SATURDAY, MARCH 3, 2012
@alwatandaily
Issue No. 1362
12 PAGES
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Obama: Al-Assad’s days are numbered
• Russia affirms it’s not obliged to offer military aid to Syria • Syria blocks Red Cross from entering Baba Amr • Activists allege execution-style killings in Homs CAPITALS: Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad’s “days are numbered,” President Barack Obama said in an interview published Friday, adding Washington was working to accelerate the transition to democracy there. In the interview with the Atlantic Monthly, Obama said “it is our estimation that (Al-Assad’s) days are numbered. It’s a matter not of if but when.” “Now, can we accelerate that? We’re working with the world community to try to do that,” he said. Obama acknowledged that Syria is bigger, more sophisticated and more complicated than Libya, and that countries like Russia are blocking UN action. However, he pointed to US efforts through the “Friends of Syria” group to promote humanitarian relief to cities under attack from Syrian forces. “But they can also accelerate a transition to a peaceful and stable and representative Syrian government,” he said. “If that happens, that will be a profound loss for Iran.” Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said at a briefing on Friday that current treaties
do not oblige Russia to offer military assistance to Syria in case of intervention, This was his answer to the question whether Russia, as a legal successor of the Soviet Union, may provide military assistance to Damascus in line with the 1980 Soviet-Syrian Friendship and Cooperation Treaty, which in particular says that the USSR will be involved should a third party invade Syria. Lukashevich said Article 6 of the Treaty, which the question was referring to, did not stipulate the use of military force by Russia. “Russia is not going to do anything like this,” he said, noting that the article was about “the launch of a classical mechanism of consultations.” Article 6 reads: “In case of situations threatening peace or security of one of the sides or peace and security worldwide, the High Contracting Parties will immediately engage in contact with each other to coordinate their positions and cooperate to overcome the emerged threat and restore peace.” Syria has been the scene of continuous anti-government protests for nearly a year. According to the United
Kuwaiti crude rises to $120.07 per barrel CAPITALS: The price of Kuwait crude oil went up slightly on Thursday to 120.07 US dollars per barrel, adding seven US cents to the figures of the previous day, a report showed here on Friday. Thursday’s figures show a new record high since January, 2010; they resulted from positive economic data from the world’s major oil consumers namely the United States, Japan and China, the state-run Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) reported in its daily bulletin. In the US the initial claims for unemployment benefits went down while the index of consumer confidence remained high, thus contributing to the upbeat about the outlook of the economy. More on 5
Nations, more than 7,500 people have died in the unrest. Syrian authorities say over 2,000 servicemen and law enforcers have been killed in clashes with armed opposition forces. Russia and China have twice vetoed UN Security Council resolutions on Syria that they believe could lead to a military operation against Syrian government forces, which would lead to a “Libyan scenario.” The latest Moroccoproposed draft resolution called on Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad to step down and withdraw forces from cities and towns. Russia proposed amendments to the draft, but they were not adopted, which prompted Moscow to use its veto right for the second time in February, provoking an angry reaction from the West. Meanwhile, Syrian activists accused regime forces of carrying out executionstyle killings and burning homes Friday as part of a scorched-earth campaign in a restive neighborhood in the city of Homs, while the Red Cross headed to the area following a bloody, month long siege to dislodge rebel forces. See also 2
Public Works supervises 27 projects worth $180 million in Kuwait KUWAIT: The Ministry of Public Works is supervising around 27 projects within Kuwait’s development plan with the total cost nearing around $180 million US dollars, Head of the engineering construction projects department at the Ministry of Public Works Yassen AlFarraj said on Friday. Al-Farraj revealed in a press release the completion of two projects in Khaitan and Al-Egaila areas, including a police station and a school. The official also said that two high schools in Farwaniya and Abu Hulaifa were also on the way. -KUNA
Serbia makes ‘historic’ leap towards EU membership
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Italy: Kuwait has great importance in retaining regional balance Italian Defense Minister confirms commitment to Kuwait’s security, stability
ROME: On the eve of his visit to Kuwait, Italian Defense Minister Giampaolo Di Paola has reiterated his country’s commitment to security and stability of the State of Kuwait particularly with the growing tension in the region due to the Iranian nuke program. “We want to re-emphasize Italy’s commitment to the security and territorial integrity of Kuwait,” Di Paola said an interview with KUNA ahead of his three-leg Gulf tour which will begin with a visit to Kuwait. “Italy is working with the international community to keep the strategic Gulf region a zone of everlasting stability and peace.” Di Paola added that Italy is looking forward to developing military cooperation with Kuwait to enhance its capabilities and its strategic role in ensuring peace in the region. He also noted that Iran must realize the im-
portance of freedom of navigation in the Gulf. The Minister also hailed the strong and special friendship between the two nations, adding that His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah’s visit to Italy in 2010 has given a great impetus to these ties. Di Paola pointed out that his Gulf tour, which includes Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, is meant to further deepen bilateral cooperation in the fields of security and defense in which Italy enjoys high potential that could contribute to Gulf nations’ continued efforts to develop their defense capabilities. The minister highlighted the strategic importance of Kuwait in the region. “Though it is a small country, Kuwait has great importance in retaining regional balance, influencing the international arena thanks to the wise and moderate policy of the leadership over ages,” he said. Kuwait and Italy has signed a defense convention after the latter’s participation in Kuwait’s liberation in 1991. He praised Kuwait’s leading role
