Deaf hear no drums of war

Indicators confirm US in process of prep ‘alliance’

“THE upcoming Arab summit to be held in Saudi Arabia is worthy of being dubbed as the summit of ‘dwarfing Iran’ as it will work to expel Tehran from four Arab states whose political and military influence have extended to them in addition to expelling any other influence that impacts these countries in terms of influencing and shaping the new Middle East region,” columnist Dr Ali Abdurrahman Al-Huwail wrote for Al-Anba daily.

“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia plans to announce the new international alliance whose foundation stone was laid by the Saudi Crown Prince HRH Prince Mohammed bin Salman during his recent visit to the United States — the coalition that will be led internationally by the United States and regionally Saudi Arabia.

“The agenda of this coalition actually has a broad European and international support which will be represented by the abolition of the nuclear agreement and to return Iran to its international borders, and stop its support for the militias loyal to it in a prelude to dismantling the latter.

“It is expected that the formation of this alliance will begin following and reviewing Iran’s commitment to the implementation of the terms of the nuclear agreement on May 12, 2018.

“However, it is known that Iran has violated the terms of the agreement and as a result Tehran shall be automatically placed under United Nations Chapter VII, allowing the world to intervene and control its nuclear project by any means, including military intervention without the need to resort to the UN Security Council.

“The observers believe that the ‘overthrow’ of the Iranian regime may be through a strong international boycott, including the inspection of ships on the high seas to ensure its effectiveness and the blockade of air and land, which will cause further collapse of the Iranian currency and any further collapse will cause the street revolution to overthrow the regime.

“And if such an embargo coincides with just limited military strikes on the Iranian nuclear installations as well as on some other selected military installations then the pattern of the prospective collapse will accelerate.

“The Saudi message to the Arab summit is clear that the direct enemy of the Arab nation at the moment is Iran and to reach a just solution to the Palestinian issue, it is necessary to free four Arab countries from the political and military influence of Iran.

“The indicators confirm that the United States is in the process of preparing for this alliance and any possible confrontation with Iran, and this is illustrated by the rearrangement of the White House and by the appointment of Mike Pompeo as Secretary of State and John Bolton as National Security Adviser.

“The selection of the latter may bring back to the mind the appointment of the former National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski when the United States was determined to topple the then Shah of Iran.

“In this connection, the arrival of Bolton and Brzezinski show they belong to the Henry Kissinger ‘school’ and as such appointing Bolton shows the desire of the US to bring down the spiritual leader of the Iranian Revolution Sayed Ali Khamenei who represents the danger and is the obstinate opponent.

“Apart from the above, other indications show preparations are underway to punish Iran by shifting the US military base from Incirlik in Turkey to Greece and the shifting of the Al-Odaid military base from Qatar to Saudi Arabia.

“In this context, we say a meeting has been called by President Donald Trump at the Camp David where he will meet Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of the UAE, and who does not hear the drums of war is definitely deaf.

Abdurrahman

“America, after the death of President Jamal Abdel Nasser (the former Egyptian president), deployed its forces in the Arab region as an alternative to the old imperialism,” columnist Mustafa Al-Sarraf wrote for Al-Qabas daily.

“Hence, its military bases were planted in the oil producing states in the name of protecting its interests in the region. It had to change the regimes in Syria and Iraq to extend their influence there.

“However, in spite of its role to bring down the regime of Saddam Hussein in Iraq, failed to go ahead in terms of occupying Baghdad it had attempted to resort to the proliferation of the country through the state of anarchy with the help of the Islamic State (IS) or the so-called ‘DAESH’ instead of directly using its might.

“However, even this attempt was encountered although the relevant situations had enabled it to transplant its bases east of the Euphrates in Syria, simply because this part of Syria is a promising oil area and enjoys a strategic location overlooking both the Levant and Iraq.

“In this context, we would like to point that it is America which was depending on the armed factions by supporting them in East Al-Ghouta and the Syrian capital Damascus to protect its existence which resembled a dagger in the flank of the Syrian regime. Moreover, it is America which through these actions constituted a force to penetrate the regime.

“In this context, we say it seems America was thinking that through this penetration Washington would be in a position to neutralize the Syrian regime or even change it from within through the pro-West armed groups — the groups that harbored no enmity against its (US) ally Israel.

“But it is needless to say America and its allies lost the ‘trump’ card and this was represented by the expulsion of the armed factions from east Al-Ghouta. Following this development, America was seemingly didn’t have any political cards with them to play except the use of might directly to protect what was considered by it as its achieved benefits — the military bases which it had planted in Syria.

“This US presence angered the Russian Federation which currently exists in Syria in its capacity as an ally of Damascus and we found the Russian President Vladimir Putin in his annual address started talking about Russia’s industry of sophisticated weapons and missiles capping the ability of the US weaponry.

“This angered America as a superpower and with its allies moved to indirectly encounter the Russian Federation by fabricating the story of poisoning spy Sergei Skripal on British soil and accused Russia to distort its image internationally.”

