U.S. Relations With Kuwait Essay, Research Paper

CIA Blue Paper: Koweit

Kuwait is located on the Northwest seashore of the Persian Gulf in Southwest Asia. It is bordered by Iraq on the Northwest and North sides, and by Saudi Arabia on the South side. The state s entire country, including the islands of Bubiyan, Warbah, and Faylakah is 6,880 square stat mis. ( Encarta )

Virtually the full state, except for some little coastal countries, is bare desert, with a level to turn overing terrain. Dirts are practically nonexistent. The mean one-year temperature is 77. F, and the mean one-year rainfall is 127 millimeter ( 5 in ) or less, most of which falls in the ice chest season, between October and March. During the dry season temperatures often exceed 115. F. The state obtains its H2O supply from the desalinization of sea H2O. Petroleum and natural gas are Kuwait & # 8217 ; s merely natural resources. ( Encarta )

The Native people of Kuwait are Arabs. There are besides many minority groups in Kuwait such as Indians, Pakistanis, and Iranians. In 1999, the estimated population of Kuwait was 1,991,115, with 54 per centum being immigrants. The population denseness is about 112 individuals per 289 square stat mis. ( facts.com ) The dominant faith is Islam. The bulk of the Muslims are Sunnite Muslims. The official linguistic communication is Arab, but English is widely spoken. ( Grolier )

Kuwait s authorities is headed by a familial amir whose power is exercised through a premier curate and a council of curates. There are 50 legislators elected to four twelvemonth footings. Political parties are non allowed ; nevertheless, several Islamic groups have run campaigners in elections. Vote is merely done by native Borns, literate males over the age 21. ( Grolier )

Kuwait s economic system is about wholly based on crude oil. Kuwait has a jurisprudence that requires 10 per centum of all crude oil grosss to be deposited into a particular modesty fund to supply for the clip when the oil militias are exhausted. Kuwait has one of the highest per-capita incomes in the universe. In 1997 the per-capita income was 22,300 dollars a individual. Much of this wealth is in the custodies of the authorities. ( facts.com ) The official currency is the dinar, which is made up of one 1000 fils. In September of 1999, the exchange rate was.3 dinar peers one U.S. dollar.

Kuwait was developed around the metropolis of Kuwait in the late eighteenth century. It was under Ottoman Turkish regulation until 1899 when the reigning amir asked for, and got, British protection. In 1914 Great Britain recognized the independency of the province. Petroleum was discovered in Kuwait in 1938. Operating under a grant, the Kuwait Oil Company, owned jointly by the Gulf Oil Corporation of the United States and the British Petroleum Company, began all-out development of the militias in 1946. Under the commissariats of a 1951 understanding, the amir shared every bit in the company & # 8217 ; s net incomes.

During the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s, Kuwait aided Iraq ; in 1987 the U.S. and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics ( USSR ) each sent naval bodyguards to protect Kuwaiti transporting from Persian onslaught. After the Iran-Iraq war ended, Iraq revived a long-standing territorial difference with Kuwait and claimed that overrun of crude oil by Kuwait was wounding Iraq & # 8217 ; s economic system. Iraqi troops invaded Kuwait on August 2, 1990 and quickly took over the state ; th

ey reportedly committed many human rights maltreatments. The invasion was condemned by the UN Security Council and the Arab League, which continued to back up the exiled amir, Sheikh Jaber al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, as Kuwait’s legitimate swayer. ( facts.com )

During the Persian Gulf War, a alliance led by the U.S. successfully freed Kuwait by late February 1991. Problems confronting Kuwait in the postwar period included unequal supplies of nutrient, fresh H2O, and electricity ; 100s of oil-well fires set by the withdrawing Iraqis ; environmental harm from firing Wellss and intentionally spilled oil ; demands by opposition leaders who had remained in Kuwait for a greater portion of political power ; and hostility between Kuwaitis and Palestinian occupants, some of whom were accused of join forcesing with Iraqi business forces.

By early 1992 the fires had been put out, most Palestinians had fled the state, and Kuwait had paid $ 16.5 billion to the U.S. as its portion of allied war disbursals. Groups opposed to the amir but divided on other political, economic, and spiritual issues won a parliamentary bulk in the elections of October 1992. In 1993, during a visit by former U.S. President George Bush, Kuwaiti functionaries arrested 14 Iraqis and Kuwaitis accused of plotting to assassinate the former president.

Some chief jobs that Kuwait faces today are adult females s voting rights boundary line differences with Iraq, and fright of future Iraqi problems. In the past twosome of old ages, adult females s voting rights have been a hot issue in Kuwait. In May of 1999, a jurisprudence that extended voting rights to adult females was rejected by the legislative assembly. This twelvemonth the issue has been brought up once more. Kuwait has a history of boundary line differences with the adjacent state of Iraq. Ever since the Middle E was divided up by & # 8220 ; The West, & # 8221 ; Iraq has complained that Kuwait is portion of their state. Since the Gulf War of the early 1890ss, Kuwait has been really cautious of Iraq ; with good ground of class. They still see Iraq as a menace to the full center E every bit long as Saddam Hussein is in power.

As for the hereafter of Kuwait, there are many possibilities. There could be more problem with Iraq. Hussein is a really unpredictable leader and Kuwait is a really easy mark. Kuwait will hold to trust on the UN and U.S. forces to protect them if they do acquire invaded once more like they did back in 1990. Another thing to watch in the hereafter will be Kuwait s economic system. Since their economic system is based about wholly on oil, any jobs with oil will interrupt their full economic system. Kuwait has taken fiscal safeguards for if the oil militias become low, but one has to inquire how long a state can last on a bank history.

I believe that the U.S. should put clip and money in Kuwait. Kuwaiti oil is really of import, particularly with the lifting gas monetary values of today. If we could get down increased trade to Kuwait, we might be able to negociate oil monetary values.

I feel that the U.S. should protect Kuwait from enemy onslaught. Since it is such an easy mark, we ll have to maintain a close oculus on it. Iraq should be our chief concern for Kuwait s safety. Saddam Hussein needs to be overthrown or killed, whatever it takes. He seems to keep a score against Kuwait, and it will non halt until his power is taken off. Overall, I think Kuwait should be high on the U.S. s precedence list coming into the new millenium.