The white Chevrolet belonging to Iraqi intelligence and the mini-bus too belonged to the Iraqi's to carry soldiers to attack residences
One of the tanks used by the Iraqi's infornt of the house
The group operations concentrated on snipping Iraqi soldiers and planting bombs on Iraqi munition trucks. At the beginning, the group members did not face any difficulty in accomplishing their tasks. This was due to the carelessness of the invaders during deployment since they started to become stricter in their control. The Al Messilah group decided to move to Al Qurain district as it was a new area unknown to the Iraqi intelligence, thus providing a suitable and secure base. On 17th of January, when the air attack was announced, they shifted to a house in another area of the same district since the owner was not in Kuwait at that time.
The back of the house
A view of the house showing a missing wall and exposed piping from repeated blasts.
On 24th February 1991, at 8 o’clock in the morning of the same day, the leader asked his group members to wear the uniform he had designed, being a white shirt inscribed with the name and the motto of the group. While preparing their weapons, an Iraqi intelligence car stopped in front of the group headquarters. It was patrolling the area looking for young Kuwaiti men and was followed by a mini-bus transporting a number of armed Iraqis. An Iraqi soldier stepped out of the car and walked towards the house. He knocked on the door but nobody answered. Meanwhile, inside the house, the group leader and one of the members standing by his side were watching the developing situation through a window facing the street. The leader then realized he was in a crucial situation and a decision had to be taken. It was either surrendering to the Iraqi forces meaning certain execution or defending oneself and homeland. The Iraqis bombarded the house for hours with machine guns, bombs and eventually with tanks. The battles continued until six o’clock in the evening. The Iraqi soldiers used tanks (two of which are displayed in front of the Villa) and machine guns and over powered the Kuwaiti group. Three members of the group were martyred immediately and 9 were captured including the leader of the group. Their tortured bodies were later found in another place. Luckily seven members survived the battle. The name of the leader of the group was Sayyed Hady Sayyed Mohammed Alawy .The rest of the group (11 members) could not participate either because some of them were held prisoners or because they couldn’t get to the headquarters before time.
The fan of one of the rooms of the house badly damaged by the blast
The walls of the house badly damaged
The staircase and walls shows signs of the battle
General Schwarzkopf, who visited the house on 14 April 1994, commented that 'when I am in this house it makes me wish that we had come four days earlier then perhaps this tragedy would not have happened'. The Iraqi occupation lasted for seven long months, during which time many similar raids on the homes of Kuwait families were made: or, as the editor of a local publication put it, the Iraqi army 'was like a locust that ate both the green and the dry'. To understand what invasion meant to the ordinary Kuwait family, allow half an hour to visit this sobering museum. H.H.Sheikh Jaber Al Ahmed Al Jaber Al Sabah, the Amir of Kuwait, visited the villa and ordered that it becomes a national monument. Today it stands as a pride and a reminder of a path to be followed by young Kuwaiti generations. It also stands as a testimony of Iraqi invasion.
A memo written by General H. Norman Schwarzkoff of the U.S. Military.
Cannon shells from the battle
Inside the museum there is a scaled replica of the home where the battle took place.
Weapons used during the battle.
While visiting the memorial, you can see the destructive remains of the battle. Entire walls missing, floors completely gone and metal twisted in ways you wouldn't think possible. Gaping holes in the walls, staircases destroyed, windows exploded, and structures torn from their foundation. Seeing the actual battleground and being able to walk through the house were these men were fighting for their lives and their country nearly puts you at a loss for words. There are plaques located around the house that show where the men lost their lives or were captured. When you visit this site and walk around what remains of the home, you can only imagine what these men must have gone through. The museum part of the house is on the ground floor and displays various relics from the battle. There is a reconstructed scaled model of the area so that you can see it from a bird's eye view.
A wall with pictures of the martyrs lost in the battle as well as their families.
There are pictures of the martyred men and the families they left behind along with some information written about them such as where they actually work, how many children they had, photos of the children, what they were wearing at the time etc. Shell casings, machine guns, and various documents are on display as well. The documents on display include memos given to the Iraqi troops during the occupation, with orders to "burn and destroy all the homes on which there are slogans hostile to our leadership, the pictures of the defunct Al-Sabah dynasty, or the Kuwaiti flags", "Burn and destroy every district in which any military, security, or Popular Army individual is martyred", "Arrest any person who owns, or keeps at his home a weapon" and "Annihilate any hostile demonstration." While visiting the memorial, you can see the destructive remains of the battle. Entire walls missing, floors completely gone and metal twisted in ways you wouldn't think possible. Gaping holes in the walls, staircases destroyed, windows exploded, and structures torn from their foundation. Seeing the actual battleground and being able to walk through the house were these men were fighting for their lives and their country nearly puts you at a loss for words. There are plaques located around the house that show where the men lost their lives or were captured. When you visit this site and walk around what remains of the home, you can only imagine what these men must have gone through. The museum part of the house is on the ground floor and displays various relics from the battle. There is a reconstructed scaled model of the area so that you can see it from a bird's eye view. There are pictures of the martyred men and the families they left behind along with some information written about them such as where they actually work, how many children they had, photos of the children, what they were wearing at the time etc. Shell casings, machine guns, and various documents are on display as well. The documents on display include memos given to the Iraqi troops during the occupation, with orders to "burn and destroy all the homes on which there are slogans hostile to our leadership, the pictures of the defunct Al-Sabah dynasty, or the Kuwaiti flags", "Burn and destroy every district in which any military, security, or Popular Army individual is martyred", "Arrest any person who owns, or keeps at his home a weapon" and "Annihilate any hostile demonstration." One damaged chevrolet belonging to the owner of the Villa, another that belonged to the leader of the group, another used by the Iraqi intelligence, the white colour mini bus used to carry soilders and two tanks used by Iraqi soldiers to attack are also kept.
The white Chevrolet belonging to Iraqi intelligence
One Chevrolet that belongs to Bader Al-Eedan, the owner of the house and the other to belongs to the group leader which was used in military operations and medical necessities transition.
Two tanks are placed in front of the house. This is one of the tank used by Iraqi soldiers to attack the house from Front.
List of weapons displayed in the museum
As you finish the tour of the house you’ll enter an air conditioned section where many artifacts and documents related to this site are displayed (at our backside)
The group leader Sayyed Hady Sayyed Mohammed Alawy
The story of the battle in English
Finding the museum is not an easy job. First time we visited it was late evening and couldn’t find out. Second time we visited it we were able to find the villa but as it is Ramadan and we didn’t know the timings it was close. But we took few pictures of the house. Third time we were lucky as it was open. We spend some time and then went to the new Lulu Hypermarket which is newly opened in Al Qurain area.
The story in Arabic
How to reach the museum: While coming from Fahaheel or Ahmadi area, take the 208 road. Then before the first traffic point take right and go ahead. You will get the first round about, go straight; then again the second round about go left; then third round about go right. Then take the first left turn and there is the Al Qurain museum.
Address: Qurain Block 4; Street 3
House no:086/016Timings :
Mon- Sat 8.30am -12.30pm
4.30-8.30pm
Friday morning off
Afternoon: 4.30-8.30pm
Winter Visiting hours: 4-8.30pm
1st Day of Eid off
Ramadan Timing: 8.30pm-11pm
Thank you so much for the hours and timings. I couldn't find it anywhere, but your blog is always so helpful! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteWelcome April.Keep coming back to my blog.
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