SATURDAY, AUGUST 3, 2013 RAMADAN 25, 1434 AH No: 15889 baby give

48 Pages·2013·5.28 MB·English

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SATURDAY, AUGUST 3, 2013 RAMADAN 25,1434 AH No: 15889
13 48
Pak TV preacher Chelsea blank
defends Ramadan Inter Milan
Emsak: 03:31
baby give-away in friendly Fajer: 03:41
Dohr: 11:54
Asr: 15:30
Maghreb: 18:39
Eshaa: 20:04
US issues global alert,
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l citing Qaeda threats
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5 Max 48º
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Washington closes embassies in Muslim world Min 34º
WASHINGTON: The United States issued a worldwide alert
yesterday warning of plans by Al-Qaeda to launch an attack in
the Middle East or North Africa this month. The State
Department issued the caution to US citizens a day after
announcing that some two dozen embassies or consulates
would be closed tomorrow as a precaution. The State
Department said attacks were possible “particularly in the
Middle East and North Africa, and possibly occurring in or
emanating from the Arabian Peninsula.”
“Current information suggests that Al-Qaeda and affiliated
organizations continue to plan terrorist attacks both in the
region and beyond, and that they may focus efforts to con-
duct attacks in the period between now and the end of
August,” the State Department said in a worldwide travel alert
for US citizens. The alert warned of “the potential for terrorists
to attack public transportation systems and other tourist infra-
structure.”
As a precaution, the State Department said it was closing at
least 22 US embassies or consulates tomorrow, a work day in
many Islamic countries. The missions cover virtually all of the
Arab world and also include two embassies in predominantly
Muslim non-Arab nations-Afghanistan and Bangladesh-as well
as US-run facilities in Israel. The missions posted notices on
their websites saying that they would be closed tomorrow.
US State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said that
some embassies or consulates may decide to remain closed
after tomorrow. Nancy Pelosi, the leader of President Barack
Obama’s Democratic Party in the House of Representatives,
said that congressional leaders received a briefing on the
threat. “There is some understanding of the seriousness of the
threat,” Pelosi told reporters.
Representative Jason Chaffetz, a Republican who has criti-
JERUSALEM: Palestinian Muslim worshipers pray outside the Dome of the Rock mosque at the Al-Aqsa mosque com- cized the Obama administration over embassy security, said
pound, Islam’s third holiest site yesterday in Jerusalem’s old city on the last Friday of Ramadan. — AFP Continued on Page 10
Brotherhood PAGE PAGE
US jobless rate falls Hotter temperatures
defies police to a four-year low ‘lead to hot tempers’
CAIRO: Islamist backers of Egypt’s deposed president Ahmadinejad steps aside
Mohamed Morsi staged defiant rallies yesterday, as police
prepared to disperse their Cairo protest camps amid inter-
national appeals to avoid further bloodshed. The new
demonstrations came after US Secretary of State John Kerry DUBAI: Vilified abroad for his blistering economy under the weight of interna- His final speech as president yesterday
said Egypt’s military had been “restoring democracy” when attacks against the West, blamed at tional sanctions and domestic misman- was vintage Ahmadinejad: “I swear to
it deposed Morsi, in comments that prompted fury from home for Iran’s economic woes and iso- agement made him a magnet for blame God that a ferocious storm is coming
the ousted leader’s supporters. lated from the supreme leader who at home. But those hoping for a rapid and it will uproot the Zionist entity,” he
The international community meanwhile, pressed both groomed him for power, Mahmoud improvement in the quality of life, swift declared on Quds Day, an annual event
sides to peacefully resolve the impasse, with US Under Ahmadinejad leaves the presidency with rapprochement with the West or more devoted to opposing Israeli rule over
Secretary of State William Burns expected to arrive in Cairo few friends and an uncertain future. transparency in the way Iran is ruled Jerusalem.
yesterday night for more talks. Morsi supporters began Iranians elected his opposite - a mild- may soon find that its problems go Mocked by progressive Iranians, he
their marches after Friday prayers, pouring out of several mannered, moderate member of the deeper than the small man with the created a cult following among tradi-
Cairo mosques and heading towards their key Rabaa Al- clerical establishment - to replace him, scruffy beard and ill-fitting suits. tionalists and the working classes
Adawiya site. doubtless hoping for better times than Since his shock election victory in through his charisma, simple lifestyle
They held small demonstrations at several locations, they endured for eight years under the 2005, Ahmadinejad rose from near total and populist beliefs. His name gives
including in front of Cairo’s Media Production City, where caustic hardline outsider. obscurity to become the most visible three times as many results in a Google
security forces fired tear gas after protesters “tried to Ahmadinejad’s abrasive rhetoric actor on the Iranian stage, on the way search as that of his former sponsor,
Continued on Page 10 made him an easy target for Iran’s oppo- pulling through a disputed re-election Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali
nents abroad, and the collapse of the victory that rocked the nation to its core. Continued on Page10
LO C A L
SATURDAY, AUGUST3, 2013
NBK hosts Girgian for Zeina Friends Club members
KUWAIT: National Bank of Kuwait (NBK)
recently held a Girgian event for Zeina Friends
Club at KidZania at the Avenues mall.
All Zeina Friends Club members were invit-
ed to celebrate Girgian at the kid-centric city
KidZania.
Children enjoyed many fun activities. The
event also witnessed distributing hundreds of
valuable prizes and gifts. Towards the end of
the evening, each child was given a specially
packed Girgian gift from NBK.
Zeina account provides children until 14
years old with their first bank account, to learn
about saving and banking with the help of
their parents. Zeina Friends Club was the first
club in Kuwait established in 1994 for young
children. Zeina account holders can also partic-
ipate in other fun events held year round, as
well as benefit from many offers especially
designed for them. For further information visit Kuwait. As the leading bank in Kuwait, NBK ing and financial responsibility. NBK’s branch at deposit and withdraw ‘KidZos’, the national
www.nbk.com, or call Hala Watani at 1801801. provides all bank activities in the kid-centric Kidzania introduces children to a unique expe- currency which kids can earn, spend, save and
NBK is the first to partner with KidZania city to teach children real life aspects of bank- rience in basic banking services so they can invest through the NBK branch and ATMs.
