ABSTRACT
The invasion of Kuwait by Iraq on 2 August 1990 was the most positive manifestation of the latent instability in the Middle East succumbing to the unequal pressure and boiling over. Few would disagree that when the crisis was finally resolved, the Middle East would in some respects not be the same again. It is true that the war largely restored the status quo ante bellum, but political realignments will be confirmed, autocracies will come under the microscope and pressure will be sustained to resolve the outstanding problem of the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land.
