Kuwait’s government has slammed a BBC Arabic report about the Iraqi invasion of the country in 1990 as “historical fabrications and false allegations about Kuwait’s sovereignty”, according to the state-run Kuwait News Agency (KUNA).
According to the London-based Asharq Al-Awsat, the segment on the BBC programme “Trending” hosted by Rania Al-Attar alleged that Kuwait was part of Iraq until 1920.
The statement was quickly condemned by Kuwait’s Ministry of Information.
“Such false claims and serious mistakes are utterly unacceptable, especially when this comes from an international media outlet, which is supposed to observe professional criteria and to clarify, not distort, facts,” said a ministry stated quoted by KUNA.
The statement added that the ministry of information “has the right to persue any entity or institution that deliberately commits this historical distortion.”
In response, according to the Kuwait Times, the BBC noted that it “handles such matters, which are related to its editorial policy based on balance, objectivity and neutrality, with much seriousness, and to do everything necessary to ensure that these criteria are met.”
The BBC segment coincided with the 28th anniversary of Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait, which was condemned by the international community and eventually led to US-led military operations to restore Kuwait’s sovereignty in January 1991.
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