Kuwaiti forces on alert to counter Iraqi threats

Kuwait has put some of its military units on maximum alert to counter Iraqi threats.

The Kuwaiti New Agency KUNA said on Monday that the Kuwaiti military defense council held on Sunday night a meeting chaired by Deputy Premier and Defense Minister Sheikh Salem al-Sabah and adopted several resolutions and arrangements to help revive a defense plan in Kuwait, whereas certain units of the Kuwaiti army were put on maximum fighting alert.

The Kuwaiti military defense council underlined the importance of preparations to summon reserve army soldiers and stressed the need of taking other relevant measures to strengthen the capabilities of defending Kuwait in line with the development of military positions.

This Kuwaiti step came after several members of the Iraqi parliament and Iraqi Deputy Premier Tariq Aziz called for giving up "recognizing Kuwait as a state rather to consider it as an integral part of Iraq."

Meanwhile, Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Jabir al-Ahmed al-Sabah urged his people to establish a national economy and to confront the challenges with study and awareness to avoid the Iraqi danger.

Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed said that the Gulf Cooperation Council countries have a unified stance that strongly refuses the Iraqi threats against Kuwait and Saudi Arabia and violating international legitimacy resolutions.

Al-Sabah stressed that, "The Gulf stance insists on Iraq's full implementation of Security Council resolutions." He said his country will present a formal protest to the United Nations regarding the Iraqi talk of withdrawing its recognition of Kuwait as a state.

He also added that his country "refuses the Iraqi threats."