Middle East 647
British military buildup in Kuwait that began on July 1. The same month, the Arab
League admitted Kuwait as a member and established a force of mostly Jordanians
and Saudi Arabians to join the British in defending Kuwait. As this military aid was
arriving to the country, Kuwait began to mobilize its troops.
On July 5, Egypt issued a threat to Iraq, warning it not to invade Kuwait. Iran was
dragged into the conflict by Iraq’s explanation that it was mobilizing forces on the
border with Kuwait in order to protect itself from Iranian hostilities. Threats and the
military buildup continued throughout the year, while British forces were replaced by
Arab forces in Kuwait by October 19. British naval forces were compelled to return
because of continued threats of hostility by Iraq toward Kuwait on December 27.
Coding changes: End Date changed from February 28, 1962.
MID#3172
Dispute Number: 3172
Date(s): April 20, 1967 to April 26, 1967
Participants: 645 Iraq/690 Kuwait
Outcome (and Settlement): Unclear (None)
Fatalities: None
Narrative: On April 20, 1967, Iraqi border guards crossed into Kuwait and tore down
an oil well workers’ tent camp and briefly held the area. Iraq acknowledged Kuwait’s
independence in 1963, but both disputed their borders while Iraq delayed negotiations.
Iraq also demanded the island, Bubiyan.
After Iraqi forces had driven out the Bedouins that lived in the region, both sides
massed troops. The troops withdrew, and Iraq apologized on April 26.
Coding changes: Start Date changed from May 28, 1990; End Date changed from April
30, 1967.
MID#1612
Dispute Number: 1612
Date(s): December 21, 1972 to April 6, 1973
Participants: 645 Iraq/670 Saudi Arabia, 690 Kuwait
Outcome (and Settlement): Yield by side A (Negotiated)
Fatalities: 1–25 deaths
Narrative: During the Shatt al-Arab dispute between Iran and Iraq, Kuwait allowed
Iraq to station soldiers within its territory to protect the historic Iraqi seaport of Umm
Qasr. When the dispute between Iran and Iraq dissipated, however, it became increas-
ingly clear that Iraq had no intentions of withdrawing its troops. On December 21, 1972,
an Iraqi troop buildup along the border was reported, and during that month, Kuwait
confirmed that Iraq was building a road through Kuwaiti territory that made its way
toward each of the Iraq barracks already in Kuwaiti territory. An invasion was looming.
Kuwait’s realization that Iraqi troops were not going to be withdrawn without a push
caused it to fortify its border police post at al-Samita. The next February, a clash took
place at the Kuwaiti post at al-Samita killing two Kuwaiti soldiers and one Iraqi soldier.
In March 1973, Saudi Arabia entered the dispute on the side of Kuwait by dispatching