Sat 21 Jan 2006
I heard a rumour yesterday night that Sabah AlAhmad and his side will pull some strings in trying to stop Salem AlAli’s statement that was sent to newspapers from being published.
Checking AlQabas, AlWatan, AlRaiAlaam, and AlSeyassah’s websites, it seems like he did it! Im not sure though, I only looked at the main headlines and nothing mentioned Salem AlAli’s statement!
I dont exactly know what the statement says word by word, but it basically says that Sheikh Saad will take the constitutional oath…therefore stopping Sabah AlAhmad’s claim for Emir!
This comes from the BBC Arabic website -
كما جاء في بيان أرسل إلى الصحف الكويتية باسم رئيس الحرس الوطني الكويتي، الشيخ سالم العلي الصباح، إنه يؤكد التمسك بتأييد الشيخ سعد العبد الله الصباح أميرا للكويت.
And more from Reuters.
Also, Abdulla AlNaibari and Waleed Tabtaba’i both said that on Jazeera tv too…yet the newspapers seem to ignore this small peice of information that changes everything!
Also, the whole propaganda stunt on the official state TV earlier was very interesting to watch, with members of the royal family congratulating and giving their word to Sabah AlAhmad that he is their leader… yet nothing official came out and now it seems like the official statement proves otherwise, but is ignored in our local media…
Round 2 goes to Sabah AlAhmad, but was that a knock-out?!
12 Responses to “Media War!”
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January 21st, 2006 at 6:54 am
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January 21st, 2006 at 6:55 am
والله محنا عارفين من نصدق جرايدنا كلها حكومية وكذب بكذب ومصوره انه خلاص صباح مسك الحكم اما الخبر الي بال بي بي سي يبين انه صباح ما مسك الحكم والموضوع مجرد كلام وجرايدنا ذبحونا حسمت حسمت صج صحافه بطيخ وبصراحه السالفه طالت وقامت الريحه تفوح لي بره الكويت رجاءا كافي هواش وارسوا لكم على بر
http://q8silly.blogspot.com
January 21st, 2006 at 8:10 am
u bet ur life on it! it was a knock out. all from the start it was obvious that sheikh Sabah is taking the leadership. and if he did pull some strings to stop that statement, then he did the right thing. Kuwait can’t afford this anymore. this is Kuwait’s leadership we’re talking about here, which means the whole deera is on the line. and if sheikh Sa’ad took the oath, that’s not gona change the fact that his health condition won’t able him to carry on his duties as our Emir (allah yashfeeh o yajra) and at the end sheikh Sabah will perform them except he won’t be officially the Emir. as for the media confusion, well my friend, that is sooooooooo typical in such situation world wide and through out history … allah yer7amna bra7mita wya7fi’6na ajma3een min kil shar
January 21st, 2006 at 8:31 am
Salem Al- Ali needs a blog.
January 21st, 2006 at 8:34 am
I heard that sa3ad ak abdulla requsted from majles al uma to sworn in on sunday ! I guess we have to wait and see. plus wheather its sabah or sa3ad we will have an extra day of holiday
January 21st, 2006 at 8:40 am
توني سمعت خبر (من مصدر غير موثوق) أن حالة الشيخ سعد الصحية ساءت
وبغض النظر، يبدو أن الأمور استقرت لصالح الشيخ صباح حتى مع محاولات الشيخ سالم العلي المستميتة ورغم مقال الجاسم الأخير اللي يقول فيه بعدم جواز اتخاذ اجراءات عزل الامير قبل تعيين وليا للعهد
January 21st, 2006 at 10:05 am
A letter comes out from the Amir Office to the Parlimant..and it gets ignored by our local papers!!!
I dont think we have to say more..it got really low..
ولظلم ذوي القربى علي اشد مضاضة من وقع الحسام المهند
January 21st, 2006 at 11:30 am
mewho
I like that bravo
January 21st, 2006 at 11:52 am
Sabah our prince, why not ?
January 21st, 2006 at 12:43 pm
على آل الصباح ان يضعوا نظاما افضل لتوارث الحكم بينهم رحمة بمصلحة البلاد والعباد ، لقد اختاركم اجدادنا وصدقنا علي ذلك الاختيار شريطة ان تديروا امورنا بحكمه ، فكيف الامر وانتم لاتستطيعون ادارة اموركم بحكمه بحيث صرتم وصرنا معكم ملطشه للحساد مثل الجزيره و غيرها ؟
January 21st, 2006 at 12:49 pm
so Q.. having seen the message displayed in jazeera that salim al3ali is in fact supporting sa3ad al3abdulla.. in an effort to bring the family side to the throne even if sa3ad is not making it… while the newspapers in kuwait are very politely following the news, and as u said are well aware of what to say and what to keep….
so now we have to worry that its not yet a free coverage from all parties of the ruling family? ..
January 21st, 2006 at 11:43 pm
Here is the statement you are referring to.
Sheikh Sabah takes charge Sheikh Salem says Sheikh Saad to take oath of office – Daily urges new Amir to step down
Kuwait Times, Saturday, January 21, 2006
KUWAIT: Kuwait’s prime minister yesterday agreed to take charge of the country due to the poor health of the newly named Amir, state television reported, a move seen as a first step to his taking over the top office. But a senior family member said yesterday the new Amir HH Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah has asked parliament to hold a session for him to take an oath to assume his responsibilities.”The Amir will take the constitutional oath in parliament,” Sheikh Salem Al-Ali Al-Sabah, head of the national guards, said in a statement.
In an unprecedented move, a newspaper called yesterday for Sheikh Saad to abdicate and assign his responsibilities to a member of the ruling family who “is able to carry them out.” The editorial in the independent Al-Qabas reflected the extent of the crisis that has confronted the country since Sunday when HH the Amir, Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, died and was promptly succeeded by one who is extremely frail.
Since taking over, Sheikh Saad, who is in his mid-70s, has appeared in public in a wheelchair but he has not spoken, causing concern that he is unable to take the oath of office. The newspaper did not say who the next Amir should be, but it said the love that Kuwaitis have for Sheikh Saad would only grow if he were to step down. Al-Anbaa newspaper said in a front-page headline that “Trust has been given to Sheikh Sabah,” and reported that the family has expressed full confidence in his leadership.
Television reported that ruling family members visited the Prime Minister, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, at his residence yesterday and asked him to accept the responsibility of leading the country until it reaches the “shore of safety.” Sheikh Sabah - who has a pacemaker but otherwise seems to be in good health - accepted the responsibility and asked God to help him shoulder it “under the circumstances that need … unity,” the television reported. The announcement means that Sheikh Sabah, who has run the day-to-day affairs of government for years, becomes de facto ruler until Sheikh Saad abdicates or another constitutional way out of the crisis is found. In an indication that he is likely to be the next Amir, Sheikh Sabah was quoted as saying he will “walk in the footsteps” of the late Amir.
The television showed family members kissing Sheikh Sabah in congratulation. Sheikh Saad did not appear. The TV quoted the prime minister as saying Sheikh Saad’s “heroic and historic” role during the seven-month Iraqi occupation of Kuwait in 1990-91 will “live forever.” He wished him good health and a long life. Succession is a sensitive issue in Kuwait, which is accustomed to untroubled handovers of power. However, it has become a public issue with “the prolonged illness of both HH Sheikh Jaber, who died Sunday, and HH Sheikh Saad, who succeeded him.
Nevertheless, some Kuwaitis are confident the crisis can be resolved. A politics lecturer at Kuwait University, Hamed Al-Abdullah, said the future will “become clear in the next hours or days.” “Members of the (ruling) family have proven their ability to work things out among themselves, and we trust them to overcome this issue,” Al-Abdullah said. The carefully worded statement on television said members of the ruling family “renewed” the confidence shown by the late Amir to Sheikh Sabah late last year. Last October, the Amir had responded to apparent criticism of Sheikh Sabah by saying he “fully trusted” and “appreciated” the efforts of Sheikh Sabah, his half brother.
It was not immediately clear if the pledge of support was aimed at paving the way for Sheikh Sabah to be named crown prince or to take over as Amir if Sheikh Saad steps down. Analysts said some family members were in favour of change while others would rather maintain the status quo.
But a top family source told AFP Kuwait’s ruling family agreed yesterday that powerful Sheikh Sabah should become Amir to replace Sheikh Saad whose first days of power have been marred by his ailing health. “The overwhelming majority of the family came this morning to the house of Sheikh Sabah and expressed complete trust in him to become new Amir in light of the health condition of the current emir,” the source said on condition of anonymity. “Sheikh Sabah accepted the request,” during the meeting attended nearly by all senior members of the ruling family, the source said.
State-run television later in the day showed footage of members of the family greeting Sheikh Sabah at his house. An official statement said that the members asked Sheikh Sabah to “lead” the country and he accepted. Members of the family who attended the meeting represented all the various branches of the ruling family, including senior members from the Al-Salem branch of Sheikh Saad, the source added.
Sheikh Saad is known for his closeness to the people. He is the eldest son of Kuwait’s most popular emir, Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, dubbed the “father of democracy” and founder of modern Kuwait. It was not clear yet if Sheikh Saad will abdicate voluntarily. If he does, Sheikh Sabah will be officially appointed Amir and will assume his powers after taking the oath before parliament. If not, the Cabinet can refer the issue to the elected parliament. Under Kuwaiti constitution and a 1964 law,
two-third majority to announce the Amir’s seat vacant and pave the way for the appointment of a new leader.
Hours after Sheikh Jaber’s death, the Cabinet adhered to the constitution and proclaimed crown prince Sheikh Saad as the new Amir, a move many analysts said was aimed at preventing a power vacuum as well as a rift in the ruling family, which traditionally alternates leadership between its two branches. Sheikh Sabah, the late Amir’s half-brother who is also in his mid 70s, was widely tipped to be named the new crown prince who would continue to run the country from behind the scenes.
Some political observers said a few members of the ruling family had proposed appointing Sheikh Sabah as Amir, breaking away with the long-held tradition of power-sharing among the two branches of the family. HH Sheikh Saad had emergency colon surgery in 1997. He spent a week in hospital last
year with hyperglycaemia and has travelled abroad often since then for treatment, most recently in August. Most observers say that Sheikh Saad is probably not fit enough to read out the two-line oath of office. Some members of parliament have suggested that he read out an abbreviated version during the swearing-in ceremony, which the Assembly’s speaker has already objected to. Some newspaper columnists have also resisted any changes to the oath. — Agencies