within the framework of the Gulf Cooperation Council. “The international community appreciates the great importance of Kuwaiti politics under His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.” The Italian official underscored his country’s interest in maintaining the security and stability of the Gulf region, the major source of world energy. “The prosperity and economic growth of the Gulf region are also of strategic interest to world major countries, the major trade and economic partners to the region’s states,” he said. Di Paola said that Rome seeks to ease tension in the region over Iran’s nuke program. “However, Iran must realize that Italy’s strategic interests are linked to the stability of the Gulf region and retaining free navigation in the Gulf waters.” On military cooperation between Italy and Kuwait, the Minister said he would discuss with Kuwaiti officials supplying them with their needs of military equipment, especially in the field of defense systems, missiles and naval and air forces. -KUNA
A picture released on March 2, 2012 by the opposition Local coordination Committees in Syria (LCC) shows Syrians waving anti-regime banners and the pro-Baath national flag, adopted by the opposition, during a demonstration against President Bashar Al-Assad in the town of Binnish in the northwestern province of Idlib after the weekly Friday prayers. (AFP)
Labor Unions hint on further escalation, strikes
Mohammad Al-Hajri & Fahad Al-Loban Staff Writers
KUWAIT: Civil Service Commission (CSC) is preparing to hold a meeting to discuss salary raises request of several labor unions this week. A government source revealed that unions may plan further escalation due to the delay of the approval of their requests. Meanwhile, Labor Union at Kuwait Airways Company (KAC) disclosed that it will resort to escalation which might lead to strike if the requests of union are not approved very soon. Moreover, the general Assembly of Kuwait Trade Union Federation will hold a meeting tomorrow evening after some MPs asked for that in order to discuss the social and financial problems that civil servants suffer from. For his part, the Deputy Director of Federation Abdurrahman Al-Sumait criticized the government’s delay for endorsing salary raises as the federation has already succeeded in postponing strikes and sit-ins due to the government pledges for solving the matter. The Secretary of the Labor Union at KAC Husain AlHabibi disclosed that an agreement was already signed with the Minister of Communication eng. Salem Al-Uthayna for
approving the requests of employees therefore the expected strike at the end of the last year was postponed but union plans for further escalation within the next week if the requests of union are not approved. On the other hand, a government source unveiled that the cabinet has formed a ministerial team which will be headed by the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid to order the government priorities of the next stage. The members of the team are the Minister of Information Sheikh Mohammad Al-Abdullah, the Minister of State for National Assembly Affairs and the Minister of Housing Shuaib Al-Muwaizri, the Minister of Education Dr. Nayef Al-Hajraf and the Minister of Electricity and Water and the Minister of State for Municipality Affairs eng. Abdulaziz Al-Ibrahim. The lawmakers will hold a meeting with Speaker Ahmad Al-Saadoun to discuss priorities to add in the parliament agenda. According to the lawmakers the government has remarks and reservations on some of the suggested list of priorities, MPs pointed that they should discuss them in Parliament to reach a resolution. The source added that the lawmakers will also discuss with the speaker the recent escalation that occurred in the last two sessions.
Over 50 killed in Pakistan mosque violence
PESHAWAR: At least 55 people were killed Friday in violence in Pakistan’s troubled northwestern tribal region of Kyhber, which borders Afghanistan, local officials said. Twenty-two people were killed in a suicide attack targeting a mosque after Friday prayers in the Tirah valley, while at least 10 soldiers and 23 Islamist militants died in an earlier clash around 10 kilometers away (six miles). Kyhber is a haven for militants linked to the Pakistani Taliban and the threat of renewed fighting there between the army and insurgents prompted some 18,000 people to flee their homes in October last year. Local administration official Jamilur Rehman told AFP that the suicide blast killed at least 22 people and wounded more than 20 others, adding the toll may rise. More on 3
Liquid battery could charge green energy
A model showcases a creation by Indian designers Shivan and Narresh during the Next Generation fashion show on the first day of Lakme Fashion Week (LFW) summer resort 2012 in Mumbai on March 2, 2012. (AFP)
FRANCE: Engineering professor Donald Sadoway on Thursday used an old-school chalk board at the prestigious TED gathering to write the formula for a liquid battery that could one day cut the need for new power plants. “The way things stand, electricity demand must be in constant balance with supply,” Sadoway told the tech-savvy audience in southern California. Inexpensive batteries made from liquid metal could store electricity from solar panels, wind farms, or existing generation facilities and save it for when it is most needed. That would be a major change from today’s consume-it-now-orlose-it systems. “The battery is the enabling device here,” he said. “With it we could draw electricity from the sun even when the sun doesn’t shine.”
Sadoway and his team of students at Massachusetts Institute of Technology were so confident in their creation that they started Liquid Metal Battery Corporation and plan to have bistro-table size models out in two years. Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is among the company’s backers. The company plans to eventually bring to market a liquid battery the size of a 40-foot shipping container and capable of holding enough electricity to serve the daily needs of 200 typical US households. “You could have these batteries in the basements of buildings drinking up power in the wee hours,” Sadoway said. “It means we don’t have to build more plants, power lines just for peak use,” he continued. More on 9
Indian women beat men with wooden sticks during the Lathmar Holi festival in Barsana, some 130kms from New Delhi on March 2, 2012. During the Lathmar Holi festival, the women of Barsana, the legendary hometown of Radha, consort of Hindu God Krishna, attack the men from Nandgaon, the hometown of Hindu God Krishna, with wooden sticks in response to their efforts to put color on them. (AFP)
Rolling Stones to issue 50th anniversary photo book
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