KUWAIT, Aug 1 (KUNA) -- On Monday, Kuwait will recall its invasion by Iraq on August 2, 1990, which was a beginning of a seven-month occupation of the state.
The occupation led to great social and psychological effects on the Kuwaiti people, as the Iraqi Army violated human rights, killed hundreds of people, injured many others, and left a large number of people missing.
Iraqi soldiers also destroyed the state's infrastructure, facilities, and buildings, and burned Kuwait's oil wells, causing damage to the environment.
The international community condemned the Iraqi crime against Kuwait and its people since the first hours of the occupation.
Resolution 660 condemned the invasion and demanded Iraq to withdraw its forces immediately and unconditionally to the locations they were in on August 1.
Other international resolutions followed, supporting Kuwait and aiming to force Iraq to end its occupation of the state.
The crisis showed the solidarity, determination, and resistance of the Kuwaiti people.
Kuwaitis in the state and abroad fully supported the legal Kuwaiti government and leadership.
That was shown in the popular Jeddah conference that was held in Saudi Arabia in October 1990.
The conference showed that Kuwaiti were united and refused negotiations on the independence and sovereign of their country.
Moreover, it showed the falsity of the claims and allegations of Saddam Hussein's regime.
Despite the pain and bitterness, participants in the conference emphasized that they did not hate the Iraqi people.
The conference formed several Kuwaiti popular delegations to visit different countries to explain the Kuwaiti just cause.
The Iraqi regime did not comply with the international resolution.
Therefore, force was needed and the Sand Storm operation to liberate began on January 17, 1991 by the united international forces.
After the liberation of Kuwait in February 1991, Iraq agreed on the international resolution that solved all related issues.
Following the fall of Saddam's regime, the Kuwaiti-Iraqi relations gradually developed.
Kuwait provided urgent aid, including food and medicine, to the Iraqi people through aid centers and Kuwait Red Crescent Society (KRCS).
Several senior Iraqi officials and figures visited Kuwait to strengthen the ties in the political, parliamentarian, and economic fields.
In 2008, Kuwait appointed Lt. Gen. Ali Mohammad Al-Momen (ret.) Ali Al-Mo'min as its ambassador to Iraq.
In 2009, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Dr. Mohammad Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah visited Baghdad.
The visit was the first by a senior Kuwaiti official to Iraq since 1990.
Al-Sabah stressed the Kuwait supported all efforts to achieve stability and security in Iraq, In 2001, Iraq appointed Mohammad Hussein Bahr Al-Olom as its extraordinary ambassador to Kuwait.
He became Iraqi's first ambassador to Kuwait since the occupation.