Multimedia Mania/abacus-multimedia-mania.iso/dp/0038/00385.txt

Text File | 1993-07-27 | 25KB | 454 lines

$Unique_ID{bob00385}
$Pretitle{}
$Title{Kuwait
Address by Sheikh Saad al Abdullah al Sabah the Crown Prince of Kuw}
$Subtitle{}
$Author{Embassy of Kuwait, Washington DC}
$Affiliation{Embassy of Kuwait, Washington DC}
$Subject{kuwait
arab
iraqi
beloved
kuwaiti
liberation
aggression
brothers
state
country
see
pictures
see
figures
}
$Date{1990}
$Log{}
Title:       Kuwait
Book:        Kuwait Events
Author:      Embassy of Kuwait, Washington DC
Affiliation: Embassy of Kuwait, Washington DC
Date:        1990

Address by Sheikh Saad al Abdullah al Sabah the Crown Prince of Kuw

ADDRESS BY HIS HIGHNESS SHEIKH SAAD AL ABDULLAH AL SABAH CROWN PRINCE OF
KUWAIT AND PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF
THE KUWAITI PEOPLE'S CONFERENCE HELD FROM 24 TO 26 RABI AWAL 1411H (13-15
OCTOBER 1990) IN JEDDAH KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA

BISMILLAH ALRRAHMAN ALRRAHIM

"In the Name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful"

     The Kuwaiti People's Conference:

     "Liberation is Our Motto, Pathway and Objective."

     Your Highness the Emir of Kuwait, may Allah preserve you.

     Dear brothers, fellow countrymen,

     Assalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh,

     I would like to extend to all of you my fraternal, most sincere and
blessed salutations, which also extend, through you, to our heroic steadfast
people resisting inside our beloved state of Kuwait as well as to all our
brothers who have firmly rejected the treacherous occupation, and who are now
outside our beloved nation.

     Grace be to Allah at every time, whether in times of adversity or in
times of peace.  We express our thanks to Him the Almighty in times of
hardship just as in times of peace. Our thanks are due to Him during this
period of ordeal and sorrow just as times of ease and affluence, fully
trusting in His divine Will, and accepting it, with sincere belief that God,
the All-Powerful will grant us patience in the face of this affliction,
victory against our enemies and assistance in our struggle for the liberation
of our beloved nation from the hideous and criminal occupation.

     "May Allah, comfort us with patience, with strengthened resistance and
with victory against those who reject faith.

Dear Brothers and Fellow Countrymen,

     When I look in your faces, it is for me as if I were beholding our
beloved nation. I can see in your quiet-looking faces the reflection of our
beloved State of Kuwait, our precious motherland that I can see from afar in
its noble glory and in its sorrow, patience and bravery, calling on us for
succor and assistance, fully confident that victory shall be achieved and that
the faithful Kuwaiti people are prepared to face death for the sake of their
state and to make all material and human sacrifices, however precious, so that
their country returns to its normal state - a state which, God-willing, shall
remain forever - as a free, noble and independent nation enjoying full
sovereignty with its banner raised high despite the will of the criminals.

     Our small and peaceful people have been subjected to a treacherous
aggression perpetrated by a neighbour-country which yet belongs to the Arab
and Islamic fold and to whom we had extended our support and assistance in
times of hardship and difficulty. In return this country betrayed our trust,
violated our country and exchanged our good deeds for evil action, unleashing
at us its destructive arsenal, invading our country with troops numbering
hundreds of thousands. It also used thousands of tanks and planes in an
all-out attack by land, sea and air with a premeditated conquest design, aimed
at annihilating the Kuwaiti people and eradicating the political and cultural
entity of Kuwait, under the erroneous belief that in so doing it could wipe
out a state with its people, its culture and history, in an attempt to place
the world in the face of a new fait accompli, but as is stated in the Holy
Quran "They did scheme and plot but Allah turned their own treachery against
them .... He is indeed all supreme, above all traitors."

     Fortunately, the divine mercy has stood against the fulfilment of this
criminal design and Kuwait has been saved from such intended eradication. The
banner of resistance and freedom-fighting is raised high in the hands of all
Kuwaitis, men and women, and the voice of Kuwait is resounding loud and clear
in all international capitals as well as in all Arab, Islamic and
International gatherings. The Kuwaitis will resound until the achievement of
liberation, the defeat of the aggressor, the elimination of the tyrannic
aggression and the return of our people to our homeland and living quarters
in peace and security, God willing.

     There is no room to dwell on details here, dear brothers, but we shall
confine ourselves to putting on record a number of facts which, as we believe,
arise from an undivided consensus.

First:

     Our armed forces - the army, the national guard and police - have put up
a heroic resistance in the face of the aggressing troops. They have fought an
unequal battle in which they were not in a position to use all their means,
capacities and potential ... and yet they fought in a splendidly heroic way
risking their lives in defense of their nation. Thus they gave evidence of
what they were capable of and as expected they gave the perfect example of
good citizenship for our homeland Kuwait, and of bravery of which we are
proud.

Second:

     One fact forms a historic landmark in which we pride and which shall be
echoed proudly by our people, generation after generation. I am referring to
the fact that the Kuwaiti people have stood up as one, rejecting the
invading aggressor. The aggressors miscalculated when they imagined that it
was possible for them to secure the cooperation of any Kuwaiti, whether by
carrot or stick. Their hopes did not materialize and they failed to find even
one single Kuwaiti to cooperate with or have anything to do with their puppet
government. So much so that they were forced to unveil their perfidious
intentions, exposing their criminal design to annex Kuwait to Iraq.

     Occupation forces of all times and places normally find at least a few
defeatists ready to cooperate with them ... Kuwait proved to be the
exception to the rule, for its people - without a single exception - have
refused and still refuse to cooperate with criminal occupation forces.

     One more truth is thus entered in the glorious records of history for the
benefit of Kuwait and its people: The Kuwaitis have all refused and will never
cooperate with or deal with its criminal faction.

Third:

     The third truth that cannot be challenged in any way is that the Kuwaiti
people have proved on this difficult occasion that they form one single family
in word as well as deed. They rallied around their leadership which stems from
them and works for them and stood as one solid edifice of many parts each
reinforcing the others. By so doing they proved their true metal, their pure
essence and their full awareness of Kuwait's supreme interests, soaring high
above all opportunistic attempts at sowing dissension, thanks to their true
sense of patriotism and valour.

     This is, dear brothers, a splendid patriotic stand by our noble people to
which I pay a special tribute. Such a stand should form one of the mainstays
on which the future of new Kuwait, once liberated, shall rest.

Fourth:

     Only a few hours after the treacherous Iraqi invasion, the political
leadership became aware of the plot hatched by the Iraqi regime, behind the
movements of their troops and their rush forward towards the heart of Kuwait
city. The leadership quickly realized that the enemy's objective at that stage
was to liquidate the country's leadership and members of its government, so as
to create a constitutional vacuum which would make it easier to achieve their
wicked designs and camouflage their aggression under a false garb. However,
God's mercy prevailed and the government headed by His Highness our beloved
Emir, may God preserve him, was able to move out of harm's way. In that way,
and with Allah's help, legitimacy was saved.

     The government met that very same day and continued to exercise its
constitutional powers. It promptly launched a major diplomatic offensive
highlighted by extensive contacts with the heads of state of friendly
countries. Visits were made at various levels to many countries throughout the
world to explain the wicked invasion and aggression to which our beloved
homeland was subjected in a bid to winning worldwide support for our just
cause.

     That, dear brothers, was the first shock to the criminal scheme
masterminded by the wicked Iraqi regime to destroy the political identity of
the State of Kuwait.

Fifth:

     After the first few days of wicked Iraqi occupation the government
promptly turned its attention to the living conditions of Kuwaiti nationals
stranded abroad. It provided them, to the best of its ability, with the
prerequisites of a decent standard of living. It later redoubled its efforts
to care for thousands of families forced to flee our beloved homeland under
pressure from the tyrannical Iraqi regime.

