IRAqI AMBASSADOR

32 Pages·2017·11.07 MB·English

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SUNDAY, JULY 16, 2017 SHAWWAL 22,1438 AH www.kuwaittimes.net
Egypt police Muguruza stuns
probe motives Venus to win
6 16
of Red Sea first Wimbledon
beach attacker crown
MoH hits out at ‘sabotage’
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amid fake doctor reports
0 Min 31º
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04:38 & 16:07
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G Low Tide
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By Hanan Al-Saadoun
Turkey marks year since ‘epic’ coup defeat
KUWAIT: The Ministry of Health yesterday condemned
efforts to discredit its services and malign the integrity
ISTANBUL: Turkey yesterday marked one year since the
of its staff. A statement issued by the ministry urged citi-
defeat of the coup aimed at ousting President Recep
zens and residents not to pay heed to attempts to
Tayyip Erdogan, seeking to showcase national unity
undermine public confidence in the country’s healthcare
and his grip on power in an increasingly polarized soci-
services. The statement noted that the ministry
ety. The authorities have declared July 15 an annual
“reserves the right to mount legal action against all
national holiday of “democracy and unity”, billing the
those involved in sharing untrue and baseless informa-
foiling of the putsch as a historic victory of Turkish
tion that is detrimental to its reputation”. The ministry
democracy. “It’s one year since the darkest night was
added that it is open to all suggestions and complaints
turned into an epic,” Prime Minister Binali Yildirim told a
regarding the quality of healthcare provided in the state.
special session of parliament that kicked off a day of
Earlier yesterday, a ministry official said that the min-
celebrations set to last until dawn.
istry was handling with “full urgency and concern”
He said the night of July 15 was a “second War of
alleged social media reports of a foreign national posing
Independence” after the war that led to the creation of
as a doctor. The ministry has made contacts with several
the modern Turkish state in the ruins of the Ottoman
bodies in order to gather information before issuing a
Empire in 1923. Two hundred and forty nine people, not
statement regarding the rumors, ministry spokesman
including the plotters, were killed when a disgruntled
Ahmad Al-Shatti said in a statement. Shatti added that
faction in the army sent tanks into the streets and war
those revealed to have been involved in the incident
planes into the sky in a bid to overthrow Erdogan after
and allowing it to take place will face legal charges.
one-and-a-half decades in power.
Separately, the Interior Ministry’s Relations and
But they were thwarted within hours as the authori-
Security Information Department said the traffic depart-
ties regrouped and people poured into the streets in
ment has begun operating new traffic cameras on major
support of Erdogan, who blamed followers of his ally-
roads, including the Fifth Ring Road near Avenues mall,
turned-nemesis, the US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen.
Qurtuba; Fourth Ring Road near Surra; and King Fahd
Erdogan, at the center of the commemorations, took
Road near Bayan Palace. It said the new cameras monitor
part in a “people’s march” on the Istanbul bridge across ISTANBUL: Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his wife Emine Erdogan walk to a ceremony site on the
speeding in all lanes in both directions, including the
Continued on Page 11 July 15 Martyrs Bridge (Bosphorus Bridge) yesterday. — AFP
emergency lanes.
France wades into Gulf row
Paris aims to be ‘facilitator’ in crisis talks
DOHA: France’s foreign minister yester- counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin
Maths ‘genius’
day called on Qatar’s neighbors to imme- Abdulrahman Al-Thani.
diately lift measures impacting thou- In early June, Saudi Arabia, the United
Mirzakhani dies sands of people in the Gulf, becoming Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt cut ties
the latest foreign diplomat to visit the with Qatar and moved to isolate the
region and attempt to find a resolution small, but wealthy Gulf nation, canceling
WASHINGTON: Maryam Mirzakhani, an Iranian-born
to a crisis that has dragged on for more air routes between their capitals and
mathematician who was the first woman to win the
than a month. Jean-Yves Le Drian said in Qatar’s and closing their airspace to
coveted Fields Medal, died yesterday in a US hospital
Doha yesterday that Paris wants to assist Qatari flights. Saudi Arabia also sealed
after a battle with cancer. She was 40. Mirzakhani’s
Kuwait-led mediation on the crisis. Qatar’s only land border, impacting a key
friend Firouz Naderi, a former director of Solar Systems
“France should be a facilitator in the source of food imports in the mostly
Exploration at NASA,
mediation” led by Kuwait, Le Drian told desert nation.
announced her death on
reporters following talks with his Qatari Continued on Page 11
Instagram. “A light was turned
off today. It breaks my heart .....
AMMAN: Protestors chant slogans in the Jordanian capital yesterday during a demon-
gone far too soon,” he wrote,
stration against the closure of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem. — AFP
later adding: “A genius? Yes.
Tight security in Jerusalem as
But also a daughter, a mother
and a wife.”
holy site closed after attack
Mirzakhani, a professor at
Stanford University in
JERUSALEM: Security forces locked keeping Al-Aqsa mosque closed is “dan- California, died after the can-
Maryam Mirzakhani
down parts of Jerusalem’s Old City yes- gerous” and “unprecedented”, a day after cer she had been battling for
terday and an ultra-sensitive holy site Amman on Friday called for its immedi- four years spread to her bone marrow, Iranian media
remained closed after an attack that ate reopening. Hundreds of Jordanians, said. In 2014 Mirzakhani won the Fields Medal, the
killed two police officers and heightened responding to a Muslim Brotherhood equivalent of the Nobel Prize for Mathematics, which is
Israeli-Palestinian tensions. Three Arab call, demonstrated in Amman after mid- awarded by the International Congress of
Israelis opened fire on Israeli police day prayers yesterday, calling for the “lib- Mathematicians. The award recognized her sophisticat-
Friday in the Old City before fleeing to eration of Al-Aqsa”. ed and original contributions to the fields of geometry
the nearby Haram Al-Sharif, where they Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin and dynamical systems, particularly in understanding
were shot dead by police. Israeli authori- Netanyahu has indicated the site will stay the symmetry of curved surfaces such as spheres.
ties said they had come from the flash- closed until at least today while security Born in 1977 and raised in Tehran, Mirzakhani initial-
point holy site, which includes the Al- was assessed, and rejected Jordan’s criti- ly dreamed of becoming a writer, but by the time she
Aqsa mosque and the Dome of the Rock, cism. “Instead of denouncing the terrorist started high school and showed an affinity for solving
to commit the attack. attack, Jordan chose to attack Israel,” math problems she shifted her sights. “It is fun - it’s like
The authorities took the highly unusu- Netanyahu was quoted as saying by offi- solving a puzzle or connecting the dots in a detective
al decision to close the Al-Aqsa mosque cials, and called for restraint. Netanyahu case,” she said when she won the Fields Medal. “I felt
compound for Friday prayers, leading to also spoke of increasing security at that this was something I could do, and I wanted to
anger from Muslims and Jordan, the holy entrances to the site when it reopens - pursue this path.”
site’s custodian. Wael Arabiyat, Jordan’s likely to be a controversial move. Continued on Page 11 DOHA: Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani meets French Minister of
Islamic affairs minister, warned that Continued on Page 11 Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian in the Qatari capital yesterday. — KUNA
Honolulu tower blaze kills three
HONOLULU: Flames ripped through three The Honolulu Star-Advertiser newspaper also built in the 1970s and did not have a
floors of a Honolulu tower block, killing said a mother and her adult son were sprinkler system. Images posted online on
three people including a mother and her among the three people who perished on Friday showed orange flames raging on sev-
adult son on Friday, officials and media said. the 26th floor, where the fire started. At least eral floors and debris falling from windows.
The blaze at the 36-storey Marco Polo con- 12 other people were injured, it added. There were no immediate reports on what
dominium complex sent thick black smoke Fire Chief Manuel Neves told reporters caused the blaze in Honolulu.
pouring over the city, a month to the day that the building did not have a sprinkler “We were all trying to help as much as
after a deadly high-rise fire in London. system. “Without a doubt if there was sprin- we could ... but there was a fire and you
Firefighters sprayed water onto the flames klers in this apartment, the fire would be could see it spreading,” said 72-year-old res-
from nearby balconies and brought them contained to the unit of origin ... the unit ident Karen Hastings, who was in the build-
under control at about 6.30 pm local time (where) the fire started,” he said. More than ing when the fire broke out. One firefighter
(0430 GMT yesterday), four hours after the 100 firefighters tackled the fire and officers and four residents were taken to hospital
fire began, Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell were conducting a room-by-room search, a while eight other residents were treated at
told reporters. task that could take several hours, he added. the scene, the Star-Advertiser said.
“I looked down I could see the billowing The building was constructed in 1971, Volunteers were looking after residents at a
smoke coming up,” resident Ron Chiarottino before the city began requiring sprinkler nearby park, the Hawaii Red Cross said on
said. “I heard three women’s voices scream- systems, the Star-Advertiser newspaper said. Twitter. The fire forced the closure of a
ing, pleading, moaning, ‘Please help me, In London, at least 80 people were killed major road in front of the condominium
HONOLULU: The charred exterior of the Marco Polo Building is pictured after a fire please’ continuous screaming for five or ten when a fire gutted the 24-story Grenfell complex, the Honolulu police department
broke out on the upper floors on Friday. — AFP minutes, and then I didn’t hear anymore.” Tower block on June 14. That building was said on Twitter. —Reuters
SUNDAY, JULY 16, 2017
L O C A L
Amir offers condolences
to Egyptian President
KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir two similar cables to the Egyptian
Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al- President. Meanwhile, an official
Sabah on Friday sent a cable of con- source at the Foreign Ministry voiced
dolences to Egypt’s President Kuwait’s strong condemnation of the
Abdelfatah Al-Sisi over the victims of terrorist attack. The source reiterated
the armed attack that targeted a Kuwait’s support to the “brothers in
security checkpoint in the city of El Egypt” and all the measures Cairo
Badrashin, Giza Governorate, killing might take to protect the country’s
five policemen. His Highness the security and stability. The foreign min-
Amir voiced Kuwait’s strong condem- istry source reaffirmed Kuwait’s initial,
nation of such criminal acts that aim and unwavering stance, that rejects
at disrupting security and stability in violence and all forms of terrorism,
the country. His Highness the Crown and offered condolences to the
Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al- Egyptian leadership, government and
Jaber Al-Sabah and His Highness the people as well as the victims’ families, KUWAIT: Ambassador of Swaziland to Kuwait Sodja Dlamini recently visit-
His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al- Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al- praying for everlasting security and ed Kuwait Times where he met with Editor-in-Chief Abd Al-Rahman Al-
Jaber Al-Sabah Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah sent stability in the country. —KUNA Alyan. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat
Preventing IS from rising again is
biggest challenge: Iraqi Ambassador
By Faten Omar
KUWAIT: Iraqi Ambassador to
Kuwait Alaa Al-Hashemi has
declared victory over the Islamic
State (IS) group in Mosul, but in the
fight against a militant organization
that has reincarnated itself before,
the biggest challenge may not be
defeating IS, but preventing it from
rising again.
During a press conference held
on Thursday at the Iraqi Embassy,
Hashemi said members of the ter-
rorist organization still exist in some
areas. “We are seeing the end of the
fake Daesh state,” he said, referring
to the terrorist group by its Arabic
KUWAIT: Kuwait Times Editor-in-Chief Abd Al-Rahman Al-Alyan and Kuwait Times columnist Muna Al-
acronym. “We will not relent - our KUWAIT: Iraqi Ambassador to Iranian Ambassador to Kuwait
Fuzai met with Diger Zettel (R), Counselor and Deputy Head of Mission and Horst Karl Blasinger, Head of
brave forces will bring victory. The Kuwait Alaa Al-Hashemi speaks Dr Ali Reza Enayati.
Cultural Section with the Germany Embassy at Kuwait Times headquarters in Industrial Shuwaikh. The
security plan is needed at the during the press conference. —Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat
German government has kindly invited Fuzai for a visit to learn more about Germany, its culture, busi-
moment and the experience gained
ness and society. —Photo by Joseph Shagra
by Iraqi forces and intelligence is
very high. We were able to distin-
guish between militants and citi-
zens who tried to escape during the
liberation of Mosul - but many of
them remain in hotspots that have
not yet been liberated.” Hashemi
noted that Iraqi forces can deal with
the situation, but it also requires
regional and international efforts,
because the issue is not limited to
Iraq only, but many countries. He
said these efforts are required in
coordination with Iraq, which has
gained experience during years of
war against Al-Qaeda and Daesh.
