Flames from a burning oil well rise above an abandoned tank in the Burgan oil field, Kuwait. Getty Images
Flames from a burning oil well rise above an abandoned tank in the Burgan oil field, Kuwait. Getty Images

1990 - The invasion of Kuwait

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Updated 19 April 2025
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1990 - The invasion of Kuwait

1990 - The invasion of Kuwait
  • Saddam’s ‘horrible aggression’ led to the Gulf War, fragmenting the Arab world and creating lasting divisions 

JEDDAH: I was in Baghdad a mere two months before Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait on Aug. 2, 1990. I was there with a group of editors and journalists accompanying the late King Fahd to the 17th Arab Summit in the Iraqi capital on May 30, 1990. I saw Saddam up close, with only a couple of feet between us. 

At that time there was no inkling that he would invade Kuwait. Yes, there were rumblings of discontent and disagreements over Kuwait’s ownership of Bubiyan Island. But nobody imagined that two months after he hosted the Arab leaders, his tanks would roll into Kuwait in what King Fahd rightly described as Iraq’s “most horrible aggression.” 

The invasion of Kuwait set off a chain of events with repercussions that continue today. It shattered forever the idea of Arab unity and fragmented the Arab world. That world never recovered, never returned to “normal” after the Gulf War. 

There were countries that did not side with Saddam, but they remained quiet and this led to a deepening of the suspicions that lingered in the unfortunate post-1945 Arab history. Those suspicions had become reinforced, embedded and fixed in the minds of the Arabs. There was mutual suspicion of each other’s intentions. While the Palestinians, the Jordanians and the Yemenis did not openly support the invasion, their wait-and-see policy angered the Gulf states. 

How we wrote it




Arab News reported King Fahd’s denunciation of Iraq’s “most horrible” aggression against Kuwait and the ensuing international condemnation.

Could we say that today’s problems in our region have their roots in the 1990 invasion of Kuwait? I would say yes. Most of the Arab world’s issues today are a direct result of Saddam’s aggression. 

First, the invasion led directly to the destruction of Iraq. And those responsible were the Iraqi government and, more specifically, Saddam. It was Saddam who handed an excuse to forces that wanted to break up an Arab state. If Saddam had not invaded Kuwait, there would very likely have been no Al-Qaeda, no Daesh. The Kuwaiti invasion was the ultimate moment for those who wished to see Arabs violently disagreeing with, and actually fighting, each other. 

I remember an insightful piece I read in London’s Daily Telegraph newspaper in 1968 about differences that had cropped up during that year’s Arab Summit. It included a quote that is still relevant: “The Arab world, despite its brimming coffers, lacks one thing that money cannot buy — leadership.” 

Coming back to the invasion, and how we at Arab News covered it, I was awakened by a telephone call on the morning of Aug. 2, 1990. Mohammed Ali, the teleprinter operator at Arab News, was on the line. In those days, the teleprinter brought us the news, sometimes in trickles and sometimes in floods. Ali told me that information was trickling in about Kuwait being invaded by Iraqi troops. 

Key Dates

  • 1

    Iraq invades Kuwait.

  • 2

    UN Resolution 660 condemns the invasion and “demands that Iraq withdraw immediately and unconditionally.”

  • 3

    Saddam installs Alaa Hussein Ali, holder of dual Iraq-Kuwaiti nationality and a lieutenant in the Kuwaiti army, as head of a four-day puppet government in Kuwait.

    Timeline Image Aug. 4, 1990

  • 4

    UN Resolution 678 gives Iraq an ultimatum to withdraw from Kuwait by Jan. 15, 1991.

    Timeline Image Nov. 29, 1990

  • 5

    Saudi F-15s and Tornados take part in the first of a series of allied bombing raids on Iraqi military targets in Iraq and Kuwait.

  • 6

    Iraq fires the first of more than 80 Scud missiles it will unleash on Israel and Saudi Arabia during the brief conflict.

  • 7

    Iraqi forces seize the Saudi town of Khafji on the Kuwait border, but are driven out after two days.

    Timeline Image Jan. 29, 1991

  • 8

    Coalition ground troops cross into Iraq from Saudi Arabia.

  • 9

    US and Allied forces enter and begin the swift liberation of Kuwait.

    Timeline Image Feb. 24, 1991

  • 10

    A Scud missile hits US Army barracks in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, killing 28 US soldiers.

  • 11

    Iraqi forces flee Kuwait, setting fire to oil wells as they leave. Thousands die on Highway 80, the so-called Highway to Death, when retreating troops are attacked by allied aircraft.

