GOvt tO NAME, ShAME SlAck OFFiciAlS AS StREEtS dElUGEd

40 Pages·2017·6.71 MB·English

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SUNDAY, MARCH 26, 2017 JAMADA ALTHANI 28,1438 AH www.kuwaittimes.net
Travellers to Troubled EU Purchase of Arrogate
Germany urged renews vows 777-300ERs a wins Dubai
5 7 21 20
to apply for on 60th ‘game-changer’ World Cup
visas early anniversary for KAC thriller
S Govt to name, shame slack
L
FI
0
5
1
9 officials as streets deluged Min 16º
7
1
7 Max 27º
1
O:
N High Tide
11:27 & 22:46
S
E
G Fire Dept uses boats, divers to rescue trapped motorists Low Tide
A
0 P 05:08 & 17:01
4
KUWAIT: The minister of public works announced yes-
Weary flyers
terday that a panel would be formed to examine why
some roads and public places were swamped with rain-
shrug as laptop water late Friday. Civil servants who were slack and
failed to deal with the situation “would be exposed”
ban takes off along with those who were responsible for the wide-
scale flooding witnessed in Kuwait due to heavy rain,
Abdulrahman Al-Mutawa indicated.
DUBAI: A controversial ban on carry-on laptops and In a statement to Kuwait News Agency (KUNA),
tablets on flights from the Middle East to the United Mutawa said he held an emergency meeting with offi-
States and Britain went into effect yesterday - with cials of his department to discuss the causes of the
less fanfare and frustration than expected. From problem. A special and neutral committee will be
Dubai to Doha, passengers on dozens of flights formed to examine the causes that led to accumulation
checked in their electronic devices, many shrugging of huge volumes of water on roads and public squares
off the measure as yet another inconvenience of in the country, he added, indicating that names of the
global travel. “It’s a rule. I follow the rules,” said Rakan civil servants responsible for the problem would be
Mohammed, a Qatari national who flies from Doha publicized.
to the US two to three times a year. “The bigger The slack personnel including contractors will be
problem for my family is the no smoking. On a long referred to the public prosecution, the minister
flight, they become restless after three hours.” declared. The relevant panel will prepare a report about
At Dubai International, one of the world’s busiest the issue and refer it to competent authorities in two
hubs, flag carrier Emirates dispatched staff to guide
weeks. Some low-lying locations in the country were
passengers through one of the most intense travel
swamped with torrential rainwater late Friday, amid
weekends of the year. Around 1.1 million people are
unstable weather gripping the entire Arabian Peninsula.
expected to pass through as the city marks UAE
Meanwhile, the fire department’s PR and media
spring break, Dubai Airports said. An estimated
department said firemen dealt with 49 reports during
260,000 travellers were expected each day from
the stormy weather. The department added that all
Friday through tomorrow. Dubai International
land, marine and airport fire brigades were on full alert
Airport expects 89 million passengers this year.
during the stormy weather, when rainfall reached 50
Staff in red suits could be seen at the airport yes-
mm in Ahmadi and boats had to be used to rescue 20
terday carrying signs explaining the electronics ban,
KUWAIT: Firefighters and rescue workers salvage vehicles submerged in rainwater on Fahaheel Expressway people trapped inside their vehicles by the rainwater.
ready to appease travellers with games
near Mangaf yesterday. Kuwait is experiencing unstable weather including thunderstorms, sandstorms and KFSD added that divers made sure no one was trapped
Continued on Page 13
strong winds. — Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat(More pics on Page 3) inside completely submerged vehicles. — Agencies
Trump suffers humiliating defeat
Troubled Obamacare repeal bid collapses
WASHINGTON: US President Donald damaging reversals and controversies,
Buck stops
Trump faced the biggest blow yet to his Trump must now consider how to move
young presidency as his bid to repeal forward in the face of a fractured, rebel-
Obamacare went down in flames at the lious Congress. “Trump will have a very
with Trump
hands of rebel Republican lawmakers. hard time dealing with these divides
Barely two months into his term, Trump because he does not understand them,”
was forced to withdraw an embattled said John Pitney, a professor of American
WASHINGTON:Donald Trump sat in the Oval Office Republican healthcare bill Friday, moments politics at Claremont-McKenna College.
on Friday evening in an unfamiliar position - having before a vote, leaving his campaign pledge On Trump’s agenda are a major over-
to own failure. His healthcare reform, his very first to dismantle his predecessor’s healthcare haul of the tax system and a bill to upgrade
significant legislative proposal, had fallen at the reforms unfulfilled. infrastructure like roads and bridges. “We
first hurdle in a friendly Congress. For sure, the 70- The stinging defeat showed the limits were very, very close” to securing enough
year-old businessman had faltered before - from of Trump’s power to deliver on an ambi- support for the bill, Trump said in the Oval
bankrupt casinos to shuttered hotels. But until now tious legislative agenda despite Office. But with no Democratic backing,
bravado was enough to keep his brand intact, and Republican control of both houses of “we couldn’t quite get there”.
carry him all the way to the White House. Congress. Already rocked by a string of Continued on Page 13
MUSCAT: The lights on the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque are switched off for an Now - in the fiercest spotlight in the world, as
hour yesterday as iconic landmarks and skylines plunged into darkness as the president of the United States - there was nowhere
‘Earth Hour’ switch-off of lights around the world got under way to raise aware- to hide. Fittingly perhaps, Trump addressed his fail-
ness of climate change. — AFP ure from behind a desk in the Oval Office. It was in
that same spot that Harry Truman kept a sign that
World’s cities, monuments
encapsulated all the pressures and accountability
of an imperial presidency: “The buck stops here.”
switch off for Earth Hour
Trump was not ready to take quite that much
ownership, although he did profess to be “a little
SYDNEY: Sydney’s Opera House and planet. “We started Earth Hour in 2007 to surprised” by the plan’s failure. We got close, he
Harbour Bridge plunged into darkness yes- show leaders that climate change was an said, as if it mattered. But Trump offered surprising-
terday to mark Earth Hour, as global land- issue people cared about,” coordinator ly little criticism for his brothers-in-arms. That may
marks began dimming their lights to draw Siddarth Das said. “For that symbolic come when the dust falls. His criticism of the
attention to climate change. Millions of moment to turn into the global movement Democrats - none of whom were ever going to
people from some 170 countries and terri- it is today, is really humbling and speaks vote for a bill that dismantled Barack Obama’s sig-
tories were expected to take part in the volumes about the powerful role of people nature health reform - felt almost formulaic.
annual bid to highlight global warming in issues that affect their lives.” At the end of the day Republicans control the
caused by the burning of coal, oil and gas In Sydney, many harborside buildings House of Representatives, the Senate and the
to drive cars and power plants. The event, switched off their lights for an hour from White House, they should not have needed
which originated in Sydney, has grown to 8.30 pm local time as the call for action Democratic votes. There was no avoiding it: The
become a worldwide environmental cam- began rolling out across the world. “I agree self-professed “closer” had struck out. “Trump, it
paign, celebrated across all continents. with the concept, 100 percent,” said stu- turns out, is not actually able to put together any
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump, with Vice President Mike Pence (right)
Conservation group WWF, which organ- dent Ed Gellert, 24, in Sydney. “I think peo- deal that he wants,” wrote Julian Zelizer, professor
and Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, speaks from the Oval Office
izes Earth Hour, said great strides had been ple probably avoid the fact that climate Continued on Page 13
of the White House on Friday. — AFP
made in highlighting the dire state of the Continued on Page 13
Filipino rescued after 56 days adrift
MANILA: A Filipino fisherman cast adrift in the high seas by a storm After the storm Rolando and his 31-year-old uncle relied on rainwa-
survived for nearly two months by drinking rainwater as he helpless- ter they gathered using a one-gallon jug, the woman said. “They
ly watched his uncle die beside him, the survivor’s mother said yes- endured hunger and thirst and their skin was burnt by the sun
terday. The PNG Post Courier newspaper, quoting local police, said a because the boat did not have any roof,” she said. She said her son and
fishing vessel found Rolando Omongos, 21, adrift and without food her brother sailed off from General Santos on Dec 21 along with other
on a boat on March 9. Weak and distressed, he was examined by doc- fishermen aboard the bigger vessel.
tors and held on the boat on the island of New Britain while arrange- But when the fishing boat and crew returned to port after the storm
ments are being made for his return home, it said, adding his ordeal without the two men, the family feared the worst. “We did not hear
lasted 56 days. anything from them for three months. We thought they were both
A January storm separated him and his uncle Reniel Omongos from dead,” the woman said. The men’s employer later reported the rescue
their main fishing vessel, leaving the two stranded on a tiny boat with- and the death to the Philippine coast guard on March 10, General
out fuel, food or fishing tools, said Rosalie Omongos, the mother of the Santos coast guard officer Emma Ruth Consuelo told AFP.
survivor and brother of the deceased. “Rolando told me they lost their His mother said she spoke to her son by telephone on March 12,
voices after one week and my brother later died. My son said he cried three days after his rescue. “It is difficult for us to accept my brother’s
but his eyes were dry,” she told AFP, speaking by phone from the death, but we are overjoyed to learn that my son is alive,” said the 40-
Philippine port of General Santos. “He told me he kept his uncle’s body year-old woman. The family and the Filipino coast guard both said
DUBAI: The lights on the Burj Khalifa tower are switched off for an hour in down- on the boat in case a ship came to rescue them, but there was nothing they did not know when the survivor would return home. His employ-
town Dubai yesterday. — AFP and so he threw it into the water when it started to smell,” she added. ers could not be contacted by AFP yesterday. — AFP
SUNDAY, MARCH26, 2017
L O C A L
More citizens target
Local spotlight
Nationality law
private sector jobs
By Muna Al-Fuzai
By A Saleh remarks of the State Audit Bureau (SAB). Committee 70,274,949 was spent on various road projects during the
Chairman Adnan Abdulsamad said the meeting was held first three months of the fiscal year - April, May and June.
KUWAIT: Recent statistics released by the Manpower and in the presence of Minister of Commerce and Industry He added that KD 45,829,659 out of the total of KD
Government Restructuring Program (MGRP) show that 81.1 and Minister of State for Youth Affairs Khaled Al-Roudhan. 106,936,968 was spent during the final quarter of the
percent of citizens registered for recruitment had filed to Abdulsamad added that SAB was about to withdraw its 2016-2017 fiscal year.
[email protected] get private sector jobs. Statistics also showed that the total inspection teams for the second time because the SME
number of citizens registered for employment since the fund did not show any cooperation. He also urged the Expat teachers
M beginning of January is 1,010, including 820 applying for minister to take serious measures to avoid the violations The Ministry of Education’s (MoE) administrative sec-
ore than 50 years after the promulgation
private sector jobs and 190 for public sector ones. MGRP is detected by SAB, especially since the SME fund’s capital tor starts receiving applications to update the informa-
of the Kuwaiti constitution and despite us
a state department primarily concerned with helping was KD two billion, which could be jeopardized unless tion of married expatriate female teachers this week to
being a modern state, I fully believe there
national manpower find jobs in the private sector. regular bookkeeping is followed. make sure none of them receive rent allowance while
are three fundamental issues that are still contro-
their husbands already receive it from another govern-
versial in Kuwait until now - the Kuwaiti nationality
SME fund Road projects ment body. MoE stressed that all concerned teachers
law, the election law and women’s rights.
The parliamentary budgets and final statements com- The Ministry of Public Works’ (MPW) Assistant would have to check with the ministry by the beginning
Some people may think that this is only an
mittee met to discuss the budget of the national fund for Undersecretary for Roads Engineering Affairs Ahmad Al- of April so that the rent allowances could be resumed for
objectionable opinion that lacks support by materi-
small and medium enterprises development (SME fund) Hassan said a total of KD 311,674,482 of the 2016-2017 them. Notably, the KD 60 rent allowance was suspended
al evidence, because the nationality law is clear. As for the new fiscal year 2017-2018 and its final statement budget allocated for the road sector projects (KD 373, for expat female teachers in February and March pend-
is the election law for those who reach the age of for the fiscal year 2015-2016, in addition to the related 720,000) has been spent so far. Hassan explained that KD ing updating their information.
21. We also have a female MP in the National
Assembly and a minister in the government, so the Municipality law
three elements have been achieved.
I don’t think this is totally accurate. If this is true, needs amendments:
the controversy would not have continued over 50
years, until last week. The election law and Councilor
women’s right are not the aim of this article today,
but the possible changes in the nationality law has
sparked a heated debate in the society. The Kuwaiti By Meshaal Al-Enezi
political scene these days seems a little complicat-
ed due to the desire of some MPs in the current KUWAIT: Chairman of the struc-
tural plan committee at the
parliament to propose a law to amend some provi-
Municipal Council Ali Al-Moussa
sions of Amiri decree no. 15 of 1959 of the Kuwaiti
called for re-studying the new
nationality law.
municipality law 33/2016
Naturally, there is great sensitivity over these
because it includes many loop-
issues in the Kuwaiti society, which suffers from a
holes. Moussa added that prac-
large imbalance in the composition of the popula-
tice showed that many of the
tion, and therefore each category has a personal
law’s articles need amendment.
perspective of their own interests more than the
For example, he noted that the
interests of the state, and this is very unfortunate, Municipal Council is currently
because we are an urban and civil state. The indi- incapable of holding ordinary
vidual is expected to integrate in the state and not meetings because of clause num-
Ali Al-Moussa
vice versa, and disputes over such issues often raise ber 2 of article 13 of the law
suspicion, especially at this time and over the cir- which states that “a municipal
cumstances experienced by the Gulf region. council member is deemed resigned from office if he files
The new parliamentary proposal includes the to run for parliamentary elections.” Several Municipal
following: Dual nationality is prohibited and the Power cable thieves arrested in Jahra Council sessions were called off due to lack of quorum
interior ministry must notify such a person that one since a number of members resigned to contest in National
of these should be relinquished within a period not Assembly elections that took place late last year.
exceeding two years from the date of notification. By Hanan Al-Saadoun cable thefts and arrest suspects involved in such cases. The
If the time limit ends without the announcement of cables are stolen for the copper they contain which thieves Speaker wraps up
the choice of one of the two nationalities, an Amiri KUWAIT: Ministry of Electricity and Water (MEW) person- sell as junk metal. The division was established in response
decree must be issued on the proposal of the inte- nel apprehended a number of people on charges of steal- to the growing number of such thefts which has resulted in 3-day visit to Sweden
rior minister to withdraw the Kuwaiti nationality. ing power cables in Jahra. The detainees were taken to the power cuts at various locations around the country. In oth-
The proposal also includes a request to amend proper authorities for further legal procedures. MEW has er news, traffic police statistics about accidents over the
some articles related to the revocation of nationali- last year established a division where personnel are given weekend showed that over 10 people were injured in 23 KUWAIT: National Assembly
ty of those who gained nationality by fraud. The legal authority to investigate cases pertaining with power different traffic accidents. Speaker Marzouq Ali Al-Ghanem,
along with his entourage, con-
proposal includes the clause that Kuwaiti nationali-
ty should be revoked for anyone in the following GCC concocts plan to fight extremism: Official cluded yesterday a three-day
official visit to Sweden.
cases (after it has been confirmed by a final judicial
Speaker Ghanem and his
ruling and based on a declaration submitted by the
RIYADH: Kuwait’s Ministry of Awqaf Amadi said that the meeting “tackled sullied by extremism and terrorism. associates were seen off at the
interior minister):
and Islamic Affairs has devised a a number of pivotal issues to set the Moreover, Amadi noted that plans airport in Sweden by the State of
Firstly, if the person enters military service of a strategy to stifle the rise of violent stage for the meeting of GCC are in the works to open an obser- Kuwait Ambassador to the
foreign country and remains there despite an order extremism and promote temperate- Ministers of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs vatory in the Gulf region that nation, Nabil Al-Dekheel.
issued by the government of Kuwait to leave it. ness in the Gulf region, a Kuwaiti offi- slated for April 19-20 in Bahrain.” would keep track of all anti-Islamic The delegation, comprising a
Secondly, if the person works for the benefit of a cial said yesterday. Speaking after the He also spoke of plans to open propaganda. number of MPs, was in Rabat,
foreign state which is at a state of war with Kuwait. third meeting of Assistant Ministers training centers that cater to the The meeting brought together del- Morocco, on Saturday, where the
Marzouq Al-Ghanem
And finally, if the person joins a body or a group of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs in the growing demand for increased dia- egations from across the Gulf region, legislators took part in the Arab
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), logue among Islamic scholars, part as the Kuwaiti contingent comprised Inter-Parliamentary Union conference, before they proceeded
I don’t think this is totally Undersecretary of Kuwait’s Ministry of efforts to showcase the genuine officials from Kuwait’s Ministry of to Sweden on Tuesday for meetings with the nation’s officials
of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Fareed image of Islam, one that has been Awqaf and Islamic Affairs. —KUNA and counterparts. —KUNA
accurate. If this is true, the
controversy would not have
continued over 50 years,
until last week.
that undermines the regime in Kuwait. According
to these incidences, the Kuwaiti nationality should
be revoked from the suspect alone.
According to the proposal, the courts have the
right to examine decisions issued to withdraw and
revoke Kuwaiti nationality. Perhaps the most
important point here is that it clearly targets
restricting the authority of the cabinet minister in
withdrawing and revoking nationalities, and sub-
jects it fully to the judicial authority. But as a Kuwait
citizen, I have my concerns. According to some
press reports, the government has reservations
regarding the proposal of the role of the judicial
power on this.
Such action will lead to the inability of the exec-
utive authority to remove the person from the
place where he works, and they can continue to
harm the country’s interests. Also, this may involve
depletion of government funds unlawfully and liti-
Director General of KFAED Abdulwahab Al-Bader meets with Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Al-Hariri.
gation may take years in courts, as well as the pos-
sibility of the expiration of the case or the death of KFAED, Lebanon sign $36.9 million loan deal
the perpetrator. These are eligible concerns.
The government is concerned over notifying
every Kuwaiti citizen who has acquired another
nationality by declaring the lawsuit in the newspa- BEIRUT: The Kuwait Fund for Arab installments to cover the expenses of the
pers, specifying the time and waiting for the expiry Economic Development (KFAED) has projects. Copious amounts of Kuwaiti
of the period stipulated in the declaration, then the offered Lebanon a loan at a cost of KD 11.2 financial aid have trickled into Lebanon
publication in the official gazette, and then issuing million ($36.9 million) to provide the coun- over the years to finance development
an Amiri order for losing the Kuwaiti nationality, try with a steady supply of water used for projects in the country.
consumption and irrigation. The agree- On Friday, Bader vowed to pursue sup-
because the proposal puts many burdens on the
ment was co-signed yesterday by KFAED’s port to development projects in Lebanon.
ministry of interior and encourages people to
Director General Abdulwahab Al-Bader Speaking following a meeting with
acquire a new nationality in the hope that it will
and the President of the Lebanese Council Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Al-Hariri, Al-
not be discovered. This is true, so the issue of lying
for Development and Reconstruction Bader said he had discussed with Al-Hariri
and cheating will not be resolved.
Nabil Al-Jassar. KFAED-funded development projects, pri-
I agree that everyone has to respect the verdicts
Speaking after the deal was sealed, marily a sewage project in south Lebanon.
of the judiciary, but I am in favor of the state opin-
Bader said that the loan will fund efforts to KFAED is also set to sign an agreement
ion that the issue of nationality is a sovereign right
deliver an adequate supply of water to the with the Lebanese government over a
of the country. It should not be left to any party in Lebanese town of Bsharri, where residents water and irrigation project in north
granting or withdrawing it. After all, let’s not ignore have long suffered from a dearth of fresh Lebanon, he added. He reiterated KFAED’s
that the procedures of litigation in courts are slow water. Moreover, he noted that the water interest in aiding projects that could bring
and this may threaten or harm the society and peo- will be instrumental in boosting local agri- development and welfare to Lebanon.
ple’s interests. The case may last years in court. cultural production, which in turn, will help The KFAED chief also met with Lebanese
I believe the decision to grant or revoke nation- buoy the Lebanese economy. The KFAED Deputy Prime Minister and Health Minister
ality is a state authority, so we need to be careful. Director General added that the loan will Ghassan Hasbani and discussed with him
There seems to be a lot of anxiety and fear of allow- also fund a project to build 11 tube wells health projects bankrolled by KFAED in
ing such amendments in a vital case affecting the with a production capacity of 10,000 cubic Lebanon. During the meeting, they also
future of Kuwait. I support the government’s reser- meters per day, to ensure a sufficient sup- addressed KFAED’s $86 million’s worth of
vations, and the law of nationality should be han- ply of water. aid to Syrian refugees, $18.3 million of BEIRUT: KFAED’s Director General Abdulwahab Al-Bader (left) and President
dled with extra care. On the loan, he said that it will be paid which goes to the country’s health sector, of the Lebanese Council for Development and Reconstruction Nabil Al-
over a 25-year timeframe with yearly he said. —KUNA Jassar shakes hands after signing the agreement. —KUNA
SUNDAY, MARCH26, 2017
L O C A L
Rainwater floods
Rainwater floods
streets in Kuwait
streets in Kuwait
KUWAIT: Photos taken yesterday morning show a tunnel on the Fahaheel Expressway leading to Mangaf completely submerged with rainwater after Friday evening’s thunderstorm. Some low-level locations in
the country were flooded with torrential rain water amid an unstable weather affecting the entire Arabian Peninsula. —Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat
SUNDAY, MARCH26, 2017
LO C A L
KUWAIT: KFH and Ali Alghanim and Sons Automotive officials pose for group photos at the company’s showroom.
KFH Offers Unprecedented Discounts on
He added that KFH has the largest market years leasing period. Ghandour stressed the
share and works tirelessly to strengthen its importance of customer service, while meet-
BMW, Range Rover, Land Rover, Mini Cooper position in the market for the best interest of ing their requirements, boosting the market
its customers. KFH spares no efforts in offering and strengthening ties with partners.
best discounts to customers in collaboration Meanwhile, Ali Alghanim and Sons
In Collaboration with Ali Alghanim and Sons Automotive with its partners in this field. This campaign Automotive General Manager Yousef Al-
encompasses different global trademarks. It is Qatami praised the strong partnership with
considered as the biggest campaign in terms KFH, indicating that the long partnership with
KUWAIT: Kuwait Finance House (KFH) has forward sale customers and to the financing Mohamed Ghandour, Group Deputy of cars diversity and number of models; SUVs, KFH contributed in offering best discounts
launched a hefty marketing campaign in col- leasing programs. The benefits are installment General Manager Products at KFH said that the family, sports, luxurious, sedan etc. This comes and privileges to customers.
laboration with Ali Alghanim and Sons without profit 0% for a period of 5 years, free campaign is a tip of the iceberg, indicating in line with KFH strategy to aspire for cus- He added “our partnership with KFH will be
Automotive. The first of its kind in Kuwait, the periodical maintenance, 5 year warranty and KFH strives to uniquely offer competitive dis- tomers ambitions and meet their needs. a major pillar for Ali Alghanim and Sons
campaign offers unprecedented discounts to other benefits that reiterate KFH leading posi- counts to its customers in continuation of its He illustrated that the campaign includes Automotive endeavors for the year 2017. KFH
KFH Elite, Ruwad and Tammayuz segments of tion in the car financing market, yet reflect its pioneering role in the field of auto financing. different financing products such as forward offers customers 0% profit on car financing,
customers on 21 models of the luxurious keenness to offer the best discounts and Ghandour statement was made on the sale, financing leasing and financing against and we offer 5 year maintenance and warran-
German cars; BMW Range Rover, Land Rover advantages to its customers and reinforce its sidelines of the campaign launch in presence securities. KFH, for the first time, offers free ty. This is a real opportunity to customers to
Discovery and Mini Cooper. ties and cooperation with the instrumental of Ali Alghanim and Sons Automotive officials comprehensive insurance on the financing own the cars. It’s undoubtedly the best offer in
KFH offers several financing advantages to partners in the market. and the General Manager Yousef Al-Qatami. leasing (lease to own) throughout the 3-5 the market.”
71% Kuwaitis sustained or improved
financial conditions in past 6 months
According to latest Bayt.com, YouGov survey
KUWAIT: The latest results from the Middle dents expect it to become worse. Looking at Spending and investment
East Consumer Confidence Index survey car- residents’ opinions on the cost of living in When it comes to future spending and
ried out by Bayt.com, the Middle East’s num- Kuwait, a considerable proportion of respon- investment plans, one third (33 percent) of
ber one job site, and YouGov, research and dents (62 percent) expect the cost of living to Kuwaiti respondents claim that they are plan-
consulting organization, indicates that the “increase” in the next six months, compared ning to buy a vehicle for personal use in the
majority of Kuwaiti residents (71 percent), to 21 percent who believe that it will “remain next 12 months. Of those who are planning to
have either experienced an improvement or the same” and 5 percent who believe that it purchase a vehicle, 53 percent are planning to
no changes towards their financial condition will “decrease.” buy a new one, while 41 percent are planning
during the past six months. to buy a used one.
