SUBSCRIPTION THURSDAY, APRIL 6, 2017 RAJAB 9, 1438 AH www.kuwaittimes.net Amir attends, Muslim man ExxonMobil, Messi double, patronizes dies after Qatar Petroleum Suarez national attack by India sign Cyprus stunner take operetta3 cow vigilantes7 gas21 deal Barca20 top Kuwait strongly denounces Min 20º Max 32º Khan Sheikhoun massacre High Tide 08:59 & 19:07 Low Tide Donors pledge billions at Syria aid conference 01:57 & 13:44 36 PAGES NO: 17190 150 FILS BRUSSELS: Kuwait yesterday condemned in strong terms conspiracy theories a suspected deadly chemical attack in Khan Sheikhoun in Syria, and called on the international community to inter- vene and halt the spilling of Syrians’ blood and prosecut- Back to square one ing “officials responsible for such crimes”. International donors yesterday pledged $6.0 billion in aid for Syria this year at a conference overshadowed by the attack blamed by the West on Damascus. The Brussels meeting, co- chaired by the European Union and United Nations, was a follow-up to a meeting last year in London which raised By Badrya Darwish $12 billion in all for humanitarian aid programs. Addressing the “Conference on Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region,” Kuwaiti First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Sabah Al- Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah said: “We are holding this cru- [email protected] cial meeting which calls for alleviating the humanitarian hardships suffered by the brotherly Syrian people. We meet here while pictures of the ugly massacre that hap- pened yesterday in the town of Khan Sheikhoun in Idlib is t looks like Kuwait Airways is jinxed. It’s back in still vivid in our consciousness.” the limelight after years of struggle, but not with Continued on Page 13 Igood news. The long war for privatizing it, which made the airline suffer, damaged its reputation, its bottom line and operations to the point that even Rajaan arrested Kuwaitis shun it and opt for other airlines. This despite Kuwait Airways once being the leader and KUWAIT: British authorities yesterday arrested the fugi- pioneer in the region. tive former director of Kuwait’s Public Institution for There is no clear plan for the blue bird - how Social Security. Fahd Al-Rajaan’s arrest comes days after many shares will be under public control, the stake BRUSSELS: (From left) Kuwait First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al- the Cabinet endorsed an extradition treaty with Britain of government, and the share of the private sector. Sabah, Prime Minister of Lebanon Saad Hariri, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and High Representative that was signed in December. Rajaan is wanted by Kuwaiti pilots were sacked after opting to stay with of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission Kuwaiti authorities and Interpol for embezzling public the government in case the airline was privatized, Federica Mogherini observe a minute of silence for the victims in the Syrian town of Khan Sheikhun while funds in 2015 and hiding them in accounts abroad. The government has also frozen the assets of Rajaan in which isn’t the case until now. New aircraft were attending an EU-Syria conference on supporting the future of Syria and the region at the European Kuwait as well as those of his wife and children. bought and everyone was happy that the fleet was Commission yesterday. — AFP improving and being updated to compete with other regional carriers. Then all of the sudden, back to square one. Rasha Al-Roumi resigned and rumors say that she Trump: Attack ‘crossed a lot of lines’ was pushed to resign by the ministry of social affairs. Then a new board was quickly set up. Why was Roumi sacked? Everyone says that she enjoyed US threatens unilateral action • Russia backs Assad a good reputation and integrity. If she enjoyed all WASHINGTON: US President Donald House news conference with Jordan’s these qualities, why was she pushed out? We want Trump warned yesterday that Bashar Al- King Abdullah. “When you kill innocent to know what’s going on. And why was the whole Assad’s Syrian regime had crossed a line children, innocent babies, little babies ... board changed? We expect an explanation, at least with its latest alleged chemical attack and that crosses many, many lines, beyond a from the government. Were these people guilty of faces a US response. Trump described the red line, many, many lines,” he warned. “I something, or were they stopping something from strike on the rebel-held town of Khan will tell you, it’s already happened, that happening? This is what the public wants to know. Sheikhun as an “affront to humanity” and my attitude towards Syria and Assad has In my opinion, why must everything be priva- warned it had changed his view of the changed very much ... You’re now talking tized? There