“The Amir of Kuwait has announced
Kuwait Journalists Association’s (KJA) Secretary Adnan Al-Rashed
Kuwait’s readiness to host a confer-
offers his congratulations.
ence before the end of this year
with the participation of many said: “We have previously
KUWAIT: Rania Machlab, Deputy Head of the regional delegation for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)
sponsors and supporters of Iraq to announced that Iran is present
at the International Committee of the Red Crescent (ICRC) in Kuwait, recently visited Kuwait Times
ensure its success,” he added. only in an advisory role and there
where she met with Editor-in-Chief Abd Al-Rahman Al-Alyan and presented to him a copy of ICRC’s pub-
On the sidelines of the confer- are no ground troops in Iraq.” On
lication titled ‘Humanity in War: Frontline Photography Since 1860.’ —Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat
ence, Iranian Ambassador to the Gulf crisis and regional inter-
State Audit Bureau set to Kuwait Ali Reza Enayati said the ventions, Enayati confirmed that
Iran-Iraq border is secure, but with Iran is not a party in the conflict,
the current situation, it requires to but is assisting Qatar.
take part in UN meeting be more so, stressing that this will British Ambassador to Kuwait
be through coordination with rele- Matthew Lodge said after his con-
vant authorities in Iraq. “We con- gratulations to the Iraqi Ambassador
gratulate the Iraqi leadership, gov- on the liberation of Mosul, that, “The
KUWAIT: Kuwait’s State Audit Bureau (SAB) announced public relations and media specialist Fatima Al-Nasser. The
ernment and people on this aim of intensive visits by British offi-
yesterday that it will take part in a higher financial and New York meeting is part of the ministerial side of the
auditing bodies meeting at the UN headquarters in New High-level Political Forum, the main platform dealing with important victory that was cials to Kuwait last week is to sup-
York. SAB has been invited to the two-day gathering due the SDGs, the statement quoted Otaibi as saying. achieved in Mosul. Iraq deserves port this country’s mediation efforts
on Thursday by the UN Department of Economic and It aims to discuss the key topics on the implementation this victory. The brutal hand of ter- and noble endeavors led by His
Social Affairs (UN DESA), a statement said. The meeting of the SDGs, in addition to offering the opportunity for rorism has hit the good, civilized Highness the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh
will review and audit the arrangements for the implemen- boosting the capabilities of the control higher bodies to and ancient Iraq. We hope that Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah to resolve
tation of the UN 2030 Vision of Sustainable Development conduct sound auditing of the SDGs. Otaibi pointed to the
such joy will spread throughout the Gulf crisis. Unity of the Gulf
Goals (SDGs). major goals of the cooperative performance auditing to be
our region,” Enayati said. Cooperation Council must be main-
The Kuwaiti delegation to the UN gathering will include discussed by the meeting, to be achieved by some of the
On participation of Iranian tained and the dispute resolved as British Ambassador to Kuwait
SAB Acting President Adel Al-Sarawi, senior auditor at the higher bodies supported by the International Organization
performance control department Sultan Al-Otaibi and of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI). —KUNA forces in the liberation of Mosul, he soon as possible.” Matthew Lodge.
ANKARA: Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani and his Turkish coun- ROME: Italy’s Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano (right) speaks during a joint press conference with his
terpart Mevlut Cavusoglu shake hands on the sidelines of their press conference. —KUNA UAE counterpart Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan.
Qatari FM hopes Amir’s Gulf row mediation proves successful
ANKARA/ROME: Qatar looks forward to Thani, at a press conference alongside his involved parties should sit down together, at Kuwait’s Gulf meditation succeeds in con- ness in keeping the current crisis under its
seeing His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Turkish counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu, also one table, to find a solution within a frame- taining the ongoing escalation and tension political and diplomatic framework in order
Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah’s efforts to appreciated efforts being exerted by other work based on “logic and objectivity.” He also between a number of Arab countries, mainly to resolve it through joint action.
resolve the Gulf crisis a success, the coun- countries like the US, the UK and Turkey. sounded upbeat about US State Secretary Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Egypt, and Qatar. “Our main goal is to find a permanent
try’s Foreign Minister said Friday. Qatar’s Qatar stands firm on its position, he reiterat- Rex Tillerson’s recent Gulf tour, saying it The Kuwaiti meditation could actually solution for the ongoing crisis, he said,
chief diplomat was highly appreciative of ed, as it hopes for an end to the row. For his would bear fruit on the medium, and not the benefit, in every step and attempt, the peace adding that the crisis to remain within its
His Highness the Amir’s initiative, whom part, the Turkish foreign minister said that short term. The Qatari foreign minister, who efforts to resolve the dispute quickly, Alfano political and legal framework, and that the
he described as a “father” to the Qatari his President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to arrived in Ankara Thursday evening, is due to said in a joint press conference with his UAE four countries would not cross this frame-
people and its Emir Sheikh Tamim bin the Gulf to push ahead the row-solving meet with the Turkish president later Friday. counterpart Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al- work, or even cause any escalation in any
Hamad Al-Thani. efforts would be decided next week. Meanwhile, Italy’s Foreign Minister Nahyan in Rome Friday. For his part, Sheikh direction that would violate international
Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al- Cavusoglu expressed the view that the Angelino Alfano expressed hope that the Abdullah affirmed the four countries’ keen- laws and charters. —KUNA
SUNDAY, JULY 16, 2017
LO C A L
Education system to
In my view
be improved to meet
Police here
market requirements
and there
By A Saleh
KUWAIT: Education Ministry’s Assistant Undersecretary
for General Education Fatima Al-Kandari said a plan is in
the works to modify the education system so it meets
By Talal Al-Ghannam the labor market requirements, adding that a commit-
tee that was formed to introduce a system similar to the
credits system has almost completed its work. She
announced the postponement of the competencies
curriculum in the 10th grade, which was supposed to
start with the new school year until after the next
[email protected]
school year.
Kandari said the new system is not a credits system,
G
ood morning my dear and honorable brothers but is close to it, adding that it is not necessary to admit
and sisters, and I wish you all the best of health. all secondary graduates in colleges, as some of them may
In this article, I would like to shed some light have technical inclinations. “Through this system, we can
on the role of policemen and traffic departments in provide market needs,” she said. Kandari said that three
Kuwait compared with the United States. We all know new schools will enter service at the start of the school
that policemen are there to protect, safeguard and year - a girls’ intermediate school in Farwaniya and ele-
work on imposing law on all without discrimination. mentary and intermediate boys’ schools in Ahmadi. On
However, we all notice some fallbacks and negli- schoolbooks, Kandari said these will be distributed start-
gence committed by some policemen here in Kuwait ing next week, but as for books with changes, they are
pertinent to respect of others, especially expatriates, still at the printing press waiting for approval. Turkey’s Ambassador to Kuwait Salih Murat Tamer tours guests in a gallery showing pictures of Turkish people
and law enforcement on all without being influ- supporting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. — Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat
enced by wasta (connection) which is tearing the Small business
society apart. Director of small business at the Manpower and Turkish Embassy marks first
When an expatriate drives his or her car on roads in Government Restructuring Program Faris Al-Enezi said
areas mostly populated by Kuwaitis, and particularly that the labor support allowance that is paid monthly anniversary of defeating coup
the helpless taxi drivers, some of them get unwanted to Kuwaitis working in the private sector is not avail-
harassment even when they abide by the law com- able in any other country. “Kuwait will see a leap to
pletely. When an expatriate gets pulled over on the
encourage these projects,” he added. He said the num-
side of the road and is approached by traffic police- By Faten Omar
ber of Kuwaitis who have applied for small business
men, some officers in this case tend to find fault with
licenses is on the increase because of the government,
that poor person’s car and try to search for the KUWAIT:The Turkish Embassy yes-
the national fund for small and medium enterprise
slightest car defect if he could not detect any viola- terday marked one year since the
development, and new decisions such as approving
tion in terms of speed limit, not fastening the seat defeat of a coup aimed at ousting
home businesses, which is expected to cause a major
belt or durability of the vehicle. When pulling an President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
revolution when applied.
expatriate over, many policemen tend to be harsh, “On the night of July 15 last year,
disrespectful and never want to listen to the other the Turkish nation foiled a coup by
side’s plea. At least the ‘violator’ must know his or the followers of Fethullah Gulen,
her violation before signing the citation, but in this who considers himself the ‘imam of
case, no mercy is given, and he or she must acceptit the universe,’ who had infiltrated
without hesitation. into the armed forces and other
In the United States, when any person is pulled public institutions. What happened
over for whatever violation, he or she would be that night was a huge terrorist
approached by the traffic policeman who starts the attack never seen before in the his-
conversation with a smile and a greeting, followed by tory of the Republic of Turkey.
an explanation of the violation committed and an Around 250 people were killed and
advice for non-repetition. When I was there, I had nev- more than 2,000 were injured,”
KUWAIT: Turkey’s Ambassador to Kuwait Salih Murat Tamer speaks during
er encountered any situation where my car’s registra- Turkey’s Ambassador to Kuwait
a ceremony to mark the first anniversary since the defeat of a coup aimed
tion got revoked or my driver’s license got taken away
Salih Murat Tamer told reporters.
at ousting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
for a very simple citation.
Tamer noted that the Turkish
In Kuwait, you see many policemen sitting in the
Embassy honored the martyrs of the Prince and HH Prime Minister of it is not right to be against Qatar. He
early hours of the day inside their cars that are parked
coup bid. “We recall with respect Kuwait, who quickly made contact said any problem in the Gulf is a
under bridges supposedly to monitor the flow of traf-
our dear martyrs who lost their lives after they learned about the failed problem for Turkey, as the region is
fic and pursuit those reckless drivers. However, the
during their heroic struggle in coup. “Kuwait has been impressive - its strategic partner.
majority of them would sit in their air-conditioned
defending democracy and the despite its small geographical size, it On a visit by Erdogan to Kuwait
patrol cars playing with their smartphones and not
future of their state. We ask God for has a large heart that can accommo- and other Gulf countries, he said:
even looking at the road or those who are driving
mercy on them, and express our date the whole world,” Tamer said. “The president will be visiting
maniacally.
thanks and gratitude to the wound- He said the terrorist organization Kuwait soon but the date has not
Last year, I was driving one day at around 6:30 am
ed. The Turkish people faced the established by Gulen (FETO) aims to yet been determined.” About the
going to work and I saw a minivan zigzagging
putschists with great courage - they abolish the government of Turkey by possibility of Erdogan visiting Saudi
between lanes at high speed. I quickly stopped my car
Man hurt in were all one. They stood in front of force and all illegal means, hindering Arabia, Tamer affirmed that he
near a patrol vehicle that was parked under a bridge
tanks with no weapons. They made the performance of its functions in might visit Riyadh because Saudi
and knocked on the window to wake the policeman
shields from their bodies to prevent part or in total and putting the sov- Arabia is a brotherly country even if
up as he was asleep, and told him to chase that speed-
Farwaniya fire the fall of state institutions. They ereignty of the state under pressure, “we do not agree on some points of
ing van. He got up, wiped his eyes, started the siren
made it clear that the Turkish peo- thus weakening it. view”. “This does not mean that we
and chased the wrong car. I am not saying this to belit-
ple will not allow any interventions are not friends, but we use the dis-
tle the policemen’s courage and accomplishments, but
By Hanan Al-Saadoun outside the framework of democra- GCC rift cussion table to resolve our dis-
I am saying this to awaken the minds of the authorities
cy. They proved that the future of On the Qatar-Gulf crisis, the agreements,” he said. The ambassa-
that there are some of their workers who do not
KUWAIT:A man suffered from smoke inhalation during a Turkey is determined by the free will Turkish ambassador said Turkey dor noted that Qatar is the only
appreciate the responsibilities being shouldered on
them, and need to be punished. fire that broke out in a Farwaniya apartment yesterday of the people and not by the armed believes the crisis was not supposed nation that can ask the Turkish mili-
In Kuwait, when a reckless driver gets chased by morning. Firefighters arrived to the scene shortly after the groups,” Tamer said. to be this complicated in the first tary to close its base and leave. “It is
police, he can easily run away from their sight because fire was reported, and immediately rushed to evacuate “For more than a thousand years, place. “We support the Amir’s not reasonable for other countries
some of the policemen here do not have the adequate the building and tackle the blaze, which started on the traitors fought against the military, efforts. We are not a part of this cri- to force the Turkish military base to
fourth floor. Paramedics rushed the injured man to hospi-
capacity to apprehend violators. For example, helicop- but did not open fire against their sis but we stand by international close, while they have US and British
tal for treatment and firemen managed to put out the fire.
ters that monitor the flow of traffic and continuously own people. For this reason, as the and humanitarian laws. The Gulf military bases!”
