... but Kuwait holds out hopes


	December 1, 2001	atimes.com

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... but Kuwait holds out hopes
By Kim Ghattas

KUWAIT CITY - The developments in the US-led war against terrorism are followed very closely here in the small, oil-rich emirate of Kuwait. In solidarity with their Muslims brothers, Islamists have been calling for an end to the "unjustifiable war" against Afghanistan. The difference, however, is that Islamists here will not criticize the actual US-led war - only the choice of Afghanistan as the target.

"If the United States wants to fight terrorism, they should take on [Iraqi President] Saddam Hussein," says Islamist MP Khaled el Adwa.

Today, Kuwaitis across the board are hoping that Iraq's turn to become the target of an international military operation will come very soon and bring the type of sea-change consequences now being seen in Afghanistan. "It's a fact, we would like to see the toppling of the Taliban regime, coupled with the toppling of Saddam's regime," adds former oil minister Ai el Baghli, a liberal.

Since the Iraqi invasion in 1990, Kuwaitis have lived in fear of another Iraqi attack. And since they were liberated by a US-led coalition seven months later, Kuwait has also had a special relationship with the United States. This has translated into the continued presence of 4,500 US troops in the country, but also varying levels of US pressure for more democratization.

Although not much has changed in Kuwait's political life, there is definite US and other Western influence on everyday life. Kuwait looks like a big, rich American suburb. American cars are a favorite among Kuwaitis, and shopping malls, usual pick-up spots, are sprouting all over the country with foreign brand names such as Marks & Spencer and Starbucks.

Although Kuwait is a conservative country, there is little popular support here for a more Islamic-conscious lifestyle, whether Taliban- or even Saudi-style. Too much criticism of the United States would be political suicide for the Islamists. Today, Kuwait is probably the only country in the Arab world where people feel guilty because their government has not voiced enough support for the United States, seen as the country's savior.

Some have used harsh words against their government. Sheikh Saud Nasser al Sabah, a member of the Kuwaiti royal family and former oil minister, criticized his country for shamefully "betraying" the United States. "What would have become of us had the United States adopted the same hesitant position toward us that we have adopted of late?" Sheik Saud lamented in an article published in October the international Arab daily al Sharq el Awsat.

The initially hesitant official support from Kuwait was mainly due to the absence of the ruling emir, Sheikh Jaber Ahmad el Sabah, who was recovering in London from a stroke. But there were also worries about attracting the ire of Osama bin Laden, whose professed aim is to topple corrupt regimes in the Gulf and force US troops to leave the region. With a Kuwaiti national, Sulaiman Abu Ghaith, appearing as bin Laden's spokesman, there have been fears of an Al-Qaeda network in Kuwait as well.

One Salafi Islamist MP who had advertised himself as a representative of the Taliban in Kuwait has retracted this since the September 11 terror attacks in the United States. Most people believe that bin Laden's choice of a Kuwaiti as a spokesman was a pubic-relations move, in a failed attempt to show that he enjoys wide support in the Gulf.

But the royal family here does not seem too worried for the moment.

The Kuwaiti government eventually reaffirmed its support for the United States and its action against terror, during the visit to Washington for the UN General Assembly of Kuwaiti Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Ahmad el Sabah. He reportedly also received assurances that the United States still takes Kuwait's safety to heart.

"We have to protect our interests and our interest lies with the United States," says Ahmad Bishara, secretary general of Kuwait's liberal National Democratic Movement. "It's only fair to come to the help of friends when they need you. This is a two-way street."

The two-way street means that Kuwait now seems to be doing more for the United States than any other Gulf country. Well-informed analysts and former ministers say that their country is providing logistical assistance and fuel supplies to the US military campaign, although it is not widely advertised. There is none of the usual Arabic rhetoric here, only pragmatism. Kuwaitis say they do not agree with US policy toward the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but that this should not overshadow other positive aspects of American foreign policy.

Bishara also believes the Islamist standpoint is hypocritical. "You cannot ask the United States to please you by bombing Iraq but criticize acts that the United States sees as necessary for its own protection," he says. "In both cases, it is a Muslim country being bombed and civilians will die."

Last week, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak visited Kuwait to gauge the mood about the US campaign moving on to another Arab country - Iraq. The feedback he reportedly got was that an extension of the campaign to Iraq was not in Kuwaiti hands, but that the country had made no specific request to the United States on the matter. In other words, Kuwait would not oppose US air strikes against Iraq. The Kuwaiti position is not popular in the Arab world, where the Gulf emirate is often pointed to as a traitor to the Arab cause.

"We're not worried about alienating the Arab world," said el Baghli, the former oil minister. "We supported all the Arab wars and when we needed the Arabs, they sided with Saddam Hussein."

(Inter Press Service)

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