Sheikh plans, supervises restoration work
Pioneer promotes exchange of ideas, opinions
This is the 18th in a series of articles on His Highness Sheikh Saad Al Abdullah Al Salem Mubarak Al Sabah (1930-2008), Father Amir, former Crown Prince and Prime Minister. — Editor
QBy Lidia Qattan
uite literally, from the time Sheikh Saad Al Abdullah was back home he was on the job day and night; during the day he was discussing, planning, supervising and investigating, during the night he was analyzing and pondering on what to do on the next day. Only when exhausted he surrendered to deep sleep for few hours; refreshed, he was up ready to start the new day.
Working in team with his colleagues Sheikh Saad began tackling the most urgent problem systematically moving on to the next. When discussing an objective with his Cabinet or committees, he was never satisfied with a simple answer. All decisions were made in an exchange of opinions and ideas with full consideration of the advantages and disadvantages involved before implementing any plan. Every ministry was responsible for doing its part in orchestration with all the other ministries in making use of all human potential to speed up the process of restoration.
Such a strenuous activity on his part and the full collaboration of his colleagues and everyone working with them yielded admirable results. In the meantime, a huge mine-sweeping job was being done to remove landmines planted throughout the country. Mines of all types and sizes were lurking everywhere — in the desert, in towns, in empty houses, in gardens, in public parks, on the beach and in the sea at dead-water level. For this job, the military’s specialized personnel were immediately set to work in clearing the towns and suburbs. Open air meetings were also held to make people aware of the lurking danger and how to avoid it. Other specialized units of the UN coalition army were systematically clearing the whole desert of mines, but the Iraqi invaders planted such a quantity that many explosives remained buried claiming unwary victims.
The most formidable job and the most challenging was extinguishing the 732 oil wells, this was a task made yet more dangerous, by the presence of land mines all around the wells. For this job, one of the best teams in the world, among seven of them), were hired to tackle the gigantic task, while a team of Kuwaiti oil engineers, a young woman included stood by, learning the technique, eager to assist.
Priorities
Sooner than expected, the production of water and electricity was reestablished, in spite of the total destruction of the entire system the plants of production and the network distribution. In the meantime an army of volunteers, young and old, got organized for specific jobs. One of their priorities was cleaning up the mess in schools and public establishments to get them back to life. With electricity and water reestablished, people from abroad could return home; a flood of workers also arrived and the work that had been halted during the Iraqi invasion in town and suburbs was resumed. The whole country was coming to life again.
By September 1991, when the number of wells on fire subsided, the Kuwaiti engineers were finally allowed to take part in the
Lidia Qattan
terrible torture. Others lost their life when taken hostage to Iraq and never returned. Those were among the thousands captured from the streets, their homes and from mosques during the last two weeks of the invasion. Some of them had the good fortune of being released by the Iraqi resistance in Basra immediately after the Gulf War. Others were discovered by the World Red Cross in March 1991 and set free. For the 605 hostages still remaining in Iraq, the Iraqi regime made certain they would never see their homeland again.
The tragedy of the POWs made everyone concerned especially HH the Amir, Sheikh Jaber Al Ahmad Al Sabah, HH Sheikh Saad Al Abdullah, HH Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad and HH Sheikh Salem Al Sabah Al Salem. Each of the Sheikhs in his own special function tried urgently to solve the POW problem and affect their release through engaging in separate worldwide tours, while conveying thanks to the people of the world for helping redeem their land. While HH Sheikh Salem Al Sabah immediately organized a special committee and established a center to look after the families of the martyrs and POWs, giving them full support, financial and moral, he also assigned an open budget to investigate and find out the fate of those still lurking in some Iraqi prisons, to end their ordeal and stop the agonizing suspense of their families.
Every occasion was taken to expose to the world this humanitarian issue, the combined effort evoked the sympathy of the world, but it never moved the Iraqi regime.
Three United Nations Security Council resolutions were adopted to force Iraq to release the Kuwaiti POWs, but the Iraqi regime simply ignored them, in spite of the suffering its people had to bear.
To be continued