An investigation was opened to determine the cause of
keep spotting the violators or reckless drivers till they president of our republic has stated, Cooperation Council has been in He revealed that some mem-
the blaze.
are apprehended. the event of July 15 is the most existence for over 40 years, and I bers of FETO were planning to
I watched a police chase on YouTube and became insidious and dirty coup attempt,” hope it will continue to do so. This open a university in Kuwait, but
Campaign
amazed by the sophisticated equipment used by the he added. issue should be resolved under the when Kuwait didn’t agree with
The Hawally municipality emergency team carried out
US police to arrest and pursuit violators. Let us dream several inspection campaigns on shops, restaurants and The Turkish ambassador called to umbrella of the Gulf states and not their proposal, they opened an
that one day the Kuwaiti police force would be as effi- warehouses, resulting in issuing 174 citations for food vio- never forget July 15 and not let by external interventions,” Tamer education center. But Kuwait later
cient and strong as that of the US. lations, nine stores were closed and 36 tons of spoiled food future generations forget it. He said. He said the four Arab states are closed the center and expelled its
Till the next article insha Allah was removed, besides removing 1,023 violating signs. thanked HH the Amir, HH Crown “brotherly countries” to Turkey, but members to Turkey.
KUWAIT: Kuwait Fire Service Directorate Director’s (KFSD) General Lt Gen Khalid Al-Mikrad held a meeting
between the prevention and fighting sectors in the presence of the DDG of Fire Fighting Sector Affairs Maj Gen
KUWAIT: Kuwait Municipality inspectors confiscated five tons of expired food during a recent crackdown on ware- Jamal Al-Bulaihees and DDG of Prevention Sector Affairs Brig Khalid Fahd to discuss cooperation between the
houses in Shuwaikh and Rai. two sectors.
SUNDAY, JULY 16, 2017
LO C A L
In Brief
Kuwait condemns Kuwait oil price Kuwait condemns
Al-Aqsa closure up to $45.38 pb Qatif attacks
KUWAIT:Kuwait strongly condemned Israel’s closure KUWAIT:The price of Kuwaiti oil was up by 86 cents KUWAIT: Kuwait on Friday strongly condemned a
of Al-Aqsa Mosque and thus banning of Palestinian to $45.38 per barrel Friday after being at $44.52 pb terrorist attack on border guards in the Saudi eastern
worshippers from performing Friday prayers, for the the day before, said the Kuwait Petroleum province of Qatif, killing a soldier and injuring anoth-
first time in around half a century. The Israeli measure Corporation (KPC) yesterday. At the global level, the er. The State of Kuwait stands firmly behind Saudi
“is a provocation of feelings of Muslims around the prices were up due to data connected with the Arabia and in any measure it implement to safeguard
its security and stability, a foreign ministry source said
world, and a violation of religious freedom, and a con- decline of US crude reserves. The price of the Brent
in a statement. Kuwait, he added, firmly rejects all
tinuation of Israel’s repeated and rejected attempts to crude was up to $48.91 per barrel, the same case
forms of terrorism and violence. The source
change the status in Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque,” a with the West Texas Intermediate, which stood at expressed deep condolences for family of the victim
foreign ministry source said in a statement. — KUNA
$46.62 pb. — KUNA and wished speedy recovery for the injured. — KUNA
Photo
o f t h e d a y
KUWAIT: An aerial view of the Green Island; an artificial island located off the coast of Kuwait City. It has been a popular tourist attraction in Kuwait ever since
it opened in 1988. — KUNA photo
Weekly roundup of
Kuwait relief efforts
KUWAIT: Living up to its status as a On Thursday, Kuwait delivered 30 tons
‘humanitarian center,’ Kuwait continued its of food aid to the eastern district of Iraqi
relief work and campaigns to all those in city of Mosul Public Relations Officer at
need in the Middle East and beyond Ronahee Foundation Saleh Mahdi said that
throughout the just-ended week. The 30 tons of essential food items arrived in
‘Kuwait is by your side’ campaign on Mosul.
Wednesday handed out medical assistance He lauded Kuwait’s important and
to residents of an area in Yemen’s Al-Dalea unmatched aid and support to Mosul’s war
governorate to combat cholera epidemic. victims. Moreover, Mahdi thanked Kuwait
Al-Dalea’s health office has exerted many for helping people facing severe malnutri-
efforts, in collaboration with partners, to tion in the war-torn Iraqi city, as “mass star-
prevent the spread of the epidemic, the vation is threatening the lives of around
campaign said in a statement, citing Dr 10,000 people. Since the operation to liber-
Mohammad Abdullah, head of the office. ate Mosul began last October, an incessant
More than 14 centers have been opened flow of Kuwaiti food aid had poured into
to deal with cases diagnosed with cholera the city. Recently, the Kuwaiti leadership
across the governorate, he added. He laud- said that it would be willing to host an Iraq
ed generous efforts by the State of Kuwait reconstruction conference in Kuwait before
aiming to help Yemenis in all fields, mainly the end of the year.
the health sector. This proposal came during a phone con-
He referred that many organizations like versation between His Highness the Amir
the World Health Organization (WHO) and Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah
Doctors without Borders have responded and Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi.
to calls by the office. Abdullah stated that His Highness the Amir was congratulating
the number of cases diagnosed with the Iraqi top official on fulfilling the opera-
cholera reached 17,500, including 7000 tions in Mosul, which led to victory against
deaths due to the disease. so-called Islamic State (IS). — KUNA
KUWAIT: Kuwaiti Ambassador to China Sameeh Hayat is seen with the Chinese delegation during their recent visit to Kuwait. — KUNA
Ambassador praises successful
Chinese delegation’s visit to Kuwait
KUWAIT: Kuwaiti Ambassador to China Sameeh identical views on many issues, Ambassador with His Highness the Amir’s ‘New Kuwait’ 2035
Hayat Friday stressed the importance of the Hayat said. Hayat also praised the great hospital- vision and China’s ‘Road and Belt Initiative.’
Chinese delegation’s recent visit to the country, ity of His Highness the Amir during the delega- The delegation, during the visit, tackled the
in which they met His Highness the Amir tion’s visit, which took place from July 10 to 14. latest developments and proposals for Kuwait
Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and The visit aimed at attracting foreign investment development plan and the revival of the ancient
senior officials. to Kuwait and increasing trade exchange between Silk Road through the establishment of strategic
The objectives of the “successful” visit were the two countries, as well as to participate in the projects such as ‘Silk City’ and Kuwait’s five
achieved, especially that Kuwait and China have implementation of mega projects in Kuwait in line islands’ development. — KUNA
Iraq welcomes Kuwait’s
plan to hold conference
MOSUL: Kuwaiti aid workers deliver food aid to people in the eastern district of the BRUSSELS: Head of the Iraq The Iraqi diplomat expressed
Iraqi city of Mosul. — KUNA Photos Mission to the EU and Iraqi conviction that the defeat of IS in
Ambassador in Belgium Jawad Al Mosul is the beginning of a new
Hindawi welcomed His Highness phase in Iraq and the region, and
the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad appealed to the EU to intensify
Al-Jaber Al-Sabah’s readiness to cooperation with the central
host an international conference government in Baghdad to pro-
on Iraq’s reconstruction later this mote political, social, security
year. “We are very happy of this and economic challenges that
imitative. We take highly into con- are facing Iraq.
sideration this imitative by His Last Monday, His Highness the
Highness the Amir of Kuwait,” he Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al- BRUSSELS: Head of the Iraq Mission to the EU and Iraqi Ambassador in
told a press conference at the Jaber Al-Sabah congratulated Iraqi Belgium Jawad Al Hindawi speaks during the press conference. — KUNA
Brussels Press Club Friday. “We President Fuad Masum and Prime
expect more cooperation from Minister Haidar Al-Abadi on the lib- reconstruction of liberated areas in Highness the Amir hoped the vic-
Arab countries, especially Kuwait, eration of the city of Mosul from Iraq before the end of this year. tory would boost Iraq’s unity, secu-
in order to continue fighting the the so-called Islamic State (IS). His His Highness the Amir made the rity and stability, and lead to the
terrorist group the so-called Highness the Amir also announced remark during a phone call with Al- reconstructing of liberated areas,
Islamic State not only militarily but that Kuwait was ready to host an Abadi to congratulate him on the and the return of refugees to their
also ideologically,” he said. international conference on the “historic victory” on IS in Mosul. His towns and villages. — KUNA
SUNDAY, JULY 16, 2017
L O C A L
Crime
Al-Shahed
R e p o r t P
u
bli
f c Power, money
u
Officer jailed for n
d
s and ignorance
smoking shisha
KUWAIT: A police officer was seen smoking shisha in a cafe
By Dr Mohammad Al-Duwaihees
and his pictures were circulated on social media. This led
supervision and inspection officers to the cafe in
T
Farwaniya, who arrested him. They then informed Assistant he triangle of authority, money and igno-
Undersecretary for General Security Maj Gen Ibrahim Al- rance, is what some developing countries
Tarrah, who ordered him jailed for 20 days for violating are suffering from in the modern era. You
interior ministry rules and regulations. He was sent to the find the people of these countries, going through
military prison to serve the sentence. wars, and many revolutions in order to gain their
freedom and be independent from colonial pow-
ers, then after matters settle down, those people
Forgery
who are suppressed hand over the power to rev-
Residency affairs detectives arrested a Syrian and a olution leaders.
Bangladeshi who forged “to who it may concern” certifi- Power, money and ignorance are all in the
cates in the name of the Public Authority for Housing hand of the new authority leaders, so the back-
Welfare. They were charged with forgery in official doc- wardness of the countries increase because the
uments. The arrest was made in Saad Al-Abdullah, and new leadership have taken the same path of the
forged documents were found with them. The two sus- da previous regime and the authority methods, such
pects are being sent to the public prosecution. ri as lavish spending. Meanwhile, the opportunists
a
J among thieves would reach decision making
-
Al positions, while thefts and political crimes are
Fake cop
put undercover by the authority’s media and its
A citizen was surprised by a person in sports attire asking advisors, or through bribing some editors-in-
him for his ID, who claimed to be a detective. He obliged, chief in papers, radios and televisions.
but found it strange that the man did not have a walkie- Funds disappear and leakage from the state
talkie with him, so he asked to see his detective ID and
threatened to call the interior ministry. The suspect
returned the ID and fled. The citizen informed Nugra police
Each revolution in
about the incident. Al-Qabas
Serious stand third world countries
Fight
represents a humanitarian
A fight broke out between a woman in Hawally and a
catastrophe
man she doesn’t know. They exchanged insults, blows
and a car was damaged. Police went to the area and By Abdelmohsen Jamal
took them to the police station. The woman claimed
T
the man beat her in public, so she fled to her apart- he international political struggles that took a more stable than others in the past.
ment, but he followed her inside and continued beat- wide scope on the Arab arena has reached its Maybe the arrival of American and Western officials
treasury increases due to the increased number
ing her. A security source said the man said the fight end, as Western countries could not achieve in the region, either together or separate, gives an
took place near his car, which was damaged by the what they wanted and create a new Middle East, in indication on the gravity of the impasse that we have of thieves in leadership posts, so the leadership
woman, who bit his hand. Investigations are underway. which they will play the main role. On the other hand, reached in our Arab world. The issue has reached a of those countries begin punishing small thieves
the Russian interference in Syria had its effect on point where we had the gate wide open for foreign and put their pictures on its corrupt media.
changing the path of results in a way that serves the interference in issues that previously used to be Meanwhile, the leadership appointing big
Stabbing Russians and the new axis that began to be created. among the most private matters in the ‘Arab home.’ thieves, the ignorant and stupid in sensitive
All that left some Arab countries clearly lost; those The matter is in need of more than one serious stand areas.
An Indian ended differences with his Bangladeshi col-
who were not ready to go along with the moves of the to review the Arab stands again. So, the new formula has become: Stupid
league in an Abdaly farm by stabbing him. The attack fol-
Arab Spring and its political repercussions. They also The variables in the world and the arrival of US authority, stolen money, ignorant leaderships,
lowed a verbal exchange which escalated to exchanging
could not follow the surprise of the Russian interfer- President Donald Trump and his new strategic dealing corrupted media, poor and struggling people. So,
blows, then the Indian pulled a knife and stabbed the
ence that reached an unprecedented stage in Russian with the seasoned Russian President Vladimir Putin, were people wanting to be free from coloniza-
Bangladeshi. The victim called his sponsor, who informed
dealings with changes in the Middle East. require Arabs to use wisdom in differentiating tion, eager to see with their own eyes the new
the police. Investigations are underway.
Maybe the Arab confusion in dealing with the between a true friend and a true enemy and not to formula and its results? People’s futuristic view
results of the Arab Spring is what caused the “malfunc- mix politics with unfruitful emotions. It is enough for now goes like the Kuwaiti proverb: “Keep your
tion” in the Arab League; which lost its ability to find us to leak important political cards out of our hands bad so you do not get worse than him.”
Smuggling solutions, rendering it unable to keep up with the situ- due to unstudied stands in a world that relies on seri- Each revolution in third world countries repre-
An Egyptian was arrested by customs officers after he ations, and made the United Nations interfere by des- ous studies, and future plans prepared with utter care. sents a humanitarian catastrophe and an interna-
failed to smuggle in 162 Tramadol tablets and 12 ignating a special envoy for each Arab dispute. This As for terrorism, which the West had used to pass its tional worry for more fragmentation, poverty and
hashish sticks in a courier parcel. He was sent along Arab division was at the start limited to a partial agendas, has become an approach for it to get closer means to hinder economic, social and human
with the illicit material to the Drugs Control General aspect, then it began to expand to hit the entire Arab to others. development in those countries.
