SUBSCRIPTION THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2013 SHAWWAL 15, 1434 AH www.kuwaittimes.net Hezbollah turns ElBaradei sued Indian state Watson puts Beirut bastion for ‘betrayal bans black Australia on top into a fortress7 of trust’8 magic11 in20 Ashes finale Max 47º 1,300 massacred Min 28º High Tide 00:44 & 12:22 Victims choked to death in Syria chemical attacks Low Tide 06:33 & 19:18 40 PAGES NO: 15905 150 FILS GHOUTA: Bodies of children and adults lay on the ground at a makeshift morgue yesterday. Syrian rebels claim more than 1,300 were killed in a toxic gas attack by pro-government forces. — AFP Outrage as hundreds perish in brutal use of toxic gas BEIRUT: Syria’s main opposition group accused the “provocation” by the opposition and its foreign back- Opposition sources accused the army of multiple ties amid extreme shortage of medical supplies to res- government of “massacring” more than 1,300 people in ers. Videos distributed by activists, the authenticity of chemical weapons strikes-one in Moadamiyet Al- cue the victims, particularly atropine,” the LCC said. In chemical weapons attacks near Damascus yesterday, which could not immediately be verified, showed Sham, southwest of Damascus, and more in the capi- one video, children are seen being given first aid in a saying many of the victims choked to death. The accu- medics attending to suffocating children and hospitals tal’s eastern suburbs. The Local Coordination field hospital, notably oxygen to help them breathe. sation came as a team of UN inspectors was in Syria to being overwhelmed. Committees (LCC), a network of activists, reported hun- Doctors appear to be trying to resuscitate unconscious probe previous allegations of chemical weapons More footage showed dozens of people laid out on dreds of casualties in the “brutal use of toxic gas by the children. Specialists in the impact of chemical weapons strikes leveled against both sides during the 29-month the ground, among them many children, some of them criminal regime”. And in videos posted on YouTube, the said the video evidence was not entirely convincing. conflict. covered in white sheets. The claim of chemical Syrian Revolution General Commission, another “At the moment, I am not totally convinced because Western governments demanded immediate access weapons use, which could not be independently con- activist group, showed what it called “a terrible mas- the people that are helping them are without any pro- for the inspectors to investigate the new allegations. firmed, was vehemently denied by the Syrian regime sacre committed by regime forces with toxic gas.” tective clothing and without any respirators,” said Paula Russia, a longstanding ally of the Damascus regime, which said it was intended to hinder the work of the The attack “led to suffocation of the children and Vanninen, director of Verifin, the Finnish Institute for echoed the call for an inquiry but said it suspected a UN weapons inspectors already in the country. overcrowding field hospitals with hundreds of casual- Continued on Page 13 PAGE Expats to be forced out of PAGE ‘Mysterious’ Manning sentenced to 35 ‘private accommodations’ years in WikiLeaks case Crocodile KUWAIT: A Kuwaiti resident rushed home from work GCC throws weight after his housemaid called to tell him that there was Court orders a “huge lizard inside”, only to find that the reptile was behind ‘new Egypt’ actually a crocodile. The animal had mysteriously made its way inside the house located in Salwa’s Mubarak release DUBAI: Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies are and other Arab countries,” he said. Prince Block 11 before it was first spotted by the family’s backing Egypt’s new leaders because Saud said yesterday that the kingdom has domestic helper on Tuesday morning. CAIRO: An Egyptian court yesterday they see the political Islam espoused by urged the international community, “not The terrified maid immediately called her ordered ex-president Hosni Mubarak ousted president Mohamed Morsi as a to take measures that could hamper the employer who was at work and told him that there freed while he stands trial for corruption threat to their rule, experts say. In a efforts of Egypt’s government to stabilize” was a huge lizard in the courtyard of his house. He and killing protesters, as authorities strong message to the European Union, the Arab nation. first suggested that she use a slipper to kill it, but she pressed their roundup of supporters of which met yesterday to discuss measures He spoke two days after returning later called again and said that the lizard was too big his ousted Islamist successor. There was against Egypt over its deadly crackdown from Paris where he held talks with and she couldn’t do anything about it. He rushed no indication of whether