SUBSCRIPTION SATURDAY, MARCH 22, 2014 JAMADA ALAWWAL 21, 1435 AH No: 16112 Kuwait Army Walking the India beat Lieutenant tightrope to Pakistan by dies as lorry, survive in 7 wickets car collide4 Mumbai13 in43 Twenty20 Kuwait police nab shooting suspects Max 27º 150 Fils ‘Awaited Mahdi’ in police net Min 17º By Hanan Al-Saadoun vant authorities on charges of possession of arms and opening fire. The ministry KUWAIT: Kuwait security forces have warned that it would not allow the recur- arrested 11 suspects for firing weapons in rence of such deadly and illegal activities Taima and Sulaibiya areas. The arrests fol- and the security forces would deal firmly lowed massive raids in the areas. These sus- with any violator. pects have been charged with opening fire in Sulaibiya and Taima districts. They were ‘Awaited Mahdi’ nabbed after the security operatives In another development, a Saudi expat tracked them down in Sulaibiyah area. The denied that he attacked his mother who suspects include 11 bedoons-Mansoor accused him of attempting to kill her. He in Fahad, Fahad Enad, Bader Essa, Khalaif turn described her as arrogant and consid- Samran, Essa Samran, Adel Samran, ered himself the “awaited Mahdi.” The Mohammad Samran, Hussein Ali, Sami Ajaj, Saudi, 24, was arrested in Jahra on charges Mohammad Al-Shimmari, Dhaher Aryan; of attempted murder. When he was ques- two Syrians Salem Al-Enezi and Abdallah tioned about the charges he said “this is Al-Enezi and a Kuwaiti Rabah Khalid. not true, this one (point at his mother) is Some firearms, pistol, bullets and drugs arrogant, and I am the ‘awaited Mahdi’ who were also confiscated during the raids. will kill ‘Fake Messiah’. Police wanted to Most of the suspects were found to be ex- examine his mental health before taking KUWAIT: 11 shooting suspects pictured after their arrest in Taima and Sulaibiya areas. convicts. They have been referred to rele- action against him. Twitter ban sparks PAGE 27 killed across Iraq; PAGE outrage in Turkey militants seize village Baghdad - world’s worst city Iraq capital once an Arab Model BAGHDAD: As recently as the 1970s, Baghdad share the same suffering,” the 48-year-old con- University, an institution which traces its own was lauded as a model city in the Arab world. tinued. “The rich might be subjected at any history back nearly 800 years. “It was used as a But now, after decades of seemingly endless moment to an explosion, a kidnapping, or a base for taking control of neighboring areas in conflict, it is the world’s worst city. That is, at killing, just like the poor. “Our lives are ones order to strengthen Islamic influence.” “It used least, according to the latest survey by the where we face death at any moment.” to be a capital of the world,” Faili said, “but Mercer consulting group, which when assess- It was not always so for the Iraqi capital. today, it has become one of the world’s most ing quality of life across 239 cities, measuring Construction of the city on the Tigris River first miserable cities.”In February alone, 57 violent factors including political stability, crime and began in 762 AD during the rule of Abbasid incidents struck the Iraqi capital, including 31 pollution, placed Baghdad last. The Iraqi capi- caliph Abu Jaafar Al-Mansur, and it has played car bombs. tal was lumped with Bangui in the conflict-hit a pivotal role in Arab and Islamic society ever As recently as March 5, a dozen shootings Central African Republic and the Haitian capital since. In the 20th century, Baghdad was held and bombings across the city killed 20 people. Port-au-Prince, the latest confirmation of the up as a gleaming example of a modern Arab The very next day, four more bombings left 11 1,250-year-old city’s fall from grace as a global city with some of the region’s best universities dead. Security forces typically respond with intellectual, economic and political centre. and museums, a highly-educated elite, a heavy-handed tactics reliant on setting up new Residents of Baghdad contend with near- vibrant cultural scene and top-notch health- checkpoints to add to the plethora already daily attacks, a lack of electricity and clean care. Officials still note how their counterparts scattered around Baghdad, and restricting water, poor sewerage and drainage systems, from the region would hold up Baghdad’s movement as much as possible. Massive con- rampant corruption, regular gridlock, high international airport as a model, and oil cartel crete walls, designed to withstand the impact unemployment and a myriad other prob- OPEC was founded in the Iraqi capital. of explosions, still divide up confessionally- lems.”We live in a military barracks,” com- And it was home to a diverse population of mixed neighborhoods, while the government plained Hamid Al-Daraji, a paper salesman, Muslims, Christians, Jews and others. “Baghdad sits in the heavily-fortified Green Zone, which referring to the ubiquitous checkpoints, con- represented the economic centre of the is also home to parliament and the US and crete blast walls and security forces peppered Abbasid state,” noted Issam Al-Faili, a professor British embassies, access to which is difficult BAGHDAD: An Iraqi girl fills containers with throughout the city. “The rich and the poor of political history at the city’s Mustansiriyah for ordinary Iraqis. — AFP water at night in Baghdad. — AFP LOCAL SATURDAY, MARCH 22, 2014 PM, officials Arab League officials set review summit agenda for Arab summit preparations Closed-door sessions to finalize resolutions KUWAIT: His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al- Mubarak Al-Sabah inspected the Liberation Hall at Bayan KUWAIT: Permanent representative to the Arab League and senior noted. The Kuwaiti official pointed out that the conferees would tack- Palace to ensure preparations are satisfactory at various facili- officials in the Foreign Ministries met in Kuwait yesterday to prepare le the issue of Arab national security, world peace, human rights and ties for the upcoming Arab summit. He said all preparations the agenda for the Foreign Ministers’ meeting, which would be held the mechanisms needed to restructure the Arab League system. must be at their optimum. ahead of next week’s Arab summit. Head of the delegation of Qatar, He added that head of the delegation of Qatar, the outgoing Information Minister and State Minister for Youth Affairs the outgoing rotating president of the summit, would give a speech rotating president of the summit, would give a speech in an open- Sheikh Salman Al-Humoud Al-Sabah said Kuwait continues to in an open-door session, then the presidency will be handed over to door session, then the presidency will be handed over to Kuwait. The exert effort to unify Arabs and close the gaps so that enemies Kuwait. The delegate of Kuwait will then give a speech followed by delegate of Kuwait will then give a speech followed by remarks of the cannot take advantage of them. remarks of the Arab League Deputy Secretary General. Arab League Deputy Secretary General. The senior officials will hold He said if Kuwait summit is to face tough questions then we The senior officials will hold two closed-door sessions to prepare two closed-door sessions to prepare the draft resolutions that were are confident of its leaders’ ability to direct it according to the the draft resolutions that were referred by the Economic and Social referred by the Economic and Social Council, which met in Kuwait nation’s interests. We are sure that the Arab history is able to Council, which met in Kuwait yesterday. The draft resolutions covered yesterday. The summit will be held on March 25-26. — KUNA create great leaders when the nation faces danger. a wide range of issues including the follow up of implementation of Meanwhile, Deputy Premier and Interior Minister Sheikh the resolutions of the last Arab summit, and the Arab Economic, Mohammad Al-Khalid Al-Sabah visited the decision making Development and Social summits. The draft resolutions also include room on Thursday at the Central Directorate General accompa- the establishment of the Arab Banking Commission, the establish- nied by Interior Ministry Undersecretary, Chairman of the ment of a Grand Investment Zone and a mechanism for coordination 188 prisoners get Security Committee Lt General Suleiman Al-Fahad, to oversee of humanitarian aid. the preparations and steps taken by the security committee of The Economic and Social Council of the Arab League will meet at Amiri pardon the Arab Summit to be hosted in Kuwait from 24-26 March. the Finance Ministers’ level tomorrow to put the final touches on the Assistant Undersecretary for General Security, field com- economic and social documents to refer them to the Foreign KUWAIT: On the occasion of the 53rd National Day and at mander of the security committee for the Arab summit Maj Ministers who will meet in the following day. Foreign Ministry the initiative of HH the Amir, 188 prisoners were pardoned General Mahmoud Al-Dousary said the security systems have Undersecretary Khaled Suleiman Al-Jarallah said here yesterday that and the jail sentences of 340 inmates were commuted, completed all preparations to implement the comprehensive the meeting of permanent representatives to the Arab League and according to Amiri pardon rules. Fines were dropped from plan for the summit. He said that the interior ministry, in coop- senior officials in the Foreign Ministries was preparing the agenda for 223 and deportation of 114 individuals was cancelled. eration with concerned state authorities, prepared a plan to the Foreign Ministers’ meeting, which would be held ahead of next Acting Assistant Undersecretary Secretary for Reform secure the summit activities.