US embassy cable - 90USUNNEWYORK2143

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 USUN NEW YORK 02143 
 
E.O. 12356: DECL:OADR 
TAGS: PREL, KU, IZ, UNSC, PINS 
SUBJECT: UN SECURITY COUNCIL ADOPTS RESOLUTION 
         CONDEMNING IRAQI INVASION OF KUWAIT 
 
1.  (U) SUMMARY.  THE SECURITY COUNCIL ADOPTED BY A VOTE 
OF 14-0-0 WITH ONE MEMBER, YEMEN, NOT PARTICIPATING, A 
RESOLUTION (SC RES 660) CONDEMNING THE IRAQI INVASION OF 
KUWAIT.  THE ALL-NIGHT SC SESSION, CALLED BY THE U.S. 
AND KUWAIT, HEARD THE KUWAITI PERMREP EXPRESS SHOCK AND 
"BITTERNESS" OVER THE ATTACK BY A FELLOW ARAB COUNTRY 
AND THE IRAQI PERMREP DESCRIBE THE EVENTS IN KUWAIT AS 
AN INTERNAL MATTER WITH THE IRAQIS RESPONDING TO A 
REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE FROM THE "FREE PROVISIONAL 
GOVERNMENT" OF KUWAIT.  WITH THE U.S. IN THE LEAD, NINE 
SC MEMBERS SPOKE AT THE FORMAL MEETING TO EXPRESS 
OUTRAGE AT THE IRAQI USE OF FORCE, AND CALLED FOR THE 
WITHDRAWAL OF IRAQI TROOPS AND NEGOTIATIONS TO RESOLVE 
THE DISPUTE.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  (U) THE SECURITY COUNCIL ADOPTED BY A VOTE OF 14-0-0 
A RESOLUTION (SC RES 660) CONDEMNING THE IRAQI INVASION 
OF KUWAIT.  THE ONLY ARAB MEMBER OF THE 
SECURITY COUNCIL, YEMEN, DECLARED THAT IT WOULD NOT 
PARTICIPATE IN THE DEBATE OR VOTE AS IT HAD NOT YET 
RECEIVED INSTRUCTIONS FROM ITS CAPITAL.  KUWAIT, IRAQ 
AND NINE SECURITY COUNCIL MEMBERS PARTICIPATED IN THE 
DEBATE; EIGHT SC MEMBERS IN ADDITION TO THE U.S. 
CO-SPONSORED THE U.S. RESOLUTION CONDEMNING IRAQ, 
CALLING FOR A WITHDRAWAL OF IRAQI FORCES AND 
NEGOTIATIONS IN THE DISPUTE. 
 
3.  (U) THE TEXT OF SC RES 660 IS AS FOLLOWS: 
 
BEGIN TEXT: 
 
THE SECURITY COUNCIL, ALARMED BY THE INVASION OF KUWAIT 
ON 2 AUGUST 1990 BY THE MILITARY FORCES OF IRAQ, 
 
DETERMINING THAT THERE EXISTS A BREACH OF INTERNATIONAL 
PEACE AND SECURITY AS REGARDS THE IRAQI INVASION OF 
KUWAIT, 
 
ACTING UNDER ARTICLES 39 AND 40 OF THE CHARTER OF THE 
UNITED NATIONS, 
 
1.  CONDEMNS THE IRAQI INVASION OF KUWAIT; 
 
2.  DEMANDS THAT IRAQ WITHDRAW IMMEDIATELY AND 
UNCONDITIONALLY ALL ITS FORCES TO THE POSITIONS IN WHICH 
THEY WERE LOCATED ON 1 AUGUST 1990; 
 
3.  CALLS UPON IRAQ AND KUWAIT TO BEGIN IMMEDIATELY 
INTENSIVE NEGOTIATIONS FOR THE RESOLUTION OF THEIR 
DIFFERENCES AND SUPPORTS ALL EFFORTS IN THIS REGARD, AND 
ESPECIALLY THOSE OF THE ARAB LEAGUE: 
 
4.  DECIDES TO MEET AGAIN AS NECESSARY TO CONSIDER 
FURTHER STEPS TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE WITH THIS RESOLUTION. 
 
END TEXT. 
 
