'Largest' US Brigade in Region Heads to Kuwait
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SUBSCRIPTION SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2015 RABI ALTHANI 26, 1436 AH www.kuwaittimes.net ‘Largest’ US brigade in Min 08º Max 24º region heads to Kuwait High Tide 09:42 & 19:40 Force is well armed, well trained and well experienced Low Tide 06:59 & 18:40 40 PAGES NO: 16434 150 FILS FORT CARSON, Colorado: More than 4,000 Fort Carson Over 2,000 Kuwaiti soldiers are heading to Kuwait, where they will take over as one of America’s largest ground forces in the passports forged region after US President Barack Obama asked Congress to authorize military action against terrorists who are cutting a large swathe across the Middle East. for KD 4,000 each Obama ruled out large-scale US ground combat operations similar to those in Iraq and Afghanistan, but 2 expats arrested he asked for the option to use military force against Islamic State fighters for three years. The fight could be By Hanan Al-Saadoun extended to any “closely related successor entity” to the Islamic State organization that has overrun parts of Iraq KUWAIT: Well-informed security sources said two and Syria, imposed an extreme form of religious law Arab expats working for the passports department and killed several hostages it has taken, Americans for 20 years have been arrested for forging Kuwaiti among them. passports, charging KD 4,000 per passport. The The US Army has kept a brigade in Kuwait since the sources explained that the two suspects, who are end of the Iraq war in 2011. Those soldiers, including currently in custody at the central prison pending tri- two units from Fort Carson, have worked to train local al, used to save the information of applicants renew- troops from throughout the Middle East. In its most ing their passports and then forged other passports recent deployment to Kuwait, a combat team from Fort with the same information for different persons. Carson conducted training missions with allies includ- The sources said one of the suspects had KD ing Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, which have 80,000 in his bank account, while the other had KD joined the coalition against Islamic State fighters. 18,000, which they had collected from forging over The unit headed to Kuwait is Fort Carson’s heaviest 2,000 passports during their 20 years in service. The force, armed with tanks and Bradley Fighting Vehicles. sources explained that such forgery had been creat- Many of its soldiers are veterans of one or more of the ing problems due to the presence of two different brigade’s previous combat tours in Iraq. “We’re no people holding passports with the same information. strangers to deployment,” said the brigade’s command- er, Col Greg Sierra. The brigade has trained more than a KUWAIT: Health Minister Dr Ali Al-Obaidi flags off the sixth ‘Friends of Hearts’ marathon organized by the year for the Kuwait mission. News Chest Diseases Hospital yesterday. —KUNA (See Page 5) Continued on Page 13 in brief Municipality launches S&P maintains Kuwait’s stable outlook online license services KUWAIT: The Kuwait Municipality will launch online health KUWAIT: In view of the sharp fall in inter- average $105 per barrel in 2015 and $98 and ad license renewal services today, Minister of national oil prices in recent months, per barrel in 2015-18,” it said. Communications and Minister of State for Municipal Affairs Standard and Poor’s has significantly “We now assume an average Brent oil Essa Al-Kandari said yesterday. The move came at the revised down its oil price assumptions for price of $55 per barrel in 2015 and $70 behest of the political leadership’s directives for creating an 2015-18, affirming Kuwait’s AA/A-1+ rat- per barrel in 2015-18; Kuwait Crude (KEC) online government and translating the municipality’s com- ing. “We are therefore affirming our ‘AA/A- trades at a five-dollar discount to Brent. puterized service strategy into reality, the minister said in a 1+’ long- and short-term foreign and local Consequently, we have also revised our press statement. The municipality’s service improvement currency sovereign credit ratings on forecasts for Kuwait, particularly of its fis- efforts are part of the country’s current development drive, Kuwait,” the credit rating agency said in cal and current account positions. Kandari added, noting that the municipality is eager to its report on Friday. The stable outlook Despite the sharp fall in the oil price, our make use of modern technologies in removing obstacles reflects our expectation that Kuwait’s fis- ratings on Kuwait remain unchanged. The and streamlining services. cal and external positions will remain ratings continue to be supported by the strong, backed by a significant stock of sovereign’s high levels of accumulated Central Bank