a release was on Muslim Brotherhood protests, Saudi French President Francois Hollande, as home after the maid told him she was thinking of imminent. In the past, prosecutors have Arabia has said Arab nations will step in Riyadh pushed to lobby support for leaving the house because she feared for her life. filed new charges to keep Mubarak in jail to cover any cut in foreign aid to Egypt. Egypt’s interim government after the Continued on Page 13 after courts have ordered his conditional “To those who have announced they army deposed Morsi on July 3 following release. are cutting their aid to Egypt, or threaten- nationwide protests. Saudi Arabia and The decision added a volatile new ele- ing to do that, (we say that) Arab and other Gulf countries welcomed Egypt’s ment to the political turmoil that has Muslim nations are rich... and will not hes- ouster of Morsi, with Riyadh announcing gripped Egypt since Mohamed Morsi was itate to help Egypt,” Foreign Minister an aid package of $5 billion to Egypt. ousted in a July 3 coup, with 1,000 peo- Prince Saud al-Faisal said on Monday. Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates ple killed in violence in the past week. “The Gulf countries have a strong ani- followed suit, bringing the pledges made That unrest has prompted international criticism, and EU foreign ministers Hosni Mubarak mosity towards Islamists, especially the by the three oil-rich Arab states of the that overthrew him, as well as on charges Muslim Brotherhood,” said Kuwaiti politi- Gulf to $12 billion. “Historically Saudi agreed in an emergency meeting yester- day to suspend the sale of arms and of corruption. He was sentenced to life in cal analyst Ayed Al-Manaa. Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait in particular... prison, but an appeals court ordered a “The weakening of the Muslim have in their different ways accommodat- security equipment to Egypt. Last year, Mubarak was convicted of retrial on technicalities. Should he be Brotherhood in Egypt serves their inter- ed the Muslim Brotherhood for domestic freed, he still faces those charges and his ests, in showing that Egypt’s Islamist and regional strategic advantages,” said complicity in the deaths of some of the 850 people killed in the 2011 uprising next hearing is scheduled for Sunday. model could not be exported to the Gulf Continued on Page 13 Continued on Page 13 THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2013 LOCAL NA panel to determine ‘top three priorities’ Opinion poll in the offing By Nawara Fattahova house. My second priority is to naturalize the be wasta in employing. And finally, for coopera- children of Kuwaiti mothers married to non- tion between the parliament and the govern- KUWAIT: The parliament will form a ‘Priority Kuwaitis. These children already have this right ment, to divide the wealth equally between citi- Committee’ which will hold an opinion poll to but we want the authorities to apply the law. zens and solve all issues would be my third prior- determine the top three priorities of Kuwaiti citi- Finally, my third priority is to build new hospitals ity,” he pointed out. zens to address them first. A private company to suit the current situation and treat the high 30-year-old Salah Al-Hatem praised the initia- specialized in organizing polls will be the one to number of patients,” she told the Kuwait Times. tive of the parliament to hold this opinion poll. carry out this two-week survey. This committee Eisa Al-Mutar, a 25-year-old employee agrees “It’s a good step. I consider the ‘multimillion consisting of MPs and ministers will work in with Fatma that the housing issue is the most deposits case’ my first priority. We want to find cooperation with both the parliament and gov- important priority for citizens. “Housing is the out the culprits and make sure they are pun- ernment, which will simplify the parliament’s first priority for many young Kuwaitis, including ished,” he said. work and lead to more achievements and help myself. The government should decrease the His second priority would be to review the pass laws, necessary for the development and price of lands so the citizens can manage to system of polling with one vote. “This issue construction process. build their house instead of waiting for many caused many problems in the country and it Kuwait Times asked Kuwaitis of different ages years for their turn to receive a house. The gov- should be definitely solved. This parliament is for their opinion on the three most important ernment should also open more areas to better than the previous ones and represents issues they would like the parliament to address become residential areas to relieve further pres- the nation well, though I didn’t vote,” added Al- first. The housing issue ranks on top of 29-year- sure.