DOCUMENT
King Fahd Statement on
the Iraqi Invasion of
Kuwait and Foreign Troop
Deployments to Saudi Arabia
AUGUST9, 1990In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate. Thanks be to God, Master of
the Universe and Prayers of Peace be upon the last of Prophets Mohamad and all his
kinfolk and companions.
Dear brother citizens, May God’s peace and mercy be upon you.
You realize, no doubt, through following up the course of the regrettable events in
the Arab Gulf region during the last few days the gravity of the situation the Arab nation
faces in the current circumstances. You undoubtedly know that the government of the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has exerted all possible efforts with the governments of the Iraqi
Republic and the State of Kuwait to contain the dispute between the two countries.
In this context, I made numerous telephone calls and held fraternal talks with the
brothers. As a result, a bilateral meeting was held between the Iraqi and Kuwaiti del-
egations in Saudi Arabia with the aim of bridging the gap and narrowing differences
to avert any further escalation.
A number of brotherly Arab kings and presidents contributed, thankfully, in these
efforts based on their belief in the unity of the Arab nation and the cohesion of its
solidarity and cooperation to achieve success in serving its fateful causes.
However, regrettably enough, events took an adverse course, to our endeavors and
the aspirations of the Peoples of the Islamic and Arab nation, as well as all peace-
loving countries.
Nevertheless, these painful and regrettable events started in the predawn hours of
Thursday 11 Muharram 1411H., corresponding to 2nd August A.D. 1990. They took
the whole world by surprise when the Iraqi forces stormed the brotherly state of Kuwait
in the most sinister aggression witnessed by the Arab nation in its modern history. Such
an invasion inflicted painful suffering on the Kuwaitis and rendered them homeless.
While expressing its deep displeasure at this aggression on the brotherly neighbor
Kuwait, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia declares its categorical rejection of all ensuing
measures and declarations that followed that aggression, which were rejected by all the
statements issued by Arab leaderships, the Arab League, the Islamic Conference Orga-
nization, and the Gulf Cooperation Council, as well as all Arab and international bod-
ies and organizations.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia reaffirms its demand to restore the situation in the
brotherly state of Kuwait to its original status before the Iraqi storming as well as the
return of the ruling family headed by H.H. [His Highness] Sheik Jaber al-Ahmed
al-Sabah, the Emir of Kuwait and his government.
IRAQ AND THE GULF WARS 449