Kuwaitis unhappy over allies' overtures to Iraq
Kuwaitis unhappy over allies' overtures to Iraq
By William Maclean
KUWAIT (Reuter): Kuwait is watching uneasily as Arab and
western allies show signs of readiness to do business with Iraq
four years after they waged war to end Baghdad's occupation of
the Gulf emirate.
Kuwaitis say that while Iraqi President Saddam Hussein stays
in power they will never allow their own government to have such
contacts with the former occupier.
The tiny oil state wants the world to keep tough economic
sanctions against Iraq until it frees missing Kuwaitis and pays
compensation for damage caused by its 1990-91 occupation.
Many Kuwaitis were privately disappointed last month when
France announced a plan to reopen a diplomatic interests section
in Baghdad and businessmen from Britain, Kuwait's oldest western
ally, made a private non-governmental trip to Iraq.
But the moves, neither of which in itself breaks sanctions,
were the expected outcome of Baghdad's announcement in November
that it recognizes the emirate it once called an Iraqi province.
What caused the dismay was an outspoken statement last month
by an ally -- Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid al-Maktoum, the United
Arab Emirates defense minister -- urging Kuwaitis to reconcile
with Iraq out of compassion for sanctions hardships.
"You (Sheikh Mohammad) do not have to be the neighbor of
Iraq," was the acid retort of Kuwait University political science
professor Saif Abbas Abdulla.
"The people will go and burn the Iraqi embassy down (if ties
resume). They will shoot the Iraqi ambassador in Kuwait."
"People will demonstrate. I will demonstrate, too, at any
resumption before I get my hostages back, before I get an apology
from the Iraqis for every woman who was raped and every child who
was killed during the occupation," he said.
Abdullah al-Nibari, a member of parliament, said: "Calls for
reconciliation ignore the most important issue -- the embargo
still exists because the Iraqi government has failed to implement
all UN resolutions."
Prime Minister Sheikh Saad al-Abdulla al-Sabah said any
Kuwaiti would feel a chill at resuming ties while Saddam remained
in power.
"Most Kuwaitis are very upset about this statement," said
Islamist member of parliament Mubarak al-Duwailah. "Sheikh
Mohammad...should make his statement to the Iraqis, not to the
Kuwaitis."
Relatives of up to 600 Kuwaitis who went missing during the
occupation say they are still held by Iraq. Iraq says it has no
word on such captives but is studying the issue. At least 700
Kuwaitis were killed and 3,000 wounded during the occupation.
Iraqi recognition of Kuwait gave a powerful boost to its drive
to end sanctions because it in effect canceled the territorial
claim it gave as pretext for its 1990 invasion.
Iraq is confident it will soon obtain UN certification that it
has dismantled all its weapons of mass destruction -- the step
Baghdad says should lead to the ending of sanctions.
Since November Iraq has broadened its diplomatic contacts and
courted international interest in doing business when the curbs
imposed after its 1990 invasion are lifted.
While all Kuwaitis would like Saddam toppled and another
government installed, a few appear privately resigned to the
prospect of the man they call a war criminal staying in power.