4.  (U) IN THE EARLY MORNING FORMAL SESSION OF THE SC, 
THE KUWAITI PERMREP SPOKE FIRST, EXPRESSING HIS 
"BITTERNESS AND EMBARRASSMENT" TO BE IN THE POSITION OF 
HAVING BEEN ATTACKED BY A "PREVIOUSLY FRIENDLY COUNTRY" 
WHICH HAD IN THE PAST BEEN PRAISED FOR ITS ASSISTANCE IN 
THE PEACEFUL RESOLUTION OF DISPUTES IN THE REGION.  HE 
STATED THAT BAGHDAD RADIO HAD ANNOUNCED THE GOAL OF THE 
INVASION AS A COUP DETAT AND THE ESTABLISHMENT IN KUWAIT 
OF A GOVERNMENT THAT WOULD BE FRIENDLY TOWARD IRAQ.  THE 
KUWAITI PERMREP CONTINUED THAT AMIR OF KUWAIT AND HEAD 
OF GOVERNMENT WERE IN CONTROL.  HE URGED THE SECURITY 
COUNCIL TO CONDEMN THE FLAGRANT VIOLATION OF THE UN 
CHARTER AND ASK FOR THE UNCONDITIONAL WITHDRAWAL OF 
IRAQI FORCES. 
 
5.  (U)  THE IRAQI PERMREP FOLLOWED WITH A STATEMENT 
THAT "THE EVENTS TAKING PLACE IN KUWAIT RELATED TO A 
PURELY INTERNAL MATTER."  HE SAID THAT THE "FREE 
PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT" OF KUWAIT HAD REQUESTED IRAQI 
ASSISTANCE TO RESTORE LAW AND ORDER AND THAT IRAQ WANTED 
ONLY GOOD RELATIONS WITH KUWAIT AND WOULD WITHDRAW ITS 
FORCES AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.  DECLARING THAT "THOSE 
SITTING IN THE CHAIR ARE NOT THE LEGITIMATE GOVERNMENT," 
THE IRAQI PERMREP SAID THAT U.S. SPONSORSHIP OF THE 
RESOLUTION BEFORE THE SC PROVED THAT THE UNITED STATES 
WAS IN COLLUSION WITH THE "PREVIOUS GOVERNMENT OF 
KUWAIT". 
 
6.  (U) AMBASSADOR PICKERING LED OFF THE DEBATE WITH A 
STATEMENT CONDEMNING THE IRAQI INVASION, WHICH WAS A 
CLEAR INSTANCE OF AGGRESSION, AND MAKING CLEAR THAT THE 
UNITED STATES WAS STANDING SHOULDER TO SHOULDER WITH 
KUWAIT.  PICKERING APPEALED TO THE COUNCIL TO ACCEPT ITS 
FULL RESPONSIBILITIES, NEITHER VACILLATE NOR 
PROCRASTINATE AND ADOPT IMMEDIATELY THE DRAFT 
RESOLUTION.  THE FULL TEXT OF PICKERING'S STATEMENT IS 
AS FOLLOWS: 
 
BEGIN TEXT. 
 
STATEMENT FOR THE SECURITY COUNCIL 
 
AT ABOUT 6:30PM EASTERN DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME OR SHORTLY 
AFTER MIDNIGHT IN KUWAIT AND IRAQ, IRAQI FORCES MOVED 
INTO KUWAIT TERRITORY, ACCORDING TO REPORTS RECEIVED 
FROM THE AMERICAN EMBASSY IN KUWAIT.  THESE MILITARY 
FORCES CROSSED OVER INTO KUWAITI TERRITORY ALL ALONG THE 
FRONTIER ACCORDING TO THE REPORTS.  THE FORCES RAPIDLY 
PROCEEDED TO KUWAIT CITY AND THEY ARE CURRENTLY PRESENT 
IN THAT CITY. 
 
THERE WAS OPPOSITION TO THE MOVEMENT OF THESE MILITARY 
FORCES, FIRING, AND COMBAT.  WE ARE NOT AWARE YET OF THE 
EXTENT OF CASUALTIES, BUT WE ARE INFORMED THAT KUWAITI 
FORCES ARE RESISTING THE ADVANCE OF THE IRAQIS. 
 
