Qatar Crisis, Invasion of Kuwait
Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Ashara Al Awsat/August 04/17
Pro-Doha government are endeavoring to use the anniversary of the Kuwait occupation in favor of the Qatari crisis. They claim that Qatar today is in danger like Kuwait was in the past and that Saudi Arabia and its allies represent Saddam Hussein!
Regardless that this is a forging of truth, it is also historically stated that Qatar is the only Gulf country that tried to hurdle the liberation of Kuwait through forbidding the GCC decision to adopt a military action to liberate Kuwait during December meeting in 1990.
Crown Prince, then, Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani insisted that there is no liberation of Kuwait before obliging Bahrain to relinquish the conflict islands with Qatar, upsetting the five countries that obliged him to back off or leave Doha.
At that time, Saddam Hussein forces were residing in Dasman Palace in Kuwait, and more than 1.5 million Kuwaiti citizens and residents were displaced. Weirder, though, was the stance by the Muslim Brotherhood – current ally of Qatar.
Muslim Brotherhood was also frank towards the liberation via a stance expressed by the International Organization Of The Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan, Egypt, Sudan, Tunisia and others.
It justified its support of Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait to its objection over the military solution and the recruitment of foreign forces! In fact, it was cooperating with Saddam’s government to replace Al Sabah family!
At the anniversary of the Kuwaiti occupation, the Qatari and some Kuwaiti media are promoting two issues: reducing the role of the GCC – including Saudi Arabia – in that crisis, and comparing the Qatari crisis to the Kuwaiti occupation.
But the truth is the total opposite since in this crisis Qatar is the offender and the four states are the victims. The situation might seem strange because Qatar is a small country, but the four states have been patient over its policy and dangerous acts for years not because they are weak states but because Qatar is a small country and there was some hope that the leadership might become rational with time.
You might wonder what crime did Qatar commit to compare it to Saddam.
For years, Doha’s authorities have been working on destabilizing and ousting regimes of Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and UAE. I listed them according to the damage.
Qatar is funding the opposition against Saudi Arabia in London, Turkey and Qatar itself – an opposition demanding throwing out the regime. Qatar was an accomplice in the assassination of King Abdullah, and it admitted conspiring with Gaddafi to oust the regime in Riyadh. Everytime, it presents excuses and pledges to halt this policy before it returns to it!
Two months ago, it promoted a revolution holding the title of “7 Ramadan Movement”, and bribed agents to serve this purpose. As for its acts in Bahrain and Egypt, then it is obvious through the state-channels that Qatar supports the extremist opposition in Bahrain to oust Al Khalifa and funds the Muslim Brotherhood to throw out Sisi. Only Qatar supports and funds Emirati opposition abroad!
These states said that they have ran out of patience and it is time to set limits for Qatar. Brothers in Kuwait must recall that these four states mobilized to rescue their country when Saddam ousted the regime, and Kuwait should stand by them out of loyalty or at least should not allow Qatar to exploit Kuwait on any level (political, media, economic).
What is the difference between what Saddam did in ousting the regime in Kuwait and what the Qatari government is doing? In fact, Qatar is worse because it hides behind slogans and claims of democracy and Islam – both unfamiliar with it.
At the anniversary of Saddam invasion of Kuwait, we should be aware of the tough and costly lesson, to be more keen to respect ties and treaties and to support each other stability. The Gulf countries should be more strict against the Qatari’s government acts and to support the demands of the four states, since they didn’t ask for ousting the regime but for stopping the threats against their security and existence.
If Kuwait and other states take a just stance, then Doha might be more rational and rescue the region from the Gaddafi mentality.
Tomorrow, my opinion article is about the confrontation of Saddam’s invasion.