Kuwait: investigation in the American artillery deal

The Kuwaiti government on Tuesday faced strong opposition at the nation's council (parliament) over its plan to buy US artillery pieces for the Kuwaiti army.

Parliament members accused the ministry of defense of "financial corruption" and of violating armament" contracts. One parliamentarian called for investigating Sheikh Salem al-Sabah, whereas the government approved to submit the " artillery deal" for investigation. Kuwaiti parliamentarians described the defense ministry as "a center of corruption while others said that the special relations with the US do not justify purchasing scrub artillery."

They warned that some "weapons supplies contracts" are signed in violation of the interest of the army and its needs. The parliament's session witnessed a heated debate between the Foreign Minister Sheik Sabah al-Ahmad who defended the deal and several Parliament members from the Islamic and Liberal factions who opposed the deal.

Parliament member Mubarak al-Dweilah reviewed conditions behind signing the deal of the US artillery "M-109 Paladin " and other deals, a matter which provoked Sheikh al-Sabah to accuse him of "publishing secret military statements." Criticism which was made on Tuesday in the presence of the Defense Minister Sheikh Salem al-Sabah had pushed the government to ask the committee in charge of "protecting public funds" to submit the artillery deal to the court of investigation (Dewan al-Muhasabah).

The deal may result in serious confrontation between the parliament and the government. Several days earlier, the US ambassador to Kuwait stressed the deal was ratified, but the British defense minister George Robertson said that the Kuwaiti government told him the "final decision has not taken yet."