Page 52 - Le Operazioni Interforze e Multinazionali nella Storia Militare - ACTA Tomo II

692 XXXIX Congresso della CommIssIone InternazIonale dI storIa mIlItare • CIHm

the brotherly State of Kuwait.
Each of the above three points will be explained in detail as follows:
Complete Rejection of Iraqi Occupation of the State of Kuwait
The role of the United Arab Emirates was clearly evident from the reactions of late
Sheikh Zayed; he cut short his overseas visit, returned home immediately and stopped
at the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia where he met the king of Saudi Arabia Fahd Abdulaziz
Al Sud (My God Rest his Soul in Peace) and also he met former Egyptian President Mo-
hamed Hosni Mubarak in Egypt, and supported the call for an immediate Arab League
meeting.
rd
On September 3 1990 His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Rashed Al Maktoum, the
then Minister of Defense, made it clear that the United Arab Emirates stood against all
forms of occupation and stressed the UAE’s rejection of the occupation of the brotherly
State of Kuwait by the Iraqi Forces whatever the reasons and justifications of the occu-
pation are, and hoped that the occupation would stop immediately and peacefully.

Attempts to resolve the conflict peacefully through immediate and unconditional
exit of the Iraqi Army from Kuwait, and reinstatement of the legitimate ruler; Emir
of Kuwait Sheikh Jaber Al Ahmed Al Subah (May God Rest his Soul in Peace)
th
On August 10 1990, the Arab League summit was convened in Cairo and twelve
Arab nations out of 22 members endorsed the sending of Arab forces to Kuwait. Sheikh
Zayed bin Sultan considered Kuwait’s liberation a fateful cause for the community and
said “the State of Kuwait will once again become free as it used to be before the occupa-
tion, because Kuwait’s liberation is a fateful cause for the international community, a
confirmation of the principle requiring deprivation of the aggressor from benefiting from
his aggression, and restoration of regional stability and international legitimacy”.
Full support and provision of all means of political, popular and military support
to the sisterly State of Kuwait.
Once all peaceful solutions and efforts bore no fruits, the UAE Army joined an inter-
national coalition of (37) states in the battle, and the UAE founder said that “We cannot
isolate ourselves from the rest of the world, honor our agreements, cooperate with dig-
nity and help without self-admiration or pride and we stand by the principles of equality
and justice”.

Government and Popular Support
The United Arab Emirates exerted all efforts to ensure comfort and assurance for its
Kuwaiti sons, whose numbers exceeded 66000 persons and who lived in the UAE until
their country was liberated. Sheikh Zayed (May God Rest his Soul in Peace) ordered
raising the Kuwaiti flag beside the UAE flag in all schools across the United Arab Emir-
ates. Furthermore, he ordered saluting the two flags each morning of every school day.
In addition, the generous UAE People played an important role in standing by the Ku-
waiti brothers and sisters and this popular and government support was evident through: