SUBSCRIPTION TUESDAY, MAY 6, 2014 RAJAB 7, 1435 AH www.kuwaittimes.net Construction Overseas In eastern Liverpool workers should Indians travel Ukraine, blow away leave at the home to the mob victory end of project2 support15 Modi rules15 at20 Palace Saudi sees Syrian war as Max 40º Min 24º pivotal Mideast struggle High Tide 05:27 & 15:33 Persistent Saudi-US differences hurt Syria strategy Low Tide 10:18 & 23:07 40 PAGES NO: 16157 150 FILS DUBAI: Differences between the United States and Saudi Arabia over Middle East policy persist, despite attempts to shore up their old alliance, and may prove calamitous for Syrian rebels. Although there is evidence that some American weapons are starting to find their way to more moderate groups fighting Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, disagreements over what to supply, and to whom, have hin- dered the fight. Rebels lament a lack of anti-aircraft missiles to help counter Assad’s air force. Saudi Arabia and Qatar have been funding the rebels for years now, arguing that the war in Syria is a battle for the future of the Middle East, pitting pro- Western forces against Riyadh’s main enemy Iran and Islamist militants. However, while the administration of US President Barack Obama also blames Assad for the violence and wants him to leave power, it sees the conflict very dif- ferently. American officials fear involvement in a messy civil war for which they see no clear military solution and which threatens to radicalize a new generation of Islamists who hate the West. Among the rebels, the failure of the Saudis and the Americans to cooperate better stirs disillusion. Two hours of talks between Obama and Saudi King Abdullah in March appear to have done little to alter that sentiment. “If the Americans refuse to give us anti-aircraft (missiles), for example, why doesn’t Saudi give it to us?” a Syrian rebel commander in Aleppo whose brigade fights alongside the extremist Al-Nusra Front told Reuters by Skype. Fundamental divergence In private, American and Saudi officials defend a relation- ship that in many ways remains strong and broad-based. But they acknowledge a fundamental divergence over how to approach big political conflicts in the Middle East that were aggravated by the Arab spring, particularly what Riyadh sees as Iranian expansionism across the region. HOMS: Syrian rebels hold their weapons as they prepare to fight against Syrian troops, in Homs province, Syria. — AP Continued on Page 15 Acrobats injured in fall as circus MP Omar denies resignation stunt goes awry MP Shaye questions PM; oppn steps up pressure PROVIDENCE: Authorities are trying to determine what caused a support frame to collapse during an aerial KUWAIT: MP Jamal Al-Omar yesterday denied that he ly candidates to resign include Adnan Abdulsamad the institutions of the country including an attempt to hair-hanging stunt during a circus performance, send- plans to resign from the National Assembly in protest and Hamdan Al-Azemi. MPs Riyadh Al-Adasani, force the dissolution of the National Assembly, elected ing eight acrobats crashing to the ground. Nine per- against the decision to reject a request by three law- Abdulkarim Al-Kundari and Hussein Quwaiaan, who less than 10 months ago. formers were seriously injured during Sunday’s per- makers to grill Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak filed the request to grill the prime minister, resigned But the Speaker quoted the Amir Sunday as reaf- formance by Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Al-Sabah. Opposition groups and activists who boy- last week because they were prevented from question- firming his total backing and unlimited confidence in Circus at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence, cotted the previous two parliamentary elections have ing the premier. the National Assembly, adding that there is no inten- including a dancer below. Several others suffered less meanwhile stepped up political pressure on the gov- On Sunday, they were followed by MPs Ali Al- tion to dissolve the Assembly and the issue is totally serious injuries. ernment, demanding major reforms and measures to Rashed and Safa Al-Hashem (the only female member ruled out. Although, things appeared calm yesterday The accident was reported about 45 minutes into the combat corruption. of the 50-seat house) who submitted their resignations especially in the National Assembly, opposition groups circus’ 11 am. It was witnessed by an audience of about MP Omar’s name was mentioned among several for the same reason. Rashed also announced that he and activists who boycotted the previous two parlia- 3,900, many of them children. Stephen Payne, a lawmakers expected to resign to follow the footsteps was retiring from parliamentary life but will remain mentary elections in December 2012 and July last year spokesman for Feld Entertainment, the parent company of five MPs who have already officially quit their parlia- active in politics. Assembly Speaker Marzouk Al- however stepped up their campaign against the gov- of Ringling Bros, said the accident happened during an mentary seats to protest the unprecedented scrapping Ghanem alleged a few days ago that the resignations ernment and the Assembly. act in which eight performers hang “like a human chan- of the grilling. Other MPs who were mentioned as like- were part of what he described a conspiracy against Continued on Page 15 delier” using their hair. He said the metal-frame appara- tus from which the performers were hanging came free from the metal truss to which it was connected. The eight women fell 25 to 40 feet, landing on the dancer Gulf’s oil lifeline to below. Providence Public Safety Commissioner Steven Pare said officials and inspectors haven’t yet determined what caused the accident. He said none of the injuries Egypt hits $6 billion appears to be life-threatening. Investigators from the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration CAIRO: Gulf oil producers have given government $15 billion a year, a fifth also were to investigate the accident. Rhode Island Egypt a free fuel lifeline totaling $6 of the state budget. The money keeps Hospital in Providence admitted 11 patients with vary- billion in value to help fend off unrest pump prices well below market val- ing injuries, including one in critical condition, spokes- on its streets in the summer when ues, giving Egyptians no incentive to woman Jill Reuter said. — AP (See Page 40) consumption soars, the head of its curb their consumption. national oil company said. Tarek El- Egyptians rioted over long lines at Molla, head of the Egyptian General gas pumps just before Morsi’s oust- Petroleum Corporation (EGPC), told ing following mass protests against financial newspaper Al-Mal that the his rule. Foreign currency reserves aid consisted of “huge quantities” of reached $17.414 billion in March but benzene, diesel, heavy fuel oil mazut, are still nearly half the level seen butane and crude oil, since last July. before the 2011 uprising against KUWAIT: Filipinos gather at the seafront during the beach cleanup activities last The aid helps reduce the heavy Hosni Mubarak as political turmoil Friday to mark ‘Labor Day’. costs of government fuel subsidies has hit tourism and foreign invest- and the drain on foreign exchange ment. Egypt also requires liquefied reserves. It came after Saudi Arabia, natural gas (LNG) for power genera- Filipinos urged to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and tion, in short supply due to declining Kuwait promised Egypt more than domestic gas production, even as it $12 billion in loans and donations cut into exports of LNG previously register and vote days after the army deposed Islamist promised to foreign firms. President Mohamed Morsi. El-Molla El-Molla said EGPC was owed 110 said the Arab Gulf countries had billion Egyptian pounds ($15.7 bil- By Ben Garcia recent national elections (May 2013). agreed to rotate management of the lion) from other government entities, The Philippines government is now support, with the UAE in charge for including 35 billion Egyptian pounds KUWAIT: Filipinos working abroad are urging Filipinos abroad to register so as to the first quarter of 2014 and Saudi each from the finance and petroleum allowed to cast ballots for President, Vice vote in the 2016 Presidential Elections. Arabia taking over in the second ministries. He said the petroleum President, senators and party list repre- Registration for OAVs will commence from quarter. ministry had not yet signed an agree- sentatives. In order to vote, however, they today and is expected to last until Aid in the form of refined oil prod- ment for gas imports but said it must register as Overseas Absentee Voters October 2015 (about 18 months). In the ucts will continue until at least would select from among Russian (OAV) at their respective embassies or previous report, the Philippines September, Finance Minister Hany Gazprom, Gaz de France and consular offices. There are about 10 mil- Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) spent Kadry Dimian has said. Last year, Sonatrach of Algeria. He said EGPC lion Filipinos abroad - only a few of them a total of 112.71 million pesos for the Saudi Arabia pledged $2 billion in was in negotiations with Royal Dutch are registered as OAVs. In Kuwait, for overseas absentee voters in 2004. The energy products with Kuwait and the Shell and Apache Corp for new example, there are about 170,000 Philippine government had put up 89 reg- PROVIDENCE: Stacey Tracy, of Cranston comforts her Filipinos who are eligible to vote but only istration centers across the globe along daughter Emily Tracy, 4, after she found out that the UAE promising an additional $1 bil- drilling projects without providing lion each.