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For
nearly twelve years I made my home in the Middle East.
During this time I had made many friends in the
area, and the recurring violence there had never failed to
pain me, for I knew firsthand the fate of the innocent
people caught up in the explosive passions that plague the
region. In
June and July 1990, I watched with mounting dread as Iraq
and Kuwait exchanged verbal insults.
I was fearful that the insults might evolve into
full-scale war, for there were simply too many unresolved
ambitions, and too many instruments of death available in
the area. I
knew that too many Middle Eastern countries were seething
with tanks, missiles and other military hardware.
On
the night of August 1, 1990, I settled in to watch one of
my favorite television shows, “Nightline,” and I was
horrified to hear Ted Koppel announce the breaking story
that Iraqi troops had invaded Kuwait and were racing
toward Kuwait City.
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Read Chapters...
Faud
Al-Hashem
Nadia
Al-Hosney
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In
the days that followed, I was so gripped by the unfolding
drama that I found I was unable to concentrate on a
half-completed manuscript on the Middle East.
I felt sorrow for the citizens of Kuwait as I
watched the ensuing news stories of the invasion.
Always an adventurer, and still in possession of a
resident’s visa for Saudi Arabia, I decided to travel to
the area and to personally witness the unfolding events.
Within a few days I was on my way to meet with
Kuwaiti refugees.
I traveled to London, Cairo, Riyadh and Taif.
In each city I met and interviewed various
Kuwaitis, from housewives, to journalists, to members of
the royal family, all who had escaped their country.
The
book, The Rape
of Kuwait,
is their story.
A
Brief History of Kuwait
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