Kuwait reaffirms solidarity with France after attacks – Amir offers condolences

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KUWAIT CITY, Nov 14, (Agencies): The State of Kuwait followed, with profound concern and grief, the news of the despicable acts of terrorism which have hit Paris, a Foreign Ministry official said Friday night. Such heinous acts can only strengthen the resolve of the friends in France to pursue their role in the combat against terrorism, the official said, reaffirming Kuwait’s solidarity with France in all measure it might take to protect its security and stability. Kuwait maintains its principled stance against all forms of terrorism whatever the sources or justifications might be, the official stressed. He expressed condolences to the grieving families and wished the wounded quick recovery.

In a related development Kuwait Ambassador to France Sami Al-Suleiman urged all Kuwaiti nationals and students to remain vigilant for their safety and follow the instructions of the local authorities. The Embassy is in touch with the competent authorities and keeps close watch on the developments of the situation, he told KUNA. Al-Suleiman advised the Kuwaiti nationals to remain indoors or contact the following phone numbers when necessary; 0033670673834 and 0033147235425. At least 129 people have reportedly died in six shooting incidents and three bomb blasts in and around Paris earlier tonight and at least one hostage situation is still ongoing. His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al- Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah on Friday night sent a cable of condolence to French President Francois Hollande following the multiple shooting and bomb attacks in Paris.

His Highness the Amir strongly condemned “these criminal acts of terrorism which run counter to all teachings of holy faith and humanitarian values,” and expressed sincere condolences for the large number of victims. He reaffirmed Kuwait’s solidarity with the French people and government, saying Kuwait supports all measures France might take to protect its security against the terrorist acts. He also renewed Kuwait’s commitment to the international campaign against all forms of terrorism.

His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al- Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah have also sent similar cables to President Hollande. National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al- Ghanim strongly condemned the terrorist attacks that took place on Friday night in Paris and left large number of victims. He sent a cable of condolence to President of the French National Assembly Claude Bartolone to express profound grief over the tragic incidents and reaffirm full support to the people and government of friendly France.

Al-Ghanim said terrorism became a global menace hitting everywhere in the world, which requires a global collective effort to eradicate. He wished those wounded in the multiple attacks quick recovery. Meanwhile, the Arab League on Saturday strongly condemned serial attacks that targeted several sites in the French capital late Friday and left scores of people killed or injured. Secretary-General of the Arab League Nabil Al-Araby said in a press statement: “Such despicable terror attacks, with their dimensions, gravity and ugliness, target humanity everywhere.”

He urged the international community to stand united as one group and to harness all means and tools to chase those killers and rid the world of their brutal crimes against humanity. Al-Araby reiterated the league’s support to France in face of this tragedy, while offering condolence to the French, president and government over the victims of the attacks.

The “heinous” Paris attacks are a violation of all religions and underline the need to intensify efforts against “terrorism”, Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister said Saturday as he arrived in Vienna for talks on ending Syria’s civil war. “I wanted to express our condolences to the government and people of France for the heinous terrorist attacks that took place yesterday which are in violation and contravention of all ethics, morals and religions,” Adel al-Jubeir told reporters in Vienna. “The kingdom of Saudi Arabia has long called for more intensified international efforts to combat the scourge of terrorism in all its forms and shapes,” he said. The talks in Vienna involving some 20 countries and international organisations — but no Syrian representatives — are aimed at working out a roadmap to end the country’s bloody civil war after almost five years of combat.

But there are deep divisions, notably between Iran and Russia on one side and Western and Arab nations on the other, on the future of President Bashar al-Assad and which opposition groups to back. Saudi Arabia’s highest religious body condemned on Saturday a coordinated assault by gunmen and bombers that killed 129 people across Paris as contrary to Islamic values. Islamic State, which is also a sworn enemy of Saudi Arabia, has claimed responsibility for Friday’s attacks. Saudi Arabia still wields great influence in the Muslim world, partly due to its wealth and its status as the birthplace and protector of Islam. But its critics say the kingdom’s clergy have fuelled the rise of radical Islam by spreading their ultra orthodox Wahhabi school.

Mercy
“Terrorists are not sanctioned by Islam and these acts are contrary to values of mercy it brought to the world,” the Council of Senior Scholars said in a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency. The council is the only body in the country authorized to issue fatwas or Islamic legal opinions. Saudi Arabia has joined international efforts headed by the United States to combat the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria, and has also worked with Washington in its battle against al-Qaeda.

The kingdom has itself been hit by a spate of deadly shooting and bomb attacks, many of them blamed on Islamic State. The head of Sunni Islam’s leading seat of learning, Cairo’s Al-Azhar, on Saturday condemned “hateful” attacks in Paris that killed more than 129 people and urged global unity against extremism. “We denounce