Department. —Translated from the Arabic press reality including the aspects that were considered —Translated by Kuwait Times —Translated by Kuwait Times
Gulf Bank’s KD 250,000
Danah winner announced
KUWAIT: Concluding one of the most draw for 1 Million Kuwaiti Dinars will be atres will be available for only KD2 sev-
anticipated draws of the year, Amnah held on 11 January 2018, when the Al- en days a week. red customers can also
Ammar Hassan Bin Nekhi was Danah Millionaire will be announced. shop from the USA or the UK with a
announced the winner of Gulf Bank’s Gulf Bank invites its customers to dedicated company (edfa3ly), which
second quarterly Al-Danah KD250,000 increase their chances of winning by provide a mail box for internet shop-
cash prize, after the draw was held live depositing more into their Al-Danah ping services from their website
on 88.8 FM ‘Rabaa Al-Diwaniya’ show, account, through the Bank’s ITMs, https://kw.edfa3ly.co/GulfBank.
on Thursday, 13 July 2017, under the ATMs, the new ‘e-Pay’ service or by visit- red customers can now also transfer
supervision of Ministry of Commerce ing any of the Banks’ branches across money from anyone, from any local
and Industry. The Bank’s sixth monthly Kuwait. bank into their Gulf Bank account
red account draws were also held and red is a dedicated account for high through the all new e-pay service,
winners were announced live on air. school, college and university students which also allows customers to pay
The three winners of the sixth aged between 15 and 25, which does their mobile bills for Zain, Ooredoo, and
monthly red account draws are Waad not require a minimum deposit. Eligible Viva and buy iTunes and Google Play
Khaled Farhan Al-Bathali who received customers will get the chance to enter cards, instantly using the new ‘e-Pay’
an iPhone7 Plus, Sarah Ali Mohammed the draw automatically and on a month- service available on Gulf Bank’s Online
Behbehani who received an iPad Pro ly basis, upon transferring their student Banking and Mobile Banking App.
and Shareefah Mohammad Mohsen Al- allowances. Each month, an iPhone 7 For more details about both
Ajmi who received an Apple Watch. Plus, an iPad Pro and an Apple Watch will accounts, customers can visit one of Gulf
Gulf Bank’s Al-Danah 2017 draw be gifted to three lucky winners. The Bank’s 56 branches, transfer on line, or
lineup includes daily draws; with two draws will run until January 2018 and the call the Customer Contact Center on
winners per working day and each next draw will be held on 24 July, 2017. 1805805 for assistance and guidance.
receive KD1000, quarterly draws and In addition to the Apple prizes, stu- Customers can also visit the Bank’s web-
the final Al-Danah draw for KD 1 mil- dents will have the opportunity to win a site www.e-gulfbank.com or log on to
lion. Al-Danah’s third quarterly draw for Fiat 500c-Model 2017 at the annual car www.e-gulfbank.com/aldanahwinners ,
the prize of KD500, 000 will be held on draw, upon transferring their allowance. to find out more about Al-Danah and its
28 September, 2017. The final Al-Danah Also, movie tickets at all Cinescape the- winners.
KUWAIT: The Commercial Bank of Kuwait (CBK) recently participated in a radio program broadcasted
by Kuwait Pulse 88.8, during which it gave a presentation about its special offers and campaigns.
SUNDAY, JULY16, 2017
India set to get
Nuke deal has fewer friends in US and Iran head of state
from lowest caste
Page 8 Page 9
This handout photo provided by the Shenyang Municipal Information Office shows late Nobel laureate Liu Xiaobo’s wife Liu Xia (right in black) and family members standing next to Liu Xiaobo’s body at a funeral parlor in Shenyang in
Liaoning province yesterday. (Inset) Liu Xia prays as relatives bury Liu’s ashes at sea off the coast of Dalian in Liaoning province. — AFP photos
China dissident’s ashes buried at sea
Supporters deprived of place to pay tribute to Liu Xiaobo
SHENYANG, China: The ashes of China’s late Liu Xiaobo’s older brother, Liu Xiaoguang, the government and superiority of its health called the display “disgusting” and a “violation” Xiaobo’s funeral, Liu Xia “fixed her eyes on him
Nobel laureate Liu Xiaobo were buried at sea said at a news conference organized by the care system,” Jared Genser, a US lawyer who of the deceased. a long time, mumbling to say farewell,” Zhang
yesterday, depriving his supporters of a authorities that the government had followed represented Liu, told AFP. said, adding that she was “in very low spirits”.
place to pay tribute to the pro-democracy the family’s wishes. He thanked the Wife is ‘incommunicado’ “It’s best for her not to receive too much out-
dissident. Officials showed a video in which Communist Party for its “humanistic care” of ‘Disgusting’ funeral’ China’s government faced a global back- side interference during this period after Liu
his wife, Liu Xia, and relatives lowered a his brother during his hospitalization and Authorities also released photos of a private lash for denying Liu Xiaobo’s wish to be treat- Xiaobo has died,” he said.
white round urn into the water off northeast death. He did not take any questions before ceremony attended by his family, including his ed abroad, and the United States and Liu was jailed in 2008 after co-writing a
coast city of Dalian, two days after the being escorted out by two women. Zhang wife, whose fate worries supporters hoping the European Union have called on the govern- petition calling for democratic reforms. The
democracy advocate died of liver cancer Qingyang, an official from the Shenyang city government will cede to international pressure ment to free Liu Xia. She has been under veteran of the 1989 Tiananmen Square pro-
aged 61 while in custody. municipal office, said the cremation was “in to release her and let her leave China. Liu Xia, a house arrest since 2010, but she was allowed democracy protests was sentenced to 11
His supporters said the authorities wanted accordance with the will of his family mem- poet, stood with her brother, and two of Liu to see her husband after he was transferred years in prison for “subversion” a year later.
to avoid giving him a pilgrimage site where bers and local customs”. Xiaobo’s brothers in front of the body, which from prison to a hospital in Shenyang after The foreign ministry lashed out at the inter-
they could remember a writer whose calls for Liu’s supporters said it was impossible to was covered with white petals. Zhang said being diagnosed with late-stage liver cancer in national criticism on Friday, saying it lodged
political reform angered the Communist verify if it was really his wish to be buried at “friends” also attended the ceremony. late May. official protests with the United States,
regime and led to his arrest in 2008. Officials sea as the authorities have severely restricted But Amnesty International’s China Liu Xiaoguang said Liu Xia was in “weak Germany, France and the United Nations
“fear that if someone who is as emblematic a access to his family. They also said Liu researcher Patrick Poon told AFP that he did condition” and experiencing such “great sor- human rights office. “The most preposterous
symbol as Liu Xiaobo had a burial ground, it Xiaoguang did not agree with Liu Xiaobo’s not recognize any in the row of non-family row” and that she may need hospital treat- thing is that even during his cremation and
would become a place where his supporters political leanings. “It is deplorable how the members in the official photo and people ment. “As far as I know, Liu Xia is in a free con- funeral he still was not free,” Hu Jia, a Beijing-
would gather on his memorial day, the day he Chinese government has forced the family to close to the Liu couple identified at least one dition,” municipal official Zhang said. But based activist and family friend, told AFP.
received the Nobel or any other such occasions cremate Liu Xiaobo, bury him at sea, and then “state security police officer” among them. Genser said she was still being held “incom- “And now it’s been passed on to his wife, who
to express their desire to chase after freedom,” coerced Liu’s brother to make robotic state- Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei, who lives in municado” and he has “seen no sign that the will continue to lead on that same freedom-
activist and family friend Ye Du told AFP. ments to the media about the great care of Berlin, tweeted a photo of the funeral and government is going to let her go”. At Liu less existence.”— AFP
Egypt police probe motives of attacker
HURGHADA, Egypt: Police yesterday questioned the women killed, Berlin yesterday said they Egypt in response and has yet to resume them. IS
the suspected jihadist who stabbed to death two were both German nationals, rather than has been waging a deadly insurgency concen-
German women and wounded four others at a Ukrainians as earlier reported. “I am very upset trated in the north of the Sinai Peninsula that has
Red Sea beach resort, adding to the woes of by this cowardly crime, my condolences to the killed hundreds of policemen and soldiers.
Egypt’s hobbled tourism industry. Judicial families of the victims,” German Foreign Minister
sources said the man who had swum ashore Sigmar Gabriel said. Among the four others Police, Copts also targeted
from a public beach in Hurghada to carry out wounded were two Armenian women and a It has also killed dozens of Coptic Christians in
Friday’s attack confessed to sharing the ideology woman from the Czech Republic, according to church bombings and shootings since
of the Islamic State jihadist group, although there authorities in those countries. December, and pledged further attacks.
was no IS claim of responsibility. It was not the first attack in Hurghada. In Jan Yesterday, a Muslim man stabbed a security
The sources said the suspect, a 28-year-old 2016, three tourists were wounded in a stabbing guard at a church in the Mediterranean city of
from Kafr Al-Sheikh province in the Nile Delta, assault in the resort by two assailants with appar- Alexandria after the guard asked to check his
north of Cairo, has been transferred to the capital ent IS sympathies. In Tunisia, IS claimed a beach bag. The attacker was quickly subdued and is
for questioning. At the same time, the prosecu- attack in June 2015 when a student armed with a being questioned, a police official told AFP. The
tion said in a statement that it had not yet con- Kalashnikov assault rifle and grenades went on a incident came days after leaders of the Christian
firmed the assailant’s motives and urged the rampage near the Mediterranean resort of minority suspended some services such as con-
media “to stop resorting to speculation or get- Sousse killing 38 holidaymakers, 30 of them ferences and religious trips for three weeks over
ting ahead of the investigation”. The streets of Britons, before being shot dead by police. security concerns.
Hurghada were being heavily patrolled and secu- Hurghada is one of Egypt’s most popular On Friday, unknown assailants shot dead five
rity was stepped up outside hotels yesterday. beach resorts, especially with Ukrainians and policemen just south of Cairo, in the latest of a
“I was sitting down in my shop when we other European tourists. Egyptian authorities say series of attacks targeting Egypt’s security forces.
heard people shouting. We ran outside and they have boosted security at the country’s The killings came as police and the army said
heard that someone had swum to the next door tourist sites. The industry provides the Arab they were closing in on militants and jihadists fol-
hotel and was attacking foreigners,” said Rafic world’s most populous country with much-need- lowing a spate of deadly attacks in the Nile Valley
Rushdi, the owner of a hotel shop. “After killing ed revenues. An IS bombing of a Russian airliner and the Sinai. Egypt has struggled to quell IS mili-
two women, he ran towards our hotel. He was carrying holidaymakers from a resort in the south tants based in the Sinai and smaller militant
shouting that he was not after Egyptians, and of the Sinai Peninsula in 2015 killed all 224 peo- groups in the mainland since the military over- HURGHADA: A picture taken yesterday shows a general view of the Sunny Days Elpalacio
some Egyptians intervened to stop him.” ple on board and decimated the country’s threw Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013 beach in this Egyptian Red Sea resort city, where an Egyptian stabbed to death two
After initial confusion over the nationality of tourism sector. Russia suspended all flights to and cracked down on his supporters. — AFP German tourists and injured four others the day before. — AFP
SUNDAY, JULY 16, 2017
I N T E R N AT ION A L
Hunger-striking pair are
symbols of Turkey purge
ANKARA:An Ankara academic and teacher of Erdogan say the emergency powers are
who have been on hunger strike for over being used to purge anyone who has been
four months after being sacked in the wake critical including those, like Gulmen and
of Turkey’s failed coup have emerged as sym- Ozakca, who deny any links to Gulen but
bols of the biggest purge in the country’s his- have a history of leftwing activism.
tory. Academic Nuriye Gulmen and teacher In a report published in May, rights
Semih Ozakca were fired by a government group Amnesty International criticized the
decree under the state of emergency “arbitrary” and “politically motivated” dis-
imposed after the July 15 coup bid last year. missals. But Turkish officials have expressed
They then held daily demonstrations in the impatience with the interest in the pair’s
heart of Ankara wearing vests with the sim- case, arguing they were jailed for member-
ple words: “I want my job back,” winning ship of the Revolutionary People’s
national and international media attention. Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C), an out-
On March 9, they went on a hunger lawed Marxist group that has carried out
strike to challenge their dismissal and were sporadic attacks. The pair deny any link to
jailed in May on terror charges. The pair are banned groups. Kozagacli said that since
now over four months into their hunger the 80th day of their hunger strike, they
strike, only consuming salty or sugary have not had a medical check-up. They
water, herbal teas and vitamin B1. “We rejected the medical team sent by the
know that at this stage of a hunger strike, prison administration after the doctor
there is a risk of death,” their lawyer Selcuk threatened to force-feed them if they lost
Kozagacli told AFP, adding they were suffer- consciousness. “Their situation, their health
ing hearing and eyesight problems while and other needs are being followed very NIGDE, Turkey: People walk past the monument of Omer Halisdemir, who was killed last year during the coup attempt. —AFP
their muscles were very weak. closely,” Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag said Coup ‘martyrs’ become new
earlier this month. “End this hunger strike,”
‘No luxury of time’ Bozdag said, adding: “This is not the way to
But Gulmen and Ozakca are just two of seek rights.” Their trial begins on Sept 14. “We
heroes of Erdogan’s Turkey
more than 100,000 people sacked by the cannot wait for that date, we do not have the
Turkish state after the attempt to over- luxury of time,” lawyer Kozagacli told AFP.
throw President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Under the state of emergency imposed a ‘Cannot hide’
Halisdemir probably the most celebrated victim
few days after the failed coup, Turkish But it is not just those sacked affected by
authorities fired judges, civil servants, the purges: Their families and partners are
teachers and academics, accusing them of also impacted. A European diplomatic source CUKURKUYU, Turkey: People have come from ‘One of the greatest heroes’ “On July 15, these people became heroes,”
being supporters of the Muslim cleric estimated “around a million people are direct- far and wide to this sleepy Anatolian village in Tens of thousands of people have already said Abudurrahman Tarik Sebik, president of
Fethullah Gulen. Ankara accuses Gulen, ly or indirectly affected by the purges”. central Turkey to recite prayers, take selfies or made the journey to the cemetery in the Foundation for the Martyrs of July 15
who lives in self-imposed exile in Indeed, once sacked, the fired individual los- just think quietly. The purpose of their visit is Cukurkuyu to visit the grave of Halisdemir, established after the coup. “But what were
Pennsylvania, of ordering the failed putsch. es their income as well as their social security simple - to pay their respects at the grave of located at the end of an alley lined with pine they doing on the 14th? One was a taxi driver,
Gulen strongly denies the charges. for them and close relatives, Amnesty said. Sergeant Omer Halisdemir, probably the most trees and flanked by a gigantic Turkish flag. another a ship captain and someone else was
Turkish officials say the actions are The powerful teachers’ union Egitim-Sen is celebrated victim of the July 15 coup aimed at “One of the greatest heroes of the night of the an academic.”
needed to expunge the influence of Gulen’s able to provide 1,200 Turkish liras ($336) a ousting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The putsch is buried there,” said Aydin, 23, a stu-
movement and any other banned organi- month for its sacked members. 249 people who died at the hands of the coup dent who had come to Halisdemir’s grave with ‘Normal kind of guy’
zations from the state sector. Anyone who But this is hardly enough to make ends plotters are remembered in Turkey as “sehitler” his family from Ankara. “When he fell as a mar- The cult of martyrs has aroused the greed of
feels unfairly treated can appeal to a com- meet and those sacked find it impossible to tyr, Omer Halisdemir became the brother of 80 businessmen who have shown no hesitation in
- martyrs for Islam - and the subject of intense
mission that begins its work next week, find new work. Acun Karadag, one of over million Turks,” he added. In the province of exploiting their names to make a fast buck.
veneration on the first anniversary of the
although it remains unclear how it will be 33,000 sacked teachers, protests every day in Nigde, where Cukurkuyu is located, Halisdemir’s widow recently even inscribed her
failed putsch.
able to examine so many cases. Opponents support of Gulmen and Ozakca. — AFP Halisdemir’s image is omnipresent - stuck to husband’s name in Turkey’s patents register to
But none has received the attention of
the windows of lorries, on the local university protect it from misuse. In the wake of the failed
Halisdemir, who became an immediate national
that is now named after him, on scarves sold in putsch, promises flooded into the authorities in
hero by shooting two bullets into the head of
the street. A statue of him now occupies pride Cukurkuyu to help with development. “At the
General Semih Terzi on the night of July 15. Terzi
of place in central Nigde. start, everyone wanted to build something here,”
is suspected of being one of the key plotters
said Ahmet Ozer, the mukhtar (senior local offi-
who was leading the assault on the headquar-
‘A whole mythology’ cial) of the village. “But almost no-one kept their
ters of special forces in Ankara. Anti-coup special
The heroes of the coup night like Halisdemir promises,” he added bitterly, with only the cities
forces commander Zekai Aksakalli had ordered
have been given an importance of historical of Kocaeli and Ankara forking out to build a park
Halisdemir by telephone to shoot dead Terzi to
magnitude by the government. “A whole and a wall around the cemetery.
break the chain of command. The sergeant
mythology is being built around” the failed At the cemetery, the gardener Ahmet Yesil,
replied simply “Yes Sir!”.
putsch, said a European diplomat. “In the official a childhood friend of Halisdemir, rummages
After carrying out his commander’s instruc- discourse, July 15 has become some kind of sec- around in his memory as he digs into the
tions to the letter, Halisdemir was himself imme- ond War of Independence,” the diplomat added, ground. “Omer had the look of a soldier, he
diately shot dead by Terzi’s entourage. The ulti- referring to the struggle that led to the founding had that sharp look. He often said - ‘I am not
mate sacrifice made by Halisdemir, married with of modern Turkey in 1923. This is made clear in scared of anything, just of God’.” They met for
two children, was hailed by Turkish leaders as the large number of roads, schools and parks the last time just a week before his death, dur-
the turning point of the night and turned his named after the martyrs of the putsch. The first ing a funeral of a friend in the same cemetery.
ANKARA: Turkish plainclothes police officers detain protesters during a demonstra- home village of Cukurkuyu in central Anatolia bridge across the Bosphorus in Istanbul is now “I liked Omer a lot,” said Yesil. “He was a normal
tion in support of two hunger-strikers on July 10, 2017.— AFP into a place of pilgrimage. called the bridge of the Martyrs of July 15. kind of guy.” — AFP
SUNDAY, JULY 16, 2017
I N T E R N AT ION A L
Libya trains regular army to ‘do away with militias’
GHARYAN, Libya: Under a blazing sun even to re-establish security in a country The Guard already has 500 opera-
at a military center in western Libya, controlled by hundreds of militias. The tional fighters, recruited from armed
dozens of young recruits learn to march challenge was underlined again this groups, whose task is to protect Tripoli’s
in formation, as authorities train the week as forces loyal to Libya’s UN-backed international airport, said General
country’s first regular force since its 2011 government repelled an attack by rival Mohammad Shtiba. The GNA recently
revolution. Another makeshift camp has militias east of Tripoli after three days of ousted rival militias to regain control of
been set up nearby to train future sol- clashes. the airport, which was destroyed by
diers. On the menu: jumping, climbing, In the past few months, the fighting in 2014.
crawling and scaling ropes. “This basic Government of National Accord has “We are now trying to integrate the
training marks our passage from civilian been working hard to form the new fighters individually in just three
life to military life,” said Issam Abu force, which will be tasked with protect- months of training, essentially to instill
Ghnima, a member of the first class of a ing government officials, public institu- the ABC of military discipline,” Shtiba
soon-to-be-formed Presidential Guard. tions and diplomatic missions. “The said. “Most of them have completed
The 28-year-old, who has two wives, international community wants to help their military service and are well sea-
says he lost two children during the us, but in the presence of the militias, it soned in combat.” Since 2011, transi-
NATO-backed uprising that ousted long- has not found institutions it can rely on,” tional authorities have tried repeatedly
time dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. Guard’s spokesman Colonel Adnan Al- to integrate the militias into regular
He decided to join the Presidential Guard Turki said. He was talking in front of 200 forces controlled by the state.
“to get rid of the militias that have soldiers gathered at a hall in the training Thousands of fighters have been
destroyed this country”. “We want to center in Gharian, 85 km south of Tripoli. trained both inside Libya and abroad.
move on to a new stage: building the To motivate them, he promised “good GHARYAN, Libya: Libyan recruits take part in military training at a center some But many militiamen switch allegiance
state. I think the Presidential Guard is a wages and bonuses”, as well as training 80 km south of the capital Tripoli on July 11, 2017. — AFP depending on the interest of the day,
very good project for starting to build abroad. police, is to eventually comprise seven Misrata. After three months of basic often ending up rejoining armed groups
institutions,” he said. brigades. Colonel Salah Al-Triki said the training, they choose a speciality formed on the basis of regional, tribal or
Successive transitional authorities ‘Instill ABC of military discipline’ first contingent of 600 soldiers and offi- according to their skills: Special forces, religious affiliations. “We will not make
over the past six years have been unable The Presidential Guard, set to form cers are being trained at centers in telecommunications, the mechanics’ the same mistakes,” Shtiba said, without
to form a regular army or police force, or the core of the future Libyan army and Gharian, Tripoli and the western city of brigade and so on. going into specifics. —AFP
Two years on, nuke deal has
Kushner under pressure
over Russia scandal fewer friends in US and Iran
WASHINGTON: Donald Trump’s eldest document known as an SF-86, initially
son Don Jr may be in the media spotlight neglected to mention that he attended
Europeans concerned on path Trump might take
over his notorious Trump Tower meeting the meeting with lawyer Natalia
with a Russian lawyer promising dirt on Veselnitskaya - as well as contacts he had
Hillary Clinton. But the latest revelation in with several other Russians, including WASHINGTON: Signed with pomp and fanfare ed to abandon the JCPOA. The former real estate cers wrote. In fact, the UN nuclear monitoring
the burgeoning scandal has added to the Moscow’s ambassador to the United on July 14, 2015, the Iranian nuclear agreement mogul has already staked out contrary positions authority, the International Atomic Energy
pressure on another family member who States, Sergey Kislyak. The meeting with was heralded as a triumph for American diplo- to Obama in the Middle East, tightening US ties Agency (IAEA), praised Iran last month for
was at the meeting and is already in the Veselnitskaya came to light only after macy and international cooperation on nonpro- to Saudi Arabia’s Sunni leaders while calling for respecting its commitments.
crosshairs of investigators - Jared Kushner filed an amended SF-86 form. liferation. Two years later, it has few friends in the “isolation” of their Shiite rivals in Iran. Europeans are deeply concerned, however,
Kushner, the president’s influential son- Veselnitskaya confirmed to CNN and the Trump administration or in Tehran. When it Washington accuses Tehran of posing a about the path Trump might take. “What we are
in-law. Democrats are up in arms, MSNBC that Kushner attended the meet- was signed in Vienna, President Barack Obama regional “threat” that “destabilizes” Syria, Iraq, telling the Americans is that the JCPOA is not
demanding that the 36-year-old Kushner ing but said he was there for only “seven and his secretary of state, John Kerry, claimed Yemen and Lebanon, either directly or through perfect but (is) much better than other options,”
- a senior adviser to the president with an to 10 minutes” and she had never intend- the pact - commonly known as JCPOA, for Joint its “terrorist” proxies. The Republican-controlled a senior European official told reporters, speak-
office in the White House - be stripped of ed to hand over damaging information Comprehensive Plan of Action - as an undeni- US Senate passed a bill in June to impose new ing on grounds of anonymity. “Losing the
his security clearance. about Clinton anyway. able success. sanctions on Tehran for its “support for interna- JCPOA would be a mistake.” The retired officers
“There doesn’t seem to be any ethical
Their Iranian counterparts, President Hassan tional terrorism.” Meantime, the State warned against “aggressive posturing that could
standard in the White House,” Democratic Russia ties under microscope
Rouhani and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Department, which since 1984 has declared Iran pave the way to war” with Iran, something that
House minority leader Nancy Pelosi But even before revelations of the
Zarif, were equally ebullient. The pact was also a “state sponsor of terror,” continues to punish seemed a possibility in the early 2000s.
tweeted on Thursday. “Jared Kushner’s Veselnitskaya meeting came to light,
signed by China, Russia, France, Britain and Tehran for its ballistic missile program. The
security clearance must be immediately Kushner’s other dealings with Russian
Germany, lending it additional weight. In force JCPOA nonetheless still has its fervent support- Dashed hopes in Iran
revoked.” Even some from Trump’s officials have been facing scrutiny.
since Jan 16, 2016, the JCPOA provides for inter- ers in Washington. In Tehran, too, the euphoria of July 2015 has
Republican Party are not so sure that According to The Washington Post,
national monitoring of Tehran’s nuclear program given way to disillusion. Even if the desire for
Kushner - who is married to the presi- Kushner - at a December 2016 meeting
to ensure its purely peaceful, civilian use. In ‘An existential threat’ closer ties with the West remains strong among
dent’s eldest daughter Ivanka - should with Kislyak - raised the possibility of set-
exchange, Tehran was promised the gradual lift- The accord “removed an existential threat to many Iranians - as shown by the re-election in
remain in the West Wing. “I’m going out ting up a secret and secure communica-
ing of the international sanctions that have the United States and our allies and partners,” May of the moderate Rouhani - the much-antici-
on a limb here - but I would say I think it tions link between the Trump transition
strangled the Iranian economy for years. said a statement from Diplomacy Works, a pres- pated economic fruits of the nuclear deal have
would be in the president’s best interest team and the Kremlin. That same month,
But during his presidential campaign, billion- sure group founded by John Kerry and some for- been slow to materialize. The continuing
if he removed all of his children from the Kushner also met with Sergey Gorkov,
aire Republican Donald Trump made the accord mer advisers. The lobbying group added, “We American sanctions frighten bankers and scare
White House,” Texas Representative Bill chief of Vnesheconombank and a former
a favorite target. In campaign speech after cam- encourage the administration to recertify Iran’s away international corporations. While the
Flores told local television Thursday. “Not member of Russian intelligence. The
paign speech, he pronounced it “the worst deal compliance - which they must do in order to French oil company Total did recently sign a $4.8
only Donald Trump (Jr), but Ivanka and bank, a key arm of the Russian govern-
ever,” and he vowed, if elected, to “rip it up”. As reissue sanctions waivers due Monday.” As billion gas deal with Iran, foreign direct invest-
Jared Kushner.” ment, is under tough US sanctions.
president, however, Trump has not carried out his Jonathan Finer, a former Kerry chief of staff, told ment in the country topped out last year at $3.4
The Post reported last month that
threat. In May, the Trump administration even AFP, “The nuclear agreement is working... It billion, a very long way from the $50 billion that
Omissions on security Kushner’s finances and business dealings
decided to pursue the Obama policy of easing would be hard to understand why the adminis- Rouhani once promised.
clearance forms were being examined as part of the
some sanctions at least while completing a tration would want to generate a crisis” by tear- And that provides grist for ultraconservative
While Donald Jr has no role in his probe led by special counsel and former
JCPOA review to decide - in principle by tomor- ing up the accord. factions in Iran hostile to America. As the holy
father’s administration - he is helping run FBI director Robert Mueller into whether
row - whether to continue lifting sanctions. In a letter to Trump, 38 retired US generals month of Ramadan was ending in June, and just
his corporate empire - Kushner is one of the Trump campaign teamed with Russia
and admirals stressed that the agreement had before a speech by supreme leader Ayatollah Ali
Trump’s closest advisors. The Harvard to help tilt the presidential race in favor
Obama legacy at stake “successfully blocked Iran’s paths to a nuclear Khamenei, the official poet of the Islamic
graduate is also the progeny of a power- of the billionaire tycoon. And this week,
After vowing to drop out of the Paris climate weapon”. “Iran dismantled two-thirds of its cen- Republic proclaimed: “Too much excitement
ful New York real estate family, and has the McClatchy newspaper group report-
agreement and questioning the Obama-era trifuges, gave up 98 percent of its stockpile of over the JCPOA was a mistake, Relying on Uncle
long been in Trump’s inner circle. It was ed that congressional and Justice
opening to Cuba, Trump would be dealing a ter- sensitive uranium and poured concrete into the Sam was a mistake, O friends, we made a pact
actually an omission on a government Department investigators were looking
rible blow to his predecessor’s legacy if he decid- core of its heavy-water reactor,” the retired offi- with a thief.” — AFP
security clearance application filed by into whether the Trump campaign
Kushner that led to the revelation of the helped Russian cyber operatives bom-
meeting between himself, Donald Jr, for- bard key voting districts with “fake news”
mer Trump campaign manager Paul about Clinton. Kushner was in charge of
Manafort and the Russian lawyer. It also the Trump campaign’s digital operations.
led Donald Jr to release an email chain He now plays a major role in shaping for-
about the planning of that meeting - eign policy.
which is now being cited as the most seri- US intelligence agencies have conclud-
ous evidence yet of alleged collusion ed that Russian President Vladimir Putin
between the Trump presidential cam- approved a massive effort to swing the
paign and Russia. In the June 2016 election to Trump, including hacking and
emails, Donald Jr eagerly agrees to a leaking embarrassing emails from
meeting with a Kremlin-linked Russian Democrats. Trump has vehemently
lawyer who is said to possess incriminat- denied any collusion between his cam-
ing information about Clinton and invites paign and Russia and repeatedly claimed
Kushner and Manafort to come along. to be the victim of a “witch hunt” by the
Kushner, filing a security clearance media and sore loser Democrats. — AFP
Italians debate citizenship
rights as pressures grow
ROME:With a flood of migrants arriving on it known that it’s easier to become Italian
Italy’s shores, a bitter debate has erupted will create false hopes in Africa and
over whether children born on Italian soil increase migratory pressures,” he warned.
to foreign parents should have citizenship Over 86,000 migrants have arrived so far
rights at birth. According to a poll pub- this year, up over 10 percent compared
lished Thursday in the Messaggero daily, with the same period in 2016.
the idea of “ius soli” is losing support RAQQA: Members of the Sheikh Wais family react as they ask Kurdish fighters to recover the bodies of her relatives from under the rubble on
among Italians, even though such a path to 800,000 new nationals July 12, 2017 during an offensive. — AFP
citizenship exists in many other EU coun- The adoption of “ius soli” would bestow Tragic end to Raqqa family’s hopes
tries. The Latin term “ius soli” refers to rights Italian nationality on around 800,000 chil-
linked to the land (where you are born) as dren immediately, and another 60,000 new-
opposed to “ius sanguinis”, where rights are borns a year, according to the Italian
based on blood ties. Institute of Statistics (Istat). “The children RAQQA, Syria: While thousands of people head wrapped in a traditional white scarf Worst fears confirmed
Children currently must have at least born in Italy are Italians and it is the duty of scramble to flee Syria’s battle-torn Raqqa, mem- embroidered with colored flowers. After she had settled in Tabqa, Amal
one Italian parent to enjoy citizenship a civilized country to welcome them,” Prime bers of the Sheikh Wais family bravely headed learned of rumors circulating on Facebook
rights. Those who do not can apply when Minister Paolo Gentiloni said earlier this back in to recover the bodies of loved ones killed A fatal decision suggesting that their relatives had been killed.
they turn 18 but rules on time spent out of week. The proposed bill is also passionately there. Dodging shelling, air strikes and snipers, Before Syria’s war erupted in 2011, Raqqa’s Her brother, who had managed to cross into
the country mean some are rejected. Back supported by his predecessor Matteo Renzi. the four Syrian Kurds finally made it back into population was about 20 percent Kurdish, Turkey, heard the same news and rushed back
in October, 41 percent of people polled Gentiloni has brushed aside attempts by the western district of Al-Daraiya in the jihadist- according to French geography expert Fabrice across the border to find out what had hap-
said they were in favor of “ius soli”, but now critics to link the issue of citizen rights to held city this week. But hopes of retrieving and Balanche. When IS overran the city in early 2014, pened to his family. Desperate for closure, the
that number has dropped to 32.3 percent. that of national security, saying “the way to burying their relatives were shattered by a night- thousands of the city’s minority residents fled. remaining members of the Sheikh Wais family
Italy’s high-profile battle with Europe over reduce risk is not through exclusion but marish scene. The Sheikh Wais family was one of the few Syrian gathered last week at a camp for the displaced
who should deal with the hundreds of dialogue and inclusion”. But with unem- “We found half a corpse and some hair. I only Kurdish clans to stay in their native city. in Ain Issa, more than 50 km north of Raqqa.
thousands of migrants rescued in the ployment towering at 11 percent - well knew it was them from my sister Zahraa’s gold “Abdallah would get beaten a lot because he Their worst fears were confirmed by
Mediterranean and brought ashore since above the average in the Eurozone - and chain,” wailed 17-year-old Amal Sheikh Wais. Her sis- wanted to smoke cigarettes and refused to wear Nour’s father, who had just escaped IS. “He
2014 has sparked a backlash over a pro- soaring to 37 percent among young peo- ter, their brother Abdallah, his pregnant wife Nour the style of dress” mandated by IS, Amal recalled. went to check on them one day and found
posed bill and even fisticuffs in parliament. ple, the age-old narrative of foreigners and the couple’s 18-month-old baby all perished in As the US-backed SDF tightened the noose the dead bodies,” Amal said. “So he covered
After 15 years of debate, the draft law stealing locals’ jobs has reared its head. ferocious fighting between US-backed forces and around Raqqa earlier this year, IS turned parts of them in a sheet and built up a small dirt
establishing “ius soli” was adopted by Italy’s That fear has not been eased by new fig- the Islamic State group. “We couldn’t even find the the city into “military zones” - including the fami- berm around them to mark the location
lower house in 2015. Two years later, after a ures this week showing 4.5 million Italians baby’s body,” Amal told AFP, moments after return- ly’s home district of Al-Rumeilah. The Sheikh before fleeing the city,” she told AFP.
series of amendments, it is now being debat- are living in absolute poverty. According to Il ing from the horrifying ordeal. Wais family fled across the city to a bakery where Flustered, she switched between Arabic and
ed in the upper house with the support of Messaggero, those polled in Thursday’s sur- Amal, another brother and their mother had they used to work, in the western district of Al- Kurdish and said it was still unclear exactly
the center-left. The draft law also provides for vey said it would be better to postpone the just arrived at a home in west Raqqa used as a Daraiya. In June, Amal and her mother risked the how her relatives had died.
nationality via “ius culturae” for children not debate on citizenship rights until after the command base by the US-backed Syrian harrowing journey out of Raqqa further west to Some recent escapees said they were killed
born in Italy who have spent at least five general election in spring next year. Italy in Democratic Forces as they battle IS jihadists. An the town of Tabqa, which was captured by the in air strikes as they were preparing to flee,
years in the country’s education system. 2016 bestowed the highest number of citi- SDF fighter saw the family approaching their SDF two months ago. but others blamed IS mortar fire. The United
Italy’s anti-immigrant Northern League zenships in Europe at 205,000, up from just position along a dirt road and first assumed they But Zahraa, along with Abdallah, Nour and their Nations has warned that civilians caught in
has slammed the proposal as a “cultural 63,000 in 2012. Adopting “ius soli” would were civilians escaping IS. “Abdallah! Abdallah! toddler, made the fatal decision to stay in Raqqa, the fighting or trying to flee face massive risks.
mistake”. Ex-premier Silvio Berlusconi, bring Italy into line with the majority of its Abdallah!” screamed Amal’s mother, dressed in a where their situation grew even more dire. “Daesh Corpses still litter the streets in areas recap-
founder of the center-right Forza Italia, said European neighbors - from Belgium and black robe and white headscarf. SDF fighters kicked them out of the bakery, so they were forced tured by the SDF. Some are of suspected IS
it would send the wrong signal to those Britain to France and Portugal - where the tried to console them, but to no avail. “There was to camp in a nearby field with the bakery owner,” fighters, but others - including those of small
already attracted to Italy’s shores. “Making law already applies in various forms. —AFP nothing left of them,” said her son solemnly, his Amal said, using an Arabic acronym for IS. children - are clearly civilians. — AFP
SUNDAY, JULY 16, 2017
I N T E R N AT ION A L
India set to get head of
state from lowest caste
Modi sends message to Dalits
NEW DELHI: India’s next president will emerge from
the Dalit caste - a community so marginalized they
were once known as “untouchables” - with the victo-
ry of the ruling party candidate set to strengthen
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s grip on power. Ram
Nath Kovind, 71, is hot favorite to be elected tomor-
row by national and state lawmakers to become tit-
KIGALI: This file photo taken on Feb 4, 2017 shows Rwandan Philippe
ular head-of-state as the candidate of Modi’s
Mpayimana speaking to the media during his first press conference. —AFP
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). It will be only the sec-
Rwanda oppn in uphill ond time, after President K R Narayanan, who served
from 1997 to 2002, that a member of the downtrod-
den caste has assumed the post.
battle against Kagame The result will be announced Thursday. And for
Modi, with one eye on re-election in 2019, it will
send an important message to a key, long disdained
electoral group. Dalits, who number around 200 mil-
KIGALI: On the impeccably clean streets of because there has been a climate of fear,”
lion, are among the poorest communities in India
Rwanda’s capital, where a skyline of gleaming Habineza, 40, told AFP.
and have traditionally been relegated to activities
new buildings pokes through undulating hills,
on the margins of society.
