UN SECURITY COUNCIL ADOPTS RESOLUTION

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