(13 April 1991 – 6 October 2003)
Following the liberation of Kuwait and the conclusion of the war against Iraq, the UNSC adopted No. 687/91 Resolution and deployed the U.N. Iraq – Kuwait Observation Mission along the border of the two countries.
Greece has participated, from the 26th of April 1991, with seven (7) officers from the Army and assumed the following tasks:
- To observe Khawr Abd Allah Sea passage and monitor the Demilitarized Zone along the Iraq – Kuwait border.
- To verify violations, made by both countries, and monitor the Demilitarized Zone.
- To monitor any hostile activity, made by either country. UNICOM consisted of 300 Observers and was deployed on the 13th of April 1991. It was tasked to establish the Demilitarized Zone along the border of the two countries, and to monitor them on a 24-hour basis.
- In 1993, the initial Mandate (No. 806/93 UNSC Resolution) was expanded to provide for the ability of assuming action, in case of activities to further include :
- Prevention or deterrence of small-scale violations of the demilitarized zone and the frontier between the two countries.
- Prevent citizens of Iraq to pass into the demilitarized zone of Kuwait.
The Demilitarized Zone of 15 km runs along Iraq-Kuwait land and sea borderline for 200km and 40km respectively.
During the period before the 2nd War in the Gulf, four (4) Greek cadres participated in the peace-keeping Mission, following a U.N. Secretary General decision to reduce the total number of the Observers participating in the Mission.
The Mandate was suspended on the 20th of March 2003, due to the imminent outbreak of war in the area, and most of the Greek and Foreign personnel returned home, remaining, however, on a 24-hour alert. Finally, the Mission ended on the 6th of October 2003, following a U.N. decision.