are certain things that, for the sake of Russian-backed Syrian leader. Previously about a whole different level.” the nation, should stay with the government, like the White House has said its sole focus in Trump did not go into detail about oil, our national resource. And KAC, our national Syria is defeating the Islamic State group, what a US response to the atrocity will be airline, which was doing very well under govern- not on ending Assad’s civil war against - and he has previously opposed deeper ment control until the greed of a few people pre- opposition fighters. US military involvement in Syria’s civil vailed, who started thinking of privatizing the air- But Trump and other senior US offi- war. But his statement that his attitude line and taking control of Kuwait Airways. cials said that the latest attack, which had changed came after the US ambas- Why did you wait until after buying the new air- doctors say caused the agonizing deaths sador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, craft, which the government paid for, and then talk of at least 72 people, had changed the had warned of unilateral American of privatization? Excuse me, but it should have calculus. And he renewed his criticism of action. “When the United Nations consis- been done some time ago when the airline was still his predecessor Barack Obama who in tently fails in its duty to act collectively, operating with old aircraft but had a good reputa- 2013 famously failed to take action after there are times in the life of states that tion. What I hope is that the parliament, for a Assad crossed a “red line” with a previous we are compelled to take our own change, will stand with one hand and do some- WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump meets with King Abdullah II of Jordan chemical attack. “It crossed a lot of lines action,” she said. thing for the nation and save our national airline. in the Oval Office at the White House as First Lady Melania Trump and Queen Rania for me,” Trump said, at a joint White Continued on Page 13 look on yesterday. — AFP MPs demand probe in UK to help reform Saudi economy RIYADH: Britain said yesterday it would al issues including security and strength- KAC chief resignation help Saudi Arabia to diversify its oil- ening business ties. dependent economy as British Prime An earlier statement from May’s office By B Izzak Mohammad Al-Mutair said the issue of KAC Israel proposes Minister Theresa May visited the Gulf said she would discuss with the monarch will be among the points that will be KUWAIT: Lawmakers yesterday strongly included in the planned grilling against the freight rail link kingdom. May and Saudi King Salman “tax and privatization standards to help lashed out at the government’s handling of prime minister. held talks focused on “bilateral relations Saudi Arabia diversify its economy and Kuwait Airways Company (KAC) after the MP Riyadh Al-Adasani pointed out that to Jordan, Saudi and cooperation” as well as “regional and become less reliant on oil”. The prime resignation of its chairwoman and the what happened at KAC is evidence that international developments”, the official minister “pointed out that security rela- appointment of a new board of directors. attempts to privatize the carrier have failed, JERUSALEM: Israel’s transport minister proposed yes- news agency SPA said. A statement from tionships between the two counties had Islamist opposition MP Jamaan Al-Harbash adding that the government should submit terday linking its freight railway network with Jordan May’s office said the two discussed sever- Continued on Page 13 criticized the way Rasha Al-Roumi resigned a long-delayed draft law calling to place KAC and Saudi Arabia and said he presented the idea to and the reasons she raised in her resigna- under the Kuwait Investment Authority as a US President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy last tion letter, and said that he and a number state-owned company. He demanded an month. Under the proposal, goods could travel by rail of MPs will submit a request in the next ses- investigation into what happened at KAC from Israel’s Mediterranean port of Haifa through sion to probe the issue by the public funds and the government’s lack of support for the Jordan to Saudi Arabia’s Gulf port of Dammam via protection committee. national carrier. Roumi resigned on Tuesday saying that MP Abdullah Al-Roumi charged that the Jordan. the government did not back the airline, resignation of the KAC chairwoman is yet Yisrael Katz, who also serves as Israel’s intelligence provided preferential treatment to another another proof that the government is minister, declined at a news conference to say domestic carrier and did not pay KD 600 sponsoring corruption, adding that he was whether Arab states had agreed to join his initiative.