▁US $ 2 . 4 ▁billion ▁worth ▁of ▁Ira qi ▁oil ▁was ▁" st olen " ▁by ▁K uw ait ▁and ▁demanded ▁compens ation . ▁K uw ait ▁dismiss ed ▁the ▁accus ations ▁as ▁a ▁false ▁Ira qi ▁p loy ▁to ▁justify ▁military ▁action ▁against ▁it . ▁Several ▁foreign ▁fir ms ▁working ▁in ▁the ▁Rum ail a ▁field ▁also ▁dismiss ed ▁Ira q ' s ▁sl ant - dr illing ▁claims ▁as ▁a ▁" sm okes creen ▁to ▁dis gu ise ▁Ira q ' s ▁more ▁am bit ious ▁intent ions ". ▁ ▁On ▁ 2 5 ▁July ▁ 1 9 9 0 , ▁only ▁a ▁few ▁days ▁before ▁the ▁Ira qi ▁invasion , ▁O PE C ▁officials ▁said ▁that ▁K uw ait ▁and ▁the ▁United ▁Arab ▁Em ir ates ▁had ▁agreed ▁to ▁a ▁proposal ▁to ▁limit ▁daily ▁oil ▁output ▁to ▁ 1 . 5 ▁million ▁bar rel s , ▁thus ▁potentially ▁sett ling ▁differences ▁over ▁oil ▁policy ▁between ▁K uw ait ▁and ▁Ira q . ▁At ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁settlement , ▁more ▁than ▁ 1 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁Ira qi ▁troops ▁were ▁deployed ▁along ▁the ▁Ira q – K uw ait ▁border , ▁and ▁American ▁officials ▁expressed ▁little ▁indic ation ▁of ▁decl ine ▁in ▁t ensions ▁despite ▁the ▁O PE C ▁settlement . ▁ ▁Ira qi ▁h eg em onic ▁claims ▁ ▁Many ▁western ers ▁believed ▁that ▁Ira q ' s ▁invasion ▁of ▁K uw ait ▁was ▁largely ▁motiv ated ▁by ▁its ▁desire ▁to ▁take ▁control ▁over ▁the