SUBSCRIPTION WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2013 JAMADA ALTHANI 21, 1434 AH www.kuwaittimes.net Syria blast UAE leader’s Bollywood Dortmund kills 13 as Britain visit dynasties hang on at Russia bans clouded by keep it in Real to secure civilian7 flights ‘torture’8 claims the39 family berth20 in final Deporting expats for traffic Max 30º violations draws outrage Min 19º High Tide 04:29 & 14:53 Labour union official, ex-MP blast ‘inhuman’ measures Low Tide 09:38 & 22:38 40 PAGES NO: 15795 150 FILS By B Izzak and A Saleh conspiracy theories KUWAIT: Kuwait labour union and a former MP yester- day strongly criticized the interior ministry over reports of deporting hundreds of expatriates for committing Some pet!!! “grave” traffic offenses. Head of the expatriate manpow- er office at Kuwait Labour Union Abdulrahman Al- Ghanem said the measure will be a black page in Kuwait’s human rights record, while former MP Abdullah Al-Turaiji said deporting expats for traffic offenses is illegal. The two were commenting on statements by interior ministry assistant undersecretary for traffic affairs Maj By Badrya Darwish Gen Abdulfattah Al-Ali that 213 expatriates have been deported during the past few days for committing grave traffic violations. The violations included driving without a driver’s license, running the red traffic light for a second time, using private vehicles to carry passen- [email protected] gers and exceeding speed limits by 40 km, said Ali, adding that he has received instructions from the interi- or minister to apply the traffic law strictly. ecently a story about a snake which was found Ghanem however said that the implementation of in a kindergarten in Kuwait shocked us all. It the threat to deport 100,000 expats every year over the Rwas a long snake judging by the picture which next 10 years and deporting expat drivers like criminals was published on the front page of a local newspa- “will never be forgotten by their peoples”. Ghanem said per. Imagine if a child touched that snake and played in a statement that deporting expats randomly will with it. Luckily the snake was found by the harris of have far-reaching economic and social consequences. the school before it went inside the classrooms. They AMSTERDAM: Dutch King Willem-Alexander, Queen Maxima (right) and Princess Beatrix wave from the He said that authorities have failed to curb visa traders suspected that the snake was a runaway pet from a balcony of the Royal Palace yesterday. — AP who recruited thousands of expatriates for money and neighbourhood house. What a pet! as the ministry failed to punish those visa traders, it is A pet to me is a dog or a cat or a parrot in a cage now penalizing expatriates. that imitates my visitors or whistles when I come Willem-Alexander is He said the ministry has squarely put the blame on back home. In my opinion a snake is beyond a pet. expatriates for the demographic imbalances and resort- Immediately after the story came out, our reporters ed to oppressive measures against them. He also did an interview with an official from the Public sworn in Dutch king strongly criticized humiliating expatriates and using Authority for Agricultural Affairs and Fish Resources inhuman methods against them. Ghanem expressed (PAAAFR) who provided a long list of rules when it AMSTERDAM: The Netherlands’ Willem-Alexander bedecked in roses and oranges, before heading for outrage over deporting expatriates for committing traf- comes to bringing different animals into Kuwait. It was sworn in as Europe’s youngest monarch yester- the enthronement ceremony in the neighbouring fic offenses, insisting that the traffic law that is applica- mattered if an animal was considered extinct or not, day after his mother, queen Beatrix, abdicated and Nieuwe Kerk. Beatrix accompanied the king and ble to all and should be applied to expats through fines legal or illegal and the list goes on. I tell you that his country hailed the avowedly 21st-century king queen’s three daughters to the church, including or withdrawing their driver’s licenses and not deporting PAAAFR has strict rules. But the problem is in imple- with a massive, orange-hued party. Beatrix, 75, shed their eldest, now Princess of Orange Catharina- them. He rejected correcting a mistake with a bigger menting and applying them. They are simply a deco- a tear before signing the act of abdication at the Amalia, 9. The Dutch monarch is sworn in before a one, adding that “deportation” is a simple word but has ration on the shelf of the authority and it seems Royal Palace in Amsterdam, witnessed by Willem- joint session of the houses of parliament in the great economic and social effects. This