Zain provides worshippers with
prayer essentials at mosques
KUWAIT: Zain, the leading telecommunications com- Ahmadi; and Abu Bakr mosque in Jahra.
pany in Kuwait, announced yesterday that its dedi- The company made an extra effort to provide bev-
cated team of volunteers distributed gifts to worship- erages and ice cream free of charge to those praying
pers at mosques across the country on the occasion at the Grand Mosque (Masjid Al-Kabir) and Aqla Al-
of the last 10 nights of Ramadan. The aim of the ges- Dhafeery mosque, allowing the undertaking of
ture is to help the faithful to re-focus their thoughts prayers in more comfortable circumstances.
and time while praying on the last remaining nights Zain has celebrated the month of Ramadan
of Ramadan. through ongoing social activities that create a vibrant
This initiative is one of many charitable and and uplifting religious experience for everyone
humanitarian activities that Zain conducts annually involved. The company is committed to its Corporate
to foster an even more spiritual environment during Social Responsibility activities that are based on help-
the blessed month of Ramadan. During Ramadan the ing all members of society. It is worth mentioning
company managed to provide comfort to worship- that this year Zain is providing an extensive array of
pers performing their Qiyam prayers at: Al-Fares and programs during the holy month, including the dis-
Al-Saddah mosques located in Kuwait City; Al- tribution of daily Iftar meals; the circulation of 2,000
Muzzaini and Jaber Al-Ali Al-Sabah mosques in the “Machla” boxes; visitations to an orphanage, elderly
Hawalli district; Zabbin and Betlla mosques in care center, and special needs center; as well as the
Farwaniya; Duaij Salman Al-Sabah mosque in hosting of Girgian events at 360 Mall.
LO C A L
SATURDAY, AUGUST 3, 2013
MPs agree to focus on
‘developmental issues’
Conflicts-free parliament
By A. Saleh constitution, which was made ment plans until the end of the year
recently by constitutional law pro- or of the company’s privatization
KUWAIT: A number of MPs agreed fessor at the Kuwait University Dr process has been finalized before
during a recent gathering to focus Obaid Al-Wasmi. “We at the Salafist that.
on ‘reinforcing’ the parliament’s leg- movement believe that the current The five directors had filed retire-
islative and supervisory role through constitution has the minimum limits ment papers to go into effect by the
steps that include avoiding post- [of constitutional rights], contains end of the month in protest against
ponement of a grilling motion’s contradictory clauses, and with time what they believed was ‘release
debate unless if necessary. The six- has become part of Kuwait’s political orders’ made against colleagues
teen lawmakers gathered on an invi- problem after once being part of the who lost retirement benefits as a
tation from MP Saadoun Al-Otaibi to solution”, member of the move- result. According to sources with
his diwaniya in Surra, and agreed to ment’s political office Abdullah Al- knowledge of the meeting, board KUWAIT: The Envoy of His Highness the Amir of Kuwait
focus on ‘developmental issues’ and Daie said in a statement. He members Nabila Al-Anjari, Jassar and Advisor to the Amiri Diwan Mohammad Abdullah
that the upcoming cabinet should announced that the Salafist move- Al-Jassar and Mohammad Al- Abulhassan delivered yesterday an official invitation to
include ministers with clear vision ment is ready to “discuss its own Khateeb met with the protesting the Prime Minister of Ethiopia Hailemariam Desalegn to
and work programs plus being capa- vision on a new constitution in case officials and were able to convince attend the Arab-African Summit in Kuwait. The summit is
ble of state management duties. political movements agreed to work them to put their plans on hold for scheduled to take place in Kuwait between Nov 18 and 20.
And while they have reportedly seriously together to put the basis the time being. Chairman of the
agreed to nominate ‘specialized’ for a way out of the political crisis Board Sami Al-Nisf and Chief
List of ministers
MPs for membership of parliament’s through a new constitution”. Executive Officer Ahmad Al-
committees, the MPs did not discuss Kraibani attended the meeting, said
any of the senior assembly post Visas on hold the sources who spoke on the con- ‘almost ready’
which includes the speaker, deputy Nearly 320 complaints have been dition of anonymity.
speaker, secretary and supervisor. filed by companies with the Ministry
KUWAIT: Prime Minister HH Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-
“We are seeking a conflicts-free of Social Affairs and Labor regarding Valet parking
Sabah met MPs Thursday as part of discussions that pre-
parliament”, said MP Marzouq Al- visitor’s visa transactions which they The Ministry of Health signed a
cedes selection of members of his cabinet that is set to
Ghanim who competes for speaker- say are put on hold for no specified contract with a local company to
swear in in front of the Amir on Monday before attending
ship with MPs Ali Al-Rashid, Ali Al- reason despite meeting require- provide a valet parking at public
the parliament’s inaugural session the following day.
Omair and Roudhan Al-Roudhan. ments, said ministry insiders with hospitals, starting with the
On that regard, sources familiar with the meetings said
“We are committed to support who- knowledge of the case. Farwaniya Hospital in the very near
that the premier made it clear that he “will not fall under
ever gets elected to senior posts”. Minister of Social Affairs and future. This announcement was
pressure” regarding certain names to be excluded from or
Meanwhile, MP Essa Al-Kandari Labor Thekra Al-Rashidi announced made by Director of the Farwaniya
included in the cabinet’s formation. And while adding that
voiced his objection to statements last April a decision to suspend Medical Zone Dr Jamal Al-Sultan,
the new formation is “almost ready”, the sources indicated
of fellow lawmakers in which they issuance of visitor’s visa with excep- who indicated that the new service
that the cabinet is likely to be announced tonight featur-
rejected the reinstatement of cer- tion given to experts, consultants will be available for a KD1 fee, and
ing five changes. The sources spoke to Al-Qabas on the
tain ministers. “Selecting ministers is and people with high academic will be made easier with the pres-
condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to
the sole right of HH the Prime qualifications. But according to the ence of a multistory parking lot
speak about discussions regarding the cabinet’s formation
Minister, and a minister cannot be sources who spoke on the condition located near the outpatient clinics
without permission.
judged before his performance is of anonymity, 2,175 transactions with a 230 vehicles capacity.
So far, Defense Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Khalid Al-
assessed inside the parliament”, he that meet the specified condition
Sabah has heavily been discussed to be leaving the cabi-
said in a statement Thursday. have been put on hold for three Saudis in Kuwait
net along with Health Minister Mohammad Al-Haifi “for
Al-Kandari also revealed that he months pending the minister’s sig- There are at least 133,000 Saudi
whom the prime minister is already looking for a succes-
was not approached on a minister’s nature. “Hundreds of complaints nationals working in Kuwait; 70 per-
sor” according to the sources. Meanwhile, Al-Qabas report-
job as per the constitutional stipula- have been filed by companies cent of whom are employed in the
ed yesterday that former minister Sheikh Mohammad Al-
tion by which the premier is whose businesses have been nega- Interior Ministry and the military, a
Sabah has turned down an invitation to take over the
required to include at least one tively affected by the inactivity at senior official at the embassy of
finance ministry in place of deputy premier Mustafa Al-
elected member in his cabinet. the minister’s office”, the sources Saudi Arabia in Kuwait said recently.
Shamali; who according to an Al-Rai report is likely to be
Likewise, MP Dr Mansour Al-Thufairi said, adding that these complaints The Saudi workforce in Kuwait,
retained only as the oil minister.
urged lawmakers to ‘cooperate’ with are yet to be addressed as well. which also includes female teachers
In the meantime, HH Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak could
the government and wait to see the in public schools, is part of around
also face a dilemma finding a replacement for Minister of
government’s work program before KAC dilemma 140,000 in three Gulf states which
Justice, Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Sharida Al-
passing early judgment. A meeting led by board members are Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar, said
Maousharji who could not be returning to the cabinet
In another news, the Islamic of the Kuwait Airways Corporation official at the Saudi nationals’ affairs
according to reports. On that regard, government sources
Salafist Movement welcomed a call was successful in convincing five division at the Saudi Embassy, Saied
said that the ‘Awqaf’ minister’s post has always been
for a public referendum on a new directors to postpone their retire- Al-Maliki.
sought by Salafist and Muslim Brotherhood politicians in
Kuwait given the large financial assets it operates. The
sources who preferred to keep their identity anonymous
CBK Braille Quran Campaign ‘huge success’
said that the position garner much importance now in
light of the current development in Egypt and the financial
KUWAIT: The Commercial Bank of Kuwait announced that support that the Muslim Brotherhood there requests.
a campaign to collect donations to print copies of the Holy Meanwhile, Al-Rai quoted government sources who
Quran in Braille during Ramadan was a huge success, reiterated that the cabinet formation is almost ready as the
thanking the Kuwait Society for the Blind for their coopera- premier is currently mulling ruling family members to
tion. appoint at the interior and defense ministers’ posts.
“The campaign garnered a lot of praise since it was Regarding the elected minister, the sources who spoke on
launched at the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan the condition of anonymity said that the post is likely
to benefit Muslims both inside and outside Kuwait”, going to be offered to MPs Essa Al-Kandari or former minis-
Assistant General Manager - Public Relations and Media ter Dr. Maasouma Al-Mubarak. Al-Jarida reported in the
Department Amani Al-Waraa said in a statement. meantime that MP Sultan Al-Shemmary refused an offer to
The campaign is funded by donations the CBK makes join the cabinet, preferring work at the parliament where
for each transaction done using its ATM services, without he is set to debut on Tuesday. In other news, lawyer
any deductions made from the clients’ accounts. It comes Mubarak Al-Mutawa announced plans to challenge the
as part of the CBK’s annual program of charity and humani- elections results in the near future, claiming to possess evi-
Amani Al-Waraa tarian activities. dence for “vote buying operations.”
L O C A L
SATURDAY, AUGUST 3, 2013
Thaw in Kuwait-Iraq ties
23rd anniversary of invasion
BAGHDAD: After 23 years of Saddam Hussein’s occupation sary of the disastrous war without the sanctions as per the Saddam Hussein’s regime,” Spokesman of the Iraqi Prime
of Kuwait on Aug 2, 1990, the subsequent Kuwait liberation UN Security Council resolutions based on Chapter VII of the Minister Ali Al-Moussawi said on the occasion. Al-Moussawi
war and years of post-war tension, relations between the two UN Charter. “The anniversary falls this year after the two cited His Highness the Prime Minister of Kuwait Sheikh Jaber
Arab neighbors are witnessing remarkable improvement. For countries have closed a lot of outstanding files due to their Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah’s recent visit to Iraq and the
the first time since the occupation and after settling almost governments’ determination to restore good neighborly cooperation agreements signed during the visit as example
all outstanding issues, the Iraqis observe the 23rd anniver- relations that were gravely damaged by the actions of of the remarkable progress the relations.
“The Iraqi-Kuwaiti relations are excellent and a clear
example of the ability of countries to overcome disputes if
genuine will existed on both sides,” he said.
Kuwait and Iraq signed on June 12, six agreements and
memorandums of understanding following official talks
between Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber and his Iraqi
counterpart Nouri Al-Maliki. The agreements cover a wide
array of domains, including education, scientific research,
aviation, economy, culture, transport and environment.
For his part, Iraqi Vice-President Khodair Al-Khuzai
echoed a similar view. “Relations between the two countries
are developing and bilateral cooperation are expanding to
cover all domains,” he said.
Al-Khuzai admitted that the tension was running high
between the two Arab nations during the era of Saddam
Hussein. “But since the toppling of Saddam Hussein’s regime
in 2003, the new Iraqi regime sought better relations with
Kuwait and had taken several steps towards confidence-
building.” “However, the most remarkable development of
relations took place this year, when Kuwaiti government
played an important role in ending Iraq Chapter VII status.”
On June 27, The UN Security Council on voted unani-
mously to get Iraq partially out of Chapter VII of the UN
Charter, transfer the files of the missing Kuwaitis and proper-
ty under the responsibility of the UN Assistance Mission for
Iraq (UNAMI), and put an end to the 1999 post of the High-
Level Coordinator for those files.
The Council transferred those two humanitarian issues,
under Chapter VI, to UNAMI’s attention, taking into consider-
ation the Kuwaiti conditions aimed at having the files con-
stantly under Council review. Meanwhile, Basra Provincial
Council Member Ahmed Al-Sulaiti expressed hopes “Iraq
and Kuwait would manage to reach final settlement to all
pending issues” He also applauded the positive stances of
both governments which show the reality of the new rela-
tionship between the two countries.
MP and a member of Iraqi parliament’s Security and
Defense Committee Hakim Al-Zamili told KUNA that “Iraq’s
removal from Chapter VII is a good step towards complete
restoration of its status and role in the region.”
He went on to say that “Iraq only needs to pay the
remaining part of the agreed upon compensations to Kuwait
to close this chapter of its history and resolve the problems
caused by the wrong policies of Saddam Hussein.” He
described the Iraq’s relations with Kuwait as historical and
deep-rooted. Zamili underlined the importance of dialogue
and negotiations between the two neighbors to iron out dif-
ferences. Ali Al-Shallah, senior leader of the ruling State of
Law Coalition, said that “after Iraq’s exist from Chapter VII,
relations with Kuwait had come back on the right track.”
“The Iraqi-Kuwaiti relations are now better than before
particularly after the recent reciprocal visits of the top offi-
cials for both nations.” — KUNA
Interior minister names
security chiefs, assistants
25) The one who led Quraish at the battle of Uhud KUWAIT:First Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister
was...
