Ba'athist Iraq Kuwait did nevertheless). Saudi Arabia, frightened by Saddam's military strength, then persuaded Kuwait to lower its oil output. However, when Kuwait lowered its oil output Venezuela increased its output. Saddam then ordered the invasion of Kuwait to solve the country's economic problems, with the professed goal of uniting Iraq; Kuwait was considered by many Iraqis as part of Iraq. On 18 July 1990 Saddam demanded that Kuwait repay Iraq for the oil it had (according to Saddam) stolen, and nullified Iraq's debt to Kuwait. The Kuwaiti leadership failed to respond, and on 2 August 1990 the Iraqi military began the
Iraq–Kuwait barrier Iraq–Kuwait barrier The Iraq–Kuwait barrier ( "Hudud al-'Irāq-al-Kuwayt") is a border fence extending six miles (10 km) into Iraq, three miles (5 km) into Kuwait, and across the full length of their mutual border from Saudi Arabia to the Persian Gulf. Constructed by authorization of the United Nations Security Council, its stated purpose was to stop a re-invasion of Kuwait by Iraq. The border barrier, made of electrified fencing and concertina wire, is braced by a -wide and -deep trench, complete with a -high dirt berm and guarded by hundreds of soldiers, several patrol boats, and helicopters. Construction of the