Gulf Crisis

Of all the books published on the Gulf Crisis, this is the first to have been written by a major figure intimately linked to many of the main players in the drama. From his vantage point as a Cabinet Minister in Saudi Arabia, Ghazi Algosaibi developed close relations with King Fahd as well as with other Gulf Cooperation Council leaders. Then, as Saudi Arabia's Ambassador to Bahrain, he watched at very close quarters as events in the Gulf unfolded, culminating in the storm that swept over the Arab world in the summer of 1990.
His account of these events is told from the inside-where no reporters were allowed - and many facts are revealed here for the first time. Considering the decision that led Saddam Hussein to invade Kuwait, Ghazi Algosaibi examines Saddam's psychological make-up, his adventurism and his involvement in the Iraqi-Iranian war, which preceded the invasion. Detailed attention is given to the reaction of Gulf and other Arab leaders to the internal debates and negotiations that led up to the commencement of hostilities, little of which was known of in the outside world at the time. Once the invasion was mounted, Arab diplomacy became active at the highest levels, searching for an Arab solution that would get the Iraqi army out of Kuwait. The diplomatic manoeuvres are set out comprehensively, and the question of what motivated a number of Arab leaders to support the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait is addressed. The author outlines the reaction of the Gulf media to the invasion, and the ensuing media 'mother of battles' between media representing opposing sides of the conflict. The work also considers the 'fundamentalist' position on the invasion of Kuwait, and deals with the continuing internal conflicts between two groups - settled Arabs and the traditionally nomadic Bedouin.
In conclusion, Ghazi Algosaibi calls for a continuing Arab-Arab dialogue as the only alternative to an internal explosion like that of the Gulf Crisis. This important work gives a unique 'Gulf' perspective on the Crisis, and on evolving events in the Middle East.