    Timeline Image Feb. 26, 1991

  • 12

    With Kuwait liberated, US President George H.W. Bush declares a cease-fire and Kuwait’s government returns from exile.

    Timeline Image Feb. 28, 1991

I jumped out of bed, dressed and headed straight to the office at around 6 a.m. We called a couple of other staff members and started reading the reports. In those days, communication was far from quick. There was no internet and no mobile phones. To get a firsthand report of what was actually happening, I called one of my friends in Kuwait who had worked with the Arab Times. 

He said: “Yes, I see Iraqi tanks in the streets. There is no resistance from the Kuwaitis.” We maintained contact for about three-and-a-half hours before his phone went dead. 

Armed with all the information and leads I had, I sat with the editorial team and discussed the next day’s edition. However, there was an order from the Ministry of Information telling newspapers not to write about the invasion. From the editor-in-chief’s point of view, this was a great story but there were directives not to print it. 

I was unwilling to take no for an answer, so I got in my car with my colleague, Khaled Nazer, and we went to the office of the minister of information at the time, Ali Al-Shaer. Once there, I begged and pleaded with him, saying how important it was to report this story, but he refused to budge. It was the darkest day in my life as a journalist. 

Luckily, there was an Islamic conference taking place in Cairo at the time, and we used that story as a way to discuss the rumblings and tensions along the border between Iraq and Kuwait. That was it. 




US Air Force fighters during Operation Desert Storm. Getty Images

The next day, however, we began reporting details of plundering and rampaging by Saddam’s troops in Kuwait. I told the publishers how important it was for the paper to have a full team close to the Saudi border with Iraq, in addition to the office we already had in the Eastern Province. 

On Aug. 8, I went to the Eastern Province and, by September, we had a full team in place. It included Wahib Ghorab, Khaled Nazer, Mohammed Samman, Saeed Haider, Maher Abbas, Hani Naqshbandi, the photographer Giovanni Pasquale and an American intern, Aldo Svaldi. 

By that time, an army of international journalists had arrived in the Eastern Province. The liberation of Kuwait was still a couple of weeks away. 

When King Fahd addressed the nation, and the world, on Thursday, Aug. 9, 1990, we were given detailed information about the invasion. Our front-page headline the following day was “Fahd denounces Iraq’s ‘most horrible aggression’.” 

From the Eastern Province, we began writing reports, war dispatches and human-interest stories. Everything was new to us and our circulation soared. The “Green Truth,” as Arab News was known in those days, became the most sought-after publication, the go-to source for information. 

International journalists from Voice of America, the BBC and CNN visited our offices, and we formed lifelong friendships with many of them. They were surprised by our knowledge, keenness and openness. There was even a story about a small burger joint that was making Scud Burgers, named for the missiles that Saddam was using to attack the Kingdom. 

None of my staff was allowed to feel any less important than those high and mighty foreign journalists. I made sure of that. 

Arab News was the first newspaper to enter liberated Kuwait, while the oil wells were still burning. 

  • Khaled Almaeena was editor in chief of Arab News for almost 25 years, serving two terms, from May 1, 1982, to Feb. 20, 1993, and from March 1, 1998, to Oct. 8, 2011. 


Over 84,000 people affected by Somalia floods since mid-April: UN

Updated 1 min 24 sec ago
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Over 84,000 people affected by Somalia floods since mid-April: UN

Over 84,000 people affected by Somalia floods since mid-April: UN
“Since mid-April, flash floods caused by heavy seasonal rains have killed 17 people and affected over 84,000 people in several areas,” OCHA said
“Critical infrastructure has been damaged“

NAIROBI: More than 84,000 people have been affected by flash floods in Somalia since mid-April, the United Nations said Tuesday, leaving at least 17 people killed.
The Horn of Africa is one of the regions most vulnerable to climate change, and extreme weather events are becoming increasingly frequent and intense.
“Since mid-April, flash floods caused by heavy seasonal rains have killed 17 people and affected over 84,000 people in several areas,” UN humanitarian agency OCHA said.
The figure includes people who have displaced, lost shelter, now have a lack of access to humanitarian assistance, or suffer water shortages.
Jubaland, Hirshabelle, South West, Galmudug, Puntland states and Banadir region — which includes capital Mogadishu — were most impacted, OCHA said, leaving more than 8,100 people displaced.
“Critical infrastructure has been damaged,” it added, noting that water points had been submerged and almost 200 latrines were destroyed.
It comes just days after torrential rain in southeastern Banadir killed at least nine people and affected approximately 24,600 others.
“The rains significantly impacted internally displaced people,” OCHA said, citing local authorities.
According to the UN report, meteorologists have warned that more rain is expected in the coming days across southern and central Somalia.
Somalia was hit by intense floods in 2023. More than 100 people were killed and over a million displaced after severe flooding caused by torrential rains linked to the El Nino weather pattern.