Sheikh Ahmad Al-Humoud Al-Jaber Al-Sabah has appoint-
ed security chiefs and assistant in governorates of
A) Abu Sufyan Farwaniya, Mubarak Al-Kabeer, Hawally and Ahmadi.
The minister named the brigadiers Faraj Al-Shemmari
B) Abu Lahab
and Mohammad Al-Deyeen, respectively, as chiefs of securi-
C) Abu Jahl ty directorate-general of Farwaniya and Mubarak Al-Kabeer.
He also appointed Brig Ali Al-Enezi as Al-Farwaniya’s securi-
ty assistant director-general. According to the Ministerial
decision (No. 1187/2013), the colonels Nafea Al-Enezi,
Abdullah Al-Ajmi and Ali Al-Merri were promoted to serve as
security assistant director generals, respectively, in Mubarak
Al-Kabeer, Hawally and Ahmadi. — KUNA
L O C A L
SATURDAY, AUGUST 3, 2013
No injuries in Salwa fire
By Hanaan Al-Saadoun
KUWAIT:A fire broke out at a Salwa apartment
Thursday afternoon and was successfully tack-
led without any reported injuries. Firefighters
were divided into two teams after arriving at
the scene; one whose job was to evacuate resi-
dents of the 4-storey building while the other
tackled the blaze. All residents were successful-
ly evacuated without injuries including a per-
son who was saved from flames inside the
burning flat. A case was filed to investigate the
circumstances behind the fire. Meanwhile, the
firefighters’ report indicates that wooden
‘walls’ placed to separate apartments into
rooms inside each flat had helped spread the
fire as well as make firefighters’ mobility more
difficult.
Drug dealer nabbed
A taxi driver was arrested in Jahra Thursday examined the scene. A case was filed to investi-
with possession of drugs. The man was gate the circumstances which led to the acci-
ordered to pull over by two traffic patrol offi- dent.
KUWAIT: The Salwa apartment in which fire broke out on Thursday. cers; who grew suspicious when they noticed
that he was nervous. After checking the man’s Fake policeman
ID, police noticed a plastic bag on the passen- A man was arrested Thursday on charges of
One killed, three injured ger’s seat. They investigated it and found mugging pedestrians while impersonating a
amounts of hashish and marijuana. The man police detective. An Asian man filed a case at
who peaded guilty was referred to the proper the Saad Al-Abdullah police station, claiming
in Gulf Road hit-and-run
authorities for further investigation. that a driver stopped him in the area and
demanded to see his identity card after identi-
Road crash fying himself as a detective. The suspect
Man disappears with KD 13,000 A motorist was killed in an accident report- reportedly drove the victim to the latter’s resi-
ed at the Abdali Road late Thursday night. dence to get more identities that the man
Police and paramedics rushed to a location demanded. He also ordered him to bring his
KUWAIT: A man was killed and three others suspect to question him on domestic violence
near a military camp where the accident was cell phone and all the cash he keeps in his
were seriously injured in hit-and-run accident charges his wife reportedly pressed in
reported. The Arab man was pronounced dead apartment. The pedestrian complied, only to
reported on the Gulf Road recently. According Ferdous recently. In her statements to local
on the scene and paramedics used the help of see the suspect drive away with his phone and
to eyewitnesses’ report, the suspect was driving police, the female citizen said that her hus- firefighters to remove his body from the wreck- cash. Investigations eventually led police to the
an American-made vehicle in high speed when band brutally assaulted her following a family age of his car. The body was taken to the foren- suspect’s whereabouts and he was put under
he hit four pedestrians who were crossing the dispute. She provided a medical report from sic department after criminal investigators arrest.
road, killing one and injuring three others. the hospital showing diagnoses for multiple
Paramedics pronounced the victim dead on the bruises she said had suffered as a result of the
scene and rushed the three to a nearby hospi- attack. A case was filed.
tal, while the body was taken to the forensic
department after crime scene investigators Escape plan
examined the scene. A case was filed for inves- A fugitive thought that iftar time was her
tigations to identify and arrest the suspect. best chance to escape the country while bor-
der officers would be too busy breaking their
Khaitan fight fast, but the officers were too alert to let her
A man was hospitalized in a critical condi- plans succeed. The incident took place at the
tion following a fight with an armed person Nuwaiseeb checkpoint on the southern bor-
who was put under arrest. Police were called to der where the Kuwaiti woman arrived with
a location in Khaitan where two people had her family minutes before iftar. She was put
engaged in a vicious fight. They found one under arrest after the identity check revealed
man, a Bangladeshi national in his thirties, that she is wanted on battery charges. She
bleeding from different stab wounds before he was taken to the proper authorities for further
was taken in an ambulance to the hospital. His action.
attacker, an Egyptian national, was put under
arrest and was taken in custody for further No foul play
action. Investigations on a man’s death reported
at a private farm revealed that foul play could
Money stolen not have been the cause of death. The Asian
A local advertising company filed a case man was found dead last week in a pool
against an employee who reportedly disap- located inside a farm that is adjacent to a farm
peared after stealing KD 13,000 in profits. where he worked. The case was initially filed
According to the case filed by a company rep- as homicide, but recent investigations con-
resentative at the Sharq police station recently, cluded that the man had sneaked his way into
the Egyptian man was assigned to collect pay- the farm and dived into the pool without real-
ments from candidates for advertising cam- izing that it was five meters deep.
paigns during the recent elections. The man
was nowhere to be found on time he was sup- Costly picture
posed to hand over the money, and police later A photographer was arrested for question-
found out that he had already left for his home ing after he snapped photos of a plane while
country. Further investigations revealed that landing at the Kuwait International Airport
the man had approached his country’s recently. Police officers securing the airport’s
embassy to issue a new passport in place for his premises noticed the man stopping his car
passport that his company withholds and near the runway at the Sabhan road and tak-
which he claimed to have been lost. ing a photo of a plane while landing. The
Indian man said that he snapped photos as a
Domestic violence souvenir. He was referred to the proper
Police are looking to apprehend a male authorities for investigations.

L O C A L
SATURDAY, AUGUST 3, 2013
Ramadan Kareem
Victories in the month of Ramadan
By Sharafun-Nisa Mohammed Farouk pleasing Allah, it would be then logical that he would vanquish irresponsible, unpunctual, etc, otherwise, their fasting will be
his enemy by the will of Allah. Fighting against one’s, desires like an empty shell without a kernel. God says: “...but to fast is
R
amadan is not a month of laziness, irresponsibility and and whims is harder than engaging in a battle against an invet- best for you, if you only knew.” (2: 184)
non-accountability as many people think. Those who erate enemy; thus the importance of Ramadan. It should be
fast should understand that by depriving the body they noted that Islam does not neglect man’s desires and instincts. Question: Ramadan by depriving the body, Muslims actual-
are actually enriching the soul. Therefore, fasting in the month Fasting should not be viewed as punishment but rather as a ly...................
of Ramadan should be viewed as a blessing and not a punish- blessing from God. After reading some of the victories that a. Enrich the soul.
ment. Muslims achieved in Ramadan, it becomes clear that fasting B. Punish themselves
Reading about the victories that took place during Prophet should not be an excuse for people to be lazy, tardy, shabby, C. Constrain the devil.
Muhammad’s golden era and the succeeding era of his right-
ly- guided companions as well as our rightly-guided ances-
tors, will give us an overview of the way the month of
Ramadan has to be treated and the wide range of benefits
that accrue to those who fast according to the way Prophet
Muhammad (Peace be upon him) prescribed. The following
are some of the victories that Muslims during the time of
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and throughout the era of his
rightly-guided companions and their followers - were able to
achieve in Ramadan:
1- On the seventh of Ramadan of the second year of Hijra
(Emigration of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) to Medina),
Makkanpolytheists assembled with the aim of attacking
Muslims in Medina with the malicious aim of uprooting Islam.
They numbered approximately one thousand (infantry and
cavalry men). Moreover, they were armed to the teeth. They
possessed all the means of victory and were confident that
they would easily vanquish the Muslim army. As for Muslims,
they numbered only three hundred and thirteen. However, a
few of them had never been engaged in fighting before. The
two sworn enemy armies confronted each other in the battle
of Bader (the first decisive battle between Muslims and
pagans/polytheists). Allah Almighty bestowed victory upon
Muslims as explained in the following verse: “God surely suc-
cored you (Muslims) at [the battle of] Bader when you were a
contemptible little force; then fear Allah; thus you may show
your gratitude.” (3: 123)
2- On the twentieth day of Ramadan of the eighth year of
Hijra, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) completed the conquest of
Makkah after a prolonged struggle in Medina. He entered
Makkah with his companions as a liberator after its inhabitants
had driven him away.
3- In the month of Ramadan on the ninth year of Hijra, the
tribe of Thaqeef- then among the sworn enemies of Prophet
Muhammad - who inhabited the city of Ta’if (about 90 kilome-
ters north of Makkah) embraced Islam in multitudes after
being obstinate and strong opponents of Islam and sworn
enemies of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
Fasting, a catalyst of victories
It is very clear that God, the Omniscient, accustomed
Muslims since the duty of fasting was prescribed upon them,
that if they behaved sincerely with devotion, He would grant
them decisive victories beyond imagination. If a Muslim fights
against his desires and strives to curb them in that he suc-
ceeds in defeating his instincts sincerely by the intention of
Courtesy TIES Center, a leading non-political NGO promot-
ing relations between Westerners and Muslims through dia-
logue, friendship and cultural exchange. For more informa-
tion. www.tiescenter.net
AUGUST 3, 2013
SATURDAY, AUGUST 3, 2013
Iran’s Rouhani misquoted 9 Mali presidential vote goes 10 Pakistan TV preacher defend1s 3
in remarks on Israel to run-off on August 11 Ramadan baby give-away
MOSCOW: A street cafe visitor reads a fresh Russian newspaper “Izvestia” with a front page pictures of Russian lawyer Anatoly Kucherena, center, and National Security Agency leaker
Edward Snowden, center left, taken on Thursday at Sheremetyevo airport outside Moscow, Russia, yesterday. — AP
Russia faces US ire over Snowden
Whereabouts of Snowden remains a mystery
MOSCOW: Russia yesterday faced the wrath of the United of the airport north of Moscow since flying in from Hong Kong eration,” he added. Obama himself declined to comment when
States after granting asylum to fugitive intelligence leaker on June 23. Kucherena said Snowden would eventually emerge pressed by reporters in an Oval Office briefing.
Edward Snowden, who was settling into a safe house after over into public view and give interviews but that the fugitive first Putin has yet to comment on Snowden’s temporary asylum.
five weeks marooned into a Moscow airport transit zone. required an “adaptation course” after so long in the transit He was due to meet youth supporters at an annual summer
The whereabouts of Snowden-who is wanted by the United zone. “He has sorted out where he will live, everything is fine,” camp later yesterday. On Friday the news anchor of Channel
States after leaking details of vast US surveillance programmes- Kucherena told the RIA Novosti news agency yesterday. One television, seen as a Kremlin mouthpiece, said it was an
remained a mystery with his lawyer refusing to disclose the WikiLeaks said in a statement Snowden is now in a “secure, “open question whether the meeting of the two presidents will
location for security reasons. confidential place”. The founder of Russia’s most popular social take place in Moscow in September”. By granting asylum to
The White House said it was “extremely disappointed” by network VKontakte-28-year-old Pavel Durov-offered Snowden Snowden, Russia has further strained already tense relations
Moscow’s decision to grant Snowden asylum, adding that it a job as a programmer but Kucherena said he was still deciding with the US, analysts said. “The decision to grant Snowden asy-
would now review the need for a planned summit between what he would do. Snowden thanked Russia and slammed the lum will in the short-term have a negative influence on Russia-
President Barack Obama and President Vladimir Putin in administration of US President Barack Obama for having “no US relations,” Foreign and Defence Policy Council think-tank
September. Nicknamed “the invisible man” by journalists, the respect” for international or domestic law. “But in the end the chairman Fyodor Lukyanov told AFP. Obama is likely to skip a
former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor on Thursday law is winning,” he said in the WikiLeaks statement. Russia’s Moscow visit but contacts between Russia and the US are
walked out of Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport unnoticed and decision to award Snowden asylum status came two days after already so limited that any sanctions by Washington would be
took a taxi to a secret location. He now has temporary asylum US soldier Bradley Manning was convicted of espionage for largely symbolic, Lukyanov said. Russian lawmakers backed
in Russia for a year. On Friday, the pro-Kremlin Life News web- passing US secrets to WikiLeaks. Moscow’s decision, saying it had no alternative but to give
site published a photograph showing Snowden smiling broad- The White House warned Russia’s decision could prompt Snowden asylum. “By cutting off the routes for him to fly out,
ly as he walked through the airport arrivals area with a rucksack Obama to cancel a planned visit to Moscow for talks with Putin the US left Moscow with no choice,” tweeted Alexei Pushkov,
on his back and carrying another bag. ahead of the Saint Petersburg G20 summit. who heads the lower house of parliament’s foreign affairs com-
He was shown accompanied by his Russian lawyer Anatoly “We’re extremely disappointed,” White House spokesman mittee. “Any other decision would have been a loss of face for
Kucherena and a staff member of WikiLeaks anti-secrecy web- Jay Carney told reporters. “We’re evaluating the utility of a Russia,” a lawmaker for ruling United Russia party, Vyacheslav
site, Sarah Harrison, as well as an unidentified dark-haired summit in light of this.” “This move by the Russian government Nikonov, who visited Snowden in the airport last month, told
woman. Snowden and Harrison had stayed in the transit zone undermines a long-standing record of law enforcement coop- Kommersant daily. — AFP
I N T E R N A T I O N A L
SATURDAY, AUGUST 3, 2013
Iran’s Rouhani misquoted in remarks on Israel
DUBAI: Two days before his inauguration as Iran’s prompted international condemnation.
