MIDEAST IN THE MIDWEST

The price of Arafat's kiss

An oral history of the First Gulf War

7/2/2014
BY HASAN DUDAR
BLADE STAFF WRITER

With Iraq in the news again, we bring you a story from the archives, of a local man looking back at the First Gulf War. Mustafa Sugheir shared his story with The Blade this past winter.

The Palestinian American owned the Ohio Overseas corporation in Toledo, which shipped used refinery parts to the Middle East -- mostly Kuwait. When Iraqi President Saddam Hussein invaded oil-rich Kuwait in 1990, Mr. Sugheir's business suffered. All it took was Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat planting a kiss on Saddam.

Click here for more from the Mideast in the Midwest project.

Contact Hasan Dudar at: hdudar@theblade.com or 419-724-6082 or on Twitter @h_dudar.