offers financial assets. wealth and very strong external and fiscal master’s scholarships “We expect these strengths to offset asset (stock) positions,” the report added. KUWAIT: The Central Bank of Kuwait will offer mas- risks related to the current volatile oil The Kuwaiti government, via the ter’s degree scholarships for Kuwaiti students to price, Kuwait’s undiversified oil economy, Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA), has pursue their education in business, finance, and what we assess as a volatile and accumulated substantial assets through accounting and management, Governor Dr unpredictable political system, in addi- oil and gas production over the years. It Mohammad Al Hashel said yesterday. Hashel told tion to geopolitical tensions in the has also saved its oil wealth in what “we KUNA that the Central Bank, in cooperation with the region,” according to the report. “Prices of consider to be a prudent manner”. “The Institute of Banking Studies and several banks, has crude oil in spot and futures markets government’s large net asset position, provided this offering as a step to support students have fallen by around 50 percent since which we estimate at over 2.8x GDP at WASHINGTON: A student from Georgetown University makes the call to seeking higher degrees. A Central Bank committee June 2014, leading us to revise down our the end of 2014 is a significant ratings prayer as a group of Muslims and their supporters prepare for Friday will look into applications and will choose students oil price assumptions significantly. When strength providing a substantial buffer to prayers outside the White House on Friday in the wake of the murder of according to their credentials, said Hashel, adding we last reviewed Kuwait on August 15, lower oil prices. three young North Carolina Muslims. The gathering was in memory of the that the scholarship graduates will not necessary 2014, we expected Brent oil prices to Continued on Page 13 Chapel Hill shooting victims, and to press federal authorities for a hate have to work within the banking sector after com- crime investigation. — AP pleting their studies, and will have full freedom to further seek education or work in any public or pri- High-tech lenses vate sector entity. OIC concerned over KPC signs flurry zoom with wink Islamophobia in US of big oil deals KUWAIT: Kuwait Petroleum Corporation’s (KPC) has made a deal with a major international company to Apple working on car Obama denounces ‘murders’ supply it with 200,000 barrels per day for the next SAN JOSE: Swiss researchers are develop- Eric Tremblay from the Ecole Polytechnique JEDDAH: A pan-Muslim body con- Police said they are investigating three years, revealed KPC Managing Director for ing contact lenses that contain tiny tele- Federale de Lausanne in Switzerland. The demned yesterday the murders of what may have been a parking dispute International Marketing Nasser Bader Al-Mudhaf. He scopes to boost vision and zoom in and lenses come with smart glasses that three Muslim students in the United gone wrong, but have not ruled out a said in remarks to KUNA yesterday that the deal was out with the wink of an eye, optic special- respond to the wearer’s winks - but not States by a neighbour who espoused hate-based crime. Relatives of the vic- the “surprise he had promised for the Kuwaiti people” ists said Friday. The latest advances in blinks - so that the user can switch almost anti-religious views, voicing concerns tims say they are convinced they were during his participation last week in the annual inter- vision aids - some of which could potential- effortlessly from normal to magnified over what it said was increased targeted because of their faith. “This national petroleum conference. The amount of crude ly help the 285 million people worldwide vision and back. The wearer winks with the “Islamophobia” in the country. Deah gruesome crime has left Muslims to be delivered to the company according to the with some form of vision impairment - right eye to activate the telescope, and Shaddy Barakat, 23, his wife Yusor worldwide in a state of shock and has agreement constitutes up to 10 percent of Kuwait’s were discussed at the American with the left eye to deactivate it. Mohammad, 21, and her sister Razan, raised concerns of the growing feel- daily oil output. KPC’s marketing sector also succeed- Association for the Advancement of “We think these lenses hold a lot of 19, were shot dead on Tuesday in the ings of hatred towards Muslims and ed in gaining a foothold in the Spanish market, where Science annual meeting in California. The promise for low vision and age-related North Carolina university town of the increase of acts linked to a major company would be supplied with Kuwaiti new contact contains an extremely thin, macular degeneration,” a vision disorder Chapel Hill.