new president, Hassan Rouhani said yesterday that The United States and its allies suspect Iran of
Israeli occupation of Palestinian land had inflicted a seeking a nuclear weapons capability. Tehran says
“wound” on the Muslim world, according to a seg- its nuclear programme is purely for peaceful pur-
ment of his remarks broadcast on Iran’s state-run poses, but Israel regards it as a threat to its exis-
Press TV. An earlier report by Iran’s student news tence and refuses to rule out military action.
agency ISNA had quoted Rouhani as saying: “The With a more pragmatic president in Iran,
Zionist regime is a wound that has sat on the body Western countries may see a better chance for
of the Muslim world for years and needs to be diplomacy to lead to a deal to curb Tehran’s urani-
removed.” That version echoed the fiercely anti- um enrichment programme and avoid any conflict.
Israeli language of outgoing President Mahmoud “The true face of Rouhani has been revealed
Ahmadinejad, but was swiftly repudiated by Iranian sooner than expected. Even if they hurry to deny
state media, which said unidentified news agencies his words - this is what the man thinks and this is
had distorted Rouhani’s remarks. the Iranian regime’s plan of action,” Netanyahu said
Press TV then broadcast an excerpt from an in a statement. Rouhani’s words “must awaken the
exchange between Rouhani and journalists at a ral- world from the illusion in which part of it is placed
ly to mark Iran’s annual Al Qods Day in support of since the Iranian elections”, he declared, saying Iran
the Palestinians. “After all, in our region there’s still aimed “to acquire nuclear weapons in order to
been a wound for years on the body of the Muslim threaten Israel, the Middle East and world peace”.
world under the shadow of the occupation of the “A nation that threatens to destroy the state of
holy land of Palestine and the beloved al-Qods Israel must not be allowed to have weapons of
(Jerusalem),” Rouhani said in the segment. mass destruction,” he said. Ahmadinejad
TEHRAN: An Iranian woman holds an anti-Israeli placard during an annual pro-Palestinian ral- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed Israel on Qods Day in his last speech as
ly marking Al-Quds (Jerusalem) Day in Tehran, Iran, yesterday. Ahead of his inauguration, seized on ISNA’s version of Rouhani’s comments, president. “You planted wind in our region and
Iran’s new president yesterday called Israel an “old wound” that should be removed, while saying they showed the reputedly moderate you will reap the storm. I swear to God that a fero-
tens of thousands of Iranians marched in support of Muslim claims to the holy city of Iranian cleric was as hostile to Israel as cious storm is coming and it will uproot the Zionist
Jerusalem. — AP Ahmadinejad, whose denial of the Holocaust and entity,” Iran’s state news agency IRNA quoted him
description of Israel as a “cancerous tumour” as saying. — Reuters
Tunisian forces launch air
12 jihadists killed
strikes on Islamist militants
BEIRUT: Fresh clashes between Kurdish fighters and
jihadists erupted in the majority Kurdish province of
Hasakeh in northern Syria early yesterday, a monitoring
group said. At least 12 members of the Islamic State of Iraq Army encircles area, raids nearby towns
and the Levant (ISIS) were killed, said the Syrian
Observatory for Human Rights, which added that 22
Kurdish fighters have been killed over the past few days. TUNIS: Tunisian forces launched air and ground strikes on throats. Tunisia’s elected ruling party Ennahda, a moderate
Islamist militants near the Algerian border yesterday after fierce Islamist group, is grappling with both the rising instability and a
Reports of the latest Kurdish-jihadist violence emerged
overnight clashes in the area, which came amid increased insta- growing protest movement organised by the secular opposition
a day after at least 31 civilians, among them five women
bility and political turmoil in the North African country. that is demanding the government’s ouster. Opposition groups
and four children, were killed in army shelling and an
Earlier this week, militants killed eight soldiers in the remote are angry about the assassination of one of their leaders last
assault in the northwestern province of Idlib.
Mount Chaambi region, in one of the deadliest attacks on week, the second in six months. Ennahda blames Salafist militants
Meanwhile, Kurdish activists said there was heavy fight-
Tunisian security forces in decades. Witnesses said yesterday they for the assassinations and for two improvised bombs that hit
ing in villages between Cel Agha and Gerke Lage as radical
saw aircraft bombing caves in the area, where the military has Tunis in the past week, the first time the capital has suffered such
Islamists shelled Ras al-Ain. “There was fierce shelling of
been trying to track down Islamist militants since December. attacks. No one was hurt in the blasts. In the town of Kasserine,
Ras al-Ain at dawn today (Friday),” said Syrian Kurd activist
“A major military operation with the participation of air and near Mount Chaambi, security forces raided a mosque and arrest-
Havidar, who also reported Islamists and Kurds fighting on
ground units began at dawn on Friday,” army spokesman Taoufik ed 12 Salafists, a witness in the area said.
the edges of the town.
Rahmouni said, adding that the group of about 15 to 20 militants The border area is porous and is known for smuggling, a trade
Kurds expelled jihadist groups from Ras al-Ain in mid-
were surrounded by the military. that has grown in the wake of instability since Tunisians toppled
July. Clashes have raged ever since in areas that are home
“The army has now imposed a security ring around the area autocrat Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali in 2011. The interior ministry said
to sizeable Kurdish populations. The fate of some 200
and is searching nearby towns in the region. Until now there are on Friday its forces had also arrested a Salafist militant who had
Kurds taken hostage by jihadists on Wednesday remains
no casualties or arrests (in Mount Chaambi).” Rahmouni called the been preparing explosives in the town of Manzel Bourguiba, 50
unknown, the Observatory’s Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP.
group near the border a “terrorist group”. It is the same site where km (30 miles) north of the capital. Local media said the man was
Elsewhere yesterday, forces loyal to President Bashar
militants launched an ambush on Monday and shot dead eight captured when he blew off his hand experimenting with explo-
al-Assad again shelled the rebel-held area of Jouret al-
Tunisian soldiers. The gunmen then slit some of the victims’ sives. He was taken to a nearby hospital. — Reuters
Shiyah in the central city of Homs, said the Observatory.
