Accession Number:

ADA604121

Title:

Kuwait: Security, Reform, and U.S. Policy

Descriptive Note:

Corporate Author:

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE

Personal Author(s):

• Katzman, Kenneth

Report Date:

2013-07-10

Pagination or Media Count:

31.0

Abstract:

Kuwait was pivotal to two decades of U.S. efforts to end a strategic threat posed by Iraq, because of its location, its role as the object of past Iraqi aggression, and its close cooperation with the United States. Kuwait remains a key to the U.S. ability to act militarily in the northern Persian Gulf region now that all U.S. forces have left Iraq. Kuwait s relations with the post-Saddam government in Iraq have warmed significantly in recent years through resolution of many of the territorial, economic, and political issues from the 1990 Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Kuwait is increasingly suspicious of Iranian intentions in the Gulf, aligning Kuwait with U.S. efforts to contain Iranian power in the Gulf and prevent Iran from exerting undue influence in Iraq. Still, Kuwait maintains relatively normal economic and political relations with Iran so as not to provoke Iran militarily or prompt it to try to empower pro-Iranian elements in Kuwait.

Descriptors:

• *INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
• *KUWAIT
• *SECURITY
• ECONOMICS
• IRAN
• IRAQ
• POLITICAL SCIENCE
• REGIONS
• RESOLUTION
• STRATEGIC ANALYSIS
• THREATS

Subject Categories:

• Government and Political Science

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE