Kuwaiti National Assembly Speaker stresses necessity of adopting dialogue in Bahrain as MPs warn against sending Kuwaiti troops to Bahrain
While ‘war’ seems to have erupted in Bahrain, Kuwait doesn’t seem to be willing to send troops to Bahrain…
On Wednesday, Kuwaiti National Assembly Speaker Jassem Al-Kharafi asserted his trust in the wisdom of the leaders of the Kingdom of Bahrain, stressing the necessity of adopting dialogue by the two parties to get out of the current turmoil in the country.
Al-Kharafi was quoted by the Kuwaiti News Agency (KUNA) as saying he has great confidence in the wisdom of Bahrain's leaders from the two parties whether from the leaders, or the Bahraini people, and stressing that the optimal solution is dialogue.
Al-Kharafi added that such matters are "posing threats to Bahrain, and Bahraini people, and must not be addressed except through a method that helps concerned parties reach the desired conclusion, and dialogue should not be a contentious one between the two parties." He also expressed his hopes that "wisdom will prevail, and that all will listen to what can be achieved of reforms," expressing hope that all factions will be careful of those who seek to instigate turmoil.
Answering a question whether the existence of Peninsula Shield forces in Bahrain can be regarded as interference within the Bahraini internal affairs, or is it a system of action within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Arab states, Al-Kharafi said that he cannot answer this question because this is of the jurisdiction of Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. He said that there are rules that were set regarding rapid deployment, "and if these rules correspond to the measures that the Emir is willing to take, I believe that his highness will make a decision that will lead to the desired result depending on the reactions that may require him to make the decision."
Earlier, a Kuwaiti MP threatened that he and a number of his colleagues will file to grill Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah if he sanctions to send Kuwaiti troops to Bahrain as part of the Gulf force to help the regime fight protests.
MP Saleh Ashour's threat came amid a flurry of statements and warnings by Kuwaiti MPs on the Bahrain issue, some supporting the Gulf move to send troops while others strongly rejecting the move.
MP Maasouma Al-Mubarak emphasized her utmost concern for the safety of the Bahraini regime and people but said that she totally opposes sending any Kuwaiti troops to Bahrain to fight against the Bahraini people. She said that what is happening in Bahrain is an internal issue that "we hope it will be resolved and urged the Kuwaiti diplomacy to mediate a solution there".
For her part, MP Rola Dashti said that "we have a duty to defend Bahrain against any external aggression but sending our soldiers there for the possibility of more killings is totally rejected."
In turn, MP Adnan AbdulSamad said that sending GCC troops to Bahrain contravenes the GCC Defense Pact and is a flagrant intervention in the internal affairs of Bahrain and an attempt to curb the legitimate demands of the Bahraini people for reforms. He warned against its consequences on the region. He also sent a series of questions on the issue to Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammad Al-Sabah in which he asked about the view of Kuwait about the GCC sending troops to Bahrain. The lawmaker asked about the motives of the troops in Bahrain, especially that what is happening there is an internal affair, and asked if similar GCC troops will have the right to enter into Kuwait in case there is a crisis between the leadership and the people. Abdulsamad asked if Kuwaiti troops have been sent to Bahrain as part of the GCC force, although the Kuwaiti leadership has been mediating for some time to strike a compromise there.
