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THE FIRST ENGLISH LANGUAGE DAILY IN FREE KUWAIT Established in 1977 / www.arabtimesonline.com emergency number 112
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2013 / RABEE’A AL-THANI 3, 1434 AH
NO. 14962
58 PAGES
150 FILS
Kuwait hits rights report…HRW out of touch Forum raps Gulf crackdown
Obama rules out raising Medicare eligibility
KUWAIT CITY, Feb 12, (AFP): Human rights conditions deteriorated in Kuwait last year as police used excessive force against protesters and the government clamped down on online activists, Human Rights Watch said Tuesday. The setback in the human rights situation came amid a bitter political crisis in the oil-rich Gulf state between the opposition and the government, HRW said in a statement. “Kuwait’s political crisis had a negative impact on the country’s human rights record as security forces cracked down on protests Continued on Page 14
Iranian actress Maryam Moghadam (right), and Iranian director Kamboziya Partovi pose during the photocell of their film Parde (closed curtain) during the 63rd Berlinale Film Festival on Feb 12. (AFP)
Panahi defies ban, opens ‘Closed Curtain’ on Iran ‘Don’t know what future holds’ BERLIN, Feb 12, (AP): A new movie from dissident Iranian director Jafar Panahi, which defies a ban on filmmaking and reflects his frustration at being unable to work officially, makes its debut at the Berlin film festival Tuesday. “Closed Curtain” is co-directed by Panahi and his fellow Iranian filmmaker and longtime friend, Kamboziya Partovi. Panahi, who has won awards at several major film festivals in the past, was sentenced to house arrest and a 20-year ban on filmmaking in 2010 after being convicted of “making propaganda” against Iran’s ruling system. Partovi presented the movie at the Berlin festival, where it’s one of 19 films competing for the top Golden Bear award. The new film, made by a very small team, is filmed entirely inside an isolated seaside villa, much of the time with the curtains drawn. The two directors are the lead actors: Partovi playing an increasingly paranoid man trapped in the house as police search the area, and Panahi playing himself as the director of that story.
WASHINGTON, Feb 12, (RTRS): President Barack Obama has ruled out raising the age that Americans become eligible for Medicare, the government health insurance program for seniors, as a way to reduce the government’s deficit, a White House spokesman said on Monday. Republicans in Congress, who have focused on cutting spending, have said they want to see the eligibility age raised to 67 from the current age of 65, but
many Democrats have opposed the idea vehemently. “The president’s made clear that we don’t believe that that’s the right policy to take,” White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters. The White House and Congress have been grappling with how to avoid a March 1 deadline when $85 billion in automatic across-the-board spending cuts are to take effect. Continued on Page 14
34,000 in US Afghan drawdown Withdrawal will take year WASHINGTON, Feb 12, (Agencies): US President Barack Obama was to announce in his State of the Union address Tuesday that he will pull 34,000 US troops home from Afghanistan in the next year, a source familiar with his
speech said. The move will effectively halve the size of the current 66,000 strong US force in Afghanistan, ahead of a final withdrawal of most foreign combat troops by the end of 2014. The source, speaking on condition of anonymity so as not to preempt Obama’s
remarks, said the president would undertake to make the withdrawals around the time of his next State of the Union speech next year. There were no immediate details of how quickly the drawdown would take place and the timetable will impact the number of troops NATO will have in place to fight the
Taleban after the spring thaw in Afghanistan. Debate is also taking place within the administration on the size of a residual force, to train Afghan soldiers and to conduct anti-terror missions, that will remain behind after the formal withdrawal. Continued on Page 14
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CFAAIR wraps up first confab
Israeli policy under attack at conference By Joana Saba Arab Times Staff
KUWAIT CITY, Feb 12: The second session of the First International Conference of the Council for Arab and International Relations took off on Tuesday morning, addressing the topic of Arab relations with neighboring countries. In particular, the first part of the conference discussed Arab relations with Turkey and Iran. It raised the various issues that have obstructed the materialization of optimum relations between the Arab world and the two countries. Specifically, the tensions resulting from Iran’s involvement in Syria, the Gulf and other countries was a major point of contest, with Secretary General of the Arab-Iranian Dialogue Forum Dr Mohammed Al-Husseiny stating that Iran will continue to support change in Syria, under Bashar Al-Assad, being that he is a leader of resistance.
A man leads a herd of camels taking part in the camel decoration contest for white camels at the ongoing Folkloric Popular Heritage Festival.
Push on for eastern oil city
Condemnations Moreover, the second part of the session raised deep condemnations of Israeli policy and actions, with Henry Seigman declaring that Benjamin Netenyahu had no intention of allowing for the existence of an independent Palestian state. The first part of the session, moderated by Dr Mohammed AlSabah, Former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Relations, saw Turkish Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Naci Koru commend the deepening bilateral relations between Tukey and Arab countries. Koru looked forth to strengthening relations, calling for the establishment of a GCC mechanism that would elevate the relationship between Tukey and the Gulf from the level of consultation to that of a strategic partnership. Further, in light of the recent developments in the Arab world, he stated that Turkey does not seek to be a role model for the region, as each country has specificities, and a general template cannot be applied. Rather, he stated that Turkey seeks to share, and to show the compatibility of democracy, equality and Islam. Further, he affirmed the importance of resolving the Palestinian crisis, noting that the blockade on Gaza must be lifted. Koru also Continued on Page 6
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Syrian rebels capture military airport DAMASCUS, Feb 12, (Agencies): Rebels on Tuesday overran a military air base and captured warplanes, a day after seizing control of Syria’s largest dam as they pushed an assault on strategic targets in the north of the country. The military advance came as prospects for a political solution to Syria’s civil war faded and as UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged President Bashar alAssad’s regime to accept an offer of dialogue by an opposition leader. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the rebels captured a military airport at Al-Jarrah in Aleppo province, and
in the process seized for the first time a fleet of deployable warplanes including MiG fighter jets. During their assault on the airport, the rebels killed, injured or imprisoned dozens of troops, the Britain-based watchdog said, adding that as the rest of the troops pulled out, they left behind ammunition and warplanes. Soon afterwards, the air force used fighter jets to bombard the airport to try to dislodge rebels there, the Observatory said, adding warplanes also carried out raids near the international airport which has come under a rebel assault. Speaking to AFP on condition of
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Filipinos pray for Tagle succession
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KUWAIT CITY: Iraq’s state airline will resume flights to Kuwait this week for the first time since former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein invaded the Gulf oil state in 1990, Kuwait said on Tuesday, in a sign of improved bilateral ties. “Iraqi Airways (is) to resume flights to Kuwait on Feb 16 after 22 years of suspension,” Kuwait’s state news agency KUNA said in an SMS alert late on Tuesday without giving further details. (RTRS) ❑ ❑ ❑
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Newswatch
The lights are on in Pope Benedict XVI’s apartment overlooking St Peter’s Square, at the Vatican, early Feb 12. With a few words in Latin, Pope Benedict XVI did what no pope has done in more than half a millennium, stunning the world by announcing his resignation Monday and leaving the already troubled Catholic Church to replace the leader of its 1 billion followers by Easter. (AP)
MANAMA: Bahrain’s opposition groups, expecting little from a renewed national dialogue, plan to stage protests this week to mark the second anniversary of a Shiite-led uprising that was crushed by security forces. Continued on Page 14
anonymity, a military source in Aleppo confirmed the rebel capture “after 48 hours of fierce combat”, but downplayed the importance of Al-Jarrah. “It is a very small airport, used for training purposes,” he said. “There are only small amounts of unusable ammunition left there, and several planes that have long been out of action.” Activists meanwhile reported the launch of rebel offensives on the Aleppo international airport and Nayrab military airport nearby, although the military source denied any such assaults. Closed since Jan 1, “Aleppo’s interna-
‘Qaeda targets US consulate’ BANGKOK, Feb 12, (AP): Thai authorities have tightened security measures at the US Consulate in the northern province of Chiang Mai following reports that it was a possible target of attack from al-Qaeda and Salafist terrorist groups this month, officials said Tuesday. Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra told reporters she had been informed about the reports and that she had ordered security agencies to add more forces to provide safety at the facility, 570 kms (350 miles) north of Bangkok. “The US Embassy in Continued on Page 14
tional airport has in the past suffered attacks, but tightened security measures and the Syrian army’s bravery has stopped armed men from getting anywhere near there,” said the army source. The Observatory also reported a rebel capture of the main road linking Aleppo province to neighbouring Raqa and parts of a military base tasked with securing the area’s airports. Activists in Aleppo have told AFP that fighters in the north have shifted their focus from city battles to the capture of military airports and bases. Continued on Page 14
Amir condoles King
Riyadh governor dead RIYADH, Feb 12, (Agencies): Riyadh governor Prince Sattam bin Abdul Aziz, a half brother of the Saudi king, died on Tuesday, state news agency SPA reported without saying what caused his death. SPA quoted a royal statement as saying that Prince Sattam, who was in his 70s, would be buried in the Saudi capital on Wednesday. The brief report gave no other details about why and where the death occurred. Prince Sattam was appointed Riyadh governor after his half-brother, Crown Prince Salman, was named defence minister in October 2011. Meanwhile, His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah sent a letter of condolences to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud of Saudi Arabia, in which he expressed his sincere sorrow and condolences for the death of Prince Sattam, praying to the mighty Allah to bestow his mercy upon him and and upon his family with patience and solace. His Highness the Deputy Amir and Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak AlHamad Al-Sabah sent similar letters to the Saudi King. In March last year, he decided to allow single men in Continued on Page 14