Kuwait's parliament approved a draft law in principle yesterday to suspend military conscription pending reforms, but Iraq was warned not to think this spelt any thawing in icy post-war relations. Parliament is due to hold a second and final vote on the measure next week, suspending conscription which was first introduced in 1980 in the small Gulf state that Iraq briefly occupied a decade later.
Islamist deputy Ahmad Al Du'aj said in parliament the draft law - designed to give the government time to amend the system - was not a step to abandoning self defence and relying solely on world powers tied to Kuwait by joint defence pacts.
"Do not misunderstand this...We (also) do not want to send the wrong message to Iraq that it is no longer an enemy. Iraq is classified as an enemy," he added. He stressed the need to return to military conscription after reforming the existing law.
Other members of parliament called for abolishing the system in favour for a well-trained volunteer and reserve force and introducing state-of-the-art military technologies to help defend the country.
Kuwait, according to defence sources, has a total military force of around 25,000 including officers, volunteers, conscripts and first line reservists. There are some 825,000 Kuwaitis and 1.4 million foreigners living in the country.
Its small army was unable to repel an attack in 1990 by the much larger northern neighbour Iraq, whose troops stormed in and occupied the country for seven months. Since leading the 1991 Gulf War against Iraq, the United States and Britain have maintained a military presence in and around Kuwait with additional forces ready for deployment.
"Our strategy is to defend ourselves and fight alongside (our allies) if (war is) imposed upon us," Defence Minister Sheikh Jaber Al Hamad Al Sabah told parliament. "I promise you to avoid all the mistakes in the current (conscription) law."
Kuwaiti males are obliged to serve between one and two years depending on their level of education but MPs said the law was not being properly implemented. The government has promised to work on various amendments to the system and present them to parliament for approval.
Following the Gulf War, Kuwait signed defence and security pacts with the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China. On Monday, parliament unanimously approved a joint defence pact with five other Gulf Arab states, which also calls for boosting the capabilities of a small joint armed force.
Kuwait's budget for the current fiscal year, which still requires parliamentary approval, has $650 million earmarked for arms purchases as part of a 12-year, $12 billion programme launched after the Gulf War to rebuild and rearm the military.
Kuwait to suspend and review military conscription
Kuwait's parliament approved a draft law in principle yesterday to suspend military conscription pending reforms, but Iraq was warned not to think this spelt any thawing in icy post-war relations.