On 2nd August 1990, British Airways flight 149 made a scheduled stop at Kuwait International Airport and its passengers and crew were taken hostage by Iraqi troops. Saddam Hussein’s forces had invaded Kuwait whilst the plane was in the air and the people on board were detained for up to five months, being used as "human shields" against western attacks during the Gulf War. The UK Government initially claimed that the invasion took place after BA149 had landed. However, official documents released in 2021 showed the Foreign Office was warned by the British ambassador in Kuwait that Iraqi forces had crossed the border an hour before the flight landed. Now, passengers and crew are preparing to take legal action against the British Government and BA. Lawyers representing the claimants say "evidence exists" that the plane was allowed to land because it was being used to insert a team into Kuwait "for a special military operation.” The government has always denied this claim. Report by Jonesia. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
