Hussein was greenlit by Madeleine Albright (iirc) by stating something along the lines of "border disputes between Iraq and Kuwait were not the concern of the USA".
This was of course a setup to provide a causus belli for the USA to launch its preplanned invasion of Iraq later on.
Hussein invaded Kuwait in 1990 whilst Madeleine Albright joined the Clinton in February 1993 as the ambassador to the U.N.
Between 25th July 1990 and 1st August 1990 the Iraqi Ambassador in D.C was summoned to the state department. Where he was told that the U.S would continue to defend their vital interests in the Gulf and that the U.S would continue to support the sovereignty and integrity of the Gulf states.
The Iraqi ambassador was reminded that whilst the U.S would not take positions on the equities of bilateral Iraqi-Kuwaiti disputes, it was the government's preference that the disputes between the two nations be settled peacefully and not by threat or intimidation.
Hussein's invasion-and conquest, was definetly a challenge to the sovereignty of Kuwait and not a simple border dispute.
