Kuwait's guard is up on its crucial oil sector, mindful that Iraq may lash out at its neighbors if attacked by the US.
With Washington on the warpath to oust Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, memories have been rekindled in Kuwait of Iraqi troops torching oilfields when the US-led Gulf War ended Baghdad's seven-month occupation in 1991.
"With our old experience we have to be worried about our country and our oilfields," Kuwaiti Minister of Information Sheikh Ahmad al-Fahd al-Sabah said yesterday.
"We do not want to have a war in our region ... but if there is a war, there will be a crisis with it," he told reporters while attending the International Energy Forum in Osaka.
Sabah, also Kuwait's acting oil minister, expressed concern over reports that Iraq might lob chemical, biological or nuclear weapons at its small Gulf neighbor, but said defense equipment was in place to detect the early signs of such attacks.
He said it remained to be seen whether Kuwaiti oilfields might be affected in the event of war. Kuwait's oil wells are now cranking out some 1.9 million barrels per day (bpd).
"Until now we are not willing to close any of our wells in the north sector," said Sabah, referring to the area bordering Iraq. "But if there is anything in the future, we have to know exactly where it will be and how we will act."
To that end, Kuwait has an emergency plan for its oil sector, which was prepared well before the current tension brewed.
"There is always an emergency plan in this country ... we hope we don't need it," said Sabah.
He said Kuwait would aim to continue pumping and marketing its oil even in the event of military action in the region.
"All the neighbors of Iraq are preparing themselves for any scenario and we are working in a diplomatic way to solve the problem without a war," he said.
Sabah said Kuwait needed no further assurances from close ally the US over its security. Kuwait has hosted some 10,000 US troops since the 1991 Gulf war. That arrangement is formalized in a security pact which was renewed last year.
"I think this is enough security for us from the United States," said Sabah.
The US has been shipping heavy equipment and ammunition to Kuwait for several weeks, but Sabah said the movement was nothing out of the ordinary.
"We don't have anything outside of routine coordination between Kuwait and the United States," he said.
He hoped Iraq would cooperate with the UN to avert war, but said Baghdad had more than weapons inspectors to answer for.
"There was a clear message from President [George W.] Bush at the United Nations," said Sabah. "There are a lot of things Iraq should do to solve the problem ... it's not just a matter of allowing the inspectors to go back to Baghdad."
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