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ALWATAN DAILY
kuwait
SUNDAY, JUNE 3, 2012
Al-Deqbasi counsels Iran to foster better relations with neighbors Staff Writer and Agencies
KUWAIT: Arab Parliament President Ali Salem Al-Deqbasi urged Iran in a statement issued on Saturday not to interfere in the internal affairs of Arab countries and not to incite sectarian divisions with the intent to destabilize them. By such interventions, said Al-Deqbasi, Iran only seeks to divert attention from the international pressures on it vis-a-vis its nuclear program and its ailing internal problems. “Iran’s recent escalation of its threats to Gulf states in the aftermath of the disclosure of a terrorist cell working for Iran in Bahrain and the sentences handed down in Kuwait against a group of Iranians accused of spying for Iran, and the ratcheting up of Iranian rheto-
ric against the notion of a Gulf confederation, especially one between Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, and Iran’s covering of the island of Abu Musa ( which belongs to the UAE) with a mobile phone network, and its armed support of the regime in Syria and its intervention in the internal affairs in Libya - all fall into the Iranian government’s policy to divert attention from its growing internal problems and its attempts to assuage international pressures on it,” said AlDeqbasi. Furthermore, he called on Iran to improve its ties with all Arab countries, based on principles of good neighborliness and non-interference in other’s domestic affairs and complete respect for their territories. Meanwhile, lawyer Doukhi Al-Hasban, who defended one of the suspects involved in
the Iranian espionage network, asserted that the verdict proves that Iran’s claims which accuse Kuwait’s judiciary system for lack of integrity are false. He asked the Iranian authorities to examine the phases of the trial and its verdicts. It is worth noting that Al-Hasban is the Assistant Undersecretary for the Arab Lawyers Association and the lawyer of the fourth defendant. The high profile case was covered by international media agencies, where the first judiciary degree convicted five suspects and acquitted the sixth and seventh suspects. The first three suspects received death sentences, while the fourth and fifth suspects received life imprisonment before their papers were referred to the Supreme Court Appeal. Al-Hasban explained that the fact that two
Suleiman says Lebanon will ensure safety of Kuwaitis
of the suspects were acquitted prove that the claims made by the Iranian authorities which allegedly accuse Kuwait of basing its sentence on political influences are false. The lawyer indicated that the court relied on facts, which led to the acquitting of two of the suspects that were accused by the Public Prosecution of spying for another country. He added that the Court of Appeal acquitted another suspect, which is his client, who had received a life imprisonment sentence earlier, after he provided the court with evidences that led to the release of his client. He stressed that the confessions made by the defendants were not forced, which proves that the Iranian claims are untrue. Moreover, he stated that his client, the fourth suspect, is Syrian, which also proves
that the Iranian claims are false, because if the Kuwaiti judiciary system was influenced by politics, it would have approved the sentence handed to his client by the first degree court; especially in light of the unrest and violence occurring in Syria that is clearly supported by Iran. He said that Kuwait has made it clear several times that it supports the Syrian people who are being massacred by the Syrian regime that is openly supported by Iran. Al-Hasban concluded that the Kuwaiti judiciary system is well known for its integrity, and is one of the main pillars of Kuwait that must not be surrounded by doubts. He criticized the government for deporting his client, although he has been acquitted by the court, not to mention that the deportation sentence was handed by first degree court.
Majority vows to re-endorse blasphemy, Jaber University laws Continued from Page 1
Speaking to Al Watan, the lawmaker explained that the government deserves to be termed as Tindecisive and stagnantU, while calling on all the ministers to shoulder their responsibilities by tendering their resignations as they will be credited with such a move. On the contrary, MP Saleh Ashour stated that sending back laws is an absolute prerogative of His Highness the Amir, hence MPs should deal with the issue at hand in accordance with the constitutional procedures rather than hold ministers accountable for it. For his part, MP Abdurrahman AlAnjeri challenged the Ministers of Justice
and Interior to resign in the event that the Blasphemy and Sheikh Jaber University laws were sent back to Parliament. MP Mohammad Al-Dallal went as far as accusing certain unnamed forces of Rwillingness to create political chaos in order to topple the National Assembly and the government.S In another development, the Chairman of the Parliamentary Environment and Nuclear Energy Committee Dr. Hamad Al-Matar commended the presence of the Minister of Commerce and Industry Anas Al-Salah in a meeting convened by a panel tasked with probing the Rhayya inferno. Al-Saleh emerged an hour after the meeting started.
Before the minister turned up at the meeting, Al-Matar lambasted the government accusing it of showing disrespect to the Parliament, in reference to the absence of its representatives. In other news, MP Faisal Al-Mislem insisted that the Audit Bureau did not acquit the former Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad of the allegations that he had illicit transferred public funds abroad via the Foreign Ministry. Sheikh Nasser has since denied the claims. Al-Mislem stated that the Audit Bureau was faced with difficulties while scrutinizing the particulars of the case, considering the fact that Rmost of the transfers were made without documents.
