Kuwait- Iraq War – 2 Days
The Kuwait-Iraq war was born out of the Iran-Iraq war in which the two sides had cooperated with each other. Kuwait sent $14 billion to Iraq as a loan to help the war effort. This loan made Kuwait a target of Iran and there were small reprisals from Iran in 1984 and in 1988. Despite suffering the wrath of Iran, Kuwait continued to help Iraq, even operating as the country’s major port once Basra had to shut down due to fighting.
Once the war was over, things between Kuwait and Iraq did not stay friendly. Iraq was unable to pay back the money that Kuwait had lent for the war effort, and Iraq wanted Kuwait to forgive the debt. Iraq believed that Kuwait owed them for keeping Iran from becoming a regional hegemony and a threat to Kuwait. The two sides were unable to reach an agreement and the relationship deteriorated even further when Kuwait continued to produce oil at rates above its mandatory OPEC quota. Iraq had asked for a reduction in oil production from OPEC members in order to increase the price of oil and therefore help Iraq get out of its $60 billion in debt.
Kuwait never decreased its oil production and Iraq’s economy suffered as the price of oil continued to drop. Iraq then accused Kuwait of slant drilling across the border into their Rumaila field, an accusation that was widely dismissed as false. Iraq claimed that they had lost $2.4 billion to Kuwait’s drilling and demanded reparation. Iraq began a massive military build-up near the border and continued demands for debt forgiveness and a decrease in oil production.
On August 2, 1990, Iraq launched an invasion against Kuwait. Kuwait was caught off-guard and had done nothing to prepare, despite the increasing tensions between the two countries. By the following day, the Kuwaiti military was all but defeated and Iraq officially took control of Kuwait. Iraq’s occupation of Kuwait led to the Gulf War seven months later.