The bombardment comes five days after the key rebel
neighbourhood of Khaldiyeh fell out of rebel control and
into army hands. Assad’s regime is pressing an offensive
aimed at taking back remaining rebel areas in Homs,
Syria’s third city and dubbed by activists as “the capital of
the revolution”.
Meanwhile, the air force staged several air strikes on
rebel areas across Syria, including two on Al-Harra in the
southern province of Daraa, where rebels have made sig-
nificant progress in recent weeks, said the Observatory.
Yesterday’s violence comes a day after at least 185 peo-
ple were killed across Syria, the Britain-based watchdog
said. Among them were at least 24 civilians killed in and
around the town of Ariha, whose main souk (market) was
shelled by regime forces on Thursday, according to the
Observatory. Another seven civilians died in a subsequent
army assault on a village near Ariha.
The Observatory also said that at least 43 people were
killed in a massive explosion in an ammunitions depot in
Homs on Thursday. The blast was apparently triggered by
rebel rocket fire. Most of those killed were members of the
regime’s paramilitary National Defence Force, said the
Observatory, without elaborating. More than 100,000 peo- MOUNT CHAAMBI: A picture taken on June 11, 2013 shows Tunisian soldiers patroling in the Mount Chaambi region where the
ple have been killed in Syria’s raging war, the United Tunisian army has been tracking militants the government says are veterans of the Islamist rebellion in northern Mali with
Nations says. — AFP links to Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. Tunisia’s army launched an offensive yesterday against “terrorists” near the border
with Algeria, a military source said, as political leaders in Tunis battled a crisis sparked by an assassination. — AFP
I N T E R N A T I O N A L
SATURDAY, AUGUST 3, 2013
Brotherhood defies police US issues global alert, citing...
Continued from Page 1 best of our judgment-so far. To run the coun- Continued from Page 1 ously. And it’s not, as the president cam-
try, there’s a civilian government. In effect, paigned on, you know, Al-Qaeda’s on the run
storm” the building, a security source said. they were restoring democracy,” he added. A he understood there was “a very real and... everything’s fine,” Chaffetz said.
Earlier marches had passed off peacefully, spokesman for Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood worldwide threat.” “There are threats that are Former secretary of state Hillary Clinton
with thousands waving Egyptian flags and denounced Kerry’s comments, accusing coming at us on a daily basis but this rises to a has accepted responsibility for the Benghazi
posters of the deposed leader. Washington of being “complicit” in the coup. new level,” Chaffetz told CNN. The United attack but said that requests for more security
“Our million-man march today is a counter “Is it the job of the army to restore democra- States has been especially cautious about were only seen by lower-ranking officials.
move against the military intimidation to cy?” asked Gehad Al-Haddad in a statement. security since an attack on its consulate in Under Obama, US forces in 2011 killed Al-
break up the sit-in,” said Ahmed Idriss, 27, a Morsi’s supporters have remained defiant Benghazi, Libya on September 11 last year. Qaeda’s fugitive leader Osama bin Laden in a
lawyer from Egypt’s Nile Delta region. The in the face of mounting threats from the The assault blamed on Islamist militants secret raid on his hideout in Abbottabad,
marches came a day after Kerry in an inter- army-installed interim government. On killed four Americans, including ambassador Pakistan. Bin Laden was originally from Saudi
view with Pakistan’s Geo television appeared Thursday, the interior ministry urged those at Chris Stevens. Republicans have accused the Arabia and Al-Qaeda historically focused on
to defend Morsi’s ouster. “The military was protest sites in Rabaa Al-Adawiya and Nahda Obama administration of failing to ensure the Arabian Peninsula. Al-Qaeda in the
asked to intervene by millions and millions of squares “to let reason and the national inter- adequate security at the Benghazi consulate. Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), the global terror
people, all of whom were afraid of chaos and est prevail, and to quickly leave”. The ministry Chaffetz said that the latest threat showed network’s Yemen-based franchise, has
violence,” he said. pledged “a safe exit and full protection to the need for more counter-terrorism pro- launched a series of foiled attacks on the
“And the military did not take over, to the whomever responds to this appeal”. — AFP grams. “We have to take this threat very seri- United States in recent years. — AFP
Ahmadinejad steps aside
Qatar’s new
Continued from Page 1 Mirhossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karoubi put under house arrest
Emir in Saudi and parliament made compliant. Those moves leave Khamenei
Khamenei, Iran’s most powerful man.But history, whether controlling all levers of power. “There was a group who partici-
written at home or abroad, is unlikely to be kind. Within hours pated in this ruination of the state and of course the chief bene-
of the election victory of moderate cleric Hassan Rouhani, ficiary of the removal of accountability was Khamenei,” said Ali
JEDDAH: Qatar’s new Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al- thousands of people gathered outside Rouhani’s headquarters Ansari, professor of history at St Andrew’s University in
Thani yesterday landed in Saudi Arabia on his first for- and across the city to celebrate, shouting out “Ahmadi bye Scotland.
eign foray since acceding to the throne in June, state bye”. “He is unlikely to exit the political scene gracefully, for ECONOMIC SHAMBLES
news agency SPA said. Sheikh Tamim flew in to the port grace has hardly been a hallmark of his eight years in office and High oil prices meant that Iran enjoyed record revenues dur-
city of Jeddah and will meet King Abdullah and perform is unlikely to be an adjective applied to the good doctor in the ing Ahmadinejad’s two terms. But the economy nevertheless
the omra pilgrimage to nearby Makkah, Islam’s holiest future,” said New York-based Iranian-American author Hooman faltered because of mismanagement, and ultimately crumbled
site, the agency said. Majd who has met Ahmadinejad on several occasions. under embargoes imposed in 2012 by the United States and
On the international stage, he has shocked the Western European Union, which cut oil exports in half. Dependent on oil
The Saudi monarch is also currently in Makkah where
world with his rhetoric, often during his annual appearances at to earn hard currency, Iran saw the rial fall and inflation soar, to
he will celebrate the Eid feast marking the end of
the United Nations General Assembly, which have caused mass 35 percent according to official figures, by some estimates dou-
Ramadan, the Muslim holy fasting month, SPA said. The
walkouts and public demonstrations. Relishing the opportunity ble that.