few have heard of opposition presidential aspi- A dangerous journey
Despite legal protection, discrimination is rife
rants Frank Habineza and Philippe Mpayimana. In his starkly decorated office in the capi-
and Dalits are routinely denied access to education
They were only confirmed as candidates and tal, Habineza is still absorbing the fact that he
and other opportunities for advancement. Analysts
allowed to begin fundraising a week before is finally on the ballot paper eight years since
say Modi can win political capital by helping BJP
Friday’s campaign start for Augst 4 elections in he began the struggle to register his
politician Kovind - a former Supreme Court lawyer
the east African nation. With little money, and Democratic Green Party. “It has been a very
and ex-governor of the eastern state of Bihar - to
only three weeks to drum up support, the two difficult journey and also a very dangerous
win the contest against opposition nominee Meira
men face a seemingly insurmountable task in journey,” he said. He describes political meet-
Kumar, also a Dalit. Modi has used Twitter to hail the
challenging the all-powerful President Paul ings violently broken up, supporters impris-
rise of Kovind, the son of a farmer, from “a humble NEW DELHI: This photo taken on June 23, 2017 shows Ram Nath Kovind (left), the
Kagame, who himself says the result is a fore- oned or forced to flee into exile, and his own
background”. National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government’s candidate for the upcoming presi-
gone conclusion. departure to Sweden after his deputy was
Kumar, the daughter of freedom fighter Babu dential election, gesturing as he leaves an NDA meeting with Indian Prime Minister
“The election is over,” Kagame told thou- found almost decapitated shortly before the
Jagjivan Ram, was a diplomat before entering poli- Narendra Modi (right) and top Bharatiya Janata Party leader L K Advani (center). —AFP
sands of supporters at a rally as the campaign last election in 2010.
tics in 1985 and became India’s first woman speaker
kicked off, explaining the decision had been Habineza finally managed to register his
in 2009, but the electoral college numbers are heavi- important states. Their vote is extremely important, tion with a Dalit presidential candidate”.
made when around 98 percent of voters chose party in 2013 after returning to the country,
ly tilted against her. Her nomination, which followed especially for the BJP,” Hebbar said. Ashok Malik of the New Delhi based Observer
to let him seek a third term in office in a 2015 and was a lone voice against the constitutional
Kovind’s, was seen by many as the opposition’s But reports of clashes and caste discrimination Research Foundation think-tank told AFP that
referendum. Posters and decorations in the col- reform allowing Kagame a third term. His dis-
attempt to counter Modi’s move to woo Dalits. are routine across the country. Authorities in BJP- Kovind’s nomination was “a milestone” for the BJP,
ors of the ruling Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF) sent is not without consequence: In the run-up
ruled Uttar Pradesh state sent riot police to which “is at its strongest ever” and poised to elect its
went up overnight in time for the start of the to this election he was evicted from his former
Poor but powerful Saharanpur district in May after clashes between choice of president even without any support from
campaign, while many Rwandans said they did office, and both he and his deputy were
Votes from the Dalits and the BJP’s traditional Dalits and upper caste Hindus. Violent protests opposition lawmakers. But Dalits wonder whether
not even know who the other candidates were. thrown out of their homes without warning.
Hindu base propelled Modi to his 2014 landslide, erupted in Modi’s home state Gujarat last year after the election of a president from their community -
“We as the population have lived a long
especially in the battleground states of Uttar video footage emerged of an attack on four Dalit vil- for the second time in two decades - will bring real
time with our president (Kagame). We only Opposition a facade
Pradesh and Bihar. “Every (Indian) politician would lagers who were taking a dead cow to be skinned. change.
know what he has done, we don’t care about In a Kigali garden, the other opposition
want support from this 16 percent voting bloc for Cows are considered sacred by Hindus and attacks “Change will happen only when the everyday
the other candidates,” says One Love candidate, Mpayimana, appears somewhat
any election,” Vimal Thorat, an activist and convener by vigilante groups on cow traders and smugglers problems of the community are addressed in line
Nkundimana, 28, who works as a street porter. dazed to be in the race at all as he sits at a
of the National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights, have increased since Modi’s election. with our constitution. When they are given justice
Kagame and his RPF have held an iron grip on table strategizing and sipping beer with a
told AFP. Dalit support is even more important for Dalits are commonly tasked with jobs such as and the rules are implemented fairly and firmly,”
power since overthrowing the extremist Hutu small team of advisors. He was the only one of
the BJP as it has mostly been shunned by Muslims, skinning cattle carcasses for their hides and the inci- Thorat said. India’s prime minister wields most of the
regime, which perpetrated the 1994 genocide four independent hopefuls to be allowed to
who make up about 14 percent of the 1.3 billion dents have flagged inherent tensions between the executive power, but the president can send back
of 800,000 mainly Tutsis. run. “I have only one week to raise awareness
population. BJP’s traditional base and its bid to reach out to low- some parliamentary bills for reconsideration and
While credited with bringing order, infra- among people to support me financially,” said
Dalit votes supplemented by support from the er caste voters. “The increasing friction between also plays a guiding role in the process of forming
structure and stability to the shattered nation, the 47-year-old former journalist who spent 18
BJP’s rightwing Hindu nationalist followers “will, for upper and lower castes in states like Gujarat, governments. In his three years in power, Modi has
rights groups say Kagame’s regime rules years in exile before returning to Rwanda in
once and all, defeat the ‘Muslim veto’ in this country”, Maharashtra and UP has led to the rise of a young shown himself to be an astute politician. The
through fear with systematic repression of the February to run as an independent. He is care-
Nistula Hebbar, political editor of The Hindu news- and oppositional Dalit leadership,” a Times of India response to his latest political gambit, particularly by
opposition, free speech and the media. “We ful not to criticize Kagame but says he would
paper, told AFP. “Dalits as a community or a base are editorial said last month. It added that Modi and his India’s marginalized groups, will play a key role in
know many people are tired of the same gov- like to “change the mentality of my country to
spread across the country, especially in all electorally allies have “sought to regain advantage in this equa- deciding his future after 2019, experts say. —AFP
ernment for 23 years but they don’t say it go with the notion of democracy”. —AFP
Man found dead wanted for
running ‘dark web’ market
BANGKOK: A 26-year-old Canadian found dead in his Thai police mostly traded in drugs, stolen credit cards and forged IDs. It was
cell this week was wanted in the US for allegedly running a mas- “more than twice as big as Silk Road was in its heyday, with a rev-
sive “dark web” marketplace for drugs and other contraband, a enue of somewhere between 600,000 and 800,000 dollars a day in
police source told AFP yesterday. Thai cops arrested Alexandre early 2017, and that’s a rather conservative estimate,” he told AFP.
Cazes in Bangkok on July 5 and had planned to extradite him to
the US, where he faced drug trafficking and money laundering Luxury lifestyle
charges. But the computer programmer hanged himself with a Cazes appeared to be living a life of luxury in Thailand, where
towel in his detention cell a week later on July 12, according to he owned three houses and four cars - including a Lamborghini -
Thai anti-narcotics police, who have been tight-lipped on the according to Thai police who have seized the assets. He slipped
details of his case. into the country around eight years ago, according to police. “He
Yesterday, a Thai officer confirmed Cazes was accused of being was a computer expert involved with international transactions of
an “operator” of a major online black market. “It’s a huge dark web Bitcoins,” said Major General Soontorn Chalermkiat, a spokesman
market that traffics drugs and sells other illegal stuff,” the police for Thailand’s Narcotics Suppression Bureau.
officer said, requesting anonymity. Speculation is rife that the “He didn’t have any business in Thailand but he had many
underground marketplace was AlphaBay, considered the world’s houses,” the officer said, adding that Cazes’ Thai wife has since
largest and most lucrative darknet bazaar until it was taken down been charged with money laundering. The US Embassy in
within hours of Cazes’ arrest. Bangkok refused to comment on the details of the case, saying
Like its predecessor Silk Road, which was shut down by the FBI only that Cazes was detained at the request of the US “with a
in 2013, AlphaBay used the encrypted Tor network and virtual cur- view toward extradition to face federal criminal charges”. The
rencies like Bitcoin to shield customers from detection. According founder of Silk Road - the world’s first and most famous digital
to Nicolas Christin, a computer science professor at Carnegie drug market - was sentenced to life in prison by federal court in
Mellon University, AlphaBay gained prominence in 2015 and New York in 2015. —AFP
China censors scrub
emoji tributes to Liu
BEIJING: China’s censors raced Friday to scrub social media net-
works of candles, RIP and other tributes to Nobel laureate Liu
Xiaobo as they seek to silence discussion about the prominent dis-
sident’s death. The 61-year-old democracy activist died Thursday
from liver cancer while under heavy police guard at a hospital in
the northeastern city of Shenyang - but most Chinese remain clue-
less about his death or even who he was.
A search for news of his death on Chinese search engine Baidu
turned up no results and China’s Twitter-like Weibo blocked the use
of his name and initials “LXB”. Even the most obscure homages to
Liu on Weibo were removed. One user who posted “RIP” was
advised it had been deleted “because it violated relevant laws and
regulations” - even though the post did not mention the activist by
name. RIP is now among the search terms blocked on Chinese
social media networks. Grieving users who had posted candle emo-
jis on Weibo saw them erased. When accessing Weibo on a personal
computer the symbol is no longer among the emoticon options.
On the Weibo mobile app, however, the candle was still available
but attempts to post it were blocked and triggered a message say-
ing “content is illegal!” The Chinese word for “candle” is also barred.
‘The brave one’
China tightly controls the Internet through a censorship system
known as the “Great Firewall” and closely monitors social media
networks for sensitive content. Social media sites have been
cleaned of comments praising the dissident. “He is the brave one
for this time. The history will remember him whether alive or dead,”
one user said in a Weibo post that was later deleted. Another said:
“You, who was just freed, made the world different; we, those who
are still in prison, salute you.”
Even a Chinese language article about German pacifist Carl von
Ossietzky, the last Nobel Peace Prize laureate to die in custody, that
had been circulating on the mobile messaging app WeChat can no
longer be accessed. A search for the most commonly used Chinese
translation of Ossietzky’s name also returned no results on Weibo
but it was not blocked on Baidu.
The circumstances recalled the situation in 2010 when Liu was
awarded the Nobel Peace Prize while serving an 11-year sentence
for “subversion” - online searches for his name and references to his
award, including the empty chair that represented him at the Oslo
ceremony, were blocked. Not all online posts were sympathetic to
Liu, a veteran of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests whose advo-
cacy for democratic reform infuriated the government. —AFP
SUNDAY, JULY 16, 2017
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Focus
Lula conviction
opens field for ’18
presidential race
T
he graft conviction Wednesday of former Brazilian
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, a front-runner
for next year’s presidential election, opens the
door for an outsider to take power in Latin America’s
largest country, political experts said. Lula, a giant on
the Brazilian political scene who led Brazil from 2003 to
2011, has said he wants to run for president again next
year. But if his nearly 10-year sentence is upheld on
appeal, Lula, a founder of the leftist Workers Party,
would be barred from seeking office again for eight
years, beginning after any jail time is complete.
Lula, 71, is among a raft of Brazilian elites toppled
by an epic corruption scandal that has battered the
nation’s economy, engulfed every major party and
deepened public cynicism about politics. It’s a toxic
mix that has enraged voters, who are searching for
Washington Watch
someone to lead them out of the political and eco-
nomic wilderness. “Brazil is now as polarized as the History is too deep, pain is too real
US, it really has been for years,” said Carlos Melo, a
political scientist with Insper, a Sao Paulo business
school. “But if Lula is absent it would unquestionably
open the space for an outside, very emotional leader,
By Dr James J Zogby ment which, while not claiming credit, said that they seat in California, both directly asked me to discourage Arab
a bit like US President Trump.”
