1973 Samita border skirmish

Part of Iraq–Kuwait relations and the claiming of Warbah Island and Bubiyan Island as Iraqi territories

Map of Kuwait showing Warbah Island and Bubiyan Island

Date	March 20th, 1973; ET 0300
Location	Kuwait
Result	Pull back to the demarcation line set by the Arab League Forces during Operation Vantage 1961

Belligerents

Kuwait

Iraq

Commanders and leaders

Sabah Al-Salim Al-Sabah

Mubarak Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah

Saleh Mohammed Al-Sabah

Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr

Casualties and losses

2 killed
others wounded

unknown

Following the deterring effect of Operation Vantage (1961), Kuwait gained its recognition by Iraq in 1963. Both countries had ongoing border disputes throughout most of the 1960s, although often resolved and restrained within the history of Arab solidarity.

Since 1967 and during 1973, despite the unstable history between the Kuwaiti and the leadership of Iraq back then, the Kuwaiti military acted in alliance with the Iraqi military during the Six Day War and participated with a token force during the 1973 October War of the same year.

Known and designated as "Samita" (Arabic meaning: "quiet") skirmish; however, the proper border post in reference was "Sanita" as it referred to a northern border area post on the Kuwaiti border with Iraq and accordingly the skirmish was designated as such.

On December 26, 1972, Kuwait sent a delegation of members of the National Assembly of Kuwait to Iraq. The Kuwaiti delegation met with Saddam Hussein, then deputy President of Iraq, and discussed the border demarcation between Kuwait and Iraq and the need to resolve this conflict. The Kuwaiti delegation also met with back then President of Iraq, Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr, who assured members of the delegation that the border situation would be resolved. Accordingly, on February 26, 1973, another Kuwaiti delegation headed by Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, then Kuwait's Minister of Foreign Affairs, visited Iraq and remained until March 2, 1973.

Kuwaiti and Iraqi authorities conducted several meetings in which Iraqi authorities claimed that Warbah Island and Bubiyan Island were part of Iraq due to their importance as major water channels for the trade of Iraq and significant geopolitical strategic points. In response, the visiting delegation stated that Kuwait would not cede any of its territories and if the territories were needed for joint economic development purposes, then Kuwait would spare no effort in realizing such an endeavor advancing exclusively humanitarianism through concession from the Emir of Kuwait within the formalization of a just mission approach and that following the finalization of border demarcations. Right before the Kuwaiti delegation was setting to leave Iraq on March 3, 1973, the Iraqi government back then proposed an agreement between Kuwait and Iraq which would enhance the capabilities of Iraq in expanding trade through Kuwait. The Kuwaiti delegation was willing to cooperate as long as its territories were not compromised unjustifiably. In response, the government of Iraq back then and the leadership back then at the time withdrew their proposal and started applying pressure.

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Wikipedia