Kuwaiti ambassador warns against use of force

Mohammad Abdullah Abulhasan, the permanent representative of Kuwait to the United Nations, spoke about the Kuwaiti experience in the ongoing conflict between Iraq and the United Nations (UN) at a visit to Tufts on Monday night.

Abulhasan focused on the position of both Kuwait and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). He also addressed the Iran-Iraq war, the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, the need for UN involvement, and the ongoing sanctions against the Iraqi regime.

He said that in order to understand the present conflict, an understanding of the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s is necessary. "The Islamic Revolution in Iran raised the concern of the countries in the Arab world because of the threat militant Islam posed against the stability of their countries," he said.

The US had to choose between "the lesser of the two evils and sided with Iraq, along with rest of the civilized world," Abulhasan said. This support gave Saddam Hussein a sense of importance and power in the region.

The Iraqi invasion of Kuwait on Aug. 2, 1990, followed by the UN-authorized American Operation Desert Storm, "was a wake up call to the world community," Abulhasan said. He praised the role of the UN in resolving the invasion.

Never before in history has the UN proved to be so successful, Abulhasan said. Without immediate intervention, Saddam "would have probably invaded the rest of the Arabian Peninsula," he said.

Following the war, Iraq did not intend to fulfill its obligations to the UN, but "continued to deceive" the UN, Abulhasan said.

"Iraq had engaged in an organized and systematic process of concealment while inspectors were on the ground," he said. Saddam "has been given chances time and again to reform and abide by the rules of the game," and has consistently said no.

Despite the past failure of weapons inspection missions, Abulhasan pressed the necessity of working with the UN. Kuwait's only expectation, he said, is "that Iraq fulfill all its obligations."

Abulhasan said that a use of force "would exasperate the suffering of the Iraqi people," and that "any use of force must be a last resort and within the UN framework _ and only after all other available options have been exhausted."

Should Iraq once again reject UN inspectors, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said that the Security Council "should live up to its responsibility."

Abulhasan said that "this coming year will be the litmus test of the Security Council determination."

"Let's hope that the Iraqi leader understands the gravity of the situation _ all we can do is hope, because Iraq has lost all credibility," he said.

He also said the nations of the GCC would benefit most from the removal of Saddam, but "regime change is a matter for the Iraqi people to decide, and cannot be forced from the outside."

According to Abulhasan, inspections are necessary because "it is the role of the Iraqi people to decide freely without weapons of mass destruction hanging over their heads."

Abulhasan expressed his faith in and dependence on the UN. He credited the UN with the liberation of Kuwait from Iraq, and he said that the nations of the GCC rely on the UN for security. "We have a system of collective security," Abulhasan said. "We are militarily insignificant alone."

When asked why Kuwait supports sanctions against Iraq, he said Kuwaiti support is not out of spite. "The Iraqi regime decided to opt for defiance _ the only peaceful pressure is sanctions," he said.

Abulhasan defended Kuwait's openness to Iran and encouraged support for Iranian involvement in the conflict with Iraq. "Iran is a cornerstone of security in the region," Abulhasan said. "Without a strong, stable, prosperous Iran, we are not on solid ground for security for the region."

Professor Andrew Hess, the director of the Southwest Asian Studies Program at the Fletcher school said Abulhasan "was pretty clear on Kuwait's position, which is a little short of what the US would like to see."

"The discussion of sanctions was useful," because "sanctions haven't prevented Saddam from developing his military establishment," Hess said.

Student response to the speech was positive on the whole. "It was very informative," junior Abdul-Wahab Kayyali said. "It's good to have people from the region come to speak about their countries' positions."

Abulhasan, a graduate of the University of Cairo, is in his 22nd year as the Kuwaiti representative to the UN. His daughter, Arwa Mohammad Abulhasan, is a student at the Fletcher School.