Explanation: This is all made without excuse for Saddam Hussein and his imperialist attempt to settle Kuwait ‘by force’. The reaction of the international coalition was correct, and the First Gulf War was justified in the defense of a nation’s sovereignty.
… however, it is pretty certain that the lead-up to the attack on Kuwait was the fault of a massive diplomatic blunder on the part of the US administration of HW Bush. Saddam Hussein, a nominally socialist (emphasis on nominal) who opposed Soviet Communists, was dictator of Iraq for much of the Cold War, and the USA was happy to align with him on matters of mutual ‘interest’, and willing to oppose him when Hussein’s interests contradicted the US administration’s.
Saddam, being a tyrant but not a moron, did not immediately escalate to an invasion of Kuwait. In fact, he specifically asked the US ambassador what the USA’s position was on Kuwait - which is as close to asking if an invasion is okay as diplomatic language permits. She, infamously, responded that the US “took no position on Arab-Arab conflicts”, which is as close as a green light which diplomatic language permits. So, Hussein invaded.
Emphatically, the position of the HW Bush administration regarding neutrality in Arab-Arab conflicts was not meant as permission to start new wars, and the administration - and the international community - was duly shocked and horrified.
The US ambassador never really owned up to the mistake, nor to the issue of wiring the US administration after that meeting that she thought Saddam was genuine about wanting to resolve the Kuwait issue peacefully, despite the troop buildup on the border. That is either intentional malice (doubtful), or massive incompetence.
Fuck’s the point of a diplomatic service if the incompetent ones don’t even have the decency to fall on their swords after fucking up?
It blows my mind that the USA somehow blundered into ruining its relationship with Hussein despite both his apparently sincere intent to stay on good terms with the USA and his clear utility as an enemy of Iran. And then blundered into a second, useless war against him despite his continued utility as an enemy of Iran.
