Kuwait condemns hit at UN
US military ready, says Pence
NEW YORK, Sept 17, (Agencies): Kuwait has condemned in the strongest terms the attack on two Saudi Aramco facilities in Abqaiq and Hijrat Khurais in Saudi Arabia last Saturday.
This came in Kuwait’s speech at the Security Council session on Yemen, delivered by Permanent Representative Ambassador Mansour Al-Otaibi.
“The attack represents a flagrant violation of international law and the Charter of the United Nations,” Al-Otaibi said. “We reaffirm our full support to Saudi Arabia and all measures taken to preserve its security, stability and territorial integrity.”
He pointed out that such attacks make it imperative to activate the arms embargo measures contained in the relevant Security Council resolutions.
Al-Otaibi said that despite the passage of nine months after the entry into force of the Stockholm Agreement, the continued stalemate and lack of tangible progress, the continuation of the Redeployment Coordination Committee to hold its meeting and the parties agreement on the importance of adherence to the agreement of Hodeidah and the activation of the mechanism of calm and cease-fire is encouraging.
He expressed his wish to build on those meetings in a manner that leads to the implementation of the phases of the agreement as stipulated in the concept of operations and to make a tangible shift in creating an atmosphere of confidence between the parties leading to the implementation of an agreement to exchange prisoners, detainees and those forcibly disappeared.
He called for the implementation of the Taiz understandings, which has been under siege for more than four years.
Regarding the latest developments in a number of areas of southern Yemen, Al-Otaibi expressed concern over these events and looked forward to Saudi Arabia’s tireless efforts to host talks in Jeddah between the Yemeni government and representatives of the Southern Transitional Council.
Al-Otaibi expressed his hope that these efforts will ultimately lead to the return of security and stability in a way that preserves the unity and sovereignty of Yemen on its territory.
His Highness the Deputy Amir and Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah strongly condemned the attacks on Saudi Arabia’s crude oil facilities in Abqaiq and Khurais Saturday.
This came in a phone call made to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman, in which His Highness the Deputy Amir expressed his full support to Saudi Arabia and reiterated rejection to all kinds of terrorism.
Kuwait’s Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Minister and Acting Defense Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah received on Tuesday, with presence of Deputy Foreign Minister Ambassador Khaled Al-Jarallah, a number of ranking officers of the Kuwaiti Armed Forces headed by Army Chief of Staff Lieutenant-General Mohammed AlKhodr and Deputy Chief of Staff of the Army General Sheikh Abdullah Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah.
Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled started the meeting by conveying confidence of the supreme political leadership in the armed forces.
He praised the armed forces efforts in preserving security of the country, namely all vital installations. He also reviewed the current regional situation and developments.
He reiterated Kuwait’s condemnation of the attack on oil installations in Abqaiq and Khurais in Saudi Arabia; voicing Kuwait’s solidarity with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, stability and safety of its people.
He stressed in this context on the need for caution and readiness to face any events that lead to destabilization of security and stability in the country and the region, calling on the commanders of the Armed Forces to intensify efforts to defend the country from any potential dangers.
Saudi Arabia is capable of “dealing with the consequences of the cowardly attacks” on two plants in the heart of the Kingdom’s oil industry, Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz said on Tuesday.
As he presided over a Cabinet meeting, the Saudi King thanked all countries and global bodies alike for condemning the drone attacks on two facilities belonging to state oil conglomerate Saudi Aramco, which were claimed by Yemen’s Iran-allied Houthi group.
This brazen attack aims to “threaten international peace and security directed primarily at global energy supplies,” state-run Saudi Press Agency (SPA) cited Media Minister Turki AlShabanah as saying. The attacks are “an extension of previous acts of aggression on Saudi Aramco’s pumping stations by using Iranian weapons,” the minister added.
US Vice-President Mike Pence said on Tuesday the United States was reviewing evidence that suggests Iran was behind the attacks on Saudi oil facilities and stands ready to defend its interests and allies in the Middle East.
“We’re evaluating all the evidence. We’re consulting with our allies. And the president will determine the best course of action in the days ahead,” Pence said in a speech at the Heritage Foundation thinktank in Washington.
US President Donald Trump had earlier warned that the United States was “locked and loaded” to respond to the attacks, but has emphasized he does not want a war.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was traveling to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to discuss the response to the attacks, Pence said.
“The United States of America will take whatever action is necessary to defend our country, our troops, and our allies in the Gulf. You can count on it,” Pence said.
If Iran conducted Saturday’s attacks to pressure Trump to lighten sanctions aimed at pressuring Tehran over its nuclear program, that strategy will fail, Pence said.
Iran has denied being behind Saturday’s attacks, which knocked out half of Saudi Arabia’s oil production. The Houthi group, an ally of Tehran which is fighting a Saudiled coalition in Yemen, says it conducted the strikes with drones which were powered by both normal and jet engines.
Iran’s foreign minister said in a tweet on Tuesday that the United States was in denial for suspecting Iran over attacks on Saudi oil facilities, and ignoring that Yemenis were fighting back after years of war against the Kingdom.