Kuwait: Post-Saddam Issues and U.S. Policy
Abstract
Kuwaitis are optimistic about their future now that Saddam Hussein is out of power in Iraq, but a leadership transition remains incomplete. Shaykh Jabir Ahmad al-Jabir Al Sabah, who is about 75 years old, has been Amir since 1978, but he suffered a stroke in September 2001. His relative, Crown Prince Shaykh Sa'ad Abdullah Al Sabah, is also seriously ill; he was running the government until 1998, when his ailments necessitated that he delegate that operational role to deputy Prime Minister Shaykh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jabir Al-Sabah (younger brother of the Amir). Following the July 5, 2003 parliamentary elections, Shaykh Sabah was appointed Prime Minister, separating that post from that of Crown Prince for the first time and giving him clear day-to-day operational leadership of Kuwait. Shaykh Sabah is perceived as reform-minded, particularly on economic issues, but also as a traditional Arab nationalist. Younger leaders, such as Foreign Minister Mohammad Al Sabah and Oil Minister Ahmad Fahd Al Sabah, are unlikely to assert themselves as long as their elders remain in office. The Al Sabah family rules over a population of about 2.4 million (900,000 are citizens).
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 18, 2005
- Accession Number
- ADA458971
Entities
People
- Kenneth Katzman
Organizations
- Library of Congress