Current job perspective Respondents were asked about their plans
National economic conditions In Kuwait, over four in ten (42 percent) to invest in property, 35 percent of Kuwait
Nearly six in 10 respondents in Kuwait employed respondents reported that the respondents say that they are planning to pur-
believe that their country’s economy has number of employees in their companies chase property in the next 12 months. Of
either “improved” or “remained at the same has increased over the past six months. The those who are planning on making a property
level” during the past six months, while less majority of those who were surveyed (42 investment, 50 percent will be looking to buy
than a third of respondents suggest that the percent) expect the number of employees a new property, while 39 percent plan to
economy has “receded.” When asked about in their organization to increase over the invest in a pre-owned property. In terms of
future expectations, 47 percent of Kuwait next six months. the type of property, more than four in ten
respondents said that they are optimistic With regards to satisfaction levels, nearly respondents are planning to purchase an
about the economy improving, compared to six in 10 Kuwaiti respondents are satisfied apartment (42 percent), while 33 percent will
only 14 percent who believe the opposite. 22 with their career growth opportunities. When buy a villa/townhouse/bungalow and 17 per-
percent of respondents expect the economy it comes to compensation, 42 percent of cent plan to invest in commercial property.
to “remain the same.” Kuwaiti respondents are satisfied and 45 per- Regarding purchasing plans for consumer
When it comes to current business con- cent are satisfied with the non-monetary goods, 16 percent of Kuwaiti residents plan to
ditions, almost four in 10 Kuwaiti respon- benefits they receive. Nearly half (48 percent) purchase furniture within the next six months,
dents believe that the business conditions of respondents in Kuwait are satisfied with 14 percent of respondents are planning to buy
are either “good” or “very good,” 38 percent the level of job security that they have in a tablet or a smartphone, and 13 percent plan
believe that the conditions are “average,” their current organization. to buy a desktop or a laptop.
while 19 percent believe they are “bad” or “As the leading job site in the Middle East, Arleen Gonsalves, Associate Research
“very bad.” Kuwaiti respondents are opti- we find it vital to provide all professionals Manager, YouGov, said: “It is important for us
mistic about the business conditions with- with insights on the economic and financial to regularly conduct thorough research
in the next year, where 55 percent believe conditions and how they connect to the job regarding consumer sentiments and opinions
that they will “improve.” 21 percent expect market and availability of career opportuni- and share that information with the region.
business conditions to “remain the same” ties,” said Suhail Masri, Vice President of The Middle East Consumer Confidence Index
and only 14 percent said that they could Employer Solutions, Bayt.com. “We want to survey gives us many insights into the person-
get worse. always empower professionals, job seekers al, business and economic conditions of the
and employers alike, to address and over- region. For instance, the majority of respon-
Personal economic conditions come any economic changes and make room dents are anticipating an increase in the cost
Seventy one percent of Kuwaiti respon- for improvements in their careers. Employers of living and perhaps that signals a need to re-
dents believe that their current financial who are invested in attracting, hiring, and evaluate the stability of personal finances and
position is now “better” or the “same as six retaining quality talent, who help them maxi- plan income sources accordingly.” Data for the
months ago.” Less than a quarter (22 percent) mize productivity, will find our tools, such as Bayt.com Middle East Consumer Confidence
of respondents believe that it has become CV Search and Job Postings, to be exactly Index survey was collected online from
“worse.” When it comes to future expecta- what they need. Similarly, job seekers who January 10 to January 31, 2017, with 2,750
tions, more than half (56 percent) of Kuwaiti stand in face of tough competition will make respondents from the UAE, Saudi Arabia,
respondents expect that their financial situa- use of over 10,000 jobs that are available on Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Syria, Jordan,
tion will “improve” in the next six months, Bayt.com on any given day as well as the Lebanon, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria.
and 21 percent believe that it will “remain the numerous job search tools and resources Males and females aged over 18 years old, of
same as it is now.” Only 13 percent of respon- that help make them stronger candidates.” all nationalities, were included in the survey.
Expert predicts oil at
$58 pb by 2017’s end
KUWAIT: Oil prices are expected to touch position in these markets, and produces 35 5,500 tons of catalysts but the company was
the level of $58 per barrel (pb) by end of percent of global oil output,” he said. only producing around 5,000 tons a year.
2017, if OPEC and non-OPEC countries com- Asked about results of reducing output, He anticipated that production of the
mit to cutting output, Chief Executive Officer he said the outcomes have been ‘good’ so company would rise from 4,000 tons to
of Kuwait Catalyst Company Hasan far, as prices rose to levels of $53-56 for 9,000 tons per year, with the operation of
Qabazard said. Oil prices may drop to $40 pb Brent crude. He anticipated that prices will the two environmental fuel projects and the
if non-OPEC countries fail to commit to their be around the same levels or slightly lower new refinery. He explained that catalyst is a
pledges aiming to reduce production, during the forthcoming period, saying it substance which leads to a chemical reac-
Qabazard, who was a senior official at OPEC, depends on the development of commercial tion that can’t be consumed in any chemical
said in an interview yesterday. stocks. Qabazard said choosing Kuwait to operations. He stated that catalyst is able to
He added that average oil price depends head the monitoring committee on cutting remove sulfur and other impurities from
on the commitment of OPEC and non-OPEC oil output means that it is a ‘neutral country.’ heavy oil and transfer its particles into light
countries to cut output. Levels of commer- He pointed out that many member states oil free of impurities to be easily refined to
cial stocks in industrial countries will play a have the same impression, as Kuwait was produce clean fuel.
key role in determining oil prices in the chosen in 1994 to chair the committee of Kuwait is chairing the joint ministerial
forthcoming period, he noted. monitoring output when OPEC decided to committee which includes OPEC Algeria
Qabazard expected that price of Brent calculate OPEC states’ production. He and Venezuela, and non-OPEC Oman and
crude oil will be around $55 a barrel in case affirmed the necessity of abiding by the Russia. Last November, OPEC member
only OPEC countries abide by the agree- agreement to cut production to be in favor states agreed, during a meeting in Vienna,
ment to reduce output. He, however, of prices and stability by the end of 2017. on cutting oil production by about 1.2 mil-
stressed that if non-OPEC countries, mainly The official reiterated the importance of lion barrels per day as of the beginning of
Russia, are committed to the agreement, monitoring markets closely, and “I think this year. OPEC also received pledges by
which entered force beginning of this year OPEC is currently doing this job.” non-OPEC countries to reduce their output
and aimed at slashing over 1.5 million bpd, Asked about the Kuwait Catalyst by 458,000 barrels per day. The level of
the price will rise to reach $58 a barrel. “It Company, he said that it was formed in 1996 OPEC output is 32.5 million barrels per day,
cannot be said that OPEC has regained its and started its production in 2000, adding with the aim of supporting prices, which
influential status on global oil markets after that it is a leading industry in the country. have declined due to the surplus of crude
the agreement, as it always have effective He noted that international buyers required at global markets. — KUNA
SUNDAY, MARCH 26, 2017
LO C A L
Mohammed Jaafar Monther Al-Ansari Phoebe Al-Salem
Calls to make forum platform
to launch tourism cooperation
KUWAIT: On the eve of launching the Kuwait. Participants in the forum’s activi-
first Kuwaiti Youth and Tourism Forum, ties include UNWTO, the National Fund
more officials have called for efforts to for Small and Medium Enterprise (SME)
make the event a real chance to launch a Development, the Ministry of Interior, the
new era of cooperation amongst all par- Ministry of Youth Affairs, The Scientific
ties concerned with tourism, develop- Center, Sabah Al-Ahmad Heritage Village,
ment, small and medium enterprises, Bayt Al-Othman Museum, the Manpower
creating job opportunities, diversifying and Government Restructuring Program,
national sources of income, the environ- The Kuwait Hotels Union and the Vintage
ment and national heritage. Vehicles Museum.
The forum takes place on March 27th The forum also includes various work- A man applies for a visa at the Al-Qabas Assurex company.
and 28th at Kuwait Regency Hotel, under shops and lectures presented by suc-
the patronage of Minister of Cabinet cessful young Kuwaiti entrepreneurs Travellers to Germany urged
Affairs, Acting Minister of Information such as the founder of the first online
Sheikh Mohammad Al-Abdullah Al- restaurant delivery website ‘Talabat’
Sabah. It will be held in collaboration Mohammed Jaafar, Saudi Arabia’s to apply for visa early this year
between the information ministry’s Tourism Authority Consultant Monther
tourism sector and Leaders Group, which Al-Ansari, Planning Team Member at
serves as the United Nations World Trade Kuwait Municipality Phoebe Al-Salem
Organization’s (UNWTO) representative in and many others.
More Kuwaitis visited Germany in the past few years
By Nawara Fattahova
KUWAIT: As the peak summer travel season
approaches, Al-Qabas Assurex (QAVISA) and
the German Embassy in Kuwait held a press
conference on Thursday at the QAVISA office
to encourage travelers to Germany this sum-
mer to apply for their visa early to avoid
delays.
Al-Qabas Assurex has been the exclusive
visa application center for the German
embassy in Kuwait since 2011. “Those who
plan to travel to Germany this year should not
wait till the last minute to apply for a visa as
the procedure will take much longer. If they
apply today, it will be much quicker,” said
Manager Ameera Mohammed during the
press conference.
There are advantages of getting the visa
issued at Al-Qabas Assurex. “The applicant will
save time and effort by using the services of
QAVISA, as we provide all services related to
the visa requirements including fingerprint-
Secretary General of National Center for Culture, Arts and Letters Ali Al-Yoha
ing, photos, insurance and other services here
at the center. A Schengen visa entitles the
First Kuwait Film Festival kicks off KUWAIT: Al-Qabas Assurex Manager Ameera Mohammed (left) and German Consul Marisa
holder to a stay not exceeding 90 days per six-
Kollenberg attend the press conference. — Photos by Joseph Shagra
month period, even if the Schengen visa has
amid distinguished atmospheres
been issued with a validity of one year or moment, appointments at the application cen- German companies,” she added.
more,” she pointed out. ter can be obtained within 1-2 days. During the
KUWAIT: Kuwait First Film Festival kicked val, said the event would not be based only QAVISA does not provide long-term visas. summer travel season, waiting times of one Popular destinations
off Friday amid distinguished atmospheres in showcasing cinema works of directors “An expected duration of stay over 90 days is week or more for an appointment may occur “Cities like Munich, Berlin, Aachen and
including shows of art and cinema. The but it will help participants share expertise considered long-term stay. Long-term visa due to high demand,” noted Consul Marisa Frankfurt number amongst the most popular
shows outline the leading cinema march of and ideas. The festival will hold several lec- applications (eg for studying, work permits, Kollenberg, head of the visa section at the destinations. Many travelers, however, also like
the State of Kuwait that was launched in tures, seminars and workshops which fea- family reunification) cannot be processed embassy. The number of Kuwaitis travelling to discovering the different regions of the country
the beginning of the last century. ture some experts in this industry, he not- through Al-Qabas but have to be handed in Germany has increased in the past few years. by car or train, where they can enjoy scenic land-
Addressing the festival, Secretary ed. It invited some guests from Egypt, directly at the embassy,” explained “With almost 65,000 applications processed by scapes, unique shopping experiences and pre-
General of National Center for Culture, Arts Jordan, Qatar, Lebanon, the United States, Mohammed. the end of 2016, the German Embassy in mium healthcare facilities at the same time. Also,
and Letters (NCCAL) Ali Al-Yoha said in a the United Kingdom, Italy, France, Canada, Kuwait has recorded an impressive increase of more Kuwaitis have bought houses and proper-
speech on behalf of Minister of State for Germany, Malta and Czech Republic, he
12,000 visas over 100 percent for Schengen visas within the ties in Germany,” stressed Kollenberg. Applicants
Cabinet Affairs Mohammad Al-Abdullah Al- revealed. The event is held under the aus-
Last summer, the visa section of the German last four years,” she added. from any nationality can apply for a German visa
Sabah that culture and arts are pillars of the pices of Sheikh Mohammad Al-Abdullah,
Embassy processed almost 12,000 visas per According to her, more students from as long as they have valid passports. “After an
modern state. who is also Acting Information Minister and
Yoha added that art industry has Chairman of NCCAL. month and waiting times lengthened due to Kuwait plan to study in Germany. “The majori- application for a Schengen visa has been submit-
evolved in the State of Kuwait, and become The pioneers of filmmaking, who have the high number of short-notice applications. ty of applicants consist of Kuwaiti citizens and ted, processing normally takes between 3-5
a mirror of progress and development, played outstanding roles on artistic arenas “Therefore, the German Embassy would like to their families wishing to travel for holiday, working days if the applicant is Kuwaiti national,
referring to keenness of many countries on in Kuwait and all over the world, were hon- call upon all travelers to start filing their leisure and medical visits. Expatriates in or up to 12 days if the applicant has a different
organizing festivals to brief their nations on ored during inaugurating the event on Schengen visa applications for their annual Kuwait also show growing interest in nationality. In individual cases, it can take up to
latest development in cinema industry. Dasma Theater. Directors Khaled Al- vacation in Germany from now and not wait Germany for holidays, trade fairs and business two weeks after all the required papers have
Kuwait has made great strides in cultural Nasrallah, Hashem Mohammad, Abdullah just a few days before their planned trip in visits thanks to the continuously expanding been submitted to receive the necessary clear-
fields, and been existing on area of cinema Al-Mekhyal and others were honored dur- order to avoid any inconveniences. At the business relationships between Kuwaiti and ances,” concluded Kollenberg.
for 40 years, he said. ing the event which runs until March 28 at
Meanwhile, Shaker Abul, head of festi- the National Library of Kuwait. — KUNA
Kuwaiti playwright kicks off
world premiere of ‘Petrol Station’
WASHINGTON:Kuwaiti playwright Sulayman where else’ but on their own doorstep,” he of spatial and temporal space where events in
Al-Bassam will return to the Kennedy Center said. Bassam was inspired to write Petrol the play intersect with current and modern
stage in Washington for the world premiere of Station after finding interest in the “periodic day events.” Bassam’s previous work includes
the first work to his newest trilogy, “Petrol violence of the human experience. “I first his five part Arab Shakespeare Trilogy in
Station.” The story takes place at a remote started writing it in 2003 at the start of the which the second work, Richard III: An Arab
petrol station on the border of an unnamed US-led invasion of Iraq where scenes remind- Tragedy, was also presented at the Kennedy
country in the Gulf. ed me of the burning oil fields in Kuwait from Center. He said he hopes to offer performanc-
“It’s a modern dystopian story which the withdrawing Iraqi army twelve years earli- es of Petrol Station to Kuwaiti and Arab audi-
addresses the problems of human identity, er,” he said. “Petrol Station is a shift in the form ences soon. —KUNA
borders, loyalty, betrayal, love, ambition and
the struggle for power in a civil war-torn
country where the currency of exchange is
smuggled petrol and fleeing refugees,”
Bassam said.
