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Sheikh Jaber Khafaji

Sheikh Jaber Khafaji

Mehdi Army

Iraq

20030502

Arabia

Kuwait Probes Drone that 'Intruded' on Day of Saudi Strike

2019-09-17

[AnNahar] Kuwait is investigating accounts that a drone intruded its airspace and flew over the royal palace Saturday, the same day a devastating strike was launched on Saudi oil infrastructure. Yemen ...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of... 's Iran's Houthi sock puppets ...a Zaidi Shia insurgent group operating in Yemen. They have also been referred to as the Believing Youth. Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi is said to be the spiritual leader of the group and most of the military leaders are his relatives. The legitimate Yemeni government has accused the them of having ties to the Iranian government. Honest they did. The group has managed to gain control over all of Saada Governorate and parts of Amran, Al Jawf and Hajjah Governorates. Its slogan is God is Great, Death to America™, Death to Israel, a curse on the Jews They like shooting off... ummm... missiles that they would have us believe they make at home in their basements. On the plus side, they did murder Ali Abdullah Saleh, which was the only way the country was ever going to be rid of him... s -- who are aligned with Tehran -- claimed the attack on two oil facilities which cut Saudi production by half, but the United States has blamed Iran ...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan, the abbreviation IRGC is a cognate form of Stürmabteilung (or SA), the term Supreme Guide is a cognate form of either Shah or Führer or maybe both, and they hate Jews Zionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol... and there is also speculation the assault may have been launched from Iraq. Baghdad on Sunday denied any link to attacks on Saudi oil plants, saying it is "constitutionally committed to preventing any use of its soil to attack its neighbours". But Iraq is home to several Iran-backed militias and paramilitary factions, putting it in an awkward situation amid rising tensions between its two main sponsors, Tehran and Washington. Media reports speculated that a drone travelling south from Iraq to the eastern oilfields of Soddy Arabia ...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face... could have travelled over the sea or through Kuwait's airspace. Kuwait's Alrai newspaper said that at dawn on Saturday, an unmanned drone about the size of a small car came down to a height of about 250 metres over the palace, before turning on its lights and flying away. Kuwait's Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak al-Sabah has ordered the beefing up of security measures around vital installations in the country, according to a government statement posted on Twitter on Sunday. "Security officials have started the necessary investigation regarding the drone that was seen flying over the coastal area of Kuwait City," it said. Another newspaper, al-Rai, said that the drone continued for a considerable period of time and flew over the seaside residential palace of Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah who is undertaking medical tests in the United States. Kuwait is an OPEC member which has land borders with Iraq and Saudi Arabia and shares sea borders with Iran.

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Arabia

Kuwaiti Government Stands Still During Vote of No Confidence Session

2018-05-04

[AAWSAT] The Kuwaiti government easily passed Wednesday one of three obstacles during a marathon session to discuss three interrogation requests. While Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber al-Mubarak survived the questioning, both the government and the speaker of the National Assembly seemed satisfied with the outcome of the vote of confidence for Oil and Electricity Minister Bakheet al-Rashidi and Minister of State for Economic Affairs Hind al-Sabeeh on May 10. Following a 24-hour marathon session, which witnessed the discussion of three government-directed interrogations, 10 politicians filed a no-confidence motion against Rashidi and Sabeeh. Speaker of the National Assembly Marzouq al-Ghanim said that the two ministers would not resign during next week’s session. Ghanim told news hounds the first no-confidence request was submitted by MPs Abdul Wahab al-Babtain and Omar al-Tabtabaei against Rashidi. A no-confidence motion has been filed against the minister and the voting on the motion will take place during Thursday’s session on May 10, Ghanim added.

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Arabia

Kuwait names ruler's son as defense minister in shakeup

2017-12-11

[Al Ahram] Kuwait has announced new picks for Cabinet, with five out of 16 members hailing from the royal family, including the ruler's son who has been chosen to head the Defense Ministry. Nasser Sabah Al Sabah, in his 60s, will serve as defense minister and as deputy prime minister. He takes over the ministry from Mohammad Khaled Al Sabah. Bakheet al-Rasheedi, the CEO of Kuwait Petroleum International, a subsidiary of the national Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, was chosen as oil minister, replacing Essam al-Marzouq. Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al Sabah announced his selections Sunday with Kuwait's ruler, Sheikh Sabah, expected to approve the nominations. The cabinet was dissolved in October after politicians were set to consider a no-confidence against one of the ministers from the ruling family over budget issues.

