iran has filed a lawsuit against Saddam Hussein for the 1980's war against Iran.
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, who is visiting Baghdad, said:
"The two sides (Iran and Iraq), noting the crimes committed by Saddam Hussein's regime in its aggression against the people of Iraq, Iran and Kuwait, confirmed the need to seek justice for that.
To this end the Iranian Republic has passed on to the Foreign Ministry of Iraq a complaint against Saddam and his agents for examination by the Iraqi High Tribunal."
Mottaki gave Iran's support for Iraq's new government, and promised to help it with reconstruction projects.
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, who is visiting Baghdad, said:
"The two sides (Iran and Iraq), noting the crimes committed by Saddam Hussein's regime in its aggression against the people of Iraq, Iran and Kuwait, confirmed the need to seek justice for that.
To this end the Iranian Republic has passed on to the Foreign Ministry of Iraq a complaint against Saddam and his agents for examination by the Iraqi High Tribunal."
Mottaki gave Iran's support for Iraq's new government, and promised to help it with reconstruction projects.
Saturday, March 25, 2006
The Dirty World of Espionage
It seems that as American forces were entering Iraq, the Russian ambassador was feeding Saddam Hussein information about the US strategy and troop movements.
That at least is the story according to the Pentagon, who issued a report on the matter yesterday.
The Russians, seemingly, were telling Saddam that they obtained the information from sources inside the U.S. Central Command headquarters in Doha.
However, it seems that key details provided to Hussein by the Russians were wrong.
At this point I would suggest that the Americans probably knew full well that the Russians were playing dirty, and were most likely feeding them false information.
Five days after the invasion of Iraq the Russians sent a report to Saddam.
It warned that as U.S. forces moved from Kuwait, troops would bypass Iraqi cities and instead occupy the countryside, thereby isolating the rest of the country from its western border.
On April 2nd 2003, Iraq's foreign minister sent a memo to Hussein telling him that he had information from the Russian ambassador in Baghdad. The memo said that U.S. forces would not invade Baghdad until after the 4th Infantry Division arrived.
Needless to say the intelligence proved wrong, as sure as eggs are eggs the Americans were wise to the Russians game and were feeding false information.
Nonetheless, the Russians have some explaining to do!
That at least is the story according to the Pentagon, who issued a report on the matter yesterday.
The Russians, seemingly, were telling Saddam that they obtained the information from sources inside the U.S. Central Command headquarters in Doha.
However, it seems that key details provided to Hussein by the Russians were wrong.
At this point I would suggest that the Americans probably knew full well that the Russians were playing dirty, and were most likely feeding them false information.
Five days after the invasion of Iraq the Russians sent a report to Saddam.
It warned that as U.S. forces moved from Kuwait, troops would bypass Iraqi cities and instead occupy the countryside, thereby isolating the rest of the country from its western border.
On April 2nd 2003, Iraq's foreign minister sent a memo to Hussein telling him that he had information from the Russian ambassador in Baghdad. The memo said that U.S. forces would not invade Baghdad until after the 4th Infantry Division arrived.
Needless to say the intelligence proved wrong, as sure as eggs are eggs the Americans were wise to the Russians game and were feeding false information.
Nonetheless, the Russians have some explaining to do!
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
Heads Start To Roll
Whilst the world awaits the restart of Saddam Hussein's trial, others are now being judged and found guilty for associating with him.
Natwar Singh, India's foreign minister, was stripped of his post yesterday; over allegations that he benefited illegally from the UN oil-for-food program in Iraq.
He is the first head, of many I suspect, that will roll as a result of the fall out from the Volcker Report that revealed massive corruption in the effort to help Iraqis suffering under sanctions.
Volcker, has accused more than 2,200 companies and prominent politicians worldwide of colluding with Saddam Hussein's regime to milk the oil-for-food program of $1.8BN in kickbacks and illicit surcharges.
The oil-for-food program, theoretically, allowed Iraq to sell limited and then unlimited quantities of oil; as long as most of the money was used to buy humanitarian goods to help ordinary Iraqis cope with UN sanctions, imposed after Saddam's invasion of Kuwait in 1990.
Needless to say, Saddam's government chose all the oil buyers and goods suppliers. A clear control risk, that the UN had they be competent/honest should have stopped.
India's Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, demoted Singh to minister without portfolio.
Singh and the ruling Congress party of India are alleged in the report to have benefited from the $64BN oil-for-food program, they are named as a "non-contractual beneficiary."
We can expect further high profile casualties in the coming weeks and months.
Benon Sevan, the program's executive director, is being investigated for allegedly accepting kickbacks.
French judges are investigating 10 French officials, including former UN ambassador Jean-Bernard Merimee, and business leaders under suspicion.
It seems to me that the UN was "naive" at best to think that this program would work, without the appropriate regulatory checks and balances. I turst that heads will roll there too.
