SUBSCRIPTION TUESDAY, APRIL 8, 2014 JAMADA ALTHANI 8, 1435 AH www.kuwaittimes.net Protests against India voters US Navy Distraught demolition kick off converting Pistorius of iconic world’s biggest seawater apologizes for building3 election7 into13 fuel killing17 girlfriend Sheikh Ahmad testifies Max 35º Min 16º over ‘conspiracy’ tape High Tide 07:08 & 16:57 Low Tide Court delays Barrak case after PM fails to appear 11:40 40 PAGES NO: 16129 150 FILS By B Izzak concern “local, parliamentary, (ruling) Khorafi took the case to the public pros- conspiracy theories family, financial and regional issues” and ecutor and asked him to investigate, KUWAIT: Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahd Al- that he dealt with them “in accordance categorically denying the allegations Sabah, the former deputy premier for with my national duties”. He provided made against him and the former pre- Expat phobia economic affairs and energy minister, no further details about the exact con- mier. appeared yesterday before the public tent of the recordings. He also did not The prosecutor then arrested the prosecution which is investigating an say who supplied him the recordings. tweeter, interrogated him and detained alleged audiotape targeting the former The issue began several weeks ago him for several days before releasing premier and parliament speaker. Sheikh when a tweeter wrote on his account him on bail. Last week, the prosecutor Ahmad, a senior member of the ruling that Sheikh Ahmad had received an decided to summon Sheikh Ahmad as a family, said after the interrogation that audiotape containing highly sensitive witness to hear his account. Sheikh By Badrya Darwish he appeared as a witness and denied information about former prime minis- Ahmad did not reveal what he said in there was any tape, but admitted receiv- ter Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al- his testimony and did not explain how ing scattered recordings. Ahmad Al-Sabah and former National he dealt with the recordings. Sheikh Ahmad said the recordings Assembly speaker Jassem Al-Khorafi. Continued on Page 13 Sheikh Ahmad [email protected] Kuwait oil output rises to 3.3m bpd hy do we suffer from expat phobia? I noticed that lately, in the last two or three years, the KUWAIT: The head of Kuwait Petroleum Corporation Wnorm in Kuwait has been that if you want to revealed Kuwait has increased its oil production capacity to pretend to be a patriot and a caring person and show 3.3 million barrels of oil a day (bpd) and is hoping to reach your love for Kuwait, all you have to do is raise your 3.5 million bpd in 2015. Kuwaiti officials have previously voice against expats. If you are a writer, then you start said that capacity in the OPEC member state was around sharpening your pen and writing articles against 3.1-3.2 million bpd. Meanwhile, Oil Minister Ali Al-Omair expats. If you are an MP, go publicly and shout that you said yesterday that current oil prices are “fair” despite strong will cut the number of expats in the country. The funni- geopolitical factors impacting the region. est part is that when you make these appeals during “There are geopolitical factors impacting oil prices... campaigns, all the people from the valet to the caterer which are not only controlled by output levels and produc- and the cleaners and those who erect the tents are all tion capacity but also by political changes,” Omair told expats. This is an ironic scene. reporters on the sidelines of the second Gulf Petroleum If you want to write against corruption, you will start Forum. “We, as exporters and importers, wish to see stabili- blaming expats. If anything malfunctions in the coun- ty in production and prices,” he said, voicing hope that try - such as traffic jams - blame it on the expat. Of prices would remain “fair” as “they are now”. The Kuwaiti course traffic jams is the most popular topic to blame minister said that it is not necessary that “high prices are the expat. Some advise expats should not to be good for producers and low prices are good for consumers”. allowed to buy cars. Others suggest expats’ licenses Omair said that political disputes between member should be confiscated or they should be prevented states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have not from getting them, etc, etc. If the health services in the affected the joint oil policy of the six-nation alliance. Last hospitals are bad, then we blame expats. It has reached month, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Bahrain a point where we managed to convince our govern- recalled their ambassadors from Qatar over Doha’s per- ment to segregate polyclinics in Jahra - as a trial for ceived support for the Muslim Brotherhood. now, but if the project succeeds, it will be applied to all “Kuwait has increased its production capacity to 3.3 mil- other hospitals in other areas. lion barrels per day. It will reach 3.5 million barrels per day Here are some more examples: If there is a sewage by 2015,” KPC Chief Executive Nizar Al-Adsani told the con- problem, blame the expat. If the quality of our educa- ference. Kuwait hopes to reach 4 million bpd of capacity in tion is bad, blame the expat. If the crime rate is rising, 2020, despite slow progress in developing new projects. blame expats regardless of statistics on who the real But Adsani said the state needed more help from abroad to perpetrators are. KUWAIT: Oil Minister Ali Al-Omair answers journalists’ questions during the Gulf Petroleum Forum yester- achieve that target. Crime exists in every country in the world. As they day. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat Continued on Page 13 run out of issues to blame expats, they come up with new twists. The latest thing is from the government, that they are looking into the demographic imbalance Emirati tourists hurt in and the fact that we are fewer than expats. You can dis- cuss this issue for ages. It might be true - expats are majority in number but zero in power because we are, thank God, in control. The system in Kuwait and the London hammer attack Gulf made sure that expats have no political power. We have never suffered so far from any political issues from LONDON: Three women from the stable condition at a central London had come to London to do some expats. All our political issues are local. United Arab Emirates were in hospital hospital, while the injuries suffered by shopping and sightseeing, and the Expats are merely coming from other countries to yesterday after being savagely the other two women are not life- victims had visited some of the larger work for us and get their salaries. Some of them stay attacked in their luxury London hotel threatening, police said. Detectives are stores in the West End during the day and others leave. Due to visa traffickers, we have a mar- room by a man wielding a hammer, treating the attack as attempted mur- on Saturday. “Early indications are that ginal group of illegal residents in Kuwait or expats arriv- police said. The tourists, all in their 30s, der and suggested theft might have theft appears to be the motive,” said ing in the country who fall victim to greedy people sustained serious injuries to their been the main motive. They are look- Detective Superintendent Carl Mehta who want to make money. They bring them and throw heads and faces during the “unusually ing for a lone white man who entered of the Metropolitan Police. “We are yet them on the streets without work. violent attack” at the four-star the women’s seventh-floor room, to establish precisely what happened, We forgot the movies and TV channels that influ- Cumberland Hotel early on Sunday which was left unlocked because oth- but we are in close liaison with the ence our youth as well as the social media. We are a morning. Three children aged er family members were staying in family to establish what is missing well-travelled nation and see things ourselves. My between seven and 12 were asleep in other parts of the hotel. from the room.” mother’s times are gone. We are the most well-travelled an adjoining room at the time but When one of the women woke up, The 1,000-room hotel is located nation on earth. People get affected by other cultures they were unharmed. The UAE min- he attacked her with a hammer before near Hyde Park and the Oxford Street and this is natural. Even the West is affected by people istry of foreign affairs said the three turning on the other two victims and shopping artery, and is owned by the LONDON: The signage at the Cumberland Hotel in integrating and changes of cultures. This is a norm of women were sisters. then fleeing the building in blood- Guoman group. central London is seen yesterday. — AFP life. We cannot just sit and blame every failing matter One of the victims is in a critical but stained clothes. The wealthy family Continued on Page 13 on expats. Instead of blaming, I would like to find solu- tions. One way is training our people to do everything from A to Z. in the Expats do not stop us from changing if we wish to. news Train our boys and girls to start doing all jobs. Why not? UAE upholds 15-year Saudi Prince Bandar MEW may reduce jail for maid torturer Passenger attempts to resume intel post DUBAI: A Dubai court has upheld a 15-year jail term for suicide during flight RIYADH: Saudi Prince Bandar bin Sultan will return to an Emirati woman who tortured her Ethiopian maid to DUBAI: Emirates airline crewmembers found a passenger the kingdom within days after spending around two power subsidies death by forcing her to drink pesticide, media reported bleeding heavily on a flight from Dubai to India after he months abroad for surgery and retake his position as yesterday.