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Iraq threat to Kuwait, 1961
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Iraq threat to Kuwait, 1961
Page from The Illustrated London News, 8 July 1961 reporting on the tensions in Kuwait after the Iraqi leader General Kassem had claimed Kuwait should be part of Iraq and had built up military forces near the border. British troops were deployed to protect Kuwait against the threat. See picture number 11936766 for opposite page to this spread. Date: 1961
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Media ID 14255757
© Illustrated London News Ltd/Mary Evans
Airstrip Arriving Bedouin Brigadier Bulwark Commandos Iraq Kuwait Kuwaiti Marines Pipelines Protection Rifles Support Supporters Tankers Tension Tensions Threat Victorious Volunteers
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EDITORS COMMENTS
In the sweltering heat of July 1961, tensions between Iraq and Kuwait reached a boiling point, with Iraqi leader General Abdul Karim Qasem asserting that Kuwait was rightfully part of Iraq and deploying military forces to the border. The Illustrated London News reported on the escalating crisis, capturing the sense of unease and uncertainty in this evocative image. The photograph shows British troops, a mix of volunteers, Bedouin, marines, commandos, and a brigadier, disembarking from a Royal Marine landing craft at the newly constructed Farwania airstrip in Kuwait. The bulwark of British military might was being assembled to protect the small Gulf state against the perceived threat from Iraq. The presence of British troops was a vital bulwark against the Iraqi forces that had amassed along the border. Kuwait, a key player in the Middle Eastern oil industry, was a vital strategic location, with oil pipelines and tankers at risk. The threat of a potential invasion loomed large, and the Kuwaiti people looked to their British allies for support and protection. The image conveys a sense of anticipation and determination, with the soldiers, many of them Bedouin volunteers, shouldering their rifles and preparing to make their way inland. The arrival of the British troops was a symbol of hope and strength in the face of the mounting tension, and the people of Kuwait welcomed them as victorious liberators. Brigadier Horsford, the commanding officer, stands at the head of the landing craft, surveying the scene before him with a steely resolve. The image serves as a poignant reminder of a pivotal moment in Middle Eastern history, when the balance of power in the region hung in the balance, and the world held its breath in anticipation of the outcome.
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