Kuwait dismiss Iraqi gestures on reconciliation

The Kuwaiti foreign minister Sheikh Hamad Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah on Wednesday said that Kuwait appreciates the role played by the secretary general of the Arab League but considers the Iraqi ideas conveyed by Mousa as part of the past.

In statements broadcast by the Kuwaiti news agency, Sheikh Sabah said that Kuwait appreciates the role played by Amr Moussa to revitalize and support joint Arab efforts and to improve the performance of the Arab League to the optimum level. He added that Moussa's role in conveying the Iraqi ideas to Kuwait constitute an attempt and care from the side of the Arab League chief to revitalize " joint Arab action."

He continued: "but we at the same time stress that what was stated in these ideas on Iraq acceptance of a formula agreed by all Arab states at Amman's summit except Iraq has become part of the past. After he referred that what was stated in this regard concerned the Kuwaiti prisoners, the Kuwaiti minister said that "the international legitimacy resolutions mentioned certain mechanism to deal with this humanitarian issue."

He stressed that Kuwait is not ready to violate these resolutions.

On the other hand, Sheikh Sabah expressed his appreciation for the view points expressed by the chairman of the Kuwaiti nation's council ( parliament) Jasem al-Khurafi last Monday. Al-Khurafi then expressed his hope that the " Arab League secretary general not to surpass his limit, and to know the limits of the Arab League general secretariat and not to exaggerate his assigned authorities so as not to damage any Arab state, beyond his knowledge." He called on the Arab states not to give the chance to any one and in particular to Iraq to use new ways to divert the attention from the cause of Palestine and the bloody incidents in the Palestinian territories.