1990 Arab League Emergency Summit
| 1990 Arab League Emergency Summit | |
|---|---|
| Host country | Egypt |
| Date | August 10, 1990 |
| Cities | Cairo |
| Chair | Hosni Mubarak |
| Follows | May 1990 |
| Secretary | Chedli Klibi |
On August 10, 1990, an emergency Arab League summit was held in Cairo, Egypt, to address the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, which had begun on August 2. It was initially scheduled for August 9 but was postponed due to differences in viewpoints. However, some spokespersons indicated that the delay was intended to allow the Tunisian and Yemeni delegations additional time to arrive.[1][2]
The summit was convened at the invitation of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. In a departure from standard procedure, no preparatory meeting of foreign ministers was held to establish the summit’s agenda. Tunisia, which hosted the Arab League headquarters at the time, did not attend the summit after its request to postpone the meeting until after a ministerial session was denied.[3] The timing of President Mubarak's call for the summit coincided with a speech by U.S. President George H. W. Bush announcing the deployment of American forces to Saudi Arabia,[4] as well as Iraq's declaration of unity with Kuwait, calling it "final and irreversible".[5]
The summit
[edit]The conference commenced at precisely 12:20 p.m. with an address delivered by President Hosni Mubarak, in which he underscored the imperative for Iraqi forces to undertake an immediate withdrawal from Kuwaiti territory, to refrain from interfering in Kuwait's internal affairs, and to revoke all decisions and actions taken in contravention of these principles. The representative of Iraq objected to the participation of the Kuwaiti delegation.[6] The summit proceedings were interrupted by a dispute between its chair, President Mubarak, and the Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi, over the legitimacy of adopting the resolution without unanimity, as stipulated by the Charter. Mubarak claimed that the proposal originated from the Omani representative, Fahr bin Taimur, Deputy Prime Minister for Security and Defense Affairs.
Participants in the summit
[edit]| Country | Representative | Note |
|---|---|---|
 Algeria |
President Chadli Bendjedid | |
 Bahrain |
||
 Djibouti |
||
 Egypt |
President Hosni Mubarak | |
 Jordan |
Hussein bin Talal | |
 Iraq |
First Deputy Prime Minister and Member of the Revolutionary Command Council Taha Yassin Ramadan | |
 Kuwait |
Prime Minister Saad Al-Salim Al-Sabah | |
 Lebanon |
||
 Libya |
Leader Muammar Gaddafi | |
 Mauritania |
||
 Morocco |
||
 Oman |
Deputy Prime Minister for Security and Defense Fahr bin Taimur | |
 Qatar |
||
 Palestine |
Chairman Yasser Arafat | |
 Saudi Arabia |
King Fahd of Saudi Arabia | |
 Somalia |
||
 Sudan |
||
 Syria |
President Hafez al-Assad | |
 Yemen |
President Ali Abdullah Saleh |
Final Communiqué
[edit]- Support (12):
Bahrain, 
Djibouti, 
Egypt, 
Kuwait, 
Lebanon, 
Morocco, 
Oman, 
Qatar, 
Saudi Arabia, 
Somalia, 
Syria, 
United Arab Emirates - Against (2):
Iraq, 
Libya - Abstention (3):
Algeria, 
Jordan, 
Yemen - Reservation (3):
Mauritania, 
Palestine, 
Sudan
Source: [7]
Reactions
[edit]White House spokesperson Marlin Fitzwater praised the Arab League’s initiative as "a positive and important statement," delivering a "strong condemnation of Iraq’s actions and expressing equally firm support for Kuwait's sovereignty."[8]
References
[edit]- ^ "Arab League officials gather for summit - UPI Archives". UPI.
- ^ معجم مصطلحات التاريخ العربى الحديث والمعاصر. الهيئة المصرية العامة للكتاب. 2003. ISBN 978-977-01-8498-1.
- ^ https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1990/08/11/arabs-agree-on-force-to-defend-saudis/b1f4b76c-740d-4740-a675-ba65a41cf3cf/
- ^ Gordon, Michael R. (August 8, 1990). "BUSH SENDS U.S. FORCE TO SAUDI ARABIA AS KINGDOM AGREES TO CONFRONT IRAQ; Bush's Aim's: Deter Attack, Send a Signal (Published 1990)". The New York Times.
- ^ Correlli Barnett: Architect of History and Strategy. One Billion Knowledgeable. 6 February 2024.
- ^ Arabs Put Off Summit After Iraqis Balk
- ^ مجلة العلوم الإجتماعية. كلية التجارة والاقتصاد والعلوم السياسية، جامعة الكويت. 1991.
- ^ Murphy, Kim (August 11, 1990). "Arab Leaders Call for Troops to Halt Iraqis : Gulf crisis: 12 nations urge dispatch of forces to aid Saudis. Hussein declares a holy war against the U.S., urging Muslims to 'hit their interests wherever they are.'". Los Angeles Times.