33-year-old Sheikh Tamim came to power on June 25 fol-
to discomfit Iran’s detractors, he has alleged the U.S. govern- In late 2010 he launched a program to withdraw generous
lowing the abdication of his father, Sheikh Hamad bin
ment was behind the 9/11 attacks, denied homosexuality exists subsidies in favor of cash handouts. A bold move to wean Iran
Khalifa Al-Thani, an unprecedented event in the Arab in Iran and lambasted Western leaders for being played by off costly benefits, it led to soaring prices for food and fuel,
world. “deceitful Zionists”. bringing hardship for many and deep criticism from rivals.
Sheikh Tamim has good relations with Saudi Arabia, “The president’s irresponsible rhetoric on Israel, the “Ahmadinejad’s erratic stewardship has left the Iranian econo-
despite Doha and Riyadh having had fall-outs in the past Holocaust and other issues has deepened Iran’s international my in a shambles. His courage in taking the bull of subsidies by
during his own father’s reign. Ties have also been isolation,” said Shaul Bakhash, professor of history at George the horns will be lauded, while its poor implementation will be
strained in the wake of the Arab Spring, notably in Syria Mason University in Virginia. “His embrace of the language of deplored,” said Yasmin Alem, of the Atlantic Council’s South
and more recently in Egypt, as each Gulf nation seeks to Holocaust denial, his prediction that Israel will be erased from Asia Center.
map of history ... made it far easier for many to depict Iran as a Arguably, in economic policy, he served as a scapegoat for a
extend its regional influence. The two countries have dif-
radical state.” Ahmadinejad was groomed by Khamenei to take system that has deeper problems. The subsidies he cut would
ferent approaches towards political Islam. — AFP
on the reformist movement - those advocating more social and have been even more expensive to maintain under sanctions.
political freedoms. His devout religious views, his common The sanctions themselves were a result of a nuclear standoff
Mali’s presidential touch, his accessibility to young Iranians and connections to with the West that remains a fundamental state policy of
the military were assets. Khamenei, although Ahmadinejad’s deeply divisive hardline
poll goes to run-off His fans glorified him as a humble servant who shunned the stance made negotiations tougher.
trappings of power. Ahmadinejad, so the story goes, refused Ahmadinejad’s reformist predecessor Mohamed Khatami
the presidential salary and went to work with a packed lunch. had suspended uranium enrichment, a chemical process that
BAMAKO: Mali’s presidential election will go to a second With a poor background and a doctorate in engineering from a can be used to make material for an atomic bomb. Iran restart-
round on August 11, the government said yesterday, after no technology university rather than a background studying the- ed enrichment within weeks of Ahmadinejad taking office in
candidate secured a majority in the landmark poll. ology in Iran’s ancient schools of Shiite Islam, his down-to- 2005, and has since maintained a “no compromise” stance.
Figures for Sunday’s ballot announced on live television earth image contrasted with that of the elite members of the Tehran says it wants the uranium solely for peaceful purposes;
showed former prime minister Ibrahim Boubacar Keita in the clergy. UN Security Council members doubt it.
lead with 39.2 percent of the vote, ahead of main rival He believed his popular mandate made him a counter- Washington has not ruled out military action over what it
Soumaila Cisse with 19.4 percent. weight to the unelected clerics and members of powerful old believes are attempts to develop atomic weapons capability,
families. “He wants to leave a legacy where he was the guy although it continues to pursue a diplomatic resolution. Yet
The election is seen as key to Mali’s recovery after a coup in
breaking the stranglehold of the mullahs,” said Majd. “He despite his confrontational rhetoric, Ahmadinejad also was
March last year overthrew Amadou Toumani Toure, plunging
believes an elected president should be allowed to govern. accessible to the West. He made unprecedented and ultimately
one of the region’s most stable democracies into political cri-
That’s quite a popular sentiment among Iranians.” He relied on unsuccessful attempts to establish direct contact with two US
sis and leading to an Islamist insurgency. As hardline Al-Qaeda
sharp wits, political courage and self-confidence: “He has a presidents, a move that was previously regarded as a taboo.
allies took control of the country’s vast desert north, and
huge ego. He believes he’s right and he is unafraid,” added Approaches included meetings between an Ahmadinejad advi-
threatened to extend their often violent rule, former colonial
Majd. sor and US officials during his first term and a high-level meet-
power France launched a military offensive in January to drive
But ultimately he overplayed the hand his mandate gave ing between deputy US Secretary of State William Burns and
out the Islamist fighters.
him, leading to a direct confrontation with Khamenei. The feud Iran’s top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili in 2009.
“The new Mali is being built with patience, calm and seren-
erupted in 2011 when Ahmadinejad sacked the intelligence He has happily engaged with US media, becoming a repeat
ity for all Malians united around these challenges above ambi-
minister but the supreme leader reinstated him. Khamenei loy- guest of talk show host Larry King, with whom he would banter
tions and pretensions, and not in a climate of agitation and
alists accused Ahmadinejad and his advisors of seeking to combatively in the studio. He seemed to relish the stir he would
invective...” Keita tweeted in his latest campaign update
erode clerical authority - activity denounced as a “deviant cur- cause visiting the “Great Satan” for his annual appearances at
ahead of the announcement. Four former prime ministers and rent”. He was frozen out of decision-making and threatened UN headquarters in New York. Ahmadinejad advocated a 2009
an array of political heavyweights-but just one woman-fea- with impeachment. nuclear deal that came close to resolving the deadlock with the
tured in a list of 27 presidential hopefuls, although analysts In March last year he became the first president in the histo- West through an agreement to swap fuel kept abroad.
always characterised the election as a two-horse race between ry of the Islamic Republic to be summoned by parliament for a Ultimately it was shelved after criticism from both Iranian
Keita and Cisse. grilling on his policies. To the benefit of the clerics, the ruling conservatives and reformists. Some wonder what comes next
Dramane Dembele, the candidate for Mali’s largest political system he leaves behind has fewer checks and balances than for the man who defied Iran’s enemies but also its leader.
party, the Alliance for Democracy in Mali, polled just 9.6 per- when he found it. To give himself more room to push through There is talk of him setting up a university but he may have to
cent, taking third place. The result will be seen as something his policies, Ahmadinejad dissolved the “Plan and Budget face the music first. “There is some chatter his opponents will
of a surprise after Keita took a comfortable early lead over Organization”, a government body tasked with drawing up move against him once he formally relinquishes the presiden-
Cisse, a former finance minister and erstwhile chairman of the spending plans. cy,” said Ali Ansari. “But it would seem he is being protected
Commission of the West African Economic and Monetary The electoral process was left bent and broken following the by the supreme leader. I find it difficult to believe that he will
Union. —AFP 2009 election. Reformists were sidelined, opposition leaders fade away.” — Reuters