In OTL, shortly after Kuwait was made formally independent from Britain in 1961, Iraqi dictator Kasem threatened to invade Kuwait. Kuwait invoked British help, and in "Operation Vantage" British naval forces and marine commandos deployed to ward off any Iraqi attack. After a few months, the British departed and an Arab League force replaced them for an undetermined period of time.
However, according to wiki, Britain kept a security commitment to Kuwait until May 1971, although probably the intention to let the commitment lapse in 1971 was communicated earlier as part of London's withdrawal of commitments from "East of Suez".
In OTL, after Kasem's ouster, there was some additional governmental stability and regime changes in the remainder of the 1960s, which kept the Iraqis too busy to reassert claims to Kuwait.
However, what if and Iraqi government any time between 1963 and 1971 gained enough authority and invested enough in military hardware to be able to conquer Kuwait, and used means up to and including outright invasion to seize the country? Could Iraq have succeeded in getting away with it?
However, according to wiki, Britain kept a security commitment to Kuwait until May 1971, although probably the intention to let the commitment lapse in 1971 was communicated earlier as part of London's withdrawal of commitments from "East of Suez".
In OTL, after Kasem's ouster, there was some additional governmental stability and regime changes in the remainder of the 1960s, which kept the Iraqis too busy to reassert claims to Kuwait.
However, what if and Iraqi government any time between 1963 and 1971 gained enough authority and invested enough in military hardware to be able to conquer Kuwait, and used means up to and including outright invasion to seize the country? Could Iraq have succeeded in getting away with it?