Kuwait Amid War, Peace and Revolution: 1979-1991 and New Challenges (St. Antony's)

247 Pages·2007·0.65 MB·English

by  Lori Plotkin Boghardt

Kuwait Amid War, Peace
and Revolution
1979–1991 and New Challenges
Lori Plotkin Boghardt
“Kuwait Amid War, Peace and Revolution is a significant contribution to the
study of Gulf security in the Islamist era. Based on extensive new information
obtained from Kuwait’s Interior Ministry, Lori Plotkin Boghardt traces the chang-
ing strategies adopted and adapted by this small state to protect itself against
revolutionary transnational movements and their domestic adherents. She
shows howmaking a narrow definition of security interests an absolute nation-
al priority both undermines civil society and increases existential vulnerability.
This book offers a unique perspective on an ensemble of issues critical to students
of the Gulf and the Middle East more broadly, and it deserves a wide readership.”
–Mary Ann Tétreault,Una Chapman Cox Distinguished Professor of International
Affairs, Trinity University
“In this ground-breaking study, Plotkin Boghardt addresses one of the most
controversial issues in one of the most secretive regions in the world: regional
security in the Arab Gulf states. Through extensive contacts with Kuwaiti
officials and citizens, the author has compiled remarkable and compelling
documentation on Kuwait through three regional crises: The 1979 Iranian
Revolution, the Iran–Iraq Gulf War of the 1980s, and the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait
in 1990. Essential reading for all who wish to understand the strengths and
stresses of Gulf monarchies in surviving internal and external challenges.”
– Eugene Rogan, Director, Middle East Centre, St. Antony’s College, University of
Oxford
“This major new work…allows a number of confident and compelling con-
clusions, adding very significantly to our understanding of Kuwaiti politics in
particular and to the wider study of Third World Security. Highly lucid in organ-
isation and expression, the work demonstrates a thorough grasp of developments
both in Kuwait and the region.” – Gerd Nonneman, Professor of International
Relationsand Middle East Politics, Lancaster University
“Based on extensive original empirical research, Lori Plotkin Boghardt explores
with analytical vigour and scholarly methodology the domestic and interna-
tional security challenges to Kuwait and its response to them. This rich piece
of research represents an important contribution to the study of international
relations and security issues in a small-scale and vulnerable state. A compelling
read.” – Ahmed Al-Shahi, Research Fellow, St Antony’s College, University of
Oxford
“A focused and in-depth analysis of Kuwaiti social dynamics. Never before has
the phenomenon of Kuwaiti internal security been covered in such an informa-
tive and revealing manner.” – Ghanim Alnajjar, Professor of Political Science,
Kuwait University
“This study is an excellent account of security challenges to the Kuwaiti regime
from the Iranian revolution to the aftermath of the 1991 liberation. The book is
both comprehensive and thoroughly readable, and should be of interest to those
concerned with security issues in the Gulf, as well as with the politics of Kuwait
generally.” – Michael Herb, Associate Professor of Political Science, Georgia State
University
St Antony’s Series
General Editor: Jan Zielonka(2004–), Fellow of St Antony’s College, Oxford
Recent titles include:
Lori Plotkin Boghardt
KUWAIT AMID WAR, PEACE AND REVOLUTION
Paul Chaisty
LEGISLATIVE POLITICS AND ECONOMIC POWER IN RUSSIA
Valpy FitzGerald, Frances Stewart and Rajesh Venugopal (editors)
GLOBALIZATION, VIOLENT CONFLICT AND SELF-DETERMINATION
Håkan Thörn
ANTI-APARTHEID AND THE EMERGENCE OF A GLOBAL CIVIL SOCIETY
Lotte Hughes
MOVING THE MAASAI
A Colonial Misadventure
Fiona Macaulay
GENDER POLITICS IN BRAZIL AND CHILE
The Role of Parties in National and Local Policymaking
Stephen Whitefield (editor)
POLITICAL CULTURE AND POST-COMMUNISM
José Esteban Castro
WATER, POWER AND CITIZENSHIP
Social Struggle in the Basin of Mexico
Valpy FitzGerald and Rosemary Thorpe (editors)
ECONOMIC DOCTRINES IN LATIN AMERICA
Origins, Embedding and Evolution
Victoria D. Alexander and Marilyn Rueschemeyer
ART AND THE STATE
The Visual Arts in Comparative Perspective
Ailish Johnson
EUROPEAN WELFARE STATES AND SUPRANATIONAL GOVERNANCE OF
SOCIAL POLICY
Archie Brown (editor)
THE DEMISE OF MARXISM-LENINISM IN RUSSIA
St Antony’s Series
Series Standing Order ISBN 0–333–71109–2
(outside North America only)
You can receive future titles in this series as they are published by placing a standing order.
Please contact your bookseller or, in case of difficulty, write to us at the address below with
your name and address, the title of the series and the ISBN quoted above.
Customer Services Department, Macmillan Distribution Ltd, Houndmills, Basingstoke,
Hampshire RG21 6XS, England
Kuwait Amid War, Peace
and Revolution
1979–1991 and New Challenges
Lori Plotkin Boghardt
in association with
St Antony’s College, Oxford
© Lori Plotkin Boghardt 2006
All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this
publication may be made without written permission.
No paragraph of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted
save with written permission or in accordance with the provisions of the
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, or under the terms of any licence
permitting limited copying issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency, 90
Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 4LP.
Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication
may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.
The author has asserted her right to be identified as the author
of this work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and
Patents Act 1988.
First published 2006 by
PALGRAVE MACMILLAN
Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS and
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010
Companies and representatives throughout the world
PALGRAVE MACMILLAN is the global academic imprint of the Palgrave
Macmillan division of St. Martin’s Press, LLC and of Palgrave Macmillan Ltd.
Macmillan® is a registered trademark in the United States, United Kingdom
and other countries. Palgrave is a registered trademark in the European
Union and other countries.
ISBN 13: 978–1–4039–9405–9 hardback
ISBN 10: 1–4039–9405–6 hardback
This book is printed on paper suitable for recycling and made from fully
managed and sustained forest sources.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Boghardt, Lori Plotkin, 1970–
Kuwait amid war, peace and revolution : 1979–1991 and new
challenges / Lori Plotkin Boghardt.
p. cm. – (St. Antony’s series)
Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index.
ISBN 1–4039–9405–6
1. Kuwait–Politics and government – 20th century.
2. National security–Kuwait. 3. Kuwait–Ethnic relations. I. Title.
II. Series.
DS247.K88B56 2006
953.67–dc22 2006046447
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
15 14 13 12 11 10 09 08 07 06
Printed and bound in Great Britain by
Antony Rowe Ltd, Chippenham and Eastbourne
for my husband,
who is my light,
and my parents,
who are my inspiration
This page intentionally left blank
Contents
List of Figures, Tables and Graphs x
Acknowledgments xii
Note on Transliteration xiii
Introduction 1
Kuwaiti internal security dynamics 3
Researching internal security in Kuwait 12
1 History and Government of Internal Security in Kuwait 17
The impact of oil 17
Development of the state security apparatus 20
Contemporary internal security organs 25
Summary 27
2 The Immediate Impact of Neighboring Revolution and War, 28
February 1979–January 1981
The “Shiite-ization” of the revolutionary challenge 29
The revolution and Kuwaiti Shia 31
The revolution, Iranian expats and other foreign residents 35
Attacks against Iranian interests 39
Thebombing of al-Rai al-Amm 42
Restoring the National Assembly 44
Summary 47
3 New Political Forums and Ongoing Regional Tremors, 49
February 1981–November 1983
The new Assembly and other domestic forums 50
The Gulf Cooperation Council 52
Return of “spring surprises” 54
Battlefield reverberations 57
Palestinian attacks and the Palestinian community 59
New trends regarding expatriates 63
Summary 68
4 Major Terror Attacks and National Transformation, 70
December 1983–January 1986
Immediate responses to the December 1983 bombings 71
Political convictions behind pursuing and purging Shia 73
vii
viii Contents
Pursuing and purging Shia 76
Limitations on foreign population size 79
Limitations on foreign population character 81
Physical barriers 85
“Strict” measures 86
The 1984 hijacking and assassination attempt on Amir Jabir 87
The cafe bombings and new strategies 92
Proliferation of state security trials 97
Decline of the appeal of religious fundamentalism and the 99
1985 Assembly
Summary 101
5 Criticism and Extremism from Kuwaiti Citizens, 103
February 1986–August 1988
The internationalization of the war 104
Restricting venues for domestic dissent 106
The June 1986 attacks, public opinion and terrorism trials 110
The citizen-bomber development 114
Explaining citizen-bombers 119
Responding to citizen extremism 122
De-emphasis on the threat from foreign residents 124
Summary 127
6 Old and New Antagonisms after the Ceasefire, 129
September 1988–July 1990
Post-war subversion 130
The post-war politics of foreign residents 134
The parliamentary movement 137
The National Council plan 141
Summary 145
7 Loyalty, Opposition and the Iraqi Invasion, 147
August 1990–August 1991
Military and security personnel 148
Civilian resisters and other Kuwaiti “insiders” 153
The parliamentary movement revisited 155
Expatriate collaboration 162
Population reinvention 166
Summary 170
8 Period Trends and New Challenges 172
Key findings 172
New and looming challenges 176
Contents ix
Appendix A: Number of Administrative Deportations per Month 182
According to Nationality, 1978–89
Appendix B: Number of First-time Residence Permits Issued 186
per Year, 1978–89
Appendix C: Kuwaiti Daily Newspapers and Their Orientations 187
Circa 1986
Notes and References 188
Bibliography 215
Index 229