“LONDON-BASED Al-Sharq Al-Awsat newspaper (The Middle East) recently published an American document that seemed like it was prepared to monitor Iranian intervention in Iraqi elections,” prominent Kuwaiti columnist and attorney Mohammad Musaed Al-Saleh wrote for Al-Qabas daily Saturday.
 “The document in question included statements which were earlier attributed to the Commander of American troops in Iraq General Rai Oderno and mostly revolved around the Iranian role in Iraq.

“In one of his statements, Oderno revealed certain intelligence data confirming the Iranian intervention in Iraqi elections by supporting and financing electoral campaigns of some Iraqi political parties. Besides this, he also referred to the relationship between Iraqi politician Ahmed Al-Jalabi and Tehran.

“He further revealed that Iran is likely to apply for compensation for damages resulted from its war with Iraq during the 1980s following the formation of the Iraqi government after the parliamentary elections.
“The American document also disclosed that Iran is preventing some Iraqi candidates from contesting the parliamentary elections. In this context, General Rai Oderno was quoted as saying that Iran exploits its investments in some Iraqi banks and institutions for affecting the outcomes of Iraqi elections.

 “I am not trying to ascertain or affirm what was mentioned in the American document, but there is certainly intelligence cooperation among countries neighboring Iraq and they are trying to elect a weak national council in Iraq that will easily lean towards Iran or any other country. 

“Certainly Iran has the maximum influence in Iraq and this was evident through its political and financial presence in the latter. Many other countries have also earmarked huge budgets for supporting the election campaigns of some Iraqi candidates who are currently contesting the parliamentary elections.
“May God help Iraq maintain its national unity. In the meantime, we hope the candidates contesting the parliamentary elections will not play the role of agents for certain political regimes.”

Also:
“The assassination of the leading figure of Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) Mahmoud Al-Mabhouh in Dubai by Israeli secret service agents (Mossad) is a clear evidence of Israeli government’s recklessness in dealing with international laws and diplomatic traditions that govern the relations among various states,” columnist Dr Bader Al-Kandari wrote for Al-Watan Arabic daily Saturday.
 “Here we would like to point a finger of accusation at Mossad, simply because Israel is a major beneficiary of this brutal crime, let alone that that the way it was carried out indicates the involvement of Mossad agents, particularly since we know that the agents used forged passports of European and other foreign countries including British and Australian passports for gaining access to Dubai.
“In this context, one may cite how some countries such as Britain and Australia summoned Israeli ambassadors to these countries in order to protest against the use of their passports by Israeli secret service agents.
 “We concede that intelligence operations are always rife with secrecy and agents never leave any evidence of proof that may implicate them in the crime.
“But the Mossad’s recent operation in Al-Bustan Hotel of Dubai became a diplomatic and security scandal, besides representing a terrorist operation. Various news agencies and satellite channels have shown the pictures of assassins and Dubai security authorities have requested the Interpol to apprehend the culprits.
“Apart from the above, we should keep in mind that French President Nicholas Sarkozy and the European parliament condemned this stupid operation.”

“I am surprised at Kuwaiti government’s attitude towards various issues and the blunders it continues to keep making,” columnist Dr Hasan Abbas wrote for Al-Rai daily Saturday.
“I am not here to talk about all those issues, but since we are currently witnessing preparations for a new parliamentary interpellation that was recently filed against the Minister of Information Sheikh Ahmed Al-Abdullah, I would like to shed some light on government’s manner in dealing with parliamentary interpellations in general.
“In this context, one may observe that the government followed a single manner in dealing with the various parliamentary interpellations that were filed by nation representatives against its members. It either reshuffled the Cabinet, tendered mass resignation, sought postponement of the interpellation, tried to break the opposition bloc, referred the issue to the Constitutional Court or refrained from attending the parliamentary session that was earmarked for discussing the interpellation, besides similar other unwise moves.
“We have never heard the government represented by its minister expressing readiness to stand on the grilling podium without any hesitation. In fact, hesitation to stand on the grilling podium has become a trademark of ministers.

“As free and independent individuals, we believe we are still living in a civil Kuwaiti community that is governed by laws and Constitution which provides equality and justice to all citizens and guarantees personal freedom,” columnist Dr Khaled Al-Jenfawi wrote for Al-Seyassah daily Saturday.
“Hence any attempt that is aimed at imposing guardianship on the Kuwaiti community entirely either through unconstitutional intervention in the personal freedoms of people or for undermining the values of justice and social equality will be treated as contravening the rights of citizens.
“In this context, one may elucidate that any attempt aimed  at imposing personal opinions and attitudes on others in a civil community per se, is a cultural, behavioral and intellectual defect.
“In other words, the attempt to impose a custodianship on the community through the intervention in the behaviors of adult citizens is a direct and gross attack on the personal freedoms of citizens. These freedoms have been granted to citizens by the country’s Constitution. 
“Besides, the imposition of any type of guardianship on the community contradicts with the simplest principles of democracy, given the fact that the latter tries to maintain the personal rights of individuals and their dignity. Democracy was always against intervention in individuals’ affairs.”

“Former US diplomat Micheal Hamilton Morgan, in his book ‘Lost History,’ wrote about Islamic civilization and said it contributed immensely to human civilization, because it provided basic foundation for Europe and US to develop their knowledge and make scientific inventions,” columnist Faisal Abdul-Aziz Al-Zamel wrote for Al-Anba daily.
“According to Micheal Hamilton, numerous scholars developed humanities at different periods. Mathematics could not have reached the present stage without the contributions of Ibn Al-Haitham, Khawarizmi and Ibn Sina. They provided platform for Copper Nicoles and Isaac Newton to develop. Extensive brilliant contribution manifested in the magnanimity of Islam which encourages knowledge seeking, diligence and open minded understanding. The principle of fairness in Islamic ideology created opportunities for non-Muslims to participate in scientific development.
“Michael Hamilton’s exposition was a clear response to a book ‘Conflict of Civilization.’ This shows that ideological basis of Islamic civilization is not contradicting, but political activities and colonization played vital roles in the conflicts of civilization. In Islamic civilization, it is compulsory to publish knowledge and it is a sin to conceal it. This is the reason why Europeans benefited from knowledge in the past and continue to do even now.”    

“First in Haiti, then Chile and God knows when and where the next earthquake will strike,” columnist Ali Al-Mouee wrote for Awan daily. “Those following news reports about earthquakes unanimously agree that people are always killed in large numbers - with or without earthquake - due to absence of true professionalism and conscience. These negative factors transform residences into mass graves within seconds whenever there is a natural disaster.
“I would like to draw attention towards high buildings. They collapse during earthquakes killing those who wouldn’t have otherwise been affected by the quake and destroying everything around as in the case of wars. How many catastrophes, wars and disasters should we encounter, in order to learn. We wonder to which extent the earthquake experts’ comments regarding founding an international organization affiliated to the United Nations to supervise the criteria for building high rises will be considered.”

— Compiled by Zaki Taleb