“Petrol Station is the tragic backdrop to a
familial standoff where the crimes and secrets
of one generation make violent claims on the
lives of the next,” he added. The cast consists
of only American actors who portray widely
diverse characters ranging from migrant
workers to greedy warlords.
“With various travel bans being imposed
by the US I was faced with the fact that my
usual troupe of pan-Arab actors probably
couldn’t perform in the United States at this
time,” Bassam explained. “So we are using an
all-American cast to present a cross-cultural
drama.” Bassam’s time as an artist in residence
at New York University is what he says allowed
him to develop an “American voice to tell an
Arab story” in which he deliberately choose to
write the story in English. “Choices around
casting; African American and Spanish speak-
ers, and the way the story might carry echoes
of other stories and moments from American
or Western politics will resonate with US audi-
Kuwaiti playwright Sulayman Al-Bassam
ences where it is no longer ‘happening some-
SUNDAY, MARCH26, 2017
From the Arabic press
Crime
Al-Anbaa
R e p o r t
Expat-o-phobia
Mosque’s imam stabbed
KUWAIT:An Egyptian imam of an Um Al-Haiman mosque By Saqr Al-Ghaylani
was rushed to Adan Hospital after a young citizen stabbed
him in the shoulder in the area’s co-op parking, said Ahmadi KUWAIT:Accusations towards expats for draining out
mosque manager Ahmed Al-Otaibi. He explained that the state resources and blaming them for demographic
imam was driving his car inside the co-op’s parking lot Law imbalances has been increasing recently. It was even
when the young man approached from the wrong side of suggested to ban providing medicines to expats at
the road and asked the imam to back off, which he was in public hospitals and clinics in order to achieve ‘social
the process of doing when the young man stepped out of justice for citizens.’ I have been wondering over the
his vehicle, angered by what he believed was a long time past few days how this will achieve social justice for
taken by the imam to reverse, and stabbed him. A case was the citizens. What do expats have to do with social
justice? Do citizens actually lose social justice because
of expats?
Fatal crash
Social justice means equality amongst various
A 49-year-old American man was instantly killed and a
social classes. Which means everyone should be treat-
35-year-old Pakistani national injured in a collision in Mina
ed equally without differentiating between wealthy
Abdullah. Security sources said that the injured man was
and poor, regardless of affiliations or nationalities.
medevacked to Adan Hospital for treatment. Separately, a
When comparing citizens to expats in Kuwait, we find
female citizen was severely injured when she was trapped
a great deal of inequality in so many aspects. For
inside her wrecked vehicle in a collision along Fahaheel
example, they both do not get the same wages, like in
Expressway. Security sources said that the woman was
many countries where productivity is more important
rushed to Adan Hospital’s intensive care unit.
than nationality. Expats do not have access to so
many services like citizens such as accommodation,
Brutal assault education, health care and many others.
A 17-year-old citizen narrowly escaped death when five Therefore, there is no way to compare them both,
others attacked him at a sport center in Sabahiya, breaking and thus, raising the slogan of ‘social justice for citi-
his skull and stabbing him in the chest and back. Security zens’ is illogical and misused, which only make citi-
sources said that the assailants also injured a Somali man zens fake the feeling of injustice and instigates
who tried to help the victim, before they fled the scene. unnecessary provocative feelings. Though health
The citizen was admitted to the intensive care unit while insurance is a good idea, most expats work for min-
the Somali man is being treated at Adan Hospital. istries and governmental institutions. How can we
Eyewitnesses reported that the assaulted man told them then save anything from the budget if the govern-
the assailants were his schoolmates. ment keeps paying health insurance for its employ-
ees? In addition, some doctors said that the cost of
medical treatment in Kuwait is far more than that of
Pedestrian hurt
the medicine. Nevertheless, some people still insist
A search is on for an unidentified person who used that banning medicine is the solution.
an air rifle to shoot at pedestrians in Salmiya and Al-Jarida Some expats might come up with foul practices
injured an Egyptian in his forties. — Al-Rai and Al-Anbaa such as selling medicines or getting more than they
need. Yet, it is unacceptable to punish them all
because of the acts of a certain group. Why deprive a
truly sick person who has a limited wage and in need
of medicine from his/her simplest human rights?
Al-Jaridaa
Moreover, subsidized food items given to citizens are
smuggled to some expats for personal use or to sell.
Uncensored plays
Who would guarantee the same will not happen with
medicines?
Reducing expat population this way will not be
By Mudaffar Abdullah useful and will not solve the true problem Kuwait is
M facing. Simply speaking, if all expats leave, we will not
iserable theatrical approaches study so that justice can be achieved and be able to cover all professions they currently occupy
have been dominating most local state economy be protected in other because we lack practical experience in some fields
issues and concerns, and the lat- manners than the comic one followed in such as construction and others. In addition, some
est was that of Al-Mubarakiya Market. This Al-Mubarakiya Market. professions are socially unacceptable and need time
issue came after a series of issues includ- Solving demographic problems to be accepted by the society. Moreover, claims that
ing the citizenships, solving demographic require more due attention to Public expats are taking citizens’ jobs are also untrue
imbalances, amending article 79 of the Authority for Applied Education and because if you review employment methods followed
constitution and compelling each human Training (PAAET) programs and fighting in Kuwait, you will see that twice as much as needed
being in Kuwait to give a saliva specimen human traffickers instead of expelling are employed in a department that only needs 10
to undergo DNA tests via a silly law. expatriates, etc. We have had enough of employees.
Yes, indeed, all such issues were such cheap scenarios. We have had All countries hiring expatriates suffer from accom-
staged, and were nothing more than the- enough of creating fake heroism by prof- panying economic, social or other problems because
atrical acts made by decision-makers iteers licking officials’ boots and extend- such employment has its pros and cons. However,
proposing hollow projects that are fol- ing ‘sincere gratitude and appreciation.’ because of the government’s mismanagement, many
lowed by public opinion reactions and Ironically, all this is happening at a problems have come up and expats are being
frightening people of such possible life- time when we do not have a true theatre blamed for them.
threatening decisions; before other deci- tackling socio-economic concerns; one German Chancellors Angela Merkel hosted many
sion-makers interfere and defuse the that will surely be subjected to censor- Syrian refugees in the name of humanity despite of all
problem by annulling previous officials’ ship, clipping and script mutilation. The the problems that emerged in Germany including ter-
decisions and so on. Eventually, the plays entire show might even be banned for rorism. The difference between them and us is that
are concluded by expressing gratitude some reason. Liberties in Kuwait are they accept both merits and demerits of their own
and appreciation to whomever defused decreasing and we now have prisoners decisions, unlike us. We do not accept expat-caused
the problem. This is absolutely the peak of opinion. problems though expats had been brought to Kuwait
of taking people and the public opinion However, only politicians have the according to regulations and laws. We do not view
so lightly through creating fake heroism right to impose their plays on us without expats as partners in the construction process, we
and suggesting one-sided incomplete any sort of censorship or tickets. This is rather view them as opportunists who have come to
topic for discussion, which does not probably happening because they have take our wealth and then will run back to their home
require any courage. a kind of immunity that the law does not countries.
The citizenship issue should be sub- grant to true writers. However, the so Accordingly, expats view citizens as racists who
ject to the judiciary instead of exempting many acts of this silly play will never falsi- consider expats as servants, not as human beings who
the prime minister from accountability fy people’s memory or derail them from have rights and obligations. This eventually creates a
because of a deal involving only three focusing on the major problem in my big disagreement, causing disturbed relationships
withdrawn citizenships. The issue of beloved Kuwait; not applying the consti- that might snowball into a crisis.
increasing fees requires a professional tution. —Translated by Kuwait Times One of the negative reflections of our views for
expats happened recently when an academic
addressing members of the National Union of
Kuwaiti Students in the United States made fun of
Egyptians and spoke about the state’s mismanage-
ment. He made his remarks before students who
should be qualified to build their own country
instead of filling their minds with political opposi-
tion’s ideas. So, this negative attitude of ordinary
people also affected academic figures who ought to
be wiser and more aware.
We are not against economic reform but only if it
is done without provocation and through complete
studies of pros and cons instead of using slogans
that will only make citizens feel some kind of imagi-
nary fake injustice because Kuwaitis are much hon-
ored and respected in their state. We need to reform
the labor market, fight visa traffickers and set mini-
mum wages so that expats will not feel oppressed
and overburdened with high cost of living. We also
need to deport marginal laborers. Only then will we
find the true solution of the problem instead of
resorting to temporary ones for the sake of getting
more electoral gains.
—Translated by Kuwait Times
Fake cop caught
A citizen was arrested for impersonating a police detec-
ABK Celebrates Mother’s Day tive and robbing an Asian woman in Salmiya. According to
the woman, the suspect and his Iranian accomplice
with its Staff and Customers stopped her in a Salmiya street claiming to be police detec-
tives, then snatched her purse with KD 170 in it. The citizen
was identified and arrested, while the Iranian is still at large.
KUWAIT: Al-Ahli Bank of Kuwait (ABK) cele- engage with its people and spread positivi-
brated Mother’s Day with its employees and ty in the surrounding communities in
Sheep thieves detained
customers on March 21, 2017, spreading the which it operates.
A five-member gang was arrested in Jahra for steal-
joy of this occasion across its branches with
ing sheep and reselling them, said security sources,
delightful gestures. The bank welcomed staff
noting that investigations are underway to determine
member with a box of chocolates as a token
the number of thefts the suspect had committed.
of appreciation for their ongoing efforts, and
in recognition of the key role they play in
supporting their families. ABK female cus- Con artist arrested
tomers were also recognized and were pre- A Syrian man wanted for multiple fraud cases filed by
sented with fresh flowers upon entering any citizens was arrested by Hawally detectives. The suspect
of the Bank’s branches throughout the day. managed to lure the victims into starting a business with
The bank also celebrated this occasion him before he took their money and vanished.
with the elderly, as it sponsored the
Ministry of Social Affair’s Mother’s Day
Fire
event, which was held at the elderly home.
