Kuwait protest Meguid's statements on Iraq's prisoners

Diplomatic sources told ArabicNews.com that Kuwait presented an official protest to the secretary-general of the Arab League, Esmat Abdel Meguid, because of his statements regarding Iraq's release of all Arab captives and prisoners in Iraq.

The sources said Kuwait's ambassador in Cairo, Magdi El-Zofairi, presented his government's protest that Meguid made his statements without examining their credibility during a meeting with Jordan's Crown Prince Hassan in Amman on his way back to Cairo.

The protest said that Iraq's government did not release any of the captives Kuwait demanded and that Iraq only released four Kuwaitis, including two sailors arrested before the second Gulf War and one person convicted of murder.

Arab League Secretary General Esmat Abdel Meguid stated after his recent trip to Iraq, that all Arab prisoners in Iraqi jails will be freed. His statement was based on talks he had with Iraqi leadership, and in an apparent effort by Iraq to increase popular Arab support for his position in the UN-US-Iraq crisis.