Kuwaiti group condemns US assault
A Kuwaiti group has condemned as “brutal and savage” a US assault on Falluja and other Iraqi towns even as its prime minister said his country feared violence in Iraq might lead to its break-up and stir trouble in the neighbourhood.
The Salafi Movement, a Sunni group, said on Sunday in a statement to Aljazeera the movement “rejects all brutal and savage acts against the Iraqi people in Fallujah, Ramadi, Najaf, Karbala and other cities in occupied Iraq.”
It urged all “Arab and Muslim people to provide moral and material support to the Iraqi people until they achieve victory and secure liberation from their enemy,” the statement added.
The group, known for its anti-American stance, urged the Kuwaiti government to “stand with the Iraqi people”, in line with the principles of “Arab nationalism and Islamic sharia law.”
It also declared as “forbidden” all forms of support and backing provided to the US-led occupation forces and called on Kuwaitis not to cooperate “with the occupation troops and companies providing supplies to it.”
Rejecting foreign troops
The group’s spokesman, Husayn al-Saaidi, said the statement was consistent with the movement’s “position rejecting the presence of foreign troops in the Arabian Peninsula, including Kuwait.”
“Now, the reasons for the US (military) presence in the region
no longer exist. Foreign presence does not help achieve stability in the region,” which boasts more than half of the world’s proven oil reserves, al-Saaidi told AFP.
About 25,000 US troops are permanently stationed in Kuwait which is used by the United States as the main transit point for the rotation of its troops in Iraq.
Washington led an international coalition that drove Iraqi
troops from the emirate in February 1991 after a seven-month occupation.
Kuwait served as the main launchpad for the invasion of Iraq
last year that ousted the regime of Saddam Hussein.
Fear of violence
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“Now, the reasons for the US (military) presence in the region no longer exist. Foreign presence does not help achieve stability in the region,” which boasts more than half of the world’s proven oil reserves.” Husayn al-Saaidi, |
Also on Sunday, Kuwait’s prime minister said his country feared violence in Iraq might lead to its break-up and could stir trouble in neighbouring states.
“I fear the escalation of matters in Iraq towards collapse if things continue as they are,” Shaikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah was quoted by leading daily al-Rai al-Aam as saying on Saturday.
The prime minister said Washington should reconsider its
30 June deadline to transfer sovereignty to Iraqis, al-Anbaa
newspaper reported.
“It will subject Iraq to break-up if Washington insists on
sticking to the deadline of the handover of power to the Iraqi
government as it will not be able to take charge,” he said.
“God knows what will be the result, which will impact us
since we are neighbours.”
Spilling over
Shaikh Sabah also said he feared the situation could spill
over into neighbouring countries, including his own and again
warned against any attempts to incite sectarian conflict between Kuwait’s majority Sunnis and minority Shia Muslims.
Shia in Kuwait were angered at the January arrest of local shia activist Yasir al-Habib who was convicted of insulting Prophet Muhammad’s companions in an audio tape. Many say the issue was exacerbated by a rise in tension between Sunnis and Shia in Iraq.
“We noticed the first signs of (sectarian) trouble began
when things developed in Iraq. Our geographic location is
sensitive and dictates that we be careful always,” al-Rai al-Aam quoted the prime minister as saying.
“If sectarianism is inflamed (it) will burn those who started it and then it will burn everybody,” he added, repeating remarks made last week.