SUBSCRIPTION TUESDAY, MARCH 14, 2017 JAMADA ALTHANI 16, 1438 AH www.kuwaittimes.net Pilot describes Carlos the Intel buying Kuwait Times the day Sheikh Jackal on trial Israeli car tech infographic: Jaber returned for 1974 firm Mobileye NBA Power to Kuwait Paris attack for $15bn Rankings 2Rouhani10 sends27 letter16 to Min 18º Max 31º Amir in diplomatic stride High Tide 00:12 & 13:35 Low Tide Tehran keen on good ties with neighbors: Larijani 07:35 & 19:42 40 PAGES NO: 17167 150 FILS KUWAIT/TEHRAN: Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani sent a letter yesterday to HH the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al- ‘Barrak attacker’ Jaber Al-Sabah, state media reported, a further sign that the two might be trying to defuse tensions between the Islamic commits suicide Republic and the Gulf Arab states. Predominantly Shiite Iran and the Sunni Arab-dominated Gulf countries, notably Saudi in solitary cell Arabia, support opposing sides in conflicts in Syria and Yemen, but in January, Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al- By A Saleh Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah paid a rare visit to Tehran. He deliv- ered a message from the Amir to Rouhani, describing a “basis KUWAIT: The interior ministry’s security media and public of dialogue” between Gulf Arab states and Iran. relations department said a 28-year-old non-Kuwaiti inmate Iran’s state news agency IRNA said Rouhani replied to the committed suicide at the Central Jail yesterday using his blan- message in the letter delivered by Iran’s ambassador yesterday. ket. He was being held in solitary confinement. The depart- Kuwait state news agency KUNA said Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled ment said the inmate was doing a two-year sentence for drug received Alireza Enayati, and “during the meeting, a letter was abuse and that relevant security forces are currently investi- delivered addressed to His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al- gating the matter to find out the motive for the suicide. Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah from Iranian President Hassan Further investigations are in progress. Rouhani”. Neither news agency gave details of the letter’s con- According to unconfirmed reports on social media, the tents. Rouhani visited Oman and Kuwait in February on his first deceased was a Syrian inmate who had allegedly attacked visit to the Gulf states since taking power in 2013. He said former opposition MP Musallam Al-Barrak at the prison Kuwait was among at least 10 countries to have offered to last month. Barrak suffered light injuries and was rushed to mediate in Iran’s escalating feud with Saudi Arabia. Farwaniya Hospital. He was later returned to his cell. In a In Tehran, Speaker of Iran’s Shura Council Ali Larijani said Iran post on Twitter, MP Marzouq Al-Khalifa described the pursues peaceful policies with neighboring states based on Syrian’s suicide as suspicious and demanded an investiga- conservative religious principles. In a press conference, Larijani tion, adding “the case had many questions from the begin- referred to Rouhani’s visit to Kuwait and Oman as “positive”. ning”. He called on authorities to increase Barrak’s security Following the visit, it was decided to continue talks with the for- in prison to prevent any possible retaliation. eign ministers of both states, he said. After the assault last month, Interior Minister Sheikh Referring to the ties with Egypt, Larijani said Tehran wel- Khaled Al-Jarrah Al-Sabah had ordered an immediate comes all moves that would lead to normalizing ties with investigation into the attack, while member of the Cairo. He highlighted Egypt’s pivotal role amid the current Assembly’s human rights committee MP Mohammad KUWAIT: (From left) National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem, HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al- events in the region. Ties between Cairo and Tehran strained Hayef said the committee discussed the attack and Jaber Al-Sabah, Education Minister and Public Authority for Applied Education and Training Chairman in the wake of Egypt’s peace pact with Israel in the late 1970s, demanded a full investigation. It also decided to send rep- Mohammad Al-Fares and HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah cut the ceremonial but conditions have considerably changed since then, Larijani resentatives to hear the testimony of Barrak on the matter. cake at a ceremony yesterday to honor PAAET’s outstanding graduates for 2015-2016. — KUNA (See Page 2) stressed. He also defended Iran’s nuclear deal with world pow- ers as a “right decision”. — Agencies King Salman, Abe eye boost in ties Saudi deputy crown prince to meet Trump TOKYO: Japan and Saudi Arabia agreed oil company that is being partially priva- yesterday to explore ways to bolster tized, on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. The