KUWAIT CITY, July 13: Islamist MP Falah Al-Sawwagh called for the removal of the Iraqi Ambassador to Kuwait, Mohammad Hussein Bahr Al Uloum, in light of increasing political tension between Gulf neighbors. Al-Sawwagh said that the recent rocket attack on the Kuwaiti Embassy in Iraq and the derogatory statements by members of the Iraqi parliament are an insult to the country.
Three rockets were launched into Iraq’s Green Zone on Monday, according to news reports quoting police officials, and allegedly landed near the Kuwait Embassy. The assault has prompted the Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry to recall its diplomats and embassy staff from Baghdad.
Kuwaiti Ambassador to Iraq, Ali Al-Momen, was quoted saying the embassy staff are safe and will return to Kuwait where they will spend the holy month of Ramadan.
Furthermore, the two countries are in conflict on the construction of Mubarak Al-Kabeer Port by Kuwait near the Iraqi/Kuwaiti borders. The port’s construction plans was announced by former Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, Ahmad Al Fahad Al-Sabah in April.

However, a number of Iraqi executive and legislative officials have opposed the development. They said that the decision to build Mubarak Al Kabeer port near the Iraqi coasts beaches Security Council International Resolution no 833 since the Iraqi water passage will be within Kuwait’s port.
Member of the Iraqi parliament, Alia Nasif, allegedly called for the ouster of the Kuwaiti Ambassador to Iraq as part of the campaign to halt the project.
Al-Sawwagh added that Iraq’s abuse against Kuwait is not surprising, therefore Al-Uloum should be sent back to Iraq until political tension settles. He said that these situations are common even though Kuwait has been assisting and supporting its neighbor.
The Islamist MP assured that Kuwait has not committed any violations against Iraq and condemned interference by Iraq’s parliament in the construction of Mubarak Al-Kabeer Port on land decided by the Security Council to be part of Kuwait.

He urged the government not to back down on the port’s construction. Islamist opposition MP Jamaan Al-Harbash also urged the Foreign Ministry to take a solid stand against Iraq due to the recent incidents.
On another note, Al-Sawwagh said that the Development and Reform Bloc will consider MPs Aseel Al-Awadhi and Hassan Jowhar’s initiative to improve the political situation and strengthen coordination between the executive and legislative authorities. He added that the initiative has yet to be officially submitted; therefore the bloc was unable to review its proponents.
Al-Sawwagh assured that if the reform initiative proves to be beneficial to Kuwait then bloc will not mind giving its support. He explained that all the grilling requests submitted against the prime minister was aimed at reform and stressed that any reform initiatives by the executive authority will be supported by the DRB.
He added, however, that the bloc is not confident that the current government is capable of reform and that is proven by recent resignations of Cabinet ministers.
For his part, Al-Harbash said that any initiative that seeks to prevent members of parliament from practicing their constitutional tools, such as grilling requests, is itself unconstitutional. However, he added, if the campaign aims at establishing agreements on priorities then it is welcome.
Agencies add:
Iraqi Transportation Minister Hadi al-Amari said that neighbouring Kuwait must stop work on its Mubarak port project because it will block Iraqi access to shipping lanes.
“The construction of this port ... demonstrates the clear intention of Kuwait to block shipping lanes from Iraqi ports and contradicts UN resolutions,” he told reporters, adding that it would “strangle” Iraq’s main export terminal in the southern city of Basra.
“We say we will not accept that Basra and Iraq be strangled in any way,” the minister said angrily.
Kuwait began work on the $1.1 billion port in May. The facility, on Kuwait’s Bubyan Island, is scheduled for completion in 2016.
“We feel it is necessary to stop work, especially since only 14 percent of the work has been completed; its location can be changed,” Amari said.
The Gulf is the main export outlet for Iraqi oil, and Baghdad has started serious work to modernise its outdated ports.
“We have the right to free traffic movement in the sea,” government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said on state-run Iraqiya television.