‘We’ll never forget world support’

‘Thanks Bush, all for helping free Kuwait’

“THE period of the Iraqi invasion of the State of Kuwait was not easy for the Kuwaiti people who were afflicted by the despot of Iraq – the defunct Saddam Hussein who actually committed a grave crime by invading Kuwait on Aug 2, 1990,” columnist and former MP Abdulmohsen Yusuf Jamal wrote for Al-Qabas daily.

“Throughout the period of invasion Saddam Hussein committed a lot of atrocities which are recorded by history and remains a stigma on his forehead.

“During the invasion of the country, we in Kuwait were looking forward to all countries and governments in the world, hoping to hear a voice denouncing this notorious action and stand by us or support our cause.

“However, at the outset of the invasion, we were surprised to see some Arab governments supporting the despot Saddam and ‘accepting’ the occupation of a neighboring country through irreligious and illegal manner. Moreover, some of the Arab nationalist and religious parties supported him.

“Amid this pessimistic atmosphere and horrible inhuman circumstances facing the Kuwaitis, the voice of the US President George Herbert Walker Bush who was in a meeting with the then British prime minister Margret Thatcher in Aspen in Colorado state, emerged strongly and the conferees agreed to condemn the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait and requested the Iraqi troops to withdraw immediately without any delay.

“But then the dictator Saddam refused to withdraw his troops from Kuwait and Bush sought the help of the UN in cooperation with other countries for military action. Participating in the action were two Arab countries – Egypt and Syria.

“In this connection, we say the international coalition led by the United States of America, was formed and a strong army was mobilized by General Herbert Norman Schwarzkopf who succeeded in ignobly driving out the despot and his army on Feb 26, 1991.

“As a matter of fact, this day is of a significant historical importance to the State of Kuwait and the Kuwaitis will never forget the heroic attitudes of the entire world which stood in defence of Kuwait’s right and restore the country to its rightful owner.

“Personally speaking, I shall not forget the historical moment when President George Bush Sr visited us at the headquarters of the Kuwaiti National Assembly, where a special session was arranged to receive and welcome him along with his wife Barbara Bush.

“During this session, the Speaker of the Kuwaiti National Assembly Ahmad Al-Saadoun delivered a speech of appreciation and welcomed the guests. For his part, the then MP and poet Talal Al-Saeed gave a rendition of a poem in the name of President Bush and this poem actually gained the admiration of all, including the American president himself.

“We pray to Almighty Allah to bestow His mercy upon President George Bush Sr and his wife Barbara and all those who won martyrdom while defending the State of Kuwait – soldiers and civilians.

“As a matter of fact, the name of President Bush and the names of the states which supported the State of Kuwait shall remain eternal in the memory of the Kuwaitis for good where the State of Kuwait, returned as a dear and dignified state to perform its role in our wide world.”

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Jamal

“Will the State of Qatar attend the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit that is slated for next week in the Saudi city of Al-Dammam?,” columnist Dr Nasser Khamees Al-Mutairi mused for Annahar daily.

“However, this big question which revolves around the prospect of the GCC summit or rather the prospective participation of the State of Qatar in this summit. It is likely to be the event of the summit if expectations and hopes become a reality.

“Speaking of the previous summit that was hosted by the State of Kuwait, the Qatari presence was at the highest level that represented by the participation of the Amir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani.

“In this context, we say the State of Kuwait for the State of Qatar represents the country of neutrality and mediation, hence, we found how the Qatari presence at the Kuwait summit was in appreciation for this summit and from His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad, we pray to Almighty Allah to protect him.

“But the forthcoming summit shall take place in Al-Dammam, Saudi Arabia – the biggest boycotter of Qatar at the GCC level, and this means the scenario will be totally different from political and psychological point of views. This scene will be surrounded with ambiguity, particularly in terms of shape and the level of the Qatari participation in the summit.

“Speaking of the protocol aspect, the invitation to be sent to the Amir of Qatar will be handed over to him by the GCC secretary-general, because Qatar is still a member of the GCC.

“Given the above, and based on the law and charter of Gulf Cooperation Council and the requirements of the diplomatic conventions, the host country will not be in a position to prevent any Council member from attending the summit.

“Consequently, Qatar is likely to actually participate in the upcoming summit, but the question here is, what about the level of this participation?

“Anyway, we hope the GCC summit in Dammam will constitute an opportunity to break the ice between the conflicting parties and I think this will be the last chance for the Kuwaiti mediation. The summit could also demonstrate the readiness of the boycotting parties to accept the Qatar participation satisfactorily and positively and give room for Kuwaiti mediation between the two conflicting parties to end the current crisis amicably.

“However, maybe the above representation is just a dream but not impossible if the intentions are right.”

“I do not think there is anyone among us who did not sustain some damages due to the recent heavy rains in the country,” Dr Sajed Al-Abdali wrote for Aljarida daily.

“These damages vary from direct and serious ones like flooded houses, vehicles and goods, and indirect and minor kinds like traffic jams due to problems on the roads or breaking of windshields due to flying gravel.

“This should not come as a surprise, as citizens are partners in their society and are affected by the level of infrastructure and public services either positively or negatively.

“Therefore, a citizen has the right to express his opinion concerning the current events in his society since he is committed to the regulations and laws stated by the authorities.

“Attempts aimed at preventing citizens from expressing their opinion are just part of the trick that justifies asking people to stay silent by the available basic needs including housing, food and job. I am not talking about the rumors and talks prevalent on social media or in diwaniyas when I talk about expressing opinions. I mean the effective activities organized by civil society organizations that the government has to consider.

“The rain crisis exposed different kinds of corruption and unmasked the administrative weakness in all concerned bodies. The crisis added salt to the open and decaying wound resultant from the political corruption that we have been witnessing throughout the past decades. This corruption cannot be denied except by a corrupt person, a partner in corruption or a beneficiary of corruption.

“The dilemma is that the huge windfall fell in the hands of political corruption prevalent in both the government and parliament, besides poor administration. On the other hand, there is the public which is unaware and adds to the deterioration of the situation through their silence and lack of interest.

“The rain crisis cost the state tens or hundreds of millions of dinars, while the repair cost will be higher. Ironically, most of the money was squandered by corruption, maladministration and neglect. More money will keep going into the pockets of the corrupt. The repair projects will be carried out and supervised by the same corrupt individuals and bodies which are responsible for the serious consequences of the heavy rain.

“It was not only the contractors who committed corruption but they have partners represented by the monitoring officials whose job is to ascertain that the projects meet the stated conditions before approving them.”

“The Arab world celebrates the 60th anniversary of the birth of a monthly Arab magazine, Al-Arabi, which was first published in Kuwait on December 1, 1958, three years before independence,” columnist, Professor at Kuwait University’s Political Science Department, an advisor to Human Rights Watch (HRW) and the secretary general of the Arab Fund for Human Rights (AFHR) Dr Ghanim Al-Najjar wrote for Al-Jarida daily.

“The Al-Arabi was able to enter the Arab House without difficulty. It has become an Arab issue and Arab public property. No one felt that it was issued by the Government of Kuwait, and it maintained this position despite all the disputes. Al-Arabi magazine managed to continue and stay stable.

“I do not know whether there will be a celebration that will be held on the 60th anniversary of Al-Arabi. The aim is not to blame anyone. The responsibility of praising the ‘Arab’ is collective and goes beyond Kuwait to the wider Arab world. It represents a model of culture, knowledge, and respect on the level of the entire Arab world with no exceptions.

“By the way, there is another newspaper that the public cannot do without it. Any law should be published in that newspaper before it is enforced. It is the official newspaper Kuwait Gazette, which was first issued 64 years back. Al-Arabi has a direct relationship with Kuwait Gazette. The second was born from the womb of the first, as we were told during a meeting by Badr Khalid Al-Bader, then director of the Publications and Publishing Department.

“When we follow the history of the emergence and appearance of the two publications, we may discover something of the difference between that time and the current time, the speed of decision-making, and the appropriateness, quality, and the use of Arab distinguished experts.

“The story of the emergence of the Arabi magazine from a small country showed the ability to collect Arab and non-Arab competencies from all directions in an atmosphere of openness and tolerance.

“How did the Arab magazine, which transcended the borders without propaganda, emerged and surpassed its peers without much money? A tale deserves to be told, in a time when achievement is an exception and regression is the base.”

“It has been 50 years since the death of ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ in a traffic accident at an intersection in Britain when he avoided hitting two boys who were riding their bicycles. However, there is a conspiracy theory on his death – a successful attempt to prevent him from becoming the head of British intelligence service,” columnist Dr Hisham Al-Diwan wrote for Al-Shahid daily.

“Lawrence of Arabia was the name given to British Intelligence Officer Thomas Edward Lawrence who fought alongside Arab guerrilla forces in the Middle East during the First World War. He became famous in his line of work for enabling Arabs to fight against the Ottoman Empire and in dividing the Arab communities. Due to his service and achievements, the then British Prime Minister Winston Churchill nominated him as head of the British intelligence service.

“He escaped death so many times while on mission in the Middle East, especially during the First World War. Nonetheless, his death on the May 19, 1939 – nine days after figuring in a road accident, raised speculation that he was assassinated to prevent him from becoming the head of intelligence.

“Without a doubt, Lawrence made a lot of enemies in his line of work. Nevertheless, Mark J.T. Griffin, director of the yet to be released movie ‘Lawrence of Arabia’, believes the assassination theory. The movie tells the story of the last 10 years in the life of the 20th century hero, T.E. Lawrence.”

“We are used to interpellations which are always based on narrow and personal interests in the current and previous Parliaments. In fact, behind the curtain deals are made and almost all of these interpellations have the same outcome – nowhere,” columnist Faisal Al-Dihaam wrote for Al-Seyassah daily.

“The end of these interpellations is known even before the actual process starts. This applies to interpellations submitted against the prime minister or any member of the Cabinet. Unfortunately, the parliamentarians seem to believe their role is to serve their personal interests, as well as their clans, tribes or parties, as opposed to serving the nation and its people in general.

“The blame falls on the voters. The people we choose to represent us are not chosen based on their merits. This is why we end up going round the same empty circle over and over again, thereby, creating a huge backlog that continues to negatively affect the community, particularly its bid to develop and prosper.

“I hope the democratic course in Kuwait is rectified before it is too late, starting with the people’s representative who is the pillar of the democratic process and ending with the same representative who has the ability to bear enormous responsibilities, so the country does not fall victim to irresponsible practices once again.”

— Compiled by Zaki Taleb