Natwar Singh, India's foreign minister, was stripped of his post yesterday; over allegations that he benefited illegally from the UN oil-for-food program in Iraq.
He is the first head, of many I suspect, that will roll as a result of the fall out from the Volcker Report that revealed massive corruption in the effort to help Iraqis suffering under sanctions.
Volcker, has accused more than 2,200 companies and prominent politicians worldwide of colluding with Saddam Hussein's regime to milk the oil-for-food program of $1.8BN in kickbacks and illicit surcharges.
The oil-for-food program, theoretically, allowed Iraq to sell limited and then unlimited quantities of oil; as long as most of the money was used to buy humanitarian goods to help ordinary Iraqis cope with UN sanctions, imposed after Saddam's invasion of Kuwait in 1990.
Needless to say, Saddam's government chose all the oil buyers and goods suppliers. A clear control risk, that the UN had they be competent/honest should have stopped.
India's Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, demoted Singh to minister without portfolio.
Singh and the ruling Congress party of India are alleged in the report to have benefited from the $64BN oil-for-food program, they are named as a "non-contractual beneficiary."
We can expect further high profile casualties in the coming weeks and months.
Benon Sevan, the program's executive director, is being investigated for allegedly accepting kickbacks.
French judges are investigating 10 French officials, including former UN ambassador Jean-Bernard Merimee, and business leaders under suspicion.
It seems to me that the UN was "naive" at best to think that this program would work, without the appropriate regulatory checks and balances. I turst that heads will roll there too.
Monday, September 12, 2005
Kuwait Demands Death Penalty
Kuwait has requested, through a lawsuit against former Iraqi regime members, the death penalty for Saddam Hussein and his aides.
Kuwait Justice Minister Ahmad Baqer said that the death penalty was based on numerous crimes by the former Iraqi regime, and Kuwait was about to ask for judicial co-operation with Iraq.
On the possibility of Kuwaiti observers attending Saddam's trial, Baqer said this would depend on hearing procedures as well as on Kuwaiti public prosecution.
Quote:
"This issue is handled by the public prosecution and it is an independent authority".
The Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry submitted a file, containing the lawsuit against the former Iraqi regime, to a special tribunal via the Iraqi Foreign Ministry.
The file contained details of names of the accused, description of their crimes and evidence.
Kuwait Justice Minister Ahmad Baqer said that the death penalty was based on numerous crimes by the former Iraqi regime, and Kuwait was about to ask for judicial co-operation with Iraq.
On the possibility of Kuwaiti observers attending Saddam's trial, Baqer said this would depend on hearing procedures as well as on Kuwaiti public prosecution.
Quote:
"This issue is handled by the public prosecution and it is an independent authority".
The Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry submitted a file, containing the lawsuit against the former Iraqi regime, to a special tribunal via the Iraqi Foreign Ministry.
The file contained details of names of the accused, description of their crimes and evidence.
Friday, August 05, 2005
Flights Resumed
Iraqi Airways has now resumed flights to Turkey since sanctions were imposed in 1991, following Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait.
Iraqi Airways is planning to operate two commercial flights a week between Baghdad and Istanbul.
The airline resumed international flights in September 2004 with a Baghdad-Amman service, after being grounded for 14 years.
It currently flies to Amman in Jordan, Damascus as well as the Iraqi cities of Arbil and Basra.
Small steps maybe, but important ones nonetheless.
Iraqi Airways is planning to operate two commercial flights a week between Baghdad and Istanbul.
The airline resumed international flights in September 2004 with a Baghdad-Amman service, after being grounded for 14 years.
It currently flies to Amman in Jordan, Damascus as well as the Iraqi cities of Arbil and Basra.
Small steps maybe, but important ones nonetheless.
Tuesday, June 28, 2005
The Charges
The Iraqi government announced this month that Saddam Hussein would face 12 charges of crimes against humanity.
This is despite the fact that there are more than 500 confirmed cases against him.
Leith Kubba, an Iraqi government spokesman, is quoted as saying:
"The 12 chosen charges are more than enough to give him the maximum sentence applicable,".
Six of the twelve charges relate to the most barbaric incidents during the Hussein regime. These are:
This is despite the fact that there are more than 500 confirmed cases against him.
Leith Kubba, an Iraqi government spokesman, is quoted as saying:
"The 12 chosen charges are more than enough to give him the maximum sentence applicable,".
Six of the twelve charges relate to the most barbaric incidents during the Hussein regime. These are:
- The execution of more than 145 Iraqis in 1982 in Dujail
- The murder, by gassing, of nearly 5,000 people in the Kurdish town of Halabja in 1988
- The execution of political and religious leaders during the 35 years in power
- The killing and deportation of more than 10,000 members of the Kurdish Barzani tribe
- The 1991 suppression of a Shi'ite uprising in southern Iraq
- The illegal occupation of Kuwait in 1991
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