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-Short Attention Span Theater-

Egyptian Azhar cleric suspended for singing on TV show

2017-09-24

[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] The Egyptian Ministry of Awqaf has decided to arrest al-Azhari Sheikh Ihab al-Yunis, who sung "Lesa Faker" (Do you still remember?) as a tribute to the late Arabic singer Um Kolthum while wearing his Azhari uniform on an Egyptian satellite channel. The ministry’s head of the religious sector, Sheikh Jaber Taya, said in a press statement on Friday that Sheikh Younis is an Imam and preacher at Ali bin Abi Talib mosque, which is under Awqaf al-Salam’s management. Yunis was referred to the ministry of interior for investigation, Taya added. Disgrace to uniform Meanwhile, ...back at the buffalo wallow, Yellow Wolf clutched at his chest and fell from his horse... al-Azhar also condemned the holy man’s actions, stressing that he had disgraced the Azhari uniform. Similarly, al-Azhar observatory said that the Azhari dress to people and the Islamic world is associated with uniforms of religious scholars, students and people of fatwa. Therefore, it should not be worn when singing or practicing arts, even if they are purposeful and upscale, added the observatory.

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Arabia

Kuwait Says 'Coup Plot' Video Tampered With

2014-04-16

[An Nahar] Kuwait's prime minister told MPs Tuesday that a videotape allegedly showing former bigwigs plotting a coup was "tampered with," parliament speaker Marzouk al-Ghanem said after a secret session. Local media have said the former officials in the videotape include a senior member of the ruling family, without giving details. Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Sabah "showed reports by specialized foreign sides affirming without doubt that the audio recordings and the videotapes which they examined had been tampered with and do not represent genuine and reliable copies," Ghanem said. The reports also indicate that "parts of the audio recordings (on the videotape) had been removed," the speaker said in a statement he read after the three-hour debate demanded by the prime minister and 15 MPs. Ghanem said the videotapes were shown to MPs during the secret session and that parts of them were unclear. The government informed parliament that it will hand over all the tapes and related documents to the public prosecution, which is currently conducting an investigation, he said. Parliament rejected a proposal to form an investigative panel into the videotape with a landslide majority of 50 members against seven, the speaker said. Pro-government MP Abdulhameed Dashti told news hounds the tape is "fake," while opposition MP Riyadh al-Adasani insisted it is real and "very serious". Islamist MP Hamdan al-Azemi said the issue of the videotape is a reflection of "an internal struggle between senior members of the Al-Sabah ruling family."

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Arabia

Kuwait Royal Court Urges Calm over 'Plot' Video

2014-04-10

[An Nahar] Kuwait's royal court appealed for calm Wednesday as the country was abuzz with rumors about a videotape allegedly showing former bigwigs plotting to overthrow the oil-rich Gulf state's government. The appeal comes two days after Sheikh Ahmad Fahad al-Sabah, a senior member of the family and former minister, was questioned by the public prosecutor for five hours about the tape, which he said he had handed over to Kuwait's leaders. Local media reported that the tape includes a segment in which the former officials plot against the regime, ruled by the Al-Sabahs for more than 250 years. The Amiri Diwan (royal court) acknowledged that there were reports of a tape and said the matter "is currently being handled by the public prosecution." In its brief statement it said it "appeals to all people to avoid debating the issue and leave it to the public prosecution take the necessary measures." It did not provide any details. After his questioning, Sheikh Ahmad said he told the prosecutor he had a videotape dealing with financial and political matters as well as the ruling family and regional issues. A number of MPs and the opposition called for an immediate investigation into the issue and demanded that the government reveal the content of the video. MP Ali al-Rashed asked Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Sabah if the video included a plot to overthrow the regime and requested the names of the people involved in any conspiracy. Meanwhile, ...back at the Council of Boskone, Helmuth ordered the entire 614th quadrant searched. The Green Lensman must be found!... a number of MPs appealed for calm, also urging people to allow the judiciary to deal with the issue. Since 2006, Kuwait has been rocked by a series of political disputes between the Sabah-controlled government and MPs. About a dozen governments have been formed and parliament dissolved on six occasions. After July parliamentary elections, in which pro-government candidates gained a majority, Kuwait has been relatively calm.

