Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah

Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Family name hatnote Template:Infobox royalty Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah (29 June 1926 – 15 January 2006)<ref>Laura Etheredge (Ed.). "Persian Gulf States: Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates". New York, NY: Britannica Educational Publishing, 2011. Print. p. 53</ref><ref name=tel06/> (Template:Langx), also known as Jaber III, was Emir of Kuwait from 31 December 1977 until his death in 2006.

The third monarch to rule Kuwait since its independence from Britain, Jaber had previously served as minister of finance and economy from 1962 to 1965 when he was appointed prime minister prior to becoming Kuwait's ruler.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He was the 13th ruler in the family dynasty.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite news</ref>

Early life and education

Jaber was born on 29 June 1926 in Kuwait City.<ref name=tel06>Template:Cite news</ref> He was the third son of Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.<ref name=encyc>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref>

Jaber received his early education at Al-Mubarakiya School, Al-Ahmediya School, and Al-Sharqiya School, and was subsequently tutored privately in English, Arabic, religion and the sciences.<ref name=encyc />

His brother, Fahad Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, was killed in 1990 in the Gulf War in front of Dasman Palace.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Career

Early career

File:SheikhJaberOpening.jpg

Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah during the opening of the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development in 1961

In 1962, he was appointed Kuwait's minister of finance when the ministry was established.<ref name=tel06 /><ref name="financeministers">Template:Cite web</ref> In this position, Jaber was tasked with putting the new Kuwaiti dinar into circulation and establishing the Kuwaiti Currency Board, of which he was the chair. As minister, Jaber adopted, and was the first chairman of, the Kuwaiti Fund for Arab Economic Development from 1962 to 1964.<ref>Zahlan, Rosemarie Said. "The Making of the Modern Gulf states Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman". London: Unwin Hyman, 1989. Print. p. 81</ref> The Fund provides financial and technical assistance to developing countries. The country's oil revenues transformed it from a largely rural seafaring society to a modern state. During this time, the Fund expanded to aid five countries and gave loans to another eight.<ref name="KuwaitFund">"Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development – Timeline. Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development. Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development – Timeline", 2009. Retrieved 30 November 2009.</ref> The money going into the fund came from oil earnings.<ref name="KuwaitFund" />

After Iraq claimed sovereignty over Kuwait in 1961, following independence from Great Britain,<ref name=":0">Template:Cite news</ref> Al-Sabah led a delegation to the Arab League to resolve the issue.<ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> The United Kingdom informed Iraqi Prime Minister Abd al-Karim Qasim that it would militarily assist Kuwait in the event of military action, leading to Operation Vantage.<ref name=":0" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Iraq recognised Kuwait's independence in 1963, though it disputed the borders.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Iran–Iraq War

Kuwait found itself geographically in the middle of the Iran–Iraq War that took place from 1980 to 1988. Throughout the war, the country suffered from many security threats, including a series of bombings. In 1986, one year after an attack on Jaber's motorcade,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> there was an attack on an oil installation, which almost caused the shutdown of Kuwait's oil industry.<ref name="Zahlan44">Zahlan, Rosemarie Said. Making of the Modern Persian Gulf States: Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman. London: Unwin Hyman, 1989. Print. p. 44</ref>

Gulf War

File:President George H. W. Bush with Jabir Al-Ahmad Al-Jabir Al-Sabah, Emir of Kuwait.jpg

President Bush with Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah on the South Lawn of the White House, 1990.

Template:Main article Some sources claim that the task of the invading Iraqi forces was to capture or kill Jaber.<ref name="IbrahimConfrontation">Ibrahim, Youssef M. "Confrontation in the Gulf: Man in the News; The Exiled Emir: Sheikh Jaber AL-Ahmad AL-Saber AL-Sarah", The New York Times, 26 September 1996. Retrieved 16 November 2009</ref><ref name="Dagwood">Sheikh Saad Al- Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, the 14th Ruler and 4th EmirTemplate:Dead link</ref> However, such a claimed plan was not possible with the exile of Jaber and his government to Saudi Arabia within hours of the invasion where they ran the Kuwaiti exiled government from a hotel in Ta'if, Saudi Arabia.<ref name="da.gov.kw">Archived copy Template:Webarchive Sheikh Saad Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, the 14th Ruler and 4th Emir</ref>

