Word: kuwait
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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...over the Strait of Hormuz. The targeted plane veered away at the last moment and was not harmed, but the episode illustrated the high state of American readiness to respond to any attacks in the area. In the waters below, American warships led three more reflagged tankers to Kuwait, bringing the total to five since the escort operation began last month. Meanwhile, Iraq broke a 25-day pause in its air strikes against Iran, which have taken a heavy toll in the seven-year Iran-Iraq war. The Iraqis staged more than 100 air raids against Iranian oil fields...
...Stark after an Iraqi fighter plane accidentally attacked the frigate last May, killing 37 men. Several Arab ports in the gulf, including Bahrain and Dubai, permit U.S. Navy ships to make rest-and-relaxation stops; sailors, however, must wear civilian clothes on land and obey curfews. Despite official denials, Kuwait has offered to provide free fuel and maintenance for the U.S. warships that escort its reflagged vessels...
Critics also point out that the Administration has been foolish not only militarily, but diplomatically. Kuwait, a country the size of New Jersey, has used the spectre of increased Soviet influence in the Middle East to trick us into guarding their supertankers. In fact, the country we most hate in the region stands to gain the most from our decision to defend open navigation of the sea; Iran sends most of its exports out of the Gulf by sea, while Iraq transports its oil through overland pipelines. By keeping the waters open, we inadvertently prevent Iraqi attacks on Iranian ships...
...Soviet Union, meanwhile, gladly seized the opportunity to play a larger role in the gulf. Indeed, it was a Soviet decision last spring to charter three oil tankers to Kuwait that drove the Reagan Administration to counter the move by reflagging Kuwaiti vessels. But in reporting last week's negotiations with Iran, the Soviet news agency TASS noted that both Moscow and Tehran expressed mutual concern over the "unprecedented buildup of the U.S. military presence in the region." Nonetheless, the potential partnership poses problems for both countries. The Soviet Union remains a major arms supplier to Iraq. And Moscow cannot...
...rulers and Shi'ite subjects remains volatile. After all, in the eyes of the Shi'ites, any regime not under the rule of the Prophet's true heirs is an abomination. Indeed, Bahrain, which is more than 70% Shi'ite, defused a 1981 coup attempt allegedly inspired by Tehran. Kuwait, which is 24% Shi'ite, has been victimized by a wave of bombings believed to be the work of pro-Iranian terrorists...