WHILE THE IRAQI INVASION WAS CAREFULLY PLANNED AND 
PROFESSIONALLY EXECUTED, THE IRAQIS AT ONE POINT MADE A 
SERIOUS MISTAKE.  INSTEAD OF STAGING A COUP D'ETAT AND 
INSTALLING THE SO CALLED FREE PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT 
BEFORE THE INVASION THEY GOT IT THE WRONG WAY AROUND. 
THEY INVADED KUWAIT AND THEN STAGED THE COUP D'ETAT IN A 
BLATANT AND DECEITFUL EFFORT TO TRY TO JUSTIFY THEIR 
ACTION. 
 
IT IS WITH GREAT HAPPINESS THAT I HAVE JUST LEARNED THAT 
THE AMIR, CROWN PRINCE AND FOREIGN MINISTER ARE SAFE AND 
DIRECTING THE GOVERNMENT. 
 
WITHIN THE LAST FEW HOURS, THE WHITE HOUSE HAS ISSUED 
THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT: 
 
"THE UNITED STATES STRONGLY CONDEMNS THE IRAQI MILITARY 
INVASION OF KUWAIT AND CALLS FOR THE IMMEDIATE AND 
UNCONDITIONAL WITHDRAWAL OF ALL IRAQI FORCES.  WE HAVE 
CONVEYED THIS MESSAGE TO THE IRAQI AMBASSADOR IN 
WASHINGTON AND TO THE IRAQI GOVERNMENT THROUGH OUR 
EMBASSY IN BAGHDAD.  WE DEPLORE THIS BLATANT USE OF 
MILITARY AGGRESSION AND VIOLATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS 
CHARTER.  TOGETHER WITH KUWAIT, WE ARE CALLING FOR AN 
EMERGENCY SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS SECURITY 
COUNCIL." 
 
THE UNITED STATES HAS MADE CLEAR THAT IT WILL STAND 
SHOULDER TO SHOULDER WITH KUWAIT IN THIS TIME OF CRISIS. 
 
IT IS OUR UNDERSTANDING THAT THE PRESENT AGGRESSION WAS 
COMPLETELY UNPROVOKED.  THE UNITED STATES POLICY HAS 
BEEN TO SUPPORT EVERY DIPLOMATIC EFFORT TO RESOLVE THE 
PRESENT CRISIS.  THUS WE DID NOT ARRIVE LIGHTLY AT OUR 
POSITION OF CALLING FOR A SECURITY COUNCIL MEETING OR 
SEEKING AN IMMEDIATE RESOLUTION WHICH WOULD CONDEMN THE 
IRAQI INVASION, CALL FOR THE IMMEDIATE UNCONDITIONAL 
WITHDRAWAL OF IRAQI TROOPS, AND SUPPORT A PROCESS OF 
NEGOTIATED SOLUTION TO THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN IRAQ AND 
KUWAIT AND PARTICULARLY THE EFFORTS BEING UNDERTAKEN BY 
THE ARAB LEAGUE IN THIS REGARD. 
 
WE HAVE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH MANY STATES IN THE REGION IN 
AN EFFORT TO SEEK THEIR ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FOR THE 
ACTION OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO BRING ABOUT AN 
END TO THIS HEINOUS ACT OF THE USE OF MILITARY FORCE 
CONTRARY TO THE CHARTER, INTERNATIONAL LAW, AND ALL THE 
FULLY ACCEPTED FORMS OF INTERNATIONAL BEHAVIOR. 
 
THE COUNCIL HAS SELDOM FACED A MORE BLATANT USE OF 
FORCE.  THE COUNCIL SHOULD ACT IMMEDIATELY IN DEALING 
WITH THIS PROBLEM.  THE UNITED STATES, PLEASED TO JOIN 
WITH EIGHT OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL, IS PROPOSING A 
DRAFT RESOLUTION TEXT FOR IMMEDIATE ADOPTION BY THE 
COUNCIL.  THE COUNCIL CERTAINLY CAN DO NO LESS IN THIS 
TIME OF PRESENT CRISIS THAN TO DEAL EFFECTIVELY AND 
RAPIDLY WITH THIS PARTICULAR PROBLEM. 
 
WE ASK THE COUNCIL TO ACCEPT ITS FULL RESPONSIBILITIES 
AND TO SUPPORT KUWAIT IN ITS HOUR OF NEED.  IT IS TIME 
FOR PEACE AND DIPLOMACY, NOT THE TIME FOR WAR AND 
AGGRESSION.  THE WORLD IS NOW WATCHING WHAT WE DO HERE 
AND WILL NOT BE SATISFIED WITH VACILLATION AND 
PROCRASTINATION. 
 
IN THIS TIME OF MOST SERIOUS CRISIS, I ASK ALL THE 
MEMBERS OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL CAREFULLY TO CONTEMPLATE 
THE IMMENSE ISSUES BEFORE US AND TO ACT IN THE WAY IN 
WHICH THEY AS MEMBERS OF THIS ORGANIZATION, AND STATES 
COMMITTED TO ACT UNDER THE CHARTER, SHOULD ACT. 
 
THANK YOU MR. PRESIDENT. 
 
END TEXT. 
 
7.  (U)  SEVEN OTHER SC MEMBERS SPOKE IN THE DEBATE. 
COLOMBIA INDICATED THAT IT WAS SUPPORTING THE RESOLUTION 
FOR THE SAME REASONS THAT IT SUPPORTED THE RESOLUTION 
CONDEMNING THE INVASION OF PANAMA IN DECEMBER, MAINLY 
ITS HISTORICAL OPPOSITION TO THE USE OF FORCE.  CANADA 
CONDEMNED THE "BRUTAL IRAQI AGGRESSION" AND URGED THAT 
THE "INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE BE CLEAR AND VIGOROUS." 
FRANCE "UNRESERVEDLY CONDEMNED THE INVASION" WHILE 
MALAYSIA STATED THAT THE PRINCIPLES OF NON-AGGRESSION IN 
THE CHARTER WERE "SACROSANCT".  THE U.K. PERMREP, 
REMARKING ON THIS "UGLY MOMENT IN WORLD AFFAIRS", SAID 
THE "FULL-SCALE INVASION OF A SMALL AND VULNERABLE 
NEIGHBOR BY IRAQ WAS A BREACH OF THE CHARTERS OF BOTH 
THE UN AND THE ARAB LEAGUE."  HE WENT ON TO CONDEMN THE 
"PHONY COUP D'ETAT, INVASION AND PUPPET GOVERNMENT" AND 
URGED THE SC TO PROTECT "THE SMALL, VULNERABLE AND 
DEFENSELESS."  FINLAND, THE SOVIET UNION, CHINA AND 
ROMANIA ADDED THEIR EXPRESSIONS OF CONCERN AND 
CONDEMNATIONS OF THE IRAQI INVASION. 
 
8.  (C)  THE SESSION WAS DELAYED BY THE INDECISION OF 
YEMEN REGARDING ITS VOTE ON THE RESOLUTION.  THE NAM 
CAUCUSED SEVERAL TIMES AND ULTIMATELY DECIDED TO SUPPORT 
THE RESOLUTION, LEAVING YEMEN THE ALTERNATIVE OF 
ABSTAINING.  IN THE EVENT, YEMEN CHOSE NOT TO ABSTAIN, 
BUT RATHER NOT TO PARTICIPATE IN THE DEBATE AND VOTE. 
THE YEMENI PERMREP EXPLAINED THIS DECISION BY HIS LACK 
OF INSTRUCTIONS FROM HIS CAPITAL, BUT EXPRESSED HIS 
SORROW AND EMBARRASSMENT THAT THE ISSUE INVOLVED TWO 
ARAB COUNTRIES, BOTH MEMBERS OF THE ARAB LEAGUE, AND HE 
ASSERTED THE NEED FOR STATES TO RESPECT EACH OTHER'S 
SOVEREIGNTY AND AVOID THE USE OF FORCE. 
 
9.  (C)  THE U.S. WAS ABLE TO OBTAIN EIGHT CO-SPONSORS 
OF THE RESOLUTION:  CANADA, COLOMBIA, COTE D'IVOIRE, 
ETHIOPIA, FINLAND, FRANCE, MALAYSIA, AND THE U.K.  USUN 
WILL CONTINUE TO KEEP THE KUWAITI MISSION INFORMED OF 
THE SITUATION ON THE GROUND. 
 
 
PICKERING