The event aimed to spread joy among sen- A fire broke out at Sulaibikhat police station deten-
ior citizens in the midst of a fun ambiance tion, said security sources, noting that the blaze resulted
with live music and gifts, specially arranged from a short circuit and a blanket caught fire. The flames
for this special day. ABK continuously seeks were extinguished and no casualties were reported.
opportunities that allows the Bank to
Shiite Lebanese
SUNDAY, MARCH 26,2017 women waging
custody battles
South Sudan’s rape reaches ‘epic proportions’
Page 8 Page 12
ROME: European leaders pose for a family photo during a special summit of EU leaders to mark the 60th anniversary of the bloc’s founding Treaty of Rome yesterday at Rome’s Piazza del Campidoglio (Capitoline Hill). Against a back-
drop of crises and in the absence of the departing Britain, the leaders signed a new Rome declaration, six decades after the six founding members signed the Treaty of Rome and gave birth to the European Economic Community.— AFP
EU leaders renew fraying Union’s vows
Summit marks 60th birthday of founding Rome Treaty
ROME:Europeans must contain their squab- public opinion,” said their host, Italian Prime Netherlands; some offered personal memories ‘United, or not at all’ being. All 27 national leaders, along with the
bling and carping about the EU if the Union is Minister Paolo Gentiloni, noting Britons’ repu- of their own generation’s debts to the expand- Fearing that the departure of its second- heads of Brussels institutions, signed a decla-
to survive, leaders warned yesterday as they diation of the EU. ing European Union. Jean-Claude Juncker, the biggest economy and major global power ration which concluded: “We have united for
marked the 60th anniversary of its founding in He said the failure to push the project for- EU chief executive, recalled how his father in could prompt the unraveling of the bloc, many the better. Europe is our common future.” They
Rome by signing a formal declaration of unity. ward during a decade of economic slump had Luxembourg was forced into the German army leaders argue that only forward motion can promised to listen to citizens. But locked away
Four days before Prime Minister Theresa May, fueled a re-emergence of “blinkered national- in World War Two; Donald Tusk, the summit revive popular support for the EU by generat- behind rings of armed police, the leaders may
absent from the ceremony in the Italian capi- ism”. Rome offered a fresh start: “The Union is chair born in Gdansk a month after the Treaty ing economic and security benefits. “Today we hear little of what thousands of protesters
tal, delivers an unprecedented blow to the starting up again ... and has a vision for the was signed, remembered growing up in the renew our vows and reaffirm our commitment have to say on Saturday.
bloc’s growth by filing Britain’s formal exit next 10 years,” he said. Others, however, are ruins of war and yearning for freedom behind to an undivided and indivisible Union,” Addressing right-wing supporters of the
papers, her fellow leaders hailed 60 years of wary of such enthusiasm for giving up more the Iron Curtain. “That really was a two-speed Juncker told them, urging the bloc not to get Fratelli d’Italia movement, its leader Giorgia
peace and prosperity and pledged to deepen national sovereignty-and also of others in the Europe,” he said in a pointed dig at his domes- bogged down in details that alienated voters. Meloni denounced a “great EU deception”.
a unity frayed by regional and global crises. Union moving faster with integration. Poland’s tic foes now ruling in Warsaw, who have tried Tusk, too, warned against the impression the “The real enemies of Europe,” she said, “Are the
But days of wrangling about the wording of nationalist government has led protests to block a push by the western powers to EU was about petty regulations: “Why should bankers, usurers and technocrats.” The Union,
a 1,000-word Rome Declaration, May’s against a “multispeed Europe”, which it fears deepen their integration. German Chancellor we lose our trust in the purpose of unity she added, must be replaced by a new alliance
impending Brexit confirmation and tens of would consign the poor ex-communist east to Angela Merkel, the bloc’s dominant leader today? Is it only because it has become our of “free and sovereign countries”. But for
thousands of protesters gathering beyond the second-class status. who faces a re-election test in September, reality? Or because we have become bored or Maximilien De-Wyse, 26, from the northern
tight police cordon around the Campidoglio Leaders hailed the visionary “war genera- stressed the Union must also address the com- tired of it?” he asked. French city of Lille, that was the wrong answer.
palace offered a more sober reminder of the tion” of leaders from old foes France and plaints of generations for whom war is fading Merkel said leaders wanted to respond to Taking part in a pro-EU march in Rome, he
challenges of holding the 27 nations to a com- Germany who signed the Treaty of Rome in into history. “We will in the future have to con- people’s concerns, about the economy, wel- recalled his Polish immigrant grandparents
mon course. “We have stopped in our tracks the same room on March 25, 1957, along with cern ourselves above all with the issue of jobs,” fare, migration and defense with “a protective and said: “It is only united that we can save
and this has caused a crisis of rejection by Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg and the she told reporters. Europe” that offered assurances on their well- peace.”—Reuters
Pope in Milan hinterland UAE surprised
by laptop ban
MILAN: Pope Francis arrived in Milan yesterday the Church always needs to be restored,” added prison is the sole answer,” he told inmates in
to meet families on a working class housing the Holy Father. Francis’s visit is “a unique occa- November at a special audience for prisoners at
estate, nap in a prison and hold a mass for hun- sion. Many people, non-Christians included, Saint Peter’s Basilica. “We don’t think about the
dreds of thousands of believers in nearby came to ask for passes (to attend the blessing),” possibility that people can change their lives.
Monza. Bells in church towers across over 1,000 said Cesare Nera, who lives in a nearby neigh- We put little trust in rehabilitation ... into society. ABU DHABI:The United Arab Emirates, prompted speculations that the move,
diocese rang out as Francis landed at Milan- borhood and has taken part in the preparations. But in this way we forget that we are all sinners one of the world’s top aviation hubs, has enacted by President Donald Trump’s
Linate airport outside the northern city. The After a meeting with religious leaders, Francis and often, without being aware of it, we too are said it was surprised by the ban on lap- administration, is to protect US airlines by
Argentine made his first stop at the Case pronounced the Angelus prayer in front of the prisoners,” he added. The 80-year-old will take a tops in plane cabins bound for the stifling the growth of the Gulf carriers and
Bianche (White Houses), a run-down collection Gothic Cathedral in Milan’s historic centre, short break in the packed program after lunch, United States because UAE security was Turkish Airlines, a theory dismissed by US
of concrete tower blocks from the 1970s on the before heading to the 19th century San Vittore with a likely siesta in the prison chaplain’s quar- already tight, but it pledged to cooperate officials and many experts. The Gulf air-
edge of a wealthy city better known for its foot- prison. There he will sit down with 100 inmates ters. Refreshed, he will then head to Monza, with US authorities. Washington lines have been battling a lobbying cam-
ball clubs and fashion weeks. “It is a symbolic and staff for a lunch of risotto, escalope Milanese north of Milan, where he will celebrate mass in a announced the new measure on Tuesday, paign in Washington by US carriers that
choice. The pope wanted to arrive at the heart of and panna cotta prepared by the prisoners. giant park before an expected crowd of 700,000 prohibiting electronic devices larger than accuse them of receiving unfair subsidies,
Milan by passing first through the outskirts,” “Sometimes, a certain hypocrisy leads to people people to the strains of over 9,000 hymn-singing smart phones in cabins on flights from 10 charges that the Gulf carriers deny.
parish priest Augusto Bonora said, saying the considering you only as wrongdoers, for whom choristers.—AFP airports in countries including the UAE, But Ian Bremmer, the president of
parishioners were “wildly excited” when they Qatar and Turkey. That will hit Gulf carri- political risk consultancy Eurasia Group,
heard Francis was dropping by. ers Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways doubts these claims. He believes the
Around 10,000 residents and people from but not US airlines, none of which fly to decision behind the laptop ban lies with
neighboring districts turned out to see the head those airports. the Trump administration’s policy on bat-
of the Roman Catholic Church, whose schedule In the UAE’s first official response to tling jihadist groups. “This is not being
included visiting a Muslim family. “The Case the ban, Sultan bin Saeed Al-Mansouri, driven by an effort to gain competitive
Bianche is a suburb like many others, with all the Minister of Economy and chairman of the economic advantage. I would be very
associated problems, from security to small-time General Civil Aviation Authority, said it surprised if that was what drove the poli-
trafficking,” Bonora said. With its dirty stairwells, was surprising because the UAE aviation cy,” he said. “I think that overwhelmingly,
broken mailboxes and defective lifts, the neigh- sector and airports had proven them- this is an administration and a president
borhood has become “a little ghettoised”, said selves safe. “The UAE is the number one that is focused on radical Islamic terror.
Mirella, 68, whose son lives on the estate in one ranked country worldwide by the And they want to show that they are tak-
of the forgotten corners of the country’s eco- International Civil Aviation Organization ing action,” he told state-linked Abu
nomic capital. Bonora said that “like all suburbs, regarding the UAE’s compliance with Dhabi English-language newspaper The
it’s been somewhat forgotten by those in international security and safety stan- National.
charge,” but insisted there were social programs dards,” he said in a statement late on UAE carriers Emirates and Etihad are
to help the young and care for the elderly. Thursday. Mansouri also noted differ- bracing themselves with the new meas-
ences between the US ban and a similar ures set to come into effect yesterday
Jailbird nap step by Britain. The British restrictions do during the traditionally busy spring
After visiting the families, the pontiff per- not include the UAE or Qatar, but will break travel period. Etihad is encourag-
formed a blessing near a small Virgin of Lourdes affect other carriers including Turkish ing passengers to pack their electronics
sanctuary. “The Church does not stay in the cen- Airlines. in with their check in luggage, however,
tre waiting, it goes out to meet all, on the out- However, the UAE’s statement said its will allow devices to be handed over at
skirts. It also reaches out to non-Christians and aviation authority and airlines would con- boarding in a similar move announced
also non-believers,” said the pope. He thanked tinue cooperating with authorities in the by Emirates earlier this week, an airline
the crowds for gifts including a photo of the United States and around the world to spokesman told Reuters in an emailed
MILAN: Pope Francis attends a meeting with members of the Catholic Church, inside Milan’s
local Virgin of Lourdes statue, which was recent- ensure safety. The restrictions has statement on Thursday. —Reuters
Duomo Cathedral as part of his one-day pastoral visit to Monza and Milan yesterday. — AP
ly restored. “As your Madonna was restored, so
SUNDAY, MARCH 26, 2017
I N T E R N AT ION A L
South Sudan’s rape reaches ‘epic proportions’
MUNDRI:After months of being raped made it back. Instead, she was abducted because she became ill. “They told me to get
by her rebel captors in the middle of by rebels loyal to an opposition group medicine and then changed their minds
South Sudan’s civil war, the young calling itself MTN, after a popular African and told me to leave and never come back,”
woman became pregnant. Held in a telephone company. Their catch phrase she said. Mundri has many such stories.
muddy pit, sometimes chained to other riffs on the company’s slogan, taunting: According to a recent Inter-Agency assess-
prisoners, she later watched her hair fall “We’re everywhere you go.” The rebels ment by international and local organiza-
out and her weight plummet. But the burst through the door of her mother’s tions focused on gender-based violence, 29
child was a spark of life. And so she hut, firing their weapons and shouting, rape cases were reported in Mundri
named him Barack Obama, she explains, she said. They were searching for her between August and October. Local organi-
now free. “I still have hope,” she says, uncle, who’d been accused of conspiring zations say the number is likely double that,
caressing the baby’s cheek with a finger. with government forces. “They beat my but most incidents go unreported because
“I just don’t even know where to start.” grandfather and aunt and then said if of stigma surrounding rape. “Realistically, it’s
The slender 23-year-old is one of they couldn’t find my uncle they’ll take more like over 50 cases,” said James Labadia,
thousands of rape victims in South me instead,” she said. “I told them I’d founder of MAYA, a local aid organization
Sudan’s three-year-old conflict, which has rather die than go with them.” that focuses on women’s empowerment. He
created one of the world’s largest But the rebels dragged her into the has been working with rape survivors for
humanitarian crises. Sexual violence has bush and brought her to their headquar- several years but said things have never
reached “epic proportions,” says the UN ters, where she was charged, tried and been so dire.
Commission on Human Rights in South convicted for her uncle’s “crimes.” For the “The end of 2016 was the worst quarter
Refugees prepare food including maize porridge donated by USAID and known
Sudan. Reported incidents of sexual or next 16 months, she was forced to live in I’ve ever seen,” he said. The group received
locally as posho, during the visit of UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo
gender-based violence rose 60 percent large, muddy pits infested with snakes, funds from the US Agency for International
Grandi to a transit center for South Sudanese refugees in the remote northwest-
last year. Seventy percent of women shel- she said. Subsisting on only vegetables, Development last year and Labadia plans
ern district of Adjumani, near the border with South Sudan. — AP
tering in UN camps in the capital, Juba, she wasted away. “I’m not attractive any- to seek more, a possibility which may be
had been raped since the conflict began, blame it on the recent increase in fight- just came back to visit my home and I more,” she says now, tugging at the waist- clouded by President Donald Trump’s pro-
according to a UN humanitarian survey ing here between rebels and govern- lost my dreams,” she said in an interview band of her baggy pants. Shifting posed budget cuts. Reports of rape and
conducted in December. ment troops, the latest shift of the war in earlier this month. “If I talk about it, I just around in a plastic chair outside a coffee abduction are rampant on both sides in
Mundri, a city of 47,000 people in an already devastated nation. The young cry.” She had been visiting her family in shop, she shyly adjusted her headscarf, Mundri, which is under government con-
Amadi state, has been called the epicen- woman didn’t expect to become the summer of 2015, with plans to return covering what little hair she has left. trol while neighboring villages are held by
ter of the problem. Aid organizations embroiled in South Sudan’s conflict. “I to school in the capital, Juba. She never She said she was released in December the opposition. — AP
Troops pause Mosul
push over casualties
UN stunned by civilian deaths in explosion
MOSUL:Iraqi government forces paused in their chief Brigadier Mohammed Al-Jawari told Islamic State leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi
push to recapture western Mosul from Islamic reporters on Thursday that rescue teams had declared a caliphate spanning large areas of Iraq
State militants on Saturday because of the high recovered 40 bodies from collapsed buildings. The and Syria in 2014. “We need to make sure that tak-
rate of civilian casualties, a security forces coalition is investigating the reports. Residents ing out Daesh (Islamic State) from the Old City
spokesman said. The halt was called as the United escaping besieged western Mosul have told of will not cost unwanted high casualties among
Nations expressed its profound concern over Iraqi and US-led coalition air strikes demolishing civilians. We need surgical accurate operations to
reports of an incident during the battle on March buildings and killing civilians in several cases. target terrorists without causing collateral dam-
17 that killed or wounded dozens of people in the The insurgents have also used civilians as age among residents,” the Federal Police
Islamic State-held Al-Jadidah district of Mosul, human shields and opened fire on them as they spokesman said. An army statement published in
apparently involving air strikes by Iraqi or US-led try to escape Islamic State-held neighborhoods, the al-Sabah state newspaper said that future
coalition forces. “We are stunned by this terrible fleeing residents said. “The recent high death toll operations would be carried out by ground HODEIDAH: A Yemeni boy rides a donkey to school in the Yemeni port city of
loss of life,” Lise Grande, the humanitarian coordi- among civilians inside the Old City forced us to troops highly trained for urban combat. Hodeidah. — AFP
nator for Iraq, said in a statement. Civil defense halt operations to review our plans,” a Federal “Our heroic forces are committed to the rules Decline of ancient trade route
officials and residents have said many people lay Police spokesman said on Saturday. “It’s a time for of engagement which ensure protection of civil-
ians” the statement said. A US deputy command- deepens Yemen’s food crisis
ing general for the coalition said on Friday that
the solution could lie in a change of tactics. The
Import-dependent nation on brink of famine
Iraqi military is assessing opening up another
front and isolating the Old City, where the mili-
SHARJAH: Captains of small wooden as adverse sailing conditions. “The Yemeni
tants have put up fierce resistance, US Army
dhows are carrying food and wares from currency is destroyed, sometimes we can’t
Brigadier General John Richardson said. Fleeing the United Arab Emirates to war-torn get paid enough. We can only go once a
residents have described grim living conditions Yemen. But supplies are falling even from month because the seas are too rough,”
inside the city, saying there was no running water this centuries-old Arabian sea route that is said trader Mohammed Hassan, at a dock-
or electricity and no food coming in. Aid agencies one of the last lifelines to a country on the ing station at nearby Port Khaled in
say as many as 600,000 civilians remain in the brink of famine. A two-year-old civil war Sharjah “Sometimes we have to wait 40
western half of Mosul. has severely restricted the flow of food days.” The volumes of food carried on this
But families are streaming out of the northern into the main Yemeni cargo ports of route represent a small fraction of the sup-
city, Iraq’s second largest, in their thousands each Hodeidah and Salif on the Red Sea, where ply to Yemen, which relies on imports for
day, headed for cold, crowded camps or to stay all the large grain silos are located. 90 percent of its food. But it has become
with relatives. Hunger and fighting are making life The small wooden boats sailing from increasingly important as fighting has
unbearable inside. The Iraqi Observatory for souks in the UAE are moving small but vital raged, the economy has collapsed and
Human Rights said that since the campaign on supplies by making for the smaller ports to Yemen has needed all the help it can get.
