Wednesday, March 9, 2011
More than 1,000 demonstrators called for broad political changes in Kuwait City, the capital, The Associated Press reported. The police blocked the protesters from gathering in a central square, forcing them into a parking lot next to a government building where Kuwait’s emir and prime minister have their offices.
Kuwait is a tiny, oil-rich nation of 2.6 million people, an exception to autocratic rule in the Persian Gulf region, with an elected Parliament that sets the emir's salary and is the nation's sole source of legislation. In some ways, Kuwait is the most democratic country in the Arab world, aside from Lebanon.
For most of its history, Kuwait has mattered in international terms only for the oil it produces. But on Aug. 2, 1990, Saddam Hussein sent his army into Kuwait, after weeks of accusing the emirate of undermining Iraq's economy by pumping too much oil, and at the same time renewing long standing claims to Kuwaiti territory.
Discussions between the countries to resolve the disputes broke up less than 24 hours before Iraqi troops rolled into Kuwait.
International coalition members, led by President George H.W. Bush, warned Mr. Hussein that if he chose to stay in Kuwait and fight he risked the destruction of his military, his political future and his country. In late November, the allies gave Mr. Hussein a final ultimatum: Get out of Kuwait by Jan. 15 or face war.
On Jan. 17 the allies opened an air campaign against Iraq. On Feb. 21, 1991, allied troops drove deep into Kuwait in order to evict Iraqi troops from the country. It was the biggest American-led assault since World War II, and it touched off one of the largest battles in decades, spread across a front 300 miles wide and involving more than a million combatants and support troops.
Declaring that "Kuwait is liberated" and Iraq's army defeated, President Bush ordered allied forces to suspend offensive military operations against President Saddam Hussein's isolated and battered army on Feb. 28.
Although parts of Kuwait City were rebuilt after 1990, much of it still looks faded and neglected, a striking contrast with the gleaming hyper-modernity of Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Qatar.
Despite having the world's fifth largest oil reserves, many Kuwaitis are upset with the absence of business and investment opportunity, at least as compared with its dynamic neighbors. Efforts to overhaul Kuwait's sclerotic welfare state have stalled in its fractious and divided Parliament.
Kuwaitis have also become frustrated by the failure to reform the state-controlled economy. After the 2006 elections, many Kuwaitis were hoping for changes to cumbersome government rules that allow land to be allocated for business projects. Instead, the effort was blocked in Parliament. The slow pace of efforts to privatize the national airline and parts of the oil sector has also caused disappointment.
In May 2009 women won four seats in parliamentary elections, a historic first and one of several electoral surprises that appeared to reflect a deep popular frustration with the political deadlock in the country.
Women gained the right to vote and run for office in 2005, but none had been elected until 2009. Many conservatives resisted the idea, and Islamists urged voters not to elect women to the 50-seat assembly.
The winners were Rola Dashti, an American-educated economist; Salwa al-Jassar and Aseel al-Awadi, who are both professors; and Massouma al-Mubarak, who in 2005 became the country's first female cabinet minister.
The 2009 elections were forced when Kuwait's ruler, Sheik Sabah al-Ahmed al-Sabah, dissolved Parliament to end its latest standoff with the cabinet. It was the third time in three years that there had been such a standoff. Each time, lawmakers accused cabinet members of misconduct or corruption, creating a noisy spectacle and cabinet resignations. Sheik Sabah has consistently reappointed as prime minister his nephew, Sheik Nasser al-Muhammad al-Sabah.
The tensions have slowed economic reforms in Kuwait that many analysts view as essential.
Such tensions seem likely to continue, despite some noteworthy electoral shifts, political analysts said. Sunni Islamist candidates, who gained ground in 2008, lost some seats. Liberals and independent candidates slightly increased their representation. But many incumbents retained seats, including some who are widely considered to be responsible for the confrontations with the executive branch.
For most of its history, Kuwait has mattered in international terms only for the oil it produces. But on Aug. 2, 1990, Saddam Hussein sent his army into Kuwait, after weeks of accusing the emirate of undermining Iraq's economy by pumping too much oil, and at the same time renewing long standing claims to Kuwaiti territory.
Discussions between the countries to resolve the disputes broke up less than 24 hours before Iraqi troops rolled into Kuwait.
International coalition members, led by President George H.W. Bush, warned Mr. Hussein that if he chose to stay in Kuwait and fight he risked the destruction of his military, his political future and his country. In late November, the allies gave Mr. Hussein a final ultimatum: Get out of Kuwait by Jan. 15 or face war.
On Jan. 17 the allies opened an air campaign against Iraq. On Feb. 21, 1991, allied troops drove deep into Kuwait in order to evict Iraqi troops from the country. It was the biggest American-led assault since World War II, and it touched off one of the largest battles in decades, spread across a front 300 miles wide and involving more than a million combatants and support troops.
Declaring that "Kuwait is liberated" and Iraq's army defeated, President Bush ordered allied forces to suspend offensive military operations against President Saddam Hussein's isolated and battered army on Feb. 28.
Although parts of Kuwait City were rebuilt after 1990, much of it still looks faded and neglected, a striking contrast with the gleaming hyper-modernity of Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Qatar.
Despite having the world's fifth largest oil reserves, many Kuwaitis are upset with the absence of business and investment opportunity, at least as compared with its dynamic neighbors. Efforts to overhaul Kuwait's sclerotic welfare state have stalled in its fractious and divided Parliament.
Kuwaitis have also become frustrated by the failure to reform the state-controlled economy. After the 2006 elections, many Kuwaitis were hoping for changes to cumbersome government rules that allow land to be allocated for business projects. Instead, the effort was blocked in Parliament. The slow pace of efforts to privatize the national airline and parts of the oil sector has also caused disappointment.
In May 2009 women won four seats in parliamentary elections, a historic first and one of several electoral surprises that appeared to reflect a deep popular frustration with the political deadlock in the country.
Women gained the right to vote and run for office in 2005, but none had been elected until 2009. Many conservatives resisted the idea, and Islamists urged voters not to elect women to the 50-seat assembly.
The winners were Rola Dashti, an American-educated economist; Salwa al-Jassar and Aseel al-Awadi, who are both professors; and Massouma al-Mubarak, who in 2005 became the country's first female cabinet minister.
The 2009 elections were forced when Kuwait's ruler, Sheik Sabah al-Ahmed al-Sabah, dissolved Parliament to end its latest standoff with the cabinet. It was the third time in three years that there had been such a standoff. Each time, lawmakers accused cabinet members of misconduct or corruption, creating a noisy spectacle and cabinet resignations. Sheik Sabah has consistently reappointed as prime minister his nephew, Sheik Nasser al-Muhammad al-Sabah.
The tensions have slowed economic reforms in Kuwait that many analysts view as essential.
Such tensions seem likely to continue, despite some noteworthy electoral shifts, political analysts said. Sunni Islamist candidates, who gained ground in 2008, lost some seats. Liberals and independent candidates slightly increased their representation. But many incumbents retained seats, including some who are widely considered to be responsible for the confrontations with the executive branch.