two Japanese investment and trade in the countries also will cooperate in promoting Mubarak set Middle Eastern nation, possibly by setting renewable energy as well as seawater up special economic zones there. King desalination by Japanese companies. King to walk free Salman and about a thousand business- Salman met with Japanese Foreign Minister people from Saudi Arabia are in Japan for Fumio Kishida earlier yesterday. CAIRO: Hosni Mubarak, overthrown as president of talks this week focusing on the economy, Separately, Saudi Arabia’s sovereign Egypt in 2011 and the first leader to go on trial in the as the country seeks a less oil-dependent wealth fund and Japanese telecoms wake of the Arab Spring, will walk free this week for growth strategy. Japanese Prime Minister provider Softbank have joined forces in set- the first time in six years. The 88-year-old was cleared Shinzo Abe told King Salman that Japan ting up a $25 billion private fund for tech- of murder charges this month in his final court wants to “vigorously advance its ties with nology investments. Saudi Arabia is one of appearance, having stood trial on charges ranging Saudi Arabia, which is the linchpin of stabil- Japan’s biggest suppliers of crude oil, from corruption to ordering the killing of some of ity in the Middle East”. The visit is the first accounting for about a third of its imports the protesters who ended his 30-year rule. by a Saudi king in 46 years, though Salman of oil from the Middle East. Trade between Mubarak was initially arrested in April 2011, two visited more recently as crown prince. the countries fell last year as oil prices KUWAIT: Cars crawl during a heavy dust storm in Shuwaikh yesterday after wind months after stepping down, and has since been in The two leaders agreed to promote dropped. Japanese imports from Saudi speed hit over 40 km/h and visibility level fell below 500m in some areas in Kuwait. prison and military hospitals. “He will go to his home Japanese investment, research and manu- Arabia totaled 2.1 trillion yen ($18.6 billion) Marine traffic at Shuwaikh Port was suspended due to the conditions, Kuwait Ports in Heliopolis,” Mubarak’s lawyer Farid El-Deeb said, facturing, possibly through special econom- in 2016, mostly oil and gas, compared to Authority said. But the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said aviation referring to the Cairo neighborhood where the main ic zones. They also agreed to seek a possible exports of 546.3 billion yen ($4.8 billion). traffic was normal since wind speed and horizontal visibility were still within safe presidential palace from which Mubarak governed is share listing of Saudi Aramco, the state-run Continued on Page 13 navigation limits at the airport. — Photo by Joseph Shagra also located. Deeb said the ageing former president could be released today or soon after. Mubarak still had one more jail sentence to serve, Hashem defends expat for appropriating funds reserved for maintaining presidential palaces, but time he had spent in deten- tion in connection with the murder charges was sub- medicine ban proposal tracted from it, judicial sources and the state news agency said. Mubarak was originally sentenced to life By B Izzak examination fees to allow them to be seen in prison in 2012 for conspiring to murder 239 by doctors. She said expat patients should demonstrators during the 18-day revolt. An appeals KUWAIT: MP Safaa Al-Hashem said yester- then purchase the prescribed drugs from court ordered a retrial that culminated in 2014 in the day her proposal to ban giving medicines private drug stores. Her proposal was case against Mubarak and his senior officials being to expatriates at public hospitals and clin- harshly criticized as inhuman, especially by dropped. An appeal by the public prosecution led to ics aims at improving health services for online activists. She told a press confer- a final retrial by the Court of Cassation, the highest in Kuwaiti citizens and achieve what she ence held to explain her proposal that it the country, which acquitted him on March 2. described as “social justice”. Hashem, the aims at organizing the medical sector and After the turmoil of the Arab Spring, former only woman in the 50-seat National allowing Kuwaiti patients easy access to Tunisian President Ben Ali fled into exile in Saudi Assembly, proposed a few days ago that the government-run health sector. Arabia, Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi was killed the health ministry should stop giving Hashem said that what she proposed is by rebels and former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah expatriates any medicines at public clinics nothing new, as all the five Gulf Cooperation Saleh is fighting a civil war after stepping down. and hospitals. Council (GCC) member states are imple- Bashar Al-Assad still holds the title of president in She said the KD 1 and KD 2 paid by menting it.