An article by a sincere friend
lawyer emad al-saif wrote an article in al-qabas highlighting what kuwait must do after the war. he expressed regret that, after liberation from saddam hussein’s occupation, kuwait failed to achieve many of its hopes and aspirations or realize the vision of a new kuwait.
he stated that kuwait did not learn from the lessons of the invasion and has repeated past mistakes without changing its strategies in dealing with regional and international relations. he questioned whether kuwait would change after the current war, despite not being directly involved, or whether it would wait for another crisis before reassessing its situation.
al-saif identified key issues that should be addressed at both official and public levels. the first issue is kuwait’s relationship with the united states, with which it has defense agreements. he pointed out that the details of these agreements, including the rights and obligations of both parties, are not fully known to the public. despite this, he emphasized that kuwait cannot abandon such agreements due to regional instability and the presence of iran.
the second issue concerns kuwait’s relationship with the arab world. he noted the lasting bitterness from the موقف of many arab countries during iraq’s invasion of kuwait, as many supported or failed to oppose the occupation. he argued that kuwait should now adopt a new, more balanced approach based on gulf unity rather than reacting emotionally or individually.
the third and most important issue is relations within the gulf cooperation council. he argued that the gcc, in its current form, is no longer effective and that gulf leaders must decide whether to reform it or dissolve it. he stressed the need for unified defense, foreign policy, and economic coordination among gulf states, especially in light of regional threats.
on the domestic level, al-saif emphasized the importance of national unity. he warned that wars often lead to divisions, accusations of disloyalty, and sectarian tensions fueled by a small group of extremists. he urged the state to remain firm against such behavior and to prevent individuals from labeling others as traitors without legal proof.
he concluded that every citizen should be considered loyal unless proven otherwise through a final judicial ruling. he also referenced the guidance of sheikh meshal al-ahmad al-jaber al-sabah, who has outlined a national strategy for resilience and confronting the challenges posed by war.
