Iran Guard Crosshairs Post Mcnair
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golf basketball Page 14 THE FIRST ENGLISH LANGUAGE DAILY IN FREE KUWAIT Established in 1977 / www.arabtimesonline.com Pages 15 & 16 TUESDAY, MARCH 23, 2021 / SHABAAN 10, 1442 AH emergency number 112 NO. 17644 16 PAGES 150 FILS Iran Guard crosshairs post McNair Top general also target WASHINGTON, March 22, (AP): At a virtual meeting in January to discuss the proposed restrictions, Army Maj Gen Iran has made threats against Fort Omar Jones, commander of the Military Dis- McNair, an Army post in the US trict of Washington, cited “credible and spe- capital, and against the Army’s cific” threats against military leaders who live on the Army post. The only specific security vice chief of staff, two senior US threat he offered was about a swimmer who intelligence officials said. ended up on the installation and was arrested. They said communications intercepted Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, the district’s by the National Security Agency in Janu- sole representative in Congress, was skepti- ary showed that Iran’s Revolutionary cal. “When it comes to swimmers, I’m sure Guard discussed mounting “USS Cole- that must be rare. Did he know where he was? style attacks” against the Army post, re- Maybe he was just swimming and found his way to your shore?” she said. ferring to the October 2000 suicide attack Jones conceded that the swimmer was “not in which a small boat pulled up alongside a great example there, but our most recent ex- the Navy destroyer in the Yemeni port of ample” of a security breach. Aden and exploded, killing 17 sailors. He said the Army has increased patrols The intelligence also revealed threats to kill along the shoreline, erected more restricted Gen Joseph M. Martin and plans to infiltrate area signs and placed cameras to monitor the and surveil the installation, according to the Washington Channel. officials, who were not authorized to publicly Puzzled city officials and frustrated resi- discuss national security matters and spoke dents said the Army’s request for the buffer on condition of anonymity. The Army post, zone was a government overreach of public one of the oldest in the country, is Martin’s waterways. official residence. Discussions about the Fort McNair pro- The threats are one reason the Army has posal began two years ago, but the recent in- been pushing for more security around Fort telligence gathered by the NSA has prompted McNair, which sits alongside Washington’s Army officials to renew their request for the bustling newly developed Waterfront District. restrictions. In this March 19, 2021 photo, a water taxi passes in the waterway next to Fort McNair, with the Capitol seen in the background in Washington. City leaders have been fighting the Army’s Iran has made threats against Fort McNair, a US army base in Washington DC, and against the Army’s vice chief of staff, according to two The intercepted chatter was among mem- senior US intelligence officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss national security matters. (AP) plan to add a buffer zone of about 250 feet bers of the elite Quds Force of Iran’s Revolu- to 500 feet (75 meters to 150 meters) from tionary Guard and centered on potential mili- the shore of the Washington Channel, which tary options to avenge the US killing of the would limit access to as much as half the former Quds leader, Gen Qassem Soleimani, width of the busy waterway running parallel in Baghdad in January 2020, the two intelli- to the Potomac River. gence officials said. The Pentagon, National Security Council and They said Tehran’s military command- NSA either did not reply or declined to com- ers are unsatisfied with their counterattacks ment when contacted by The Associated Press. so far, specifically the results of the ballistic As District of Columbia officials have missile attack on Ain al-Asad airbase in Iraq fought the enhanced security along the chan- in the days after Soleimani’s killing. No US nel, the Army has offered only vague infor- service members were killed in that strike but mation about threats to the installation. dozens suffered concussions. Opinion The Government’s cloaks: appearance or substance? By Ahmed Al-Jarallah prominence, which ultimately led to the Editor-in-Chief, the Arab Times current situation. Therefore, the state, in order to ward IS it possible to exit from the current im- off the dangers caused by this disease, is passe that Kuwait is enduring due to the required to restore unity between it and absence of a firm decision and the inabil- the people. It must get out of the cocoon ity to confront and solve problems? of narrow interests, especially with re- The answer to this does not need much gard to issues pertaining to livelihood, thought ... all that is needed is to resort housing, economy and freedoms. It must turn back the clock to where we were be- Map shows the location of Fort McNair and surrounding area along with the proposed buffer zone. Proposed new restrictions along Fort to the country’s Constitution and all its McNair’s Southwest Waterfront would protect army housing. (AP) components that made Kuwait occupy an fore we entered the darkness of the crisis important status in the region in the 1960s in which we are currently. and 1970s and become a true democratic Unfortunately, the current crises rep- oasis. All the things that burden the citi- resent the most important factor in the zens or weaken the performance of official political investment to blackmail the gov- Day by Day bodies must be avoided. However, in case ernment, especially at the parliamentary of inability, it is necessary to resort to the level. In the absence of a government MP eyes cautious on last medicine, which is cauterization. program, these people exploit problems What we are experiencing today is the for marketing themselves, either in terms ‘General Minister’ of the housing crisis, or in economic and natural result of the continuous practices WHILE the vaccinations against since the mid-1980s, which caused a deep financial proposals that touch the nerves of Kuwaitis such as the issue of loans and “Corona” are proceeding slowly, crisis that made the citizens fear for their the pressure on people is intense, tomorrow. This happened in the absence writing them off, or the incentives, which is still a slogan echoed by ministers even and even those who have been inching toward Israel of a clear vision concerning the state’s vaccinated are asked to stay in function, after corruption became ram- though they did not present any realistic solution in that regard. homes and not go ‘out’ for a few pant and selectivity prevailed over equal- days, and if they object, the pro- By Saeed Mahmoud Saleh operation of powers. No Authority shall be allowed to ity in the application of the law. In addition, the image drawn by social waive all or part of its jurisdiction as prescribed in this media shows the regime as a monster. cedures of ‘General’ Minister of Arab Times Staff This is why all attempts to exit from Health Dr Basil Al-Sabah will be Constitution.” this impasse have failed, for instance, Even though this is not the case, the lack Article 179 says: “Law provisions shall become ap- of decisiveness and decision-making abil- applicable to them. KUWAIT CITY, March 22: MP Osama Al-Shaheen for- the financial and economic crisis because Even those who have received warded queries to 15 ministers asking about the proce- plicable only from the date of their coming into force of reliance on the opinions of a group of ity, and the inability to market the gov- and shall have no retroactive effect. In articles other than ernment and its programs have convinced the vaccine abroad and came dures they have taken to enforce law number 21/1964 on pessimists who portrayed social justice back with certificates to prove boycotting Israel. He explained his queries are in line with those stipulating punitive measures, it may be permis- as a way to appropriate public funds and a significant proportion of the citizens to fall for the smearing campaign against the that, they are ‘tossed’ into a hotel the shameful normalization of relations between some sible with the consent of the majority of members com- shrink the gains of people, as well as ex- in the Capital for two weeks. Gulf countries and the Zionist entity. He then stressed the posing the Assembly, to provide otherwise by law.” press a desire to increase their wealth, and government. All this can be summed up in an Arabic The vision is not clear, and importance of making sure that Kuwait does not fall into MPs Thamer Al-Suwait, Mehalhal Al-Mudaf, Fayez prevent even crumbs from going to those people ask: What is our fault if indirect normalization of ties through commercial, sports Al-Jomhour, Osama Al-Menawer Farz Al-Daihani, who deserve assistance. adage which translates to – “In the cloak there is a man”. The government should we received the vaccine abroad? or cultural activities with some Gulf countries. Saleh Zeiab Al-Mutairi, Mubarak Al-Hajraf, Hamad Since the inception of Kuwait four focus on addressing its essence instead We are old, and we have docu- He criticized the participation of Kuwait in Rally Rouhaldeen, Abdullah Al-Mudaf, Muhannad Al-Sayer, centuries ago, there has been a cordial of its appearance, given that all this will ments to prove we suffer from Baha in Jordan in which Israel participated. He called Muhammad Obaid Al-Rajhi, Mubarak Al-Arow, Mu- relationship between the rulers and the disappear, or else crises will follow and chronic diseases? on Kuwait Olympic Committee, Public Authority for hammad Al-Hewaila and others have agreed that since people.