32 children from AIDS infected parents born ‘normal’
Lebanese Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt (left) during an official dinner meeting held with dignitaries in Kuwait. Lebanon’s President Michel Suleiman is due in Kuwait today. (Al Watan)
BEIRUT: Lebanon’s President Michel Suleiman said Saturday Lebanon as a government and people would ensure the safety and security of Arab expatriates, including citizens from Kuwait. “Lebanese eagerly await their Kuwaiti brothers this summer in order to improve their hospitality for them as usual,” Suleiman told the Kuwaiti News Agency (KUNA). “Lebanon, as government and people, is ready to embrace them and ensure their security, freedom and dignity,” he added. Suleiman’s comments come ahead of his scheduled trip to Kuwait Sunday to discuss the Gulf country’s re-
cent decision to ban their nationals from traveling to Lebanon after unrest last month in the country. Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain have also issued similar notices warning their national not to visit Lebanon and for those who are in the country to leave. On Saturday, clashes renewed in the northern coastal of Tripoli between supporters and opponents of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad. One person was killed and at least nine were wounded in the clashes. During an interview last month, Suleiman also said he would travel to Arab countries, including Kuwait, to enlist their support for national dialogue. -Agencies
KUWAIT: Between 2000-2012, 32 children were born from AIDS infected parents without contracting the disease, said a Health official here Saturday. Head of the infectious disease hospital Dr. Jamal Al-Duaij told Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) in an exclusive interview that such born children go under specific medical treatment before they are delivered to ensure that they would not contract the disease from the parents.
He noted that persons infected with AIDS, though contagious, could live their lives normally through recent advancements in medical science and treatment, noting that it was possible for parents give birth to an AIDS-free child. The Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The illness interferes with the immune system, mak-
ing people with AIDS much more likely to get infections, including opportunistic infections and tumors that do not affect people with working immune systems. This susceptibility gets worse as the disease continues. AIDS was first recognized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 1981 and its cause, HIV, identified in the early 1980s. It has led to nearly 30 million deaths on a global scale since the discovery. -KUNA
Dusty weather to continue today
Japan, Kuwait maintain close ties: Ambassador TOKYO: The Kuwaiti embassy held a reception in coordination with the International Friendship Center, late on Friday, during which the ambassador shed light on establishment of Kuwait as a modern state and the historic ties bounding Tokyo with the Gulf country.
Kuwaiti Ambassador, Abdul Rahman Homoud AlOtaibi. (KUNA)
The gathering got underway with a statement by the Ambassador, Abdul Rahman Homoud Al-Otaibi, dealing with process of establishing Kuwait as a modern state that succeeded in embracing democracy and granting political rights to women. On ties with Japan, he noted that the Asian nation was the first country to recognize Kuwait’s independence in 1961. These ties have developed, particularly in the economic sector, and now Japan is one of the major importers of the Kuwaiti crude oil and top exporter of industrial and electronic products to Kuwait, said AlOtaibi. Japan stood on Kuwait’s side during the Iraqi occupation and took part in the liberation of the country. “This stance is deeply rooted in memory of the Kuwaitis,” he said. Kuwait did not forget the Japanese stand, and last year, His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah ordered delivery of five million barrels of oil to the Japanese people to help them cope with the catastrophic tsunami. The close ties between the two countries were affirmed with the visit of HH the Amir to Japan, on March 20. -KUNA
Illegal residents to register for education KUWAIT: The charity fund for the Education Ministry will start registering illegal residents’ students for the upcoming 2012-13 school-year, said an official on Saturday. Assistant Undersecretary for special education and chairperson of the charity fund Mona Al-Loghani told Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) that the effort was coordinated with the central system for dealing with the
situation of illegal residents, adding that since 2003, the fund took care of education expenses of around 12,802 students with illegal residency status at private schools. The official indicated that the fund would also be helping those who adjusted their residency status to enable students to further pursue their education. -KUNA
Labor workers are seen wearing a mask to protect themselves from inhaling dust. The weather forecasts expect the dust storm to continue until today, Sunday. (Al Watan)
KUWAIT: Dusty weather conditions are expected to prevail until today (Sunday), where the dust is expected to begin receding on Monday, according to the director of Kuwait Meteorological Center, Mohammad Karam. Karam told Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) on Saturday that the country was gripped with a current dust wave, boosted by northwesterly gales reaching 60-70 kmph. Visibility drop will be at least to less than 500 meters in urban regions and lower than 100 m in rural areas. Strong winds are forecast to taper off at night,
thus enabling dust to recede. Temperature will range between 4345 degrees and will fall at night time to 29-31 degrees. Karam urged against going to the sea, and advised allergy patients to abstain from exposure to the dusty winds. Meanwhile, operations at Kuwait’s main port, Shuwaikh Port, and navigation to and from the harbor came to a halt on Saturday due to bad weather conditions, but flights to and from the national airport continued as regular. Suliman Al-Yahya, in charge of marine operations at the port, told KUNA
that gale speed exceeded 70 kmph and visibility ebbed, thus prompting the port authorities to halt all operations at the facility. Incoming and outgoing vessels have been ordered to halt moving, pending improvement of the weather. However, operations at Kuwait International Airport continued as regular, according to Issam Al-Zamel, in charge of the department of operations at the airport, in remarks to KUNA. “Landings and take-offs are proceeding as regular, although the dust wave lowered visibility in the airport region to 400 meters,” he said. -KUNA
FM holds talks with Annan on Syria
DOHA: Kuwait’s Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah held talks here on Saturday with the Arab-UN envoy for Syria, Kofi Annan, on the situation in the troubled nation. The meeting was held on sidelines of scheduled Arab meetings, due here. It was attended by senior officials accompanying the minister, who arrived in the Qatari capital earlier today. The Kuwaiti delegation will take part in the extraordi-
nary session of the Arab League Council, the meeting for Arab Ministerial committee on Syria, and the Arab peace initiative ministerial session. Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled, accompanied by senior officials of the ministry, was received upon arrival by the Qatari assistant minister of foreign affairs Ali Al-Hajri, the Kuwaiti ambassador to Qatar Ali Al-Haifi and embassy staff. The minister’s delegation includes officials from the Foreign Ministry, Kuwaiti diplomats and other personnel. -KUNA