http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/04/08/sunday-review/exposures-kuwait-salgado.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=image&module=photo-spot-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0
“TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO, as the United
States-led coalition started driving out Iraqi forces from Kuwait, Saddam
Hussein’s troops responded by setting ablaze hundreds of oil wells, creating one of the worst
environmental disasters in recent memory.”
I
was interested in understanding this conflict so I did some research.
Kuwait
loaned Iraq over US$14 billion during the Iran-Iraq war. Iraq asked Kuwait to
forgive the debt because they were unable to pay it back. Kuwait refused. Also,
Kuwait began to overproduce its OPEC mandatory quota on oil, which caused Iraq
oil revenues to remain low. This is sort of like a prisoner’s dilemma. If
Kuwait cooperated, everyone would win. However, it defected, which led Kuwait
to be better off at the expense of Iraq. To retaliate, Iraq invaded Kuwait and
declared it the 19th province of Iraq. Whether the oil wells were
set on fire due to Kuwait overproducing oil above OPEC treaty limits or in
order to provide an Iraq military advantage is hypothesized. Regardless, these
oilfield fires were detrimental and had long-lasting global environments
effects.
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