Iraq Breaks Relations with the United States during the Gulf War
1991-02-09
Iraq invaded Kuwait on 2 August 1990, overturning the diplomatic opening of the previous decade. Months of sanctions and negotiations failed to secure an Iraqi withdrawal. On 16 January 1991 in Washington, President George H. W. Bush announced that coalition aircraft had begun attacking targets in Iraq and Kuwait. It was already 17 January in Baghdad. [2]
The American embassy in Baghdad had closed on 12 January. Iraq’s ambassador in Washington, Mohamed Sadiq al-Mashat, departed three days later. Iraq formally severed relations on 9 February. [3] [7]
Limited representation returned through interests sections. In the late 1990s, Khairi al-Zubaidi and later Akram al-Douri served at Iraq’s section under the Algerian embassy. The arrangement survived until March 2003, when Washington ordered the remaining Iraqi diplomats to leave as the United States began another war against Iraq. [4] [5] [6]
Related Diplomats
Sources
- The Gulf War, 1991
- Bush announces coalition air operations
16 January 1991, opening paragraphs
- U.S. diplomatic relations with Iraq
Country chronology
- Diplomatic List, Spring 1998
Algeria: Iraqi Interests Section, Khairi O. T. Al Zubaidi, Minister
- Diplomatic List, Fall 1999
Algeria: Iraqi Interests Section, Akram J. M. Al Douri
- Expulsion of Iraqi diplomats from the United States, 20 March 2003
Office of the Spokesman: instruction delivered 19 March, 48-hour departure deadline
- Diplomatic Representation for Iraq: chronological listing
Office of the Chief of Protocol, 31 May 2013; 1942–2013 entries
Related Reading
Cite This Article
Iraq Breaks Relations with the United States during the Gulf War. Chanceries Diplopedia. Record a343bb14438e147f7415. https://chanceries.org/research/history/iraq-gulf-war-eb23dd73ff/