“When one talks about slow transactions in the governmental institutions and the difficulty in completing them, a number of defenders emerge to stress the need for transactions to undergo documentation cycle,” Abdulrahman Al-Awwad wrote for Al-Sabah daily.

“The problem is that most of the procedures carried out for transaction under the name of documentation cycle are just routine procedures that are aimed to justify the need for employees and the importance of their positions.

This cycle can be reduced to just one computer and one employee to save 90 percent of the time wasted on obtaining documents and signatures.

“We are in the year 2018 but we still force citizens to tour around ministries for completing their transactions when these transactions can actually be completed in one place within half an hour.”

“In light of the current unprecedented technological advancement, we cannot ignore everything relevant to education, as education has become the lighthouse showing the path towards advancement and development,” Zayed Al-Zaid wrote for Al-Nahar daily.

“The European experience in this field is a real world example that shows the power of advanced methods of education and their role in the advancement of nations. That is why advanced countries put education on top of their priorities. The question is — where we are standing in this issue?

“Talks about the crisis of education in Kuwait need serious studies and deeply-thought-out articles. Levels of education are recording unprecedented of deterioration in all educational levels. A look at the indexes issued by international organizations reveals the continuous deterioration of the educational levels in Kuwait year after year. The list of best universities internationally never includes the name of Kuwait University, even though it is the only government university in Kuwait and was inaugurated more than 50 years ago.

“The reason behind the current situation is the spread of corruption and the absence of serious and clear-cut plans. Even if there was a plan, it is nothing more than written documents and loose-talks that lack serious intention for enforcement.

“Examples of the failed steps taken by Ministry of Education and Higher Education include the “Flash Memory Project” or “Tablet Project” which cost the state huge amounts. Another example is the phenomenon of private tuitions which the government has not been able to curb. Also the problem that university students face in no finding any place for them in Kuwait University which forces them to complete their studies outside Kuwait.”

“A statement made by the former president of South Korea Lee Myung-bak (2008-2013) in the speech he delivered as the Guest of Honor at the Asian Economic Forum held in Sultan Qabus University shook everyone who attended the event,” Prof Seham Al-Freih wrote for Al-Nahar daily.

“He said, ‘The presidency has been incapable of removing the smell of garbage from my hands. That remains my utmost pride until now.’

“That man came from a very poor background and he was a scavenger until the age of 18. This was not just to keep his body and soul together, but to further his education. The poverty that he tasted did not prevent his aspirations but rather reinforced his perseverance and tenacity.

“After graduation, he worked with Hyundai Company. His excellence at work helped him to eventually become the director of the giant company within just five years of joining. This is because he doubled the capital of the company within the five years he worked there. It is natural for him to reach pinnacle of the company considering his talent and creativity at work.

“He did not spend a long time in this position before he became the President of South Korea. He was then the youngest president in the world. The country was the fifth poorest country in the world before he took over, but it thereafter became the fifth largest economy in the world. We should ask ourselves what the strength of the man was with which he moved the country to such an enviable position.

“Answer to this question was contained in his speech at the same event when he said, ‘It was due to dedication and focus on education, because human resources are the only thing that our country possesses.’

“Where are we in Arab societies compared to other successful Asian countries? It is unfortunate that corruption has eaten deep into our fabrics in all colors and shapes.”

“Despite the great Arab refraction after the June 1976 setback, the reaction of the Arab street trespassed and exceeded its leaderships and governments, placing them in a confrontational situation,” Abdulmohsen Jumaa wrote for Aljarida daily.

“A wave of such confrontational movement spread throughout university, artistic and cultural circles. Feelings were incited despite the difficulty in news and pictures reaching Arab citizens. When Bahr Al-Bakr Primary School in an Egyptian village was bombed by Israeli air forces, the Arab street was provoked.

“Today Arabs walk and roam through their houses and use a remote control to see the images and screams of the children of Al-Ghouta as they are being burned, displaced and killed. The viewers immediately change the channel using the remote control and select another channel which broadcasts the show called ‘The Voice’. They opt to encourage the singers of their country, and the images of burning people eventually disappear from their minds.

“What are the reasons behind this insensitivity towards world’s crimes being committed against us but without any move or action taken against them? Are the tyrant regimes or political Islamic blocs behind this?”

“There are many roads in the country that are terribly neglected. They include the road connecting Amghara Bridge to Jahra Bridge overlooking the old scrap yard, and Al-Artal Road in Salmi area which is known for the huge number of mortality cases witnessed on this road in the last several years,” Abdulrahman Al-Awwad wrote for Al-Sabah daily.

“The problem is that negligence and lack of maintenance of these two roads have led to the deaths of a number of individuals in huge traffic accidents. The biggest reasons is that the two roads are one-way, which causes vehicles to collide resulting in death or severe injuries to a large number of victims.

“In brief, it is unreasonable for a country like Kuwait to pave roads in lifeless deserts throughout the world but cannot maintain or update the designs of these two roads which have killed many victims or led to serious injuries to a large number of citizens and residents.

“It is necessary for the concerned authorities to install clear guidelines along these roads to ensure their safety

and security, as well as to avoid serious accidents.”

— Compiled by Zaki Taleb