The Establishment of the Arab League Security Force, 1961–63: Peacekeeping in Kuwait

By: Terry M. Mays

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Synopsis: This book traces the establishment of the Arab League&’s little-known first peacekeeping operation (the first non-United Nations, regionally mandated peacekeeping operation after 1945), deployed to Kuwait in 1961-1963. It follows how the Arab League, a loose association of newly independent Arab states with conflicting views on the concepts of Arab nationalism and unity, could work through its many member differences to mandate and deploy the Arab League Security Force (ALSF). The chapters follow a chronological format that provides a review behind the first test of Arab League military coordination during the 1948 Israeli War of Independence and the subsequent development of new parameters for military cooperation. The book reviews British colonial ties with Kuwait and the significance of the latter to post-World War II regional and international politics. Iraq threatened annexation immediately after Kuwaiti independence resulting in failed discussions within the United Nations Security Council and then within the Arab League itself. Chapters trace the details behind the debate in both organizations as well as the issues faced by the Arab League to actually deploy the ALSF and later prevent its breakup after the 1963 Iraqi coup. A valuable read for those researching Middle Eastern history, peacekeeping, and the Arab League, this book sheds light on the geopolitical context that brought about the creation of the ALSF.