Memories of Invasion: Kuwaiti woman recounts painful legacy of 1990

Kuwait Times

3 days ago

As the anniversary of the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait approaches, survivors continue to recount stories not just of national tragedy, but of personal loss, resilience, and a determination to preserve the painful truths of the past. The Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in August 1990 remains etched in the memory of those who endured its horrors - both those taken prisoner and those who remained behind to face the daily fear, chaos and upheaval. Among them was Ohoud Al-Shuaibi, who had just graduated from university when her life - and that of her country - was suddenly upended.
'Graduation is supposed to be a joyful milestone,' Al-Shuaibi told Kuwait Times. 'But for me, it marked the beginning of one of the darkest chapters of my life. I was only 21 when Saddam's forces invaded my beloved Kuwait.' It was the early hours of Thursday, August 2, when Al-Shuaibi was awakened by her mother with trembling urgency - the nation had been invaded and uncertainty gripped the streets. 'I still cannot describe the shock of hearing that news,' she said. 'It was the ultimate betrayal by a neighbor we had supported and trusted. It felt like a dagger to the heart of every Kuwaiti.'
She likened Saddam's invasion to a vile betrayal. 'It was as if a man violated his own brother's wife. That's how deep the treachery ran.' During the seven-month occupation, Al-Shuaibi experienced firsthand the daily struggle for safety and dignity. She recalled being assaulted by an Iraqi soldier and narrowly escaping death while trying to defend her mother from abuse. 'Another time, I was nearly taken simply because I refused to smile at a soldier in the market,' she said.
Photos show the destruction during the Iraqi invasion.
In this file photo taken on March 26, 1991, two Kuwaiti men walk in Ahmadi oil field next to a burning oilwell set ablaze by retreating Iraqi troops. – AFP
kuwaiti Ohoud Al-Shuaibi.
But some of the most haunting memories came from the suffering endured by relatives. One story that continues to weigh heavily on her heart involves her mother's cousin and her three sons. The two eldest — twin brothers and recent top graduates of a military academy were engaged to be married on the same night. When the invasion began, they burned their uniforms and went into hiding.
However, an informant exposed them, and the Iraqi Republican Guard raided their home at dawn. 'They were shot in their beds in front of their entire family,' Al-Shuaibi recounted. Their youngest brother, still in high school, was taken prisoner. 'After liberation, his body was found discarded in the desert. Their mother died of cancer shortly after — grief took her more than the disease ever could.'
Al-Shuaibi's own family also had to take drastic steps to survive. Her mother hid her youngest brother in a rooftop water tank to protect him from Iraqi patrols that were abducting young men from the streets. Her older brother, who held a sensitive post at the Ministry of Interior, went into hiding in her home after being betrayed. 'He gave me a kitchen knife. He told me, 'If they find me, they'll humiliate me by taking you. Don't let them take you — kill yourself first.' That was the terrifying reality we lived,' she recalled.
Today, Al-Shuaibi's message is one of remembrance and resilience. 'How can we forget?' she asked. 'The fires, the destruction, the looting and the bloodshed — they are part of who we are. We must remember not out of pain, but because it is our duty to pass these stories down to future generations. So, we never forget who betrayed us.' Her voice, firm and unwavering, serves as a testament to the strength of Kuwaiti women who endured the trauma of war. For Al-Shuaibi and many others, the invasion was not just a political event — it was a defining scar that shaped their identity, their families and their nation.