“approved of the act”. Months later, JDL head, Meir Americans from contributing to their campaigns citing their
Lula was convicted on Wednesday by Judge Sergio A
week ago, a pro-Israel media monitoring group Kahane, showed up pounding on my office door taunting fear of a backlash from the Jewish community. Whether their
Moro, who found Lula guilty of accepting 3.7 million
accused me of making “an unsubstantiated charge us about the firebombing until the police arrived and fears were real or imagined, the impact on my community
reais ($1.15 million) worth of bribes from engineering
that Israel supporters are responsible” for discrimina- removed him from the premises. In 1981, I was invited by a was real and hurtful. In spite of these obstacles, we persist-
firm OAS SA. That is the amount prosecutors said the
tion, hate crimes, and the political exclusion of Arab national Italian American organization to head-up a multi- ed and with the help of courageous leaders like Jesse
company spent refurbishing a beach apartment for
Americans. Because this issue is so important to Arab ethnic meeting addressing issues of media stereotyping. Jackson, Ron Brown, and Bill Clinton we made our way into
Lula in return for his help winning contracts with state Americans and because some hardline pro-Israel groups Some Jewish groups objected to my role accusing me of the mainstream. Jackson welcomed us into his two presi-
oil company Petroleo Brasileiro. refuse to acknowledge their role in harming my community, having “another agenda”. They refused to participate and dential campaigns. As Chair of the Democratic Party,
OAS was part of a supplier cartel that prosecutors I am obliged to respond with a few examples representing convened their own meeting. Brown, despite warnings by some Jewish donors that they
said fleeced billions of dollars from Petrobras through just the tip of the iceberg of painful acts of defamation, dis- In 1983, former Senator James Abourezk was invited to would withdraw support for the party, came to our events,
inflated contracts, funneling some of the ill-gotten crimination, exclusion, threats, and violence. serve on the Executive Committee of the 20th anniversary welcomed us, and gave us a seat at the table.
gains to politicians and political parties. Several OAS From the moment Arab Americans began to organize of Dr. King’s March on Washington (I was asked to serve on But problems remained. In 1992, Arab Americans were
executives were jailed by Moro, the hard-charging and to advocate for causes we held dear, we were confront- the National Steering Committee). Once again, major being rebuffed by the Clinton campaign. At that year’s
judge overseeing the so-called Car Wash investigation, ed by attacks from major Jewish community organizations. Jewish groups threatened to withdraw if Arab Americans Democratic Convention, I was approached by AIPAC’s legal
the largest-ever corruption probe in Brazil’s history. Our early efforts to bring our community into the main-
were included. After a long and painful debate, the matter director, who also served as the Clinton campaign’s legal
Lula’ lawyers said he is innocent. He will remain stream of American political life were met with resistance
was resolved in our favor when Rev Joseph Lowery and Rev advisor. He said to me “I know you’re trying to get into the
free while his attorneys appeal the ruling, which they and campaigns of pressure designed to make us “radioac-
Jesse Jackson intervened on our behalf. campaign. Why the f**** should we let you in? ...leave us
have characterized as a political witch hunt. The tive”. They used political pressure to have us excluded from
The threats continued - by mail and phone - all of which alone”. I was shaken by the naked hostility of the encounter
appeals court is expected to take at least eight government meetings, engagement with coalitions, and
were reported to authorities. Some came to us in and went to Brown. Together we laid out a strategy. It ulti-
months to rule. “This politically motivated judgment involvement in political campaigns. They defamed us in
Washington, others to Arab American offices in other cities. mately led me to an unlikely place - a meeting with Senator
attacks Brazil’s rule of law, democracy and Lula’s basic reports they circulated (I have copies of all of them), Then, in 1985, Alex Odeh, the Director of the California Joe Lieberman. Despite our many disagreements, he was
human rights,” Lula’s defense team wrote in an terming us “Arab propagandists”, “a made up community”, “a American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee was mur- approachable and fair. He was so incensed that he called the
emailed statement. “It is of immense concern to the creation of petrodollars”, purveyors of anti-Semitism, or a dered when a bomb exploded as he entered his office. Clinton campaign expressing his outrage over this behavior.
Brazilian people and to the international community.” “subversive plot” supporting Palestinian terror. Shortly after Alex’s murder, the House Judiciary Committee The next day, we were invited to join the campaign.
My first direct encounter with this exclusion came in 1978.
and, later, the US Commission on Civil Rights, held hearings
The Race I was invited to the White House for an ethnic leaders’ round- on violence against Arab Americans. In my testimony, I said: Toll
table with Vice President Mondale. A few days after the meet-
Despite his legal woes, the charismatic Lula remains “These acts of violence and threats of violence against Arab While the Clinton years, shaped as they were by the
ing, I received call from the White House informing me that
Brazil’s best-known politician and has retained a base American organizations are but part of a larger picture of Oslo Accords and the president’s own personal commit-
because they had received complaints from Jewish groups
of loyal supporters. As president, he channeled discrimination, harassment, and intimidation. We can docu- ment to justice, changed the political dynamic for Arab
that a pro-Palestinian Arab had been at the meeting, I would-
resources from a commodities boom into social pro- ment numerous instances of active political discrimination Americans, problems persisted with some Jewish groups
n’t be invited to follow-up discussions.
grams that helped lift millions from poverty. Recent against Arab Americans, “blacklisting” of Arab American still attempting to exclude Arab Americans and defame
The next year, my organization applied for membership
surveys from the respected Datafolha polling institute political activists and spokespersons, and efforts to “bait” or those who were in government posts. Now, however, the
in the Coalition for a New Foreign and Military Policy - a
show that in a second-round runoff next year, Lula taint Arab American leaders and organizations as “terrorist main threats came not from the mainstream groups, but
grouping of 60 religious, and peace and justice organiza-
would beat all contenders with the exception of the tions. We overwhelmingly won the vote for admission, but supporters”. “All of these actions and practices create a cli- from the fringes, and from a collection of entities funded
environmentalist and two-time presidential candidate three members, led by a liberal Jewish group, objected to mate . . . [which] serve[s] to embolden the political oppo- by the likes of Sheldon Adelson and Robert Shillman. They
Marina Silva, with whom he is in a technical tie. our entry and threatened to quit the coalition “if the Arabs nents of Arab Americans to the point where, as we have assumed the role of smearing Arab Americans and now,
But if Lula cannot run, and with roughly 20 percent were admitted”. The coalition leadership then asked us to seen, some have escalated their opposition to include acts American Muslims. Their efforts have not been able to
of the electorate undecided on any candidate, the withdraw our application. In late 1979, my Palestine of violence against Arab Americans and their organizations.” exclude us, but they have been able to incite against us -
election is up for grabs. While Silva has polled well, Human Rights Campaign hosted a major national confer- and the toll they continue to take on community leaders
Melo and other political watchers doubt that the soft- ence that featured seven Members of Congress, major Hurdles and activists is substantial.
spoken, environmental expert could win, in part Black leaders, and many figures from peace and justice While our efforts to organize and normalize our involve- After 9/11, three men were arrested, tried, and convicted
because her campaigns have lacked the fiery speech- organizations. Despite receiving prominent and favorable ment in civic life proved challenging, in the political arena, of making death threats against me, my family, and my office.
es and dramatic flair needed to engage many voters. national news coverage for three consecutive nights, a pro- Arab Americans faced even greater hurdles. Throughout the Two of the three used, in their threats, material culled from
The public’s thirst for showmanship and anti-estab- Jewish Defense League newspaper in New York described 1980s, Arab Americans had contributions returned and these “hate sites” - citing their support for Israel as a reason for
lishment candidates, Melo said, could give a boost to the event with a huge font front page headline as a endorsements rejected. A prominent group of St Jude their hatred and death threats. The bottom line is the charge
two outsiders: Ciro Gomes, a tough-talking former “SECRET PLO MEET” that “plots terror”. Hospital board members had their contributions to the that supporters of Israel are, in part, responsible for instances
governor, federal minister and congressmen who is Mondale campaign returned in 1984, and in 1988, presiden- of discrimination, hate crimes, and the political exclusion of
now with the Democratic Workers Party; and Joao Exclusion tial candidate Michael Dukakis rejected our endorsement. Arab Americans cannot be dismissed as “unsubstantiated”.
Doria, a millionaire media mogul and former star of A few months later, after having received a number of Two national political leaders, David Dinkins, running for The history is too real and the pain is too deep. Shame on
Brazil’s version of “The Apprentice.” threats, my office was firebombed. The JDL issued a state- Mayor in New York City, and Ed Szchau, running for a Senate those who can’t acknowledge the history and the pain.
Gomes, despite his long career in politics, is a
rough-and-tumble politician who could easily position
himself as an anti-government candidate. Loud and Trump will take healthcare credit or cast blame
politically incorrect, Gomes called unpopular President
Michel Temer, himself facing a corruption charge, the
“captain of the coup” that led to the impeachment of If congressional Republicans succeed in repealing and to Supreme Court confirmation in April. That still stands as the population but an important slice of the GOP base that
former President Dilma Rousseff last year. replacing the Obama-era health law, expect a big Rose Trump’s most significant achievement since taking office. has the ability to punish Republicans who cross the presi-
Doria, who had never held elected office before, Garden celebration with President Donald Trump taking But McConnell’s stewardship of the healthcare issue has dent. In last year’s elections, the two major Republican
stunned the political establishment last year when he credit. If they fail? Trump has already indicated he will hold proved less adroit. He had to abruptly cancel a vote last Senate candidates who lost their races, then-Sen Kelly
won the mayorship of South America’s largest city in Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell responsible, setting month on a bill he drafted largely in secret after it became Ayotte of New Hampshire and Rep Joe Heck of Nevada, did
the first round, capturing 53 percent of the vote. A up an intraparty blame game that could be devastating for clear support was lacking. He’s now struggling to nail so after withdrawing their support from Trump. Winning
member of the centrist Brazilian Social Democracy the GOP. “After all of these years of suffering thru ObamaCare, down votes to pass the latest version next week. The presi- Republicans stuck with him.
Party, he is loved by the business community for his Republican Senators must come through as they have prom- dent has shown some patience with McConnell’s predica- For many GOP lawmakers, the greatest fear is not a
pro-market stance. And he has caught the public’s ised!” Trump said in a tweet early Friday while in Paris. ment, telling reporters on Air Force One on the way to Democratic opponent but a primary challenge from the
attention with stunts such as donning a street sweep- Trump has made it clear that the onus for delivering a France that “the only thing more difficult than peace right. Republican Sen Jeff Flake of Arizona, who was one of
er’s uniform and spending days cleaning roadways. major Republican achievement and fulfilling seven years of between Israel and the Palestinians is healthcare.” He then Trump’s most outspoken critics throughout last year’s cam-
Shortly after the Lula verdict was made public those promises is on the six-term Kentucky senator, who is repeated his confidence in a successful outcome. paign, has grown much quieter about the president as he
Wednesday, Doria posted on Twitter that “Justice has battle-hardened by legislative negotiating - and not on the But he has delivered no major speech in six months on faces re-election next year and a primary opponent who
been done”. “The most shameless man in Brazil was president and author of “The Art of the Deal”. “Mitch has to healthcare either before Congress or outside Washington, has embraced Trump and taunted Flake for his stances.
condemned to nine and a half years in prison,” Doria pull it off. He’s working very hard. He’s got to pull it off,” addressing it only in a few tweets and a couple of asides at Now Flake is looking like a likely “yes” vote on the health-
continued. “Long live Brazil.” — Reuters Trump said in an interview for the Christian Broadcasting rallies in Iowa and elsewhere. Pressed on what the presi- care bill. He said Thursday he was still considering it, but he
Network’s “The 700 Club.” Trump has cast himself as a dent is doing to secure the votes for the Senate bill, White applauded inclusion of an amendment by conservative
bystander in the monthslong process. “I will be at my desk, House aide Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the administra- Sen Ted Cruz of Texas that would allow insurers to sell
pen in hand!” he tweeted Friday as he described the wait to tion has provided “technical assistance throughout the skimpy, low-cost healthcare. “I like the consumer freedom
All articles appearing on these pages are
sign a bill erasing much of former President Barack Obama’s process”. In comparison, Obama aggressively used the bul- amendment in it, you’ve got to get relief to Arizonans that
the personal opinion of the writers. Kuwait 2010 law. Trump is reminding GOP lawmakers who prom- ly pulpit of the presidency to secure passage of his just don’t have insurance,” Flake said.
ised so often to repeal and replace, and voted repeatedly Affordable Care Act, with at least five town halls in Most Republicans say that even though the GOP’s
Times takes no responsibility for views
but never finally to do it, that they better not blow this best Wisconsin, Ohio, Colorado and Virginia, prime-time speech- healthcare bills have polled poorly, and they will be forced
expressed therein. Kuwait Times invites shot. And if they do, “I will be very angry about it, and a lot es to Congress, healthcare summits at the White House and to defend yanking insurance coverage from millions, a
of people will be very upset,” the president has said. elsewhere, and personal lobbying of lawmakers. worse result would be failing to repeal. That would under-
readers to voice their opinions. Please send
After brokering deals with individual lawmakers before mine the GOP’s ability to present itself as a governing par-
submissions via email to: opinion@kuwait- a healthcare bill barely made it through the House in May, Greatest fear ty, while breaking seven years of promises. The Republican
Trump has largely stayed on the sidelines as the Senate has GOP lawmakers insist that Trump has been helpful, in the White House might be able to dodge the finger-
times.net or via snail mail to PO Box 1301
dealt with the issue. That’s partly because McConnell had though sometimes they’ve struggled to depict exactly pointing that would surely follow. But he might be the only
Safat, Kuwait. The editor reserves the right made his preference clear that Trump keep out of Senate how. But his distance from the process could help him to one. “I think the whole party is going to be responsible so
business, according to associates. Trump has mostly acced- avoid blame if failure is the outcome. And now, Trump’s everyone with that label is probably going to have to bear
to edit any submission as necessary.
ed to the request, partly because McConnell had earned words signal that if Congress fails, lawmakers can expect responsibility no matter what they go home and claim,”
his respect by shepherding conservative jurist Neil Gorsuch his wrath and that of his followers - a relative minority of said conservative former Sen Jim DeMint. — AP