Tough security measures in the Kuwaiti ports

Kuwait yesterday reinforced its security measures in its ports following American warnings for the Gulf states over the possibility of attacks via the sea.

One official in the costumes general administration asked to be anonymous said that the warnings for the countries of the region came following the recent attacks in Saudi Arabia.

The official said that the warning over sea attacks was official and was issued by the American intelligence. The official added that the warnings indicated likely attacks via the sea by booby trapped boats or rapid water cycles.

The security measures taken by the Kuwaiti authorities include, according to the official, enhancing the activity of the intelligence in the ports areas and keeping the boats away from any Kuwaiti port for a distance of five Kilometers.

However, Kuwait has 6 ports of which it uses three for regular trade and the others are for exporting crude oils and chemicals.

Kuwait -- the closest ally to Washington in the Gulf region -- increased security measures around strategic oil establishments and other establishments and the diplomatic missions since the recent escalation in the attacks in Iraq and Saudi Arabia.

By the end of April, the Saudi minister of the Interior Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah said his country has confidential reports that threats he had described as terrorists against local and foreign interests in Kuwait but he gave no further details.

Earlier unidentified group threatened to launch attacks against Kuwait from which the American forces started in 2003 its invasion of Iraq.