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Arabia

PM Says Kuwait Will Not 'Remain Silent' over MB Cell

2013-03-30

The Muslim Brotherhood: making friends and influencing people wherever they find themselves. [AAWSAT.NET] Kuwait's prime minister, Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabbah, stated that his country will take action if it is proven that Kuwaiti nationals were involved with the Moslem Brüderbund cell tossed in the slammer Maw! They're comin' to get me, Maw! by the UAE authorities earlier this year. In an exclusive statement to Asharq Al-Awsat, Sheikh Jaber revealed that the Emirati authorities had informed Kuwait of "two Kuwaitis suspected of involvement in financing this cell," adding, "they asked us to wait until the investigations were concluded and we do not have any confirmed information." The Kuwaiti Prime Minister said: "The case is currently in front of the Emirati courts, and if we find anybody involved in this, we will not remain silent." During a closed session of the Kuwaiti parliament in January, the PM revealed that the UAE and Kuwaiti authorities were coordinating their response following the arrest of the alleged Moslem Brüderbund cell. The UAE is currently in the process of trying a reported 94 Emirati nationals for sedition and links to the Moslem Brüderbund, claiming the group was plotting to overthrow the government. In February, the Emirati state news agency WAM reported that those on trial included 13 women who had been charged but not placed in durance vile Youse'll never take me alive coppers!... [BANG!]... Ow!... I quit! , along with 10 others being charged in absentia. The defendants are accused of "belonging to an illegal, secret organization . . . that aims to counter the foundations of this state in order to seize power and of contacting foreign entities and groups to implement this plan."

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Arabia

Kuwait Court Upholds Life Term on Police for Torture Death

2012-12-25

[An Nahar] Kuwait's appeals court Monday upheld a life term on two coppers convicted of torturing a citizen to death at a cop shoppe two years ago. The court also confirmed jailing three officers for 16 years each, a fourth for 15 years and a fifth for two years and ordered their dismissal from the police force. Two other coppers were each fined 200 dinars ($720), while the remaining 11 defendants were acquitted, including two foreigners who worked at the cop shoppe. The verdicts can still be appealed before the supreme court. All 20 defendants were charged with torturing four detainees at the cop shoppe in January 2011. One of the victims, 35-year-old Mohammad Ghazzai al-Mutairi, died of his injuries. The incident shocked the Kuwaiti public and led to the resignation of former interior minister Sheikh Jaber Khaled Al-Sabah, a member of the ruling family. A parliamentary investigation panel at the time found that Mutairi had apparently been subjected to severe torture for six days, including three days in a remote desert location.

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Arabia

Kuwait picks PM to form new Cabinet

2012-07-06

KUWAIT: Kuwait's ruler on Thursday asked outgoing Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah to form a new government, state news agency KUNA said, in a move that may ease a political crisis. Sheikh Jaber must now select a 15-member Cabinet, after which analysts expect Kuwait's ruler to dissolve Parliament in order to allow fresh elections, widely expected to be held after the Muslim holy month of Ramadan which starts around July 19. The previous government, also headed by Sheikh Jaber, resigned last month after Kuwait's constitutional court dissolved a Parliament dominated by Islamist-led opposition lawmakers and reinstated its more government-friendly predecessor instead. The government took its oath of office in front of the dissolved Parliament, meaning its activities had technically become unconstitutional and hence had to step down. The reappointment of Sheikh Jaber was a widely expected move and the new Cabinet is unlikely to be different from the previous one, analysts and lawmakers said. "Probably there will not be new ministers ... because this was just an exceptional decision to resolve the problem," said lawmaker Saleh Ashour. The new Cabinet should take an oath of office at the reinstated Parliament. Such a move could prove difficult as majority of the 50-elected-member assembly have said they are boycotting the reinstated Parliament, which was tarnished by corruption allegations, analyst said. "The most likely scenario is that the reinstated Parliament would not be able to convene in the absence of a quorum, then the emir will have to dissolve Parliament and new parliamentary elections will be held," said political analyst Ghanim Al-Najjar. The last such elections in the US-allied OPEC oil producer were in February. Analysts said a new cabinet could be formed by next week, though there is no deadline for government formation in Kuwait's constitution and it could drag on for longer than that.

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Arabia

Kuwait Emir Asks Outgoing PM to Form Cabinet

2012-02-07

[An Nahar] The Kuwaiti emir on Monday asked outgoing Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak al-Sabah to form a new government following a general election won by the Islamist-led opposition. Sheikh Jaber, a senior member of the ruling al-Sabah family, submitted the resignation of his two-month-old cabinet on Sunday, as required by the constitution after a general election. The premier should form the cabinet before February 15 when the new parliament is scheduled to hold its opening session. Sheikh Jaber, 69, was appointed premier in late November after prime minister Sheikh Nasser Mohammed al-Ahmed al-Sabah, a nephew of the emir, quit following a dispute with the opposition and allegations of corruption. The opposition won 34 seats in the 50-member parliament with Sunni Islamists, including Salafists ...Salafists are ostentatiously devout Moslems who figure the ostentation of their piety gives them the right to tell others how to do it and to kill those who don't listen to them... , becoming the most formidable bloc in the house with 23 members. Women failed to win a single seat after making history in the 2009 election by winning four seats for the first time. Liberals and pro-government candidates were also big losers in Thursday's poll.

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Arabia

Kuwaiti parliamentary election set for Feb. 2

2011-12-19

KUWAIT: Kuwait's Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah on Sunday decreed that a parliamentary election would take place on Feb. 2, the privately owned Al-Rai television reported. The decision comes nearly two weeks after the emir dissolved Parliament following the resignation of the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah last month in one of the deepest political crises in the oil-exporting state. At the time, the emir had set no date for an election, which under the constitution must be held within two months from the date Parliament is dissolved. The OPEC member and US ally has been locked in a long-running political battle between the government and the 50-member Parliament. Opposition lawmakers and protesters stormed Parliament last month to demand the resignation of Sheikh Nasser, amid allegations of mismanagement and corruption, which he denies. The raid on Parliament came after the Cabinet blocked an opposition request to question the prime minister. The opposition said the Cabinet's move was unconstitutional. The crisis forced Sheikh Nasser and his Cabinet to step down, and the emir has since named outgoing Defense Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, another member of the ruling family, as the new prime minister. The emir last week swore in a new government consisting mainly of ministers from the previous administration of Sheikh Nasser, to prepare for the election.

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Arabia

Kuwait: Meet the new cabinet, same as the old cabinet

2011-12-14

[An Nahar] Kuwait's new Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak al-Sabah on Tuesday formed a new cabinet that comprised only 10 ministers with just small changes in the line-up, state television ... and if you can't believe state television who can you believe? reported. Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed al-Sabah issued a decree approving the new government, the eighth cabinet since February 2006. All previous cabinets were forced to resign because of political disputes. All key ministers in the previous government, which resigned on November 28 over corruption allegations, were retained but the three ministers who quit a few days earlier were dropped. Sheikh Ahmed al-Humoud al-Sabah, who held the interior post in the previous government, was also given the defense portfolio, while Sheikh Sabah Khaled al-Sabah was retained as foreign minister. The ministers of finance, oil, and electricity and water remained the same. Besides the premiership, members of the ruling al-Sabah family also hold the portfolios of defense, interior, foreign affairs and information. No date has so far been set for the new elections which must be held within 60 days of the 50-seat parliament being dissolved. The new compact cabinet will serve for only several weeks to oversee the polls because under Kuwaiti law the cabinet must resign after declaring election results. Former prime minister Sheikh Nasser Mohammad al-Ahmad al-Sabah resigned after allegations of corruption and huge rallies demanding his ouster organized by the opposition in the oil-rich Gulf state. The resignation was followed a week later by the ruler dissolving parliament for the fourth time in under six years. Kuwait has been rocked by a series of almost non-stop political disputes since Sheikh Nasser, a nephew of the emir, was appointed premier in February 2006. The parliamentary opposition has targeted Sheikh Nasser, 71, claiming that he failed to stop widespread corruption and to run the wealthy state efficiently. Just days before he resigned, three former opposition politicians filed to question him in parliament over a corruption scandal involving around 15 members of the now dissolved body. They also accused him of transferring millions of dollars of public funds into his own overseas bank accounts, an allegation strongly denied No, no! Certainly not! by the government. Kuwait is OPEC's third largest producer, pumping around 3.0 million barrels of oil per day. It has a native population of just 1.2 million besides 2.4 million foreign residents. Despite accumulating massive assets exceeding $300 billion from high oil prices, development projects have been stalled because of the political turmoil.

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