KUWAIT’S FUTURE

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29820, 12 May 1962, Page 18

KUWAIT’S FUTURE

Federation Possible (NXJ’A.-Reuter) KUWAIT. The oil-rich sheikdom of Kuwait was moving steadily toward federation with Saudi Arabia, British United Press reported. Such a merger would be strong enough to provide the tiny sheikdom with the necessary protection at a bigger and a more powerful neighbour. With independence Kuwait realised it was not possible for sheikdoms to be totally independent, particularly when surrounded by powerful neighbours. Iran was nonArab and had diplomatic relations with Israel. Iraq had its designs against Kuwait. Saudi Arabia was the logical and practical choice. Against a determined Iraqi attack, Kuwait alone would be defenceless, even with the representative force sent in by the Arab League to replace British troops. From Basra, in the south of Iraq, to the heart of the city of Kuwait, it was slightly more than an hour by car, the agency said. An armoured column with air cover could start from Bassra at midnight and would have secured all strategic points in Kuwait before dawn. Kuwait did not have an air force and was not likely to for some time. Even when it did, it would hardly be a match for the veteran Iraqi air force now equipped with MIG-17 fighters. Small Army

Kuwait also could not hope to raise an army of more than 20,000 combat troops. There were less than 150,000 Kuwaitis and the rest of the sheikdom’s population were Jordanian, Palestinian, Lebanese, Indians, Irani, Iraq and United Arab Republic subjects, who outnumbered the Kuwaitis two to one. But even an army of 20,000 would be no match for Iraq's armed forces. All this added impetus to the move toward a federation with Saudi Arabia, British United Press said, Kuwaitis and Saudis had always regarded themselves as cousins. When disputes occurred among members of either ruling family, tradition called for the other side to intervene and attempt a reconciliation. But there were serious problems facing such a federation. The most important was economic. Although both were rich with oil revenues, poverty prevailed in Saudi Arabia and economy of Saudi State could hardly be called sound. In Kuwait, it was different, medical care and education were free for everyone. The state gave each citizen a house to live in at a nominal rent No federation between two states, however, could be effective unless there was some form of economic unity. To leave economic standards with such a gap meant one eventually dominating the other.