Uber CEO tells Riyadh-based forum AV cars to be seen in Saudi Arabia this year

Uber CEO tells Riyadh-based forum AV cars to be seen in Saudi Arabia this year
Updated 20 min 41 sec ago
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Uber CEO tells Riyadh-based forum AV cars to be seen in Saudi Arabia this year

Uber CEO tells Riyadh-based forum AV cars to be seen in Saudi Arabia this year
  • Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi: You will see autonomous vehicles in Saudi Arabia this year. It’s something that we are very focused on
  • Khosrowshahi: Ultimately, autonomous will not only be safer, but will also be a cheaper form of transportation

RIYADH: The CEO of Uber announced Tuesday that autonomous vehicles will soon be seen in Saudi Arabia.

“You will see autonomous vehicles in Saudi Arabia this year”, CEO Dara Khosrowshahi told a panel at the Saudi-US Investment Forum on Tuesday. “It’s something that we are very focused on.”

He said the vehicles would provide a much safer environment both for the passengers and other road users.

“Autonomous holds incredible potential for us,” he added. “First of all, it represents a safer street, as the autonomous driver isn’t distracted, isn’t going be texting while they’re driving, etc. And it’s a driver that continues to learn from all the experience of all the miles driven all over all over the world.”

“Ultimately, autonomous will not only be safer, but will also be a cheaper form of transportation.”

“We are now working with 18 autonomous partners... to make sure that autonomous technology are introduced in a safe matter.”

He also discussed how the Kingdom represented one of Uber’s top growing markets.

“First of all, the Kingdom represents one of our top growing markets,” he added.

He said there were 140,000 drivers who were now Saudi nationals on the platform, 4 million riders, and he said they operated in 20 cities across the Kingdom.

On the competition with other transport services he added: “Uber and public transit really do complement each other. There’s a perception that to some extent Uber competes with public transit, but actually our top competitor is personal car ownership and what we see in cities that have a strong public transit infrastructure, we see people using their cars less and Uber becomes a first mile and last mile solution to public transits.”

“So, for example, with the Riyadh Metro system… we offer discounted rides for first mile and last mile ... what we’re trying to then build is a lifestyle that essentially complements public transit.”

This session on Saudi Arabia’s GIGA projects, an in-depth conversation on the next chapter of national transformation, was moderated by Arab News Editor-in-Chief Faisal J. Abbas.

Saudi Arabia has committed itself to an abundance of giga projects as part of Vision 2030 in the Kingdom’s ongoing modernization.

One such project is Diriyah, the birthplace of Saudi Arabia.

Jerry Inzerillo, CEO of Diriyah company, spoke on preserving the Kingdom’s history, and the ancestral home of Al-Saud, the center of cultural heritage and diplomacy,

Celebrating that the project was running to schedule and on budget, he added: “We just welcomed to the UNESCO World Heritage site this week our three millionth visitor. We have 45,000 workers on their job now. We are very honored and pleased to say that right now we’re doing business with 83 American companies.”

Michael Dyke, CEO of the New Murabba Development Project, a vast cube-shaped building in Riyadh forming another part of the Vision 2030 project, said it would be one of the world’s iconic buildings and landmarks.

Dyke said the New Murabba in Riyadh, which is home to the Mukaab structure, would span 2 million square meters of floor space.

“It is one of the greatest, largest structures ever known,” Dyke said.

Drawing a comparison in size to entertainment MSG Sphere in Las Vegas, that seats almost 18,000 people, Dyke said the Mukaab would be 22 times larger.

“So when people enter the Mukaab, they will enter another world, there will be holograms and there will be strong AI driving through the whole of the facility.”

“The Mukaab will come on line in 2030 onwards, when people come to Riyadh they will see something new, something different. It would be another fantastic place that will complement the amazing projects already happening in the Kingdom.”

Another massive project being created as part of the Kingdom’s development is NEOM – a vast city on the Red Sea coast.

Rayan Fayez, Deputy CEO of NEOM, said the 26,500 square kilometer project would be the size of Massachusetts.

“Building a city and a region of this scale, requires significant infrastructure,” Fayez said.

“When we talk about some of the themes that we are spending our time and effort on, infrastructure is a big one. So whether its digital infrastructure, 500 kilometers of fiber has already been laid, a data center being built, power and utility infrastructure already have solar, and wind farms up. In addition to 194 kilometers of water pipeline, food infrastructure, greenhouse is being developed because NEOM is not just a real-estate development initiative, it’s an economy building.”