From Ta'if, Jaber set up his government so that its ministers were in communication with the people still in Kuwait. The government was able to direct an underground armed resistance made up of both military and civilian forces and was able to provide public services to the Kuwaiti people who remained, such as emergency care through the funds that it had saved from oil revenues.<ref name="IbrahimConfrontation" /><ref name="Dagwood" /> In the meantime, Jaber and his government lobbied to receive military support action against Iraq before and during the Gulf War. When the war ended on 28 February 1991, Jaber remained in Saudi Arabia while declaring three months of martial law, causing the accusation that he was trying to monopolize too much power for the small constitutional monarchy.<ref>Brahmani, Yourself M. "After the War: Kuwait City; Nagging Question Lies Beneath Kuwait's Rejoicing: When Is the Emir Coming Home?", The New York Times, 4 March 1997.</ref> He returned to Kuwait in March 1991,<ref name=":1" /> after American-led<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> efforts to restore his rule and remove the Iraqi army.<ref name=":1" /> By imposing martial law, government officials were able to ensure that there were no Iraqis still in Kuwait who may have attempted to once again overthrow the government. They were also tasked with making sure that the country was safe enough for Jaber and his government to return, which they eventually did on 15 March 1991.<ref name="Semiretired">Brahmani, Yourself M. "After the War: Kuwait; Kuwaiti Emir, Tired and Tearful, Returns to His Devastated Land", The New York Times, 15 March 1991</ref>

On 15 March 1991, Jaber returned to Kuwait, staying at the private home of a wealthy Kuwaiti as his own palace had been destroyed. He was met with a symbolic arrival with several dozens cars filled with people honking their car horns and waving Kuwaiti flags who tried to follow the Emir's convoy.<ref>New York Times, 15 Mar. 1991, "After the War: Kuwait: Kuwaiti Emir, Tired and Tearful, Returns to His Devastated Land Template:Webarchive"</ref>

He was involved in a high profile case involving Sulaiman Al-Adsani, and the lawyer Hazel Fox, in 1996.<ref name=zazelrb/> Al-Adsani who was British had leave to sue the Kuwaiti government concerning his torture. It was alleged that he had distributed a pornographic tape involving a sheikh and as a result he was held under water and burned as torture by Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. The case was raised in the British government noting that threats had been made by the Kuwaiti ambassador against Sulaiman Al-Adsani's life.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The case failed because of a defense of diplomatic immunity.<ref name=zazelrb>Template:Cite news</ref>

2003 US invasion of Iraq

During the 2003 US invasion of Iraq, and unlike the ruling family of Saudi Arabia, Jaber openly allowed the United States to use Kuwait as a base.<ref name=":1" />

Personal life and death

File:Kuwait 1936-1938 (Scouts).jpg

Al-Mubarakiya School first boys scouts (1936–1938) showing Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah third from the left.

Al-Sabah had 4 wives in 1997, and about 70 children.<ref name="IbrahimTired">Ibrahim, Youssef M. "After the War: Kuwait; Kuwaiti Emir, Tired and Tearful, Returns to His Devastated Land", The New York Times, 15 March 1997</ref>

In September 2001, Jaber suffered from a stroke and went to the United Kingdom for treatment. He died on 15 January 2006, aged 79, from the cerebral hemorrhage that he had suffered in 2001<ref name=rec16jan>Template:Cite news</ref> and was succeeded by the Crown Prince Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah.<ref name=tel06/> The government announced a 40-day period of mourning and closed office for three days.<ref>Slackman, Michael and Neil MacFarquhar. Just a few days earlier, Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler from nearby Dubai, had died. "Sheik Jaber al-Ahmad al-Sabah, the Leader of Kuwait for 28 Years, is Dead at 79", The New York Times, 16 January 2006. Retrieved 30 November 2009.</ref> Bahrain<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> has declared forty days of mourning; Jordan<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> announced seven days of mourning; Yemen,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Egypt,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Iraq,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Algeria,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Oman,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Syria,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Pakistan,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Mauritius<ref>Mauritanians mourn late Kuwait Emir Template:Dead link</ref> and the State of Palestine<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> all declared three days of mourning; India<ref name="web.archive.org">Template:Cite web</ref> declared one day of mourning.<ref name="web.archive.org"/> He was buried at Sulaibikhat Cemetery alongside his kin.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

See also

• House of Sabah
• Flag of Kuwait

Further reading

• Hassan, Hamdi A. (1999), The Iraqi Invasion of Kuwait: Religion, Identity and Otherness in the Analysis of War and Conflict (Series: Critical Studies on Islam); New York: Pluto (UK).