contradicts the nobody is implementing them. Alexander, 46, his Argentine-born Queen Maxima, deconsecrated church, rather than crowned, because basics of human rights and deals with expatriates as if Maybe people take it lightly that a snake can 41, and members of the government. A cry went up church and royalty are separated in the Netherlands. they are not humans who commit mistakes or viola- crawl into a kindergarten or a wild beast can surprise from the 25,000 crowd in the Dam, the main square The king entered the church at a stately pace with tions, Ghanem said. you by jumping right in your face while you walk. opposite the palace where the signing was shown Maxima under an awning of fishing nets, an ancient Turaiji, a former senior interior ministry official, said This is what happened apparently. Coincidentally, I on giant screens. tradition in the seafaring nation. Before taking his on his Twitter account that there is no clause in the traf- read a story by Waleed Al-Jassem who criticized the Willem-Alexander, Maxima and Beatrix appeared oath, the king thanked his “dear mother” for the fic law that allows for the deportation of expatriates. “If wild animals co-living in residential houses. I salute in front of the crowds on the palace balcony, Continued on Page 13 an expatriate is deported over a traffic offense, this will him for his article. He mentioned that one of his Continued on Page 13 friends was in a tent not far from Surra. He went to his car and quickly rushed back into the tent with a pale face shivering and shouting: “There is a lion!” Just imagine! Many people have shared stories about wild ani- Obama vows new bid to shut Gitmo mals on the loose in Kuwait. On Instagram for exam- ple, there was a wild tiger on a leash on the boat with his owner. People were posting congratulatory comments for his pet. Such pet owners are not hid- Prison a ‘no man’s land’ ing themselves. On the contrary, they boast with WASHINGTON: US President Barack to believe we have to close reflected his frustration with their pets by posting pictures online. Maybe nobody Obama vowed yesterday to renew a Guantanamo. I think it is critical for us Congress, which he blamed for block- questions them about having such pets. Maybe they push to close the US military prison to understand that Guantanamo is ing his efforts to shut the jail during will learn a lesson if one of their kids or a member of in Guantanamo Bay, amid a growing not necessary to keep America safe. his first term. A spreading hunger their family gets hurt one day or if they get into seri- hunger strike by inmates at the con- “It is expensive. It is inefficient. It strike among inmates, who are ous trouble. troversial jail. Calling the prison a hurts us in terms of our international protesting their indefinite detention Why can’t we in Kuwait learn until things turn legal “no man’s land,” Obama told a standing. It lessens cooperation with without charges or trials, has put serious? Why can’t we follow rules and regulations? White House news conference he did our allies on counterterrorism efforts. Guantanamo back in the headlines Common sense should prevail. What is the fun in not want any inmates to die and It is a recruiting tool for extremists. It and placed Obama in a difficult posi- bringing in dangerous and wild species when we are urged Congress to help him find a needs to be closed,” he said. tion. The US president said it was “not not qualified to care for them. They might escape WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama answers long-term solution that would allow His tough words were the most a surprise to me” that there were from their owners and hurt people. In any nation questions during a new conference in the Brady Press for prosecuting terror suspects while extensive the president has delivered “problems” at Guantanamo. such animals belong to the zoos for people to see Briefing Room of the White House yesterday. — AP shuttering Guantanamo. “I continue on Guantanamo for months and Continued on Page 13 them. There they are protected and taken care of. If you love these animals so much, you can go and watch them in the zoo. Have a safe day! Africans to lose as Firemen rescue girl US axes visa lottery left alone at home WASHINGTON: Africans could be the big them out through a lottery system,” said By Hanan Al-Saadoun Kuwait owed losers as the United States reforms its Bob Goodlatte, the Republican who immigration laws and eliminates the leads the House Judiciary Committee. KUWAIT: Firemen rescued a four- $11bn in Iraq green card lottery, of which Africans are “Our immigration laws shouldn’t be year-old Arab girl who was left alone the main beneficiaries.