“It’s an 8.4 billion investment, a joint venture between Neom Aqua Power and Air products, which is, of course, a US company with a significant investment coming into Neom, developing what will become Green Hydrogen Project.”

John Pagano, CEO of Red Sea Global, in terms of investment opportunities he said they ere with numbers American companies and hospitality brands, including Marriot, Hayat and Hilton.


Former Pakistan PM Khan’s sons urge Trump administration to play role for father’s release

Former Pakistan PM Khan’s sons urge Trump administration to play role for father’s release
Updated 36 min 35 sec ago
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Former Pakistan PM Khan’s sons urge Trump administration to play role for father’s release

Former Pakistan PM Khan’s sons urge Trump administration to play role for father’s release
  • Khan has been in jail for nearly two years on a slew of charges he says are politically motivated and has frequently agitated against the Pakistani government over a host of issues
  • His sons urge any government that supports ‘free speech and proper democracy’ to join the call for their father’s release, appeal to influential people to ‘create a bit more noise’

ISLAMABAD: The sons of former prime minister Imran Khan have urged United States (US) President Donald Trump and the international community to help free their jailed father, appealing to “people of influence” to press for his release.

Khan has been in jail for nearly two years on a slew of charges that he says are politically motivated. His Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has held frequent protests demanding his release and frequently agitated against the Pakistani government over what it says were rigged general elections in Feb. 2024 and a campaign to subdue PTI supporters since his ouster from the PM’s office in April 2022.

Pakistani authorities deny Khan’s allegations, accusing the ex-premier and his party of leading violent anti-government protests in the past, particularly in May 2023 and Nov. 2024. On May 9, 2023, frenzied mobs across the country carrying flags of Khan’s party attacked government and military installations, while a protest in Nov. to demand Khan’s release killed four troops during clashes, officials say. The PTI denies instigating followers to violence and accuses the military and its political rivals of resorting to rights abuses against its supporters. They both deny the charges.

During a rare interview, conducted by entrepreneur, business influencer and citizen journalist Mario Nawfal, Khan’s sons, Kasim Khan and Sulaiman Khan, spoke about the alleged “suppression of democracy” in Pakistan, a lack of basic facilities for Khan in his prison cell. They said he was being kept on “trumped up charges,” and called on the Trump administration and the international community to press Islamabad for his release.

“Anyone who looks into it a little can kind of see that,” Suleiman said. “In terms of a message to the Trump administration, we’d call for any government that supports free speech and proper democracy to join the call for our father’s release, and especially the most powerful leader in the world.”

The former cricket-star-turned politician, who was believed to have been brought into power by Pakistan’s powerful military, fell out with the generals. His party accuses the military, which has ruled Pakistan for nearly have of its history and holds sway in politics even when not in power, of colluding with Khan’s rivals to keep him out of politics. The military and Khan’s rivals deny this.

In Dec. 2024, Khan’s party held negotiations with the government to ease political tensions in the country. However, talks broke down in Jan. after the PTI pulled away, accusing the government of not fulfilling its two principal demands of forming judicial commissions to investigate the 2023 and 2024 protests. The government rubbished the PTI’s allegations, accusing the party of “unilaterally” abandoning talks without waiting for the government to respond to its demands.

Sulaiman said there was a tradition of “dynastic politics” in Pakistan, dominated by two main parties, and his father wanted to break away from that tradition.

Khan’s elder son, Kasim, said they just wanted the international community to see what had been going on in Pakistan and “hopefully take action.”

“We’d love to speak to Trump or try and figure out a way where he would be able to help out in some way because at the end of the day, all we are trying to do is free our father, bring democracy in Pakistan and just ensure his basic human rights,” Kasim said.

The calls from Khan’s sons for his release came a day before the hearing of a petition in the Islamabad High Court seeking Khan’s release on parole, which was filed by his party’s chief minister in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Besides speaking with Nawfal of their time with Khan and family interactions, Sulaiman also appealed to “people of influence” around the world to speak for their father’s release.

“I think that would be huge, just to create a bit more noise because it’s definitely gone a bit quiet recently,” he said.

“We would love people to reach out to us if they have some influence or potential to help with this situation.”


Harvard loses another $450 million in grants in escalating battle with Trump administration

Harvard loses another $450 million in grants in escalating battle with Trump administration
Updated 47 min 13 sec ago
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Harvard loses another $450 million in grants in escalating battle with Trump administration

Harvard loses another $450 million in grants in escalating battle with Trump administration
  • A federal antisemitism task force said Harvard will lose grants from eight federal agencies
  • Harvard has faced escalating sanctions from the White House after becoming the first US university to openly defy the government’s demands to limit pro-Palestinian activism

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump’s administration is cutting another $450 million in grants to Harvard University a day after the Ivy League school pushed back against government allegations that it’s a hotbed of liberalism and antisemitism.

In a letter to Harvard on Tuesday, a federal antisemitism task force said Harvard will lose grants from eight federal agencies in addition to $2.2 billion that was previously frozen by the Trump administration.

The letter said Harvard has become a “breeding ground for virtue signaling and discrimination” and faces a “steep, uphill battle” to reclaim its legacy as a place of academic excellence.

“There is a dark problem on Harvard’s campus, and by prioritizing appeasement over accountability, institutional leaders have forfeited the school’s claim to taxpayer support,” the letter said.

It was signed by officials at the Education Department, Health and Human Services and the General Services Administration.

University officials did not immediately provide comment on the letter.

Harvard has faced escalating sanctions from the White House after becoming the first US university to openly defy the government’s demands to limit pro-Palestinian activism and end diversity, equity and inclusion practices.

Trump, a Republican, has said he wants Harvard to lose its tax-exempt status, and the Department of Homeland Security has threatened to revoke the school’s eligibility to host foreign students.

Last week, the Education Department said Harvard will receive no new federal grants until it meets the government’s demands.

The Trump administration has demanded Harvard make broad leadership changes, revise its admissions policies and audit its faculty and student body to ensure the campus is home to many viewpoints.

The demands are part of a pressure campaign targeting several other high-profile universities. The administration has cut off money to colleges including Columbia University, the University of Pennsylvania and Cornell University, seeking compliance with Trump’s agenda.

Harvard is suing to block the federal funding freeze.

Harvard President Alan Garber disputed the government’s allegations in a Monday letter, saying Harvard is nonpartisan and has taken steps to root out antisemitism on campus. He insisted that Harvard is in compliance with the law, calling the federal sanctions an “unlawful attempt to control fundamental aspects of our university’s operations.”

The government’s letter on Tuesday said Harvard has repeatedly failed to address racial discrimination and antisemitism on campus. It cited the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision striking down Harvard’s use of race in the admissions process, along with a recent internal report at Harvard detailing cases of antisemitic harassment.

___ Collin Binkley has covered Harvard for nearly a decade — most of the time living half a mile from its campus.


Trump to meet with Syria’s Al-Sharaa as he weighs easing sanctions after Assad’s overthrow

Trump to meet with Syria’s Al-Sharaa as he weighs easing sanctions after Assad’s overthrow
Updated 40 min 27 sec ago
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Trump to meet with Syria’s Al-Sharaa as he weighs easing sanctions after Assad’s overthrow

Trump to meet with Syria’s Al-Sharaa as he weighs easing sanctions after Assad’s overthrow
  • Trump said he’s weighing removing US sanctions on the Syrian government

RIYADH: President Donald Trump will meet Wednesday in Saudi Arabia with Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa, the onetime insurgent who last year led the overthrow of former leader Bashar Assad.
“The President agreed to say hello to the Syrian President while in Saudi Arabia tomorrow,” the White House said.
The US has been weighing how to handle Al-Sharaa since he took power in December. Gulf leaders, have rallied behind the new government in Damascus and will want Trump to follow, believing it is a bulwark against Iran’s return to influence in Syria, where it had helped prop up Assad’s government during a decade-long civil war.
Then-President Joe Biden left the decision to Trump, whose administration has yet to formally recognize the new Syrian government. Sanctions imposed on Damascus under Assad also remain in place.
As he prepared to leave Washington, Trump said he’s weighing removing sanctions on the Syrian government.
“We may want to take them off of Syria, because we want to give them a fresh start,” said Trump, adding that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has urged him to do so.
The comments marked a striking change in tone from Trump, who has been deeply skeptical of Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa.
Formerly known by the nom de guerre Abu Mohammed Al-Golani, Al-Sharaa joined the ranks of Al-Qaeda insurgents battling US forces in Iraq after the US-led invasion in 2003 and still faces a warrant for his arrest on terrorism charges in Iraq.
Al-Sharaa, whom the US once offered $10 million for information about his whereabouts because of his links to Al-Qaeda, came back to his home country after the conflict began in 2011 where he led Al-Qaeda’s branch that used to be known as the Nusra Front. He later changed the name of his group to Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) and cut links with Al-Qaeda.