western Mosul began on Feb. 19, unconfirmed the south coast that are of little use to larg-
reports said nearly 700 civilians had been killed er vessels - and often sidestepping military Port damage
by government and coalition air strikes or Islamic inspections that choke traffic by dropping Thousands of people have been killed
State actions. anchor at secluded coves nearby. The deals in the civil war pits the Iran-allied Houthi
The militants have used car bombs, snipers originate in the sprawling Al Ras Market, a group against a Saudi-backed coalition -
and mortar fire to counter the offensive. They collection of dusty alleyways near the which includes the UAE - fighting to
have also stationed themselves in homes belong- Dubai Creek where an array of food and restore the government of President Abd-
ing to Mosul residents to fire at Iraqi troops, often spices are on display including colorful Rabbu Mansour Hadi. The conflict has
drawing air or artillery strikes that have killed sacks of Pakistani and Indian rice. choked imports. Sixty percent of Yemenis,
MOSUL: Relatives and friends dig the graves of two civilians killed during fighting between
civilians. The United Nations’ Grande said civilians The dhows - plying the ancient trade or 17 million people, are in “crisis” or “emer-
Iraqi security forces and Islamic State militants on the western side of Mosul yesterday. — AP were at extreme risk as the fighting in Mosul route that once carried the likes of pearls, gency” food situations, according to the
buried in collapsed buildings after air strikes weighing new offensive plans and tactics. No intensified and all sides must to do their utmost frankincense and myrrh - supply 14,000 to United Nations. While vessels seeking
against Islamic State insurgents triggered a big combat operations are to go on.” The US-backed to avoid such casualties. “International humani- 18,000 tons of foodstuffs a month to Yemen, access to Houthi-held areas must face
explosion. The exact cause of the collapses was offensive to drive Islamic State out of Mosul, now tarian law is clear. Parties to the conflict - all par- according to traders. That represents a drop inspections for smuggled weapons, the
not clear but a local lawmaker and two residents in its sixth month, has recaptured the entire east- ties - are obliged to do everything possible to of about 30-40 percent over the past year government-controlled south has less
said the air strikes may have detonated an IS truck ern side of Mosul and about half of the west. protect civilians. This means that combatants because of problems with payment, as well restrictions. —Reuters
filled with explosives, destroying buildings in the But advances have stuttered in the last two cannot use people as human shields and cannot
heavily-populated area. Reports on the numbers weeks as fighting enters the narrow alleys of the imperil lives through indiscriminate use of fire- Facts on IS-held Syria city
of civilian casualties have varied but Civil Defense Old City, home to the Al-Nuri mosque where power,” she said. — Reuters
BEIRUT: As an international coalition on June 29, IS chief Abu Bakr Al-
prepares a final push to drive the Islamic Baghdadi proclaimed a “caliphate” that
State (IS) group from Raqa, here are five covered territory in both countries.
facts about the northern Syrian city:
IS bastion, gruesome theatre
Ancient capital Raqa became a key city in IS’s self-
In an area inhabited since antiquity, declared caliphate, a hub for the organi-
Raqa reached its heights under the zation’s activities and attacks in Syria, Iraq
Abbasid caliphate. From 796 to 809, the and further afield.IS took over all levels of
powerful caliph Harun Al-Rashid trans- civil administration, rewriting school cur-
ferred the capital of his empire from riculums, establishing Islamic courts and
Baghdad to Raqa, which sat at the cross- creating police units to implement
roads of key trade routes. Major works Islamic law. Raqa also became the scene
were ordered and the city was dotted of some of IS’s worst atrocities, including
with grand palaces and mosques. The gruesome executions, public displays of
caliph’s court returned to Baghdad in 809 bodies and the selling of sex slaves.
and Raqa remained a major administra-
tive centre for the western part of the Coalition target
empire. In 1258 the city was destroyed by The city has long been a target of the
the Mongol invasion. US-led coalition that launched opera-
tions against IS in Syria and Iraq in mid-
Strategic location 2014, and it has also been hit by Russian
Raqa and its eponymous province airstrikes. IS has since suffered a string of
occupy a strategic location where several territorial defeats at the hands of US-
major roads intersect on the banks of the backed forces in Syria and Iraq. On
Euphrates River. It is east of Syria’s second November 5, the Syrian Democratic
GAZA: The body of Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas’ official Mazen Faqha is carried by members of the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, the city Aleppo, 90 kilometers (55 miles) south Forces (SDF), a US-backed Arab-Kurdish
military wing of Hamas, during his funeral in Gaza city yesterday. — AFP of the Turkish border, and less than 200 alliance, launched a major offensive
Hamas supporters call for kilometers (125 miles) from the border with dubbed “Wrath of the Euphrates” to take
Iraq. Raqa previously prospered from agri- Raqa, where some 300,000 civilians are
culture in the fertile river valley and bene- believed to live. IS is also under pressure
fitted from nearby hydroelectric dams that on other fronts from a Russian-backed
‘revenge,’ mourn official
generated power for much of Syria. Syrian government offensive, and an
assault by rebels supported by Turkey.
First major city to fall Ankara considers the Kurdish component
Two years after the start of Syria’s civil of the SDF a “terrorist” force linked to the
GAZA:Thousands of Hamas supporters yester- spy agency. According to Israeli media, Faqha detained for five years, and transferred to Gaza.
war in 2011, Raqa was the first provincial banned Kurdistan Workers Party. The US
day called for “revenge” during the Gaza funeral was responsible for cells of Hamas’s military Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh and Yahya Sinwar,
capital to fall to rebels, among them the says the 30,000-strong SDF now compris-
of an official from the Palestinian Islamist move- wing, the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, in the the new leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, head-
Al-Nusra Front, Al-Qaeda’s then-affiliate es mainly Arab fighters and has provided
ment gunned down the previous day. “Revenge, Israeli-occupied West Bank. Israel arrested Faqha ed the procession from the Shifa morgue to the
in the country. But tensions soon erupted airlift and artillery support. French
revenge!” called participants at the procession and sentenced him to prison over suicide attacks Omari mosque, an AFP photographer said. Khalil
into clashes between Al-Nusra and fellow Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said
for Mazen Faqha, 38, who was shot dead by that killed hundreds of Israelis during the sec- Al-Haya, a deputy to Sinwar, promised retalia-
jihadists of a precursor of IS. On January Friday that Raqa was now surrounded
unknown gunmen in the Gaza Strip on Friday. ond intifada, or uprising, between 2000 and tion. “If the enemy thinks that this assassination
6, 2014, fierce fighting between the rival and that the final push would begin “in
Hamas-nominated attorney general Ismail Jaber 2005. will change the power balance, then it should
groups ended when IS’ predecessor coming days.” But an SDF spokesman was
yesterday blamed Israel for the killing. He was released in 2011 along with more know the minds of Qassam will be able to retali-
seized control of the city. Five months lat- more circumspect saying several weeks of
“This assassination has the clear marks of than 1,000 other Palestinians in exchange for ate in kind,” he said. Hamas has ruled the Gaza
er, Mosul in Iraq fell to the jihadists and preparatory work was still needed. — AFP
Mossad,” he said, referring to the Jewish state’s Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier Hamas had Strip for 10 years.— AFP
SUNDAY, MARCH26, 2017
I N T E R N AT ION A L
School rape fuels Trump-era debate on immigration
WASHINGTON: A rape at a Washington News reports say Sanchez Milian was like Sanchez Milian, can be placed in a often links immigration to higher crime
area high school has drawn intense scruti- born in Guatemala and in August 2016 public school in contact with much rates, although no serious studies back up
ny as part of the immigration debate crossed the Rio Grande separating Mexico younger people. Fox News, which is pop- this claim. In announcing his candidacy in
launched under President Donald Trump, from the United States, as do many ular with conservatives, has provided June 2015, Trump famously said that
since the two alleged attackers are Latinos seeking to escape poverty and blanket coverage of the rape in all its ugly, some of the Mexicans who cross the bor-
Latinos who entered the United States find a better life in the United States. He violent detail. The television network also der illegally are rapists and drug dealers.
illegally. Under normal circumstances, a was picked up by border control agents. A claimed there were links between the He has also called Latino migrants “bad
case like this would not make national few days later, he was let go to join his rape and so-called sanctuary cities, where hombres.” The controversy deepened
headlines. But these are not normal times father, who was living in Maryland while local authorities do not cooperate with when the Republican governor of
in America. The attack feeds perfectly into the youth waited to appear before an their federal counterparts on immigration Maryland, Larry Hogan, urged
the Trump narrative that the United States immigration judge. That hearing has not and deportation matters. Montgomery County officials to cooper-
has porous borders and does not give pri- even been scheduled yet, because of a The case took on national dimensions ate fully with the probe into the rape. This
ority to native-born Americans, and that huge backlog in the courts: half a million Tuesday. when White House spokesman was seen by some as a veiled criticism
unauthorized immigrants mean more and cases involving unauthorized immigrants Sean Spicer called the sexual assault that they had been dragging their feet.
more violent crime. waiting to see if they can stay or will be “shocking, disturbing, horrific.” “I think
Jose Montano, 17, and Henry Sanchez deported. An estimated 11 million people part of the reason that the president has Totally indecent
Milian, 18, are accused of brutally raping a live in the country illegally, most of them made illegal immigration and crackdown Jack Smith, the Montgomery County
14-year-old classmate in a bathroom dur- Mexicans and other Latinos. such a big deal is because of tragedies Public Schools superintendent, said it is
Photo provided by the Montgomery ing school hours. They have been arrested like this,” Spicer said. Rockville “should “totally inappropriate to suggest that
County, Md Police Department shows and are in custody as they wait to go Xenophobia look at its policies,” he added. Under we’re going to deny a 14-year-old, a 16-
Henry Sanchez. Henry Sanchez, 18, before a judge. The rape took place last The rape unexpectedly threw gasoline Maryland law, anyone aged 5 to 21 has year-old, an 18-year-old an education
one of two students charged with week at a public high school in Rockville, on the red hot national immigration the right to go to school, even if they are because of a horrible thing that hap-
raping a 14-year-old girl in a Maryland, a Washington suburb in debate, including plenty of xenophobic in the country illegally. pened in our schools last Thursday.”He
Maryland high school bathroom Montgomery County, which is strongly commentary on social media. Many The Trump administration is accused defended putting 17- or 18-year-olds
entered the US illegally. The crime pro-Democratic. Seventy-six percent of Republican lawmakers wondered aloud of trying to score political points at the in class with younger kids if the for-
became part of a national debate on the county’s voters went with Hillary how an authorized immigrant who does expense of Montano, who was born in El mer’s educational level requires some
immigration. — AP Clinton in the November election. not speak English and is legally an adult, Salvador, and Sanchez Milian. Trump catching up. — AFP
US Speaker Ryan dented
by healthcare debacle
WASHINGTON: US House Speaker Paul former President Barack Obama’s signa-
Ryan on Friday acknowledged the ture domestic policy achievement, the
unthinkable for a Republican leader: he 2010 Affordable Care Act, popularly
could not deliver the votes to repeal and known as Obamacare.
replace Obamacare, even though he and Amash is a member of the hard-line
his fellow Republicans had vowed to do so conservative Freedom Caucus, which in
for seven years. Nevertheless, Ryan’s job 2015 ousted Ryan’s predecessor as speaker,
did not seem to be under immediate John Boehner, from the post. The caucus
threat, at least not in the House of played a key role in the demise of the
Representatives he leads. healthcare bill. Ryan chose to make health-
Ryan’s long-time news media nemesis, care reform the first target on a list of leg-
the website Breitbart, said Republicans islative goals for the new Republican-
were “openly discussing” finding a majority Congress. He admitted on Friday
replacement for him after he pulled a bill that he was disappointed by the outcome.
to roll back Obamacare from the House Republicans faced resistance to the health-
floor just minutes before an intensely care bill from both conservatives and mod-
awaited final vote. The Breitbart article erates, making the process of winning pas-
did not quote anyone by name. In the sage difficult for the leadership.