     Special committees, subsidized by the government, were hurriedly set up
to take care of Kuwaitis wherever they happened to be. The government has
tried its best to help. It has provided them and their families with the
benefits of social security, living quarters and health and educational
services.

     We praise God Almighty that the people of Kuwait have been spared the
humiliation arising from unhappy living conditions as well as loss of dignity.
Thanks to God, they have continued, and will continue, by the Grace of God and
their mutual support, to hold their heads high in dignity. The entire world
has witnessed the fact that our beloved Kuwait is a loving homeland whose
willingness to give knows no bounds and keeps its sons in mind even at the
height of its ordeal.

     This is, brothers, just another achievement to the credit of to the sons
of Kuwait who have contributed to this patriotic effort, thereby making it
possible for our people to continue living in dignity.

     It is important at this point to express profound thanks and gratitude
to the King, government and people of our sister, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,
and the noble brothers in all the other Arab member states of the Gulf
Cooperation Council who have received us with open arms and have given us
unlimited support.

     Likewise we will always remember with gratitude our brothers in Arab and
Muslim countries and specially our sister, the Arab Republic of Egypt, for
their support and hospitality.

Brothers! Fellow countrymen!

     Before the premeditated invasion and occupation of our country by Iraq
we hastened to do our best to solve the dispute provoked by Iraq and to find
a solution within an Arab framework. Proceeding from this desire, we proposed
at the time that the dispute be referred to an Arab League arbitration panel.
The Iraqis rejected our proposal and insisted that bilateral issues should be
settled exclusively by the two parties concerned. What they had in mind was to
dictate terms to us.

     Nevertheless we readily responded to the selfless efforts made by the
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Fahd ibn Abdul Aziz, and his
Excellency President Hosni Mubarak, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt.
With all good intentions we met the Iraqi side in Jeddah in search of a
settlement within the Arab framework. We made it clear at that meeting that
we were ready to have further talks with the Iraqis in Baghdad and later in
Kuwait. But the Iraqis were not interested in further negotiations. All that
they wanted was to dictate their terms to us. That desire was premeditated.
Later it became abundantly clear that the Iraqi regime was at pains to foil
all efforts to reach a settlement. Within a few hours of the Jeddah meeting
the Iraqis invaded and occupied Kuwait without so much as an ultimatum or
warning.

     The Iraqi regime received thereafter the Arab solution which calls for
the pullout of Iraqi troops and the restoration of the legitimate Kuwaiti
government, but the Iraqis stuck to their guns and would not budge.

     Thus we see that Iraqis have refused to implement the resolution passed
by the Arab Emergency Summit held in Cairo on August 10, 1990, rejected the
Islamic solution by refusing to heed the Islamic Foreign Ministers Conference,
and have refused to accept the international solution to the crisis as
proposed by the Security Council resolutions which condemn the Iraqi
aggression against Kuwait, call for an immediate and unconditional withdrawal
from all Kuwait territory and declare support for the legitimate authority in
the state of Kuwait.

     It is deplorable to hear continuing Arab voices calling for an Arab
solution to the crisis. We say to the sponsors of such proposals and
initiatives that the Arab solution is there, and so are the Islamic and the
international solutions. All that Iraq has to do is pick one of them at random
and implement it. All are identical. They all call for a complete pullout and
the restoration of legitimacy to Kuwait.

     If such voices are indeed sincere in their efforts to seek a solution to
the crisis within an Arab framework, why do they not demand that Iraq
withdraw its troops from the state of Kuwait? Why is it that they decline to
declare frankly their condemnation of the Iraqi aggression on the state of
Kuwait? Or is it that the Arab solution permits one Arab country to attack
another, occupy its territory, render its people homeless, obliterate its
political identity and change its demographic composition by evicting the
indigenous population and bringing in other elements to take their place? Is
this the way the Arab solution is meant to be read and understood? How can one
reconcile this with Arabic ethics, nationalist principles and Islamic ideals?

     The treacherous Iraqi invasion of Kuwait is no longer a purely Kuwaiti
concern, neither is it for that matter an exclusive Gulf or Arab concern. It
has become a world issue. All peoples of the world sympathize with our cause
and reject the aggression committed against us. They support us and defend
our cause. They are doing their best to thwart aggression and restore usurped
rights.

     Kuwait is no longer the only other party to the confrontation with the
wicked Iraqi aggression. Speaking for ourselves, we would like to reiterate
our constant and unwavering policy in this regard:

     1. Kuwait's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity are not
open to either discussion or bargaining.

     2. We accept no solution which falls short of the complete implementation
of the resolutions of the Arab Emergency Summit in Cairo and the Security
Council resolutions, all of which call for the immediate and unconditional
pullout of Iraqi troops from Kuwaiti territory and declare their support for
the restoration of the legitimate authority to the State of Kuwait.

     3. We reserve the right to file a claim against Iraq for reparations to
compensate for the material and moral damage inflicted on our country by the
Iraqi regime and for property stolen by that regime.

     4. The unconditional pullout of Iraqi troops from all Kuwaiti territories
must precede any attempt to solve the dispute which was stagemanaged by Iraq
directly before its aggression on Kuwait or any other unresolved matters
between the Iraqi Republic and the state of Kuwait prior to the Iraqi
invasion.

Brothers! Esteemed fellow countrymen!

     Our beloved homeland is labouring under the brunt of the wicked Iraqi
occupation and the sons of our gallant people are subjected day and night to
the most cruel acts of persecution at the hands of the tyrant of Baghdad and
his clique of transgressors. They have wreaked havoc throughout our peaceful
land, killing the innocents, hurting the honour of others, defiling the houses
of God, robbing people of their money and the other valuables and looting
stores and banks, even schools and hospitals.

     Our homeland Kuwait is crying for help. We must save her from the human
beasts who have defiled its pure soil with their sins. We are all bound by our
patriotic duty to devote undivided time to one objective only: liberation. All
our efforts and activities should focus on one thing, and no other,
liberation.

     For the sake of liberation, there are certain objectives we should
emphasize. They are as follows:

     1. To bolster the steadfastness of our people in Kuwait and reinforce
their ability to stay where they are, resist the occupation and foil the
criminal scheme aimed at the evacuation of our people from their land.

     2. To safeguard the interests of our people and help them obtain the
things they need for their livelihoods as they are passing through critical
conditions with a direct bearing on their security, residence, livelihood, the
education of their children and the provision of their needs for medical and
social care.

     3. To preserve the continuity of Kuwaiti legitimacy and to inform the
entire world that independent Kuwait is still alive and functioning as it used
to. This calls for the continuation of the diplomatic offensive and the
intensification of media efforts to consolidate our stand and promote our
cause which must remain the primary concern of the world until the country is
liberated with Allah's help.

     4. To press ahead with preparations for military action whether it be by
our armed forces which have been redeployed, following their reorganization
alongside the joint international forces, or by other trained and able-bodied
citizens. Their proper position is in the vanguard of the liberation forces.

Brothers! Fellow countrymen!

     We, with the cause of liberation being our foremost concern at this
critical point in the history of our beloved country, must keep in mind that
our national unity is our path to liberation and that of all the weapons in
our arsenal it is the most effective. Liberation is impossible without
national unity. Therefore we have to maintain it and promote it, for it is
going to be the rock hard foundation on which the Kuwait of the future will
be built. We will build together national unity utilizing in the process our
thoughts, hands, efforts, devotion, cooperation, and above all our undying
affection for our beloved Kuwait.

     It is true that the freedom of expression and the freedom of thought
have been recognized and respected by our society since its formative phase.
These were highlighted by our constitution, which we uphold and are at pains
to safeguard. But for one to offend our national unity or try to distort the
picture of our people's struggle, especially when our land is occupied by the
enemy, such act cannot be labelled "patriotic," nor can it be classified under
the category of freedom of expression.

     We believe that evolution is a law of nature and that there are many
lessons we must to learn from the ordeal of occupation.

     The political leadership, which has always been so close to the hearts of
people and knows their sentiments, shall not be slow in responding to Kuwaiti
aspirations and ambitions once our homeland is liberated and we have returned.

     The objectives we will be seeking to achieve in the post liberation era
are significant. Having been defended by each and every one of its citizens,
it will be only natural for Kuwait to hold each and every Kuwaiti close to its
bosom. Guided by the constitution of 1962, Kuwait will take the necessary
measures to consolidate democracy and allow for more extensive political
participation on the part of the masses. This has been, and continues to be,
one of our outstanding objectives.

     The Kuwaiti woman has proved to be highly reliable in all of her various
roles: as a mother, a sister, a wife, a daughter and more recently as part of
the resistance movement and in her rejection of the occupation. In your name,
and with much admiration, I pay tribute to her endeavours. I am certain that
her role and contribution in a liberated Kuwait will be even more significant.

     The great people of Kuwait have given a good account of themselves in the
struggle against aggression. They have resisted the barbaric army of
occupation and refused to have anything to do with it. Theirs is a good
example of how loyalty to one's homeland and ruler ought to be. They have
proved themselves to be true to their Emir and his leadership. They will be
rewarded in kind: love for love, confidence for confidence and loyalty for
loyalty. It is true, after all, that one good turn deserves another.

     The objective of this meeting, is to take counsel on matters which could
prove beneficial to our beloved country and our noble people and which could
strengthen our national struggle for the liberation of our beloved Kuwait and
the expulsion of the invaders. The conference provides the participants
with the chance to exchange views on matters of interest to our country and
people at this crucial stage in our history. The leadership has the right, or
rather the duty, to seek advice from the people and to put to good use the
people's assessment of the situation. It also derives from such contacts with
the people the power it needs to press ahead with the struggle for liberation.

     Let us meet with the love that is in our hearts for Kuwait serving as
our guiding star. Let us join hands for the liberation of Kuwait. Let us
cooperate with one another to hoist the banner of Jihad high. Let us take a
pledge before God - Glorious be His Name - to sacrifice ourselves and our
property in defending our beloved Kuwait, the land of amity, harmony and
peace, which the wicked aggressors have usurped. Let us proceed along the path
of Jihad like brothers spurred forward by the faith that we have in our
hearts. Let us remain united and let us allow no worldly matter to divert our
attention from our holy mission until we have achieved victory.

     We are confident that God is with us. The people of the world are behind
us. They condemn aggression and seek to beat it back. Having reached
consensus, something unprecedented in history, the people of the world have
made it clear that they are for right and legitimacy and for the dire need to
take disciplinary action against the aggression.

     The forces of the wicked Iraqi regime which have occupied our land have
failed to break our will. The armies of the tyrant of Baghdad which have
invaded our homeland and robbed the freedom of our people have failed to blunt
our determination. The tanks of the treacherous enemy have spread death and
destruction in our land but have failed to undermine our faith or weaken our
determination to resist.

     It is true that our country is small in size with a small population. But
our people have proved time and again that their faith, great determination
and toughness easily make up for this deficiency in numbers.

     To our people who have remained steadfast in our beloved homeland we say:
"We are with you. We are always with you. We are always with you with our
hearts, thoughts, emotions and all our senses. We are with you every hour and
at all times. We are in pain on account of your pain and we suffer for your
suffering. We pay tribute to your steadfastness and we are proud of your
resistance to the enemy. From afar we give you our salute.

     We wish you had been with us in this conference for your presence would
have given us more hope and confidence with regard to liberation and
repatriation. May God ensure your safety and reward you with a resounding
victory. May he decree that we meet together soon in our beloved Kuwait after
it has been liberated and made once again pure with the expulsion of the
aggressors.

"O ye who believe !
Persevere in patience and constancy;
Vie in such perseverance :
Strengthen each other, and fear God
That ye may prosper."

"Peace be upon you together with Allah's Blessings."