Palestinians in Kuwait – Letter from Kuwait

Letter dated 24 June 1991 from the Permanent Representative of Kuwait

to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General

On instructions from my Government and in response to the note from the Permanent Observer of the Palestine Liberation Organization (A/45/1025) of 19 June 1991, which contains allegations about the situation of Palestinians in Kuwait, I have the honour to inform you of the following:

Firstly: Throughout its history, Kuwait has been known for its respect for all those working there, citizens and residents, which makes it one of the most hospitable Arab countries. The iniquitous and questionable propaganda campaign mounted against Kuwait by those who allied themselves with the Iraqi regime and supported the aggression against Kuwait is hardly credible, as is demonstrated by the fact that, so far, none of those whose fate the Palestine Liberation Organization laments has asked to leave Kuwait.  Quite the opposite, those who left Kuwait during the Iraqi occupation have asked to return.

Second:  Certain foreign residents who collaborated with the Iraqi occupation authorities, including several dozen of the 160,000 Jordanians living in Kuwait, are being tried in accordance with Kuwaiti law and international instruments and rules, in the presence of the local and foreign media and of representatives of international organizations and foreign embassies.

Third: The sentences handed down against these collaborators are appropriate for acts of collaboration with the Iraqi occupation authorities, which involved the arrest of hundreds of Kuwaitis and the killing of several of them in an attempt to undermine the morale of the Kuwaiti people and prompt them to collaborate with the occupier.

Fourth:  Despite the seriousness of the crimes committed and the impartiality of the verdict handed down in accordance with the martial laws currently in force in Kuwait, the latter, in its concern for justice, has set up a commission to review the sentences to make sure that they fit the charges before referring them to the court martial for approval.

Fifth:  In the above-mentioned note, the Palestine Liberation Organization seeks to gloss over the fact that it supported the Iraqi occupation, notably by introducing into occupied Kuwait some 2,500 members of the so-called Arab Front for the Liberation of Palestine, who were deployed, in broad daylight, at intersections and checkpoints and helped the Iraqi forces torture, massacre and terrorize the Kuwaiti people, that same people that had had the honour of welcoming and helping the Palestinian people.

Sixth:  While it is true that some of the Jordanians residing in Kuwait are of Palestinian origin, the overwhelming majority hold Jordanian passports. The Palestine Liberation Organization is not entitled, therefore, to speak on their behalf.

Seventh:  Only the Jordanian and Palestinian nationals residing in Kuwait can judge the situation.  Yet although they have direct access to the representatives of all the foreign media and all the humanitarian organizations present in Kuwait, they have never reported such violations. On the contrary, they have contacted senior officials to condemn this iniquitous campaign.

The propaganda campaign mounted by the offices of the Palestine Liberation Organization abroad is designed to make people forget that the PLO, far from defending the interests of the Palestinian people, has drawn it into a confrontation with the Kuwaiti people, just as it drew it into a confrontation with the Jordanian and Lebanese peoples.

I should be grateful if you would have the text of this letter distributed as a document of the General Assembly, under agenda item 153, and of the Security Council.

(Signed) Mohammad ABULHASAN

Permanent Representative