House, just after the bill was pulled, sever- Republican Representative Joe Barton,
al lawmakers brushed aside suggestions asked about the impact of Friday’s loss on PHILADELPHIA: Stacy Biscardi searches the grounds of Mount Carmel Cemetery for a relatives’ grave in Philadelphia. Volunteers helped
that the failure spelled trouble for Ryan, Ryan, told reporters: “The speaker is a clean up and restore the Jewish cemetery where vandals damaged hundreds of headstones. — AP
the 2012 Republican vice presidential can- human being. He’s not Superman.” Jews, Israelis fear fallout
didate, who many have speculated has Republican Representative Barry
presidential ambitions. Loudermilk, who backed the healthcare
Ryan, 47, has been speaker since bill, said he didn’t think the loss weakened
October 2015. Under the law, he is next in the speaker’s hand. One Republican law- from bomb hoax arrest
line to the presidency after Vice President maker who has been considered potential
Mike Pence. Republican Representative speaker material, Representative Jeb
Justin Amash, a harsh critic of the ill-fated Hensarling of Texas, effusively praised
healthcare bill, told reporters, “We can do Ryan, saying he had shown “phenomenal
Jewish teen accused of masterminding anti-Semitic threats
better with the legislative process.” But, he leadership.” “It is my hope that we can
added, “Nobody is talking about” trying to regroup and rally behind him (Ryan) and
oust Ryan as speaker. Amash had dis- the president as a conference to deliver on JERUSALEM: Israel’s arrest of a Jewish teenager Their heads are going to be blown off,” one of States, where the FBI in early March arrested a
paragingly dubbed the Republican health- our promise” to dismantle Obamacare, accused of masterminding dozens of anti- the threats read, according to a recording former journalist suspected of making bomb
care bill “Obamacare 2.0,” after Democratic Hensarling said in a statement. — Reuters Semitic threats could encourage racism and obtained by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. threats to Jewish community centers and institu-
ease pressure on US President Donald Trump to Israel’s Haaretz newspaper said Friday the tions. He was allegedly cyberstalking an ex-girl-
tackle anti-Semitism, Jewish groups have net started to tighten after a threat in New friend, using her name to make the threats.
warned. Far-right groups claimed vindication Zealand in 2016, with police identifying the IP The Daily Stormer, a prominent anti-Semitic
that attacks previously blamed on rightwingers address as originating from Israel. Using an website that had long alleged such threats were
and alleged hatred resulting from Trump’s elec- antenna, the suspect allegedly accessed other a Jewish plot, has claimed vindication. Alt-right
tion may actually have been carried out by a people’s computers to commit the crimes, the website Breitbart News, formerly run by Trump’s
young Jewish American Israeli. newspaper said, leading police to question a chief strategist Steve Bannon, also saw vindica-
Jewish organizations and Israeli media said number of innocent suspects before eventually tion, but for Trump. “When the president sug-
the arrest was likely to boost conspiracy theo- netting him. His alleged motive remains gested that some of the anti-Semitic hate
ries, while others worried it would weaken unknown. His father has also been arrested, crimes could be hoaxes, the (leftwing)
responses to a rise in anti-Semitic attacks in the with their next court hearing set for March 30. Huffington Post claimed he was echoing ‘white
US. More details emerged Friday about the sus- nationalists and far-right conspiracy theorists,’”
pect, who holds dual Israeli American citizen- Jewish threats it wrote. “However, the arrests thus far suggest
ship, though identifying details are subject to a The discussion Friday turned to the impact of that most of the threats were indeed hoaxes.”
gag order. He was arrested Thursday in Israel the arrests, with Trump’s response to anti- “The US Jewish leadership owes @POTUS an
and accused of making dozens of anti-Semitic Semitism at the forefront. More than 150 threats apology,” Marc Zell, vice-president of
bomb threats in the United States and else- have been carried out against Jewish institu- Republicans Overseas, tweeted.
where, including one against a major airline. tions in America since the start of the year. At US Jewish organizations have tried to down-
His lawyer said he is 18 and suffers a brain some locations swastikas were scrawled on walls play the political fallout, saying the arrest did not
tumor that may cloud his judgment. His health and cemeteries desecrated. It is not known what end legitimate fears. “No arrests have been made
prevented him attending public school or doing percentage of the threats the teenager is alleged in three cemetery desecrations or a series of oth-
mandatory military service, she said. Over the to have been involved with. Trump received sig- er anti-Semitic incidents involving swastika graf-
House Speaker Paul Ryan past two to three years, Israeli police said he car- nificant criticism from Jewish Americans for his fiti and hate fliers,” the Anti-Defamation League’s
ried out a series of hoax threats from his family perceived slow response to the uptick. CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said in a statement. But
home in southern Israel. In February 2015, he is He even suggested some of the threats might Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice president of
Immigrants find sanctuary
alleged to have made a bomb threat against be false to discredit his movement. He later the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish
Delta Airlines, forcing a plane to carry out an explicitly condemned anti-Semitic threats. Organizations, told The Jerusalem Post the arrest
in Austin Church network
emergency landing. “In a short time, a large Trump-supporting far-right websites hailed the in Israel posed a risk “that people won’t take the
number of Jews are going to be slaughtered. arrest in Israel as well as a hoax case in the United ongoing concerns seriously”. — AFP
AUSTIN: Senior Minister Meg Barnhouse Church in Austin has provided sanctuary to
knows she’ll need beds, a dresser, chairs Guatemalan immigrant Hilda Ramirez and
Sacramento man arrested in
and a mirror to make the classroom at the her 10-year-old son, Ivan, for more than a
First Unitarian Universalist Church of year . “Opening our arms to our neighbors
Austin feel more like a home for a mother goes without question.”
and her young daughter who are still killing of 2 adults, 2 juveniles
deciding whether they will become the Sensitive areas
latest immigrants seeking sanctuary from Pastor Laura Walter’s small
deportation by moving into a church. It Presbyterian congregation in Bee Cave,
would be the second time Barnhouse’s 12 miles west of Austin, hopes her church SACRAMENTO: Police arrested a 56-year-old man ated with an apartment near the University of San Oliva as an office technician since 2014. The sin-
congregation had offered sanctuary. She can expand the network to reach immi- who works for the state Friday on suspicion that Francisco, six blocks from where police found gle-story beige home with sculpted shrubbery
was hesitant in 2015 because of the grant communities outside city limits. he killed two adults and two children in a quiet him. The building is in a nice neighborhood, but is where the bodies were found has a basketball
unknown legal and insurance risks, but They are still discussing whether the Northern California neighborhood. Authorities worn and run down. There was no answer at the hoop in a driveway that police blocked with yel-
this time she agreed immediately. small church has room to offer shelter or did not release the names of the victims, but door, though a light remained on inside. low crime scene tape. It’s located in a tree-lined
There is growing fear in the city’s immi- whether they could get a permit to build friends and relatives of a young family that lived The California Employment Development residential neighborhood of neatly maintained
grant community as President Donald a temporary shower. “Our faith calls us to in the Sacramento house feared the worst. Department, which administers the state’s unem- homes near a church. Police have not said when
Trump’s immigration and executive orders live this out,” Walters said. “In the near Rita Munoz, who lives in the neighborhood, ployment checks, said it has employed Vasquez- or how the victims were killed. —AP
go into effect. And as more than 50 Austin future we’ll be at the very least helping said her grandchildren played with an 11-year-old
area residents were detained in US support refugees and asylum seekers.” boy and 14-year-old girl who lived with their
Immigration and Customs Enforcement The churches are relying on a 2011 ICE mother in the house. Munoz said her neighbor’s
deportation raids last month, a growing policy directive telling agents to avoid mother arrived at the house shortly after the bod-
number of churches in the Austin “sensitive areas” such as churches, hospi- ies were found Thursday and was heard crying
Sanctuary Network are volunteering to tals and schools when conducting depor- “Oh my gosh, my only baby. My grandbabies are
offer physical shelter or support to tation actions under most circumstances. all gone,” after she learned what happened.
churches that do. The Austin Sanctuary Federal immigration officials said that poli- Later Munoz said she overheard the woman
Network has broadened in the last year cy is still in effect, but recent immigration say: “I told her not to go back to him.” Sacramento
from a handful of churches and advocates arrests around the US, including inside police declined to discuss the suspect’s relation-
to more than two dozen congregations courthouses, are increasing fears. ship with the victims and said they haven’t deter-
and religious groups, three labor unions, Austin, a liberal enclave in a conserva- mined a motive. “It’s a horrible thing,” Munoz said.
several nonprofit groups and dozens of tive state, has had a strong base of immi- Police originally detained Salvador Vasquez-Oliva
individual volunteers. gration activists for years in opposition to in San Francisco about 90 miles (145 kilometers)
This mirrors the loosely organized a previous sheriff, who cooperated with away on Thursday afternoon and formally arrest-
national sanctuary movement that has ICE requests to hold inmates for possible ed him Friday morning. He was being held in the
grown to more than 800 churches and deportation. During the city’s involve- Sacramento County Jail, police spokesman Sgt.
congregations, with a good portion of ment in the Secure Communities Bryce Heinlein said.
those joining since Trump was elected. “It’s Program 7/87/8- a federal-local partner- The four victims were discovered Thursday
bewildering for people at this point. It’s like ship on deportation ended in 2014 by the morning when police broke into the home after a
trying to repair furniture when the house is Obama administration - an average of 19 relative reported that something might be
on fire,” said Pastor Jim Rigby, whose con- people were deported from Travis County wrong. Vasquez-Oliva was quickly singled out by
gregation at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian each week. — AP investigators on Thursday. Police said he is from SACRAMENTO: Investigators gather outside a home where four people were found dead, in
Sacramento, but records show he is also is associ- Sacramento, Calif. A suspect is being held in San Francisco. — AP
SUNDAY, MARCH26, 2017
I N T E R N AT ION A L
London attacker: ‘Jack the lad’ turned killer
LONDON: Khalid Masood, the Briton tions for assault and possession of Saudi link
behind this week’s terror attack on parlia- offensive weapons would follow over Prime Minister Theresa May said
ment, was a Muslim convert with a histo- the next 20 years. Masood was once investigated by
ry of violence who was known to security Mark Ashdown, an old schoolfriend, British domestic spy agency MI5 in
services but only as a “peripheral” figure. described “Ade” as he knew him as a relation to “concerns about violent
Police said the 52-year-old father, who “Jack-the-lad” character with whom he extremism”, but was not part of the cur-
also used the names Adrian Elms and used to go out partying, drinking, taking rent “intelligence picture”. Masood
Adrian Russell Ajao, was not under inves- drugs and chasing girls. But he said he spent time as an English teacher in
tigation when he went on the rampage in was changed by a fight in his local vil- Saudi Arabia, including year-long stints
Westminster on Wednesday, killing four lage pub in Sussex, southern England, starting in November 2005 and again
people. They believe he was acting alone, after which Masood was jailed in 2000 in April 2008, and returned for the Hajj
but described the attack as “Islamist- for slashing a man’s face. “When he first in 2015. But the Saudi embassy in
inspired”, while the Islamic State group came out he told me he’d become a London said in a statement: “During his
claimed he was one of their “soldiers”. Muslim in prison, and I thought he was time in Saudi Arabia, Khalid Masood
Masood was born on Christmas Day joking,” Ashdown told The Sun. did not appear on the security services’
1964 to a single mother, who remarried “Then I saw he was quieter and much radar and does not have a criminal
when he was young and brought him more serious. I gave him some cash-in- record in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”
and his step-brothers up in a middle- hand work for a few months as a labor- The Islamic State group claimed that
class area of Kent, in southeast England, er.”Another man who witnessed the pub one of its “soldiers” had carried out the
according to media reports. Former attack, Lee Lawrence, told the tabloid London attack following a call to target
schoolmates said he had been a popular that Masood told him: “I just want blood, countries fighting the jihadists in Iraq
student who excelled academically and I dream about killing someone.” He soon and Syria. Police said they were seeking
at sport, and that he was a “happy-go- got into trouble again. Police said his last to establish if Masood was inspired by
lucky” character. His first brush with the conviction was in 2003, for the posses- terrorist propaganda, or if “others have
law came in 1983, with a conviction for sion of a knife, in what reports said was encouraged, supported or directed The attacker, Khalid Masood is treated by emergency services outside the Houses
criminal damage, while further convic- another violent attack on a man. him”. — AFP of Parliament London. — AP
Tillerson to meet allies as
NATO races to save talks
WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Rex to AFP on condition of anonymity. After
Tillerson will meet with NATO members almost two months in the job, Tillerson has
next week in Brussels, officials said yester- yet to appoint a deputy or any assistant sec-
day, as alliance diplomats worked to nail retaries, has largely avoided the media and
down the date. “We are currently planning works with a small inner circle of advisers.
to hold the meeting of NATO foreign minis- The administration, meanwhile, has been
ters on 31 March. Consultations on schedul- scrambling to reaffirm its commitment to US
ing among Allies are ongoing,” a NATO offi- military alliances after Trump called into
cial in Brussels said. The NATO foreign minis- question their usefulness during the presi-
ters meeting had been planned for April 5- dential campaign. Last week, after meeting
6, but that was thrown into chaos on Chancellor Angela Merkel, Trump claimed
Tuesday when Tillerson revealed he would Germany owes “vast sums of money to
not be attending. NATO and the United States,” reviving his
Skipping the meeting was especially charge that allies do not pay their way.
awkward because the former Exxon-Mobil
CEO is to travel later in April to Russia, which Obsolete alliance?
has had fraught relations with NATO since Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, a former
the start of the Ukraine conflict in 2014. So Marine general, has declared US support for
Tillerson will head to Brussels on Friday next NATO, and last week Tillerson reaffirmed ties
week, a day after meeting in Ankara with with Asian allies Japan and South Korea. The
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to United States has worked with NATO to
“discuss the way forward with our campaign shore up support for the pro-western gov-
to defeat ISIS in Syria and Iraq,” acting State ernment in Kiev after Russia’s annexation of
Department spokesman Mark Toner said. Crimea and its support for a bloody uprising
TUNIS: A Libyan traveler packs his laptop in his suitcase before boarding his flight for London at Tunis-Carthage International in eastern Ukraine. Combined with econom-
Airport yesterday. —AFP Long-planned talks ic sanctions, the deployment of more NATO
London attack - a reminder of fears Officials suggested that a complicating
factor for the NATO meeting might be the
agenda of Britain’s Foreign Secretary Boris
for post-Brexit security cooperation Johnson, who might not be able to make it
to Brussels on March 31. “The date is almost
certain. It’s now mainly a question of timing,”
a diplomat in Brussels said Saturday. The
EU boosts intelligence gathering and sharing
alliance’s 28 member states have until
Monday to work out the details of their
plans. The last minute preparations are not
BRUSSELS: Hours before Wednesday’s attack in governments to arrest a suspect wanted in May, expected to start two-year EU exit pro-
typical for NATO which normally has plans in
London, the head of the European Union police another EU country. ceedings next Wednesday, has said she wants to
place weeks ahead of time for these highly
agency Europol warned that a large group of radi- retain a close relationship with the EU on securi-
orchestrated meetings.
calized individuals posed a constant threat to 5,000 extraditions ty and defense, and the EU has expressed simi-
“The allies are trying to find a solution. It
Britain and Europe. “Some of these are likely to A year ago, when she was interior minister, lar sentiments, but tensions are apparent. She
is understood that there are substantive rea-
succeed in the future,” Rob Wainwright, who is Theresa May said that Britain’s close intelligence said in January that Britain’s intelligence capa-
sons why Tillerson cannot come April 5 and
British, wrote in a blog to commemorate the relationship with the United States “does not bilities were “unique in Europe” and that its mili-
6,” a diplomat said. Chinese leader Xi Jinping
attacks in Brussels that killed 32 people on March mean we would be as safe (outside the EU) as if tary and counter-terrorism resources should
is expected to visit President Donald Trump
22, 2016. In the year between those incidents and we remain”. May, now prime minister, said the help it to secure a better exit deal. But EU Brexit
in the United States in early April, and
the attack that killed three people and injured Warrant had enabled Britain to extradite more negotiator Michel Barnier is dismissive.
Tillerson would be expected to attend their US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson
dozens near Britain’s parliament , European secu- than 5,000 people in the previous five years. “Security cannot be weighed off against eco-
meetings. But his office has not confirmed
rity officials say intelligence sharing on potential Being outside Europol, which was founded in nomic and commercial interests,” he said in a
that engagement, and word that Tillerson troops from Western members to frontline
threats has increased 10-fold. 1998 to help combat organized crime, cybercrime speech in Brussels on Wednesday.
would stay away from the NATO talks stirred Eastern allies in the Baltics and Poland was
More work is being done to tighten security and militant groups across borders, would leave
doubt about US commitment to its allies. intended to send a signal to Moscow. But
by streamlining databases, clamping down on Britain reliant on individual links with each of the Limits of cooperation
“Everyone is aware that this would send a during his presidential campaign, Trump
identity fraud and making reporting of suspi- other 27 EU governments, former officials say. Britain does already have additional bilateral
bad message and people were not eager to raised eyebrows by expressing admiration
cious individuals obligatory. Britain is one of Before Europol existed, coordination was done security agreements with fellow EU members
have a meeting with a downgraded (US) for Russian President Vladimir Putin and dis-
the top three users of Europol data. But as it “on the basis of who you knew and who you France and Germany, as well as the long-standing
representation,” said the diplomat, speaking missing NATO as “obsolete”. — AFP
leaves the EU, there is a risk that it will be shut could ring up”, according to Bill Hughes, ex-direc- “Five Eyes” intelligence sharing pact with the
out of this cooperation, becoming more vulner- tor-general of Britain’s now defunct Serious United States, Canada, Australia and New
able to Islamist radicals who have killed 300 Organized Crime Agency. He told parliament it Zealand. But cooperation agreements between London attack:
people across Europe over the past two years. was a “labyrinthine exercise”. Besides Europol, Europol and non-EU countries Russia, Turkey and
The suspect in the London attack was British- Britain is also party to intelligence-sharing proto- Ukraine took several years to negotiate, and there
born, and Britain is not part of the EU’s open- cols of the Schengen agreement, and to a deal to are limits on what data can be shared. Under EU What we know
border Schengen zone. exchange airline passenger data between EU agreements, transferring fingerprints and DNA
But London still shares with its EU peers fears - security forces. EU diplomats have refused to dis- data can take minutes. With Britain outside the
and information - about Islamists, often radical- cuss Britain’s future defense and security coopera- EU, the Global Risk Insights think-tank says it
LONDON: Four people died in an Islamist- none of them terror related. According to
ized online, returning home after going to train tion until London triggers the formal exit pro- could take months. Some critics do note that
claimed attack outside parliament in The Sun tabloid, he married a Muslim
or fight with jihadists in the Middle East, North ceedings, but one senior British diplomat said the information-sharing within the EU is still far for
London this week when a British-born killer woman in 2004 and a year later moved to
Africa or Afghanistan. British security officials government was likely to seek a “special relation- perfect. While France and Germany have large,
rammed his car into pedestrians then Saudi Arabia to teach, returning in 2009.
warned parliament last year of the dangers of ship”. “The European Union is not good at involv- well-staffed intelligence agencies, years of neg-
stabbed a police officer before being shot Police said he went by “numerous alias-
leaving Europol and the agreement covering the ing third parties and we need to be able to talk lect in Belgium’s secret services were exposed by
dead. Here is what we know so far about es”, including, reportedly, Adrian Elms, while
European Arrest Warrant, which requires all EU intimately,” the diplomat said. last year’s airport and metro blasts. — Reuters
the attack, which was the deadliest in reports suggest he lived all over England,
Britain since 2005 and was claimed by the including in Luton and east London. Prime
2 charged over supplying gun to airport attacker Islamic State jihadist group. Minister Theresa May has said Masood was
known to intelligence services as a “periph-
What happened? eral” figure some years ago but there was
PARIS: French anti-terrorism judges have charged second busiest airport, according to judicial attack at Orly came with France still on high alert At around 2:40 pm (1440 GMT) on no warning of his intention to mount an
two men suspected of involvement in supplying a sources. The 39-year-old, born in France to following a wave of jihadist attacks that have Wednesday, the attacker ploughed his car attack. When he hired the car, he told the
weapon to the gunman killed at Paris’s Orly airport Tunisian parents, grabbed a soldier on patrol at claimed more than 230 lives in two years. The into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge, Birmingham-based rental company he was
after attacking soldiers, a judicial source said yes- Orly’s southern terminal and put a gun to her violence has made security a key issue in one of the city’s busiest tourist spots for a teacher, the BBC said. But an education
terday. The suspects, aged 30 and 43, were head and seized her rifle, saying he wanted to “die France’s two-round presidential election on April its views of parliament and its famous ministry spokesman said he was not a qual-
charged Friday for “association with terrorist crimi- for Allah”. His father insisted his son-who had 23 and May 7.Soldiers guarding key sites have clock tower. After crashing into the rail- ified teacher and had not taught in any
nals” over the March 18 incident, the latest in spent time in prison for armed robbery and drug- been targeted in four attacks in the past two ings outside parliament, he leapt out with state schools. A former neighbor from
France which remains on a state of emergency dealing-was not an extremist. years but escaped with only minor injuries. In a large knife and ran into the courtyard Winson Green in Birmingham described
after a series of deadly jihadist attacks. Both men He had, however, been investigated in 2015 mid-February, a machete-wielding Egyptian where he stabbed a policeman before him as “a nice guy”, telling the Birmingham
are being held in custody, the source said. The over suspicions he had been radicalized while man attacked a soldier outside Paris’s Louvre being shot dead by officers. Policeman Mail newspaper he lived next door with his
younger one was also charged with arms posses- serving jail time, but his name did not feature on museum, injuring him slightly, before being shot Keith Palmer, 48, died of his injuries along wife and a small child until Christmas and
sion related to a terror plot. the list of those thought to pose a high risk. The and wounded. — AFP with three civilians who were hit by the liked to work in his garden.
They are both from the Paris area and lived speeding car: 43-year-old mother-of-two
close to the assailant, Ziyed Ben Belgacem, but Aysha Frade; Kurt Cochran, an American in Did he act alone?
neither of them had links with any radical Islamic his 50s; and 75-year-old Leslie Rhodes The attack was claimed by Islamic State
movements, according to a preliminary investiga- from south London who died late which said Masood was one of its “soldiers”
tion. The 30-year-old detained Friday is suspected Thursday. At least 50 people were wound- acting on a call to target countries fighting
of having given Ben Belgacem a revolver a few ed, including tourists from 12 different the jihadists in Iraq and Syria. Counter-ter-
days before the attack, while the older suspect countries. One person is fighting for their ror chief Mark Rowley said police were try-
was present when it was handed over. The life and two are in critical condition. ing to establish whether Masood acted
younger man admitted once in custody having totally alone “or if others have encouraged,
been in possession of the gun and kept it at his Who was the attacker? supported or directed him”. So far, police
home, before Ben Belgacem came to get it, a Police have identified the perpetrator as have arrested 10 people in connection
source close to the investigation said. Questioning Khalid Masood, a 52-year-old Briton who with the attack. They initially arrested five
of both of them revealed no further details about was born in the southeastern county of men and three women “on suspicion of
Ben Belgacem’s plans, said the source. The Orly Kent under the name Adrian Russell Ajao. preparation of terrorist acts”. One of the
attack, which came a month and a half after a sim- So far, police have not yet released an women was later released on bail. Two
ilar assault at the world-famous Louvre museum in image of Masood although media footage more “significant arrests” were made
Paris, bears the hallmarks of the Islamic State (IS), of the attacker lying on a stretcher showed overnight Thursday. Police have so far
but has not been claimed by the jihadist group. a bearded, burly man wearing black searched 16 addresses, mainly in London
clothes. He ran into trouble with the law in and Birmingham, seizing 2,700 items
‘Die for Allah’ ESSONNE: A grab of a surveillance video footage from Paris Orly airport shows a man (cen- his late teens, chalking up a string of con- including “massive” amounts of computer
Ben Belgacem was under the influence of ter) attacking a soldier on patrol at Paris’s Orly airport and grabbing her rifle before being victions for assault and possession of offen- data. Five more raids are currently under
drugs and alcohol when he attacked the capital’s shot dead. — AFP sive weapons between 1983 to 2003, but way, Rowley said. —AFP