SUBSCRIPTION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2014 SAFAR 24, 1436 AH www.kuwaittimes.net Kuwait eyes Israeli PM rejects Abe pledges Al Arabi lift bigger role Palestinian bid constitution Crown Prince for SMEs3 for UN deadline7 rewrite12 after win Football20 Cup Two killed as Australian Min 13º Max 24º police storm siege cafe High Tide 05:53 & 19.58 Low Tide Hostages rescued after day-long standoff, hostage-taker shot 00:35 & 12:12 40 PAGES NO: 16374 150 FILS SYDNEY: At least two people were killed as heavily Saudi officer killed armed Australian police early today dramatically in hostage rescue stormed a central Sydney cafe to end a day-long siege sparked when an Iranian-born Islamist took several peo- RIYADH: A Saudi security officer was killed in an ple hostage. Security forces in SWAT-style gear inter- operation to free three foreign laborers taken vened, unleashing a flurry of loud bangs and flashes in hostage by a gunman in the capital, Riyadh, accord- the eatery in the heart of Australia’s biggest city, after a ing to a police statement carried by the official Saudi number of the staff and customers managed to flee for Press Agency yesterday. their lives. Saudi police said an attacker armed with an An AFP photographer saw one body carried out. assault rifle seized the workers on Sunday evening Australian media said that in addition, the gunman was near a mosque and opened fire when surrounded by shot dead by police. Sky News also reported four peo- police. Police said they were able to free the ple were wounded, three of them critically. Royal North hostages after a heavy exchange of gunfire. The Shore Hospital had admitted a woman in her 40s with a attacker was wounded and captured in the shoot- gunshot wound to her leg, a spokeswoman told AFP. out. In addition to the slain officer, a civilian and a She was in a serious but stable condition. member of the security forces were also injured. A bomb robot, which is used to detect and disarm Security officials did not disclose the identity of explosives, was subsequently sent into the building as the attacker, possible motives for the attack or the police declared the siege over and medics tended to nationality of the hostages. Also on Sunday, a Saudi hostages. “Sydney siege is over. More details to follow,” policeman was shot and killed in the eastern town of police announced on Twitter. The hostage-taker, who Al-Awamiya by an unidentified assailant. The town is earlier had unfurled an Islamic flag, was named by ABC heavily populated by minority Saudi Shiites and is television and other media as a 49-year-old Iranian-- the hometown of revered Shiite cleric Nimr Al-Nimr, born “cleric” called Man Haron Monis. an outspoken government critic who was sentenced They published a photo of him sporting a beard and to death in October for inciting violence and sectari- a white turban and said he was on bail for a series of an strife - charges which he denies and which have violent offences. The pre-Christmas siege of the Lindt outraged his supporters. chocolate cafe began yesterday morning and triggered The Eastern Province was rocked last month when a massive security lockdown in Sydney’s financial dis- seven Shiite worshippers were shot dead in an attack trict as hundreds of police surrounded the site. Monis’s that police say appears to have been carried out by SYDNEY: Hostages run to safety during a cafe siege in the former lawyer Manny Conditsis said the public could be supporters of the extremist Islamic State group. central business district of Sydney early today. (Inset) assured that the siege was not the work of an organized Continued on Page 13 Emergency personnel wheel a blood soaked stretcher to terrorist group. an ambulance. — AP Continued on Page 13 Parliament to debate grilling against Mudej Interior panel okays law on illegal arms By B Izzak News KUWAIT: The National Assembly is scheduled to debate today a grilling motion against Commerce and Industry in brief Minister Abdulmohsen Al-Mudej on allegations of finan- cial and administrative violations in the ministry. Kuwait policemen face The grilling motion was submitted by MP Abdullah trial in liquor theft case Al-Turaiji who has repeatedly called on the minister to KUWAIT: Four police officers will testify before a mili- step down because the evidence and documents he tary tribunal today in a case involving the disappear- prepares to submit during the grilling will condemn the ance of imported liquor bottles from the Drug Control minister and force him out. General Department’s (DGCA) warehouses. The officers, Ahead of the grilling, the Council of Ministers in its including two colonels and two lieutenant colonels, are weekly meeting yesterday heard the answers of the min- ister on all the points raised in the grilling and expressed accused of stealing alcoholic drinks that were prepared its total backing and support. The cabinet also praised to be destroyed. The officers, who work at the DGCA, Mudej’s performance in the ministry. have reportedly filed for retirement, said sources quot- Nevertheless, the debate of the grilling is not guaran- ed by Al-Aan news website yesterday. The tribunal was teed to be held as some doubts have been raised about formed by Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister the intention of the government to refer parts of the Sheikh Mohammad Al-Khaled Al-Sabah, following an grilling to the National Assembly’s legal and legislative immediate investigation he ordered after nearly 17,000 committee to establish it was in line with the constitu- liquor bottles went missing last February. tion and the law. The measure however requires the approval of the majority of the National Assembly members including Saudi woman held after the 16 cabinet ministers. If approved, the move will put attending soccer game off the grilling for some time until the committee has RIYADH: A Saudi newspaper says a woman arrest- studied the grilling and issued its verdict. ed after attending a soccer game claims she did A number of MPs however warned that they will not not know women were prohibited from going to accept sending the grilling to the committee and urged the stadium. The state-linked Okaz newspaper the minister to face the grilling bravely and refute the reported yesterday that police in the city of Jiddah allegations. have questioned the woman, who claims she MP Abdulhameed Dashti said he will speak in sup- bought a ticket online without any problems and port of the grilling and warned if the Assembly refers it went to the Friday night game between Jiddah’s to the legal committee, he will submit a new grilling Al-Ittihad and Riyadh’s Al-Shabab in the kingdom’s against the minister. new Al-Jawhara stadium, where she was arrested. MP Saleh Ashour said he will oppose any move to Okaz did not identify the woman. The paper says send the grilling motion to the legal committee and she was questioned by police for “impersonating” demanded that the minister should face the charges list- a man by wearing pants, a long-sleeve top, a hat ed in the grilling which he described as very strong. MP and sunglasses. No charges have been raised so Faisal Al-Duwaisan also called on the minister to refute far. Saudi Arabia enforces a strict segregation of the charges in the grilling and said he will not approve the sexes. There are no designated areas for of sending it to the legal committee or anywhere else. women at soccer stadiums. Under the Assembly charter, the griller will be given 90 minutes to explain and verify the allegations he made in the grilling request and the minister will be giv- Five killed in Philly en an equal duration to respond with the help of his shootings at homes ministry staff. SOUDERTON, Pennsylvania: Police yesterday sur- In addition, the griller and the minister will be given rounded a home outside Philadelphia where they another 30 minutes each to respond to each other’s believe a suspect had barricaded himself after shoot- charges. After that, three MPs in favor and three others ings at multiple homes. The man was suspected of against the grilling will speak alternately for around 15 minutes each. In the end, the minister will be given killing five people yesterday morning at three different some time to make last comments, pleading for support homes, police told WPVI-TV. The communities are about from the Assembly members. The grilling could end four (6.5 kilometers) from each other in Philadelphia’s without any further action or it may lead to a vote of no- northwestern suburbs. Officials are referring questions confidence if 10 MPs file a no-confidence motion against to the district attorney’s office, which did not immedi- the minister. ately return messages left by The AP. Continued on Page 13 TUUESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2014 LOCAL KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah during his meeting with Parliament His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah in a group photo with KFAS directors. Speaker of Pakistan Sardar Ayaz Sadiq. — KUNA Amir receives Pakistani speaker, sports delegation Sheikh Sabah chairs KFAS meeting KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah to the latest regional developments in regards Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah received yester- to terrorism. The Pakistani Speaker is to attend day Parliament Speaker of Pakistan Sardar part of a parliamentary session today. He will Ayaz Sadiq, in attendance of HH the Crown also meet with First Deputy Prime Minister Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al- and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al- Sabah and National Assembly Speaker Hamad Al-Sabah, Deputy Prime Minister and Marzouq Ali Al-Ghanem.