The Guardian: That's why Britain would send its own troops to confront Saddam

The Guardian: That's why Britain would send its own troops to confront Saddam

According to press reports, Britain was about to send its own forces to confront the former Iraqi president, Saddam Hussein, after the latter directed his army to Kuwait in 1990.

The newspaper "The Guardian" British report in a set of new documents and documents that have been declassified recently, including the scenes of what happened after the entry of Iraqi forces to Kuwait in 1990, noting that the former Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, expressed willingness to take down units of troops To her embassy in Kuwait, but not to save her diplomatic mission, but to provide them with the supplies and food necessary for their stay in the besieged British embassy.

After the invasion of Kuwait in August 1990, Saddam Hussein granted the British embassy and all foreign embassies in Kuwait a period of three weeks to transfer all their operations to the capital Baghdad, but the diplomats of Britain and all other embassies refused to comply with that deadline, which led to Saddam to besiege those embassies and prevent Supplies and supplies to force them to either move or move their activities to Baghdad. All supplies of water, food and fuel began to run out of the British Embassy in Kuwait. Thatcher then asked Foreign Affairs Adviser Percy Craddock to investigate the possibility of using Special Ground Forces The vessels, to re-supply the embassy that he was staying where four diplomats, including the ambassador supplies.

"Craddock then told the prime minister that the embassy is being closely monitored by the Iraqi infantry forces. The diplomatic mission has enough supplies for about 50 days until the end of October, yet they urgently need additional supplies of water, food and fuel," the paper said. He pointed out that "there is the possibility of using special forces in a military operation, but the military opinion was that the risks related to that process would be much greater than the benefits, the mines were on the beaches, Iraq had a large air defense forces in Kuwait, and Iraqi boats patrolling the sea , We did not have A submarine supported near Kuwait, and the issue of a destructive foot or frigate to get close to the Kuwaiti coasts pose a great danger.

The newspaper said the documents revealed that another idea was put forward on Thatcher, namely, the demand of the Kuwaiti resistance to drop small quantities of supplies behind the walls at night, but it turned out that because of intensive guard at the embassies, this is very difficult and very dangerous, where the British were not alone Who face the crisis, but also American, German and French diplomats.

The British Embassy continued to be besieged by Iraqi forces that entered Kuwait until December 16, 1990, before moving to Baghdad to prepare for the start of Operation Desert Storm, which began in January to force Saddam Hussein's forces out of Kuwait.

It is worth noting that the Financial Times quoted another secret document earlier that former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher had threatened former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein with chemical weapons after his invasion of Kuwait in 1990.

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