KUWAIT CITY, Feb 20: The American Embassy, in cooperation with the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters (NCCAL), organized the ‘Allied Efforts and Documentation of Liberation’ exhibition on Thursday at the National Museum. The exhibition focused on the role of the United States of America in supporting Kuwait during the invasion. It was a reflection of the strength of relations between the two countries and a commemoration of the heroic moments during the liberation period. In his speech at the event, the Secretary General of the NCCAL Dr. Mohammed Al-Jassar pointed out that the National Museum is not just a building; as it is rather a living testimony to Kuwait’s steadfastness and strong will. He pointed out that the establishment of the museum is aimed at telling the story of Kuwait throughout the ages -- from its ancient history extending to more than 7,000 years up to the modern era, including the Al-Sabah Collection, which is one of the most prominent Islamic collections in the world. “Today, a new chapter is added to this narrative -- the events of the liberation and the subsequent reconstruction and renaissance,” he stated. Meanwhile, American Ambassador to Kuwait Karen Sasahara said the photographs displayed at the exhibition shed light on the pivotal role of the United States in liberating Kuwait during the Gulf War.

She added it is a unique documentation of the moments of courage, resilience, and solidarity that formed the deep bonds between the two countries. She continued: As we look forward to the future, let us recall moments from the past when there was a man named Saddam Hussein who wanted to erase the identity of Kuwait. Tanks came and tried to do so, but after 34 years, all we see here is the true, unique, and independent identity of Kuwait. There is a famous saying, ‘The best revenge is to live a prosperous life.’ I believe that Kuwait lives a very prosperous life. So, thank you very much for allowing me to participate in this important event. Diplomacy officer at the American Embassy Stuart Turner said the reason behind displaying such photos now is that they were kept inside the embassy and were not available to the public. On military cooperation, he disclosed there is a foreign military sales (FMS) program between the United States and Kuwait, and the details of which are being discussed through the Office of Military Cooperation. He stressed that Kuwait is always keen on obtaining the latest military technologies while affirming the continuation of joint training between the Kuwaiti and American armies using advanced American equipment. He revealed “When I contacted Eng. Bashar Al-Salem -- the organizer of the event at ‘Gardenia’, to discuss ways for us to participate in a special event, it immediately came to my mind to display these photos because of the strong indications they carry about the extended partnership between our two countries. The timing of the exhibition is also ideal, coinciding with Kuwait’s national and liberation celebrations.”

He talked about the recent developments in the cooperation of the two countries – citing the opening of offices of major companies like Microsoft and Google in Kuwait, in addition to many technical partnerships that reflect the American role in supporting development in Kuwait, such as the transition to renewable energy, oil extraction or educating the next generation of Kuwaitis. He confirmed that the United States, as a global leader in the field of artificial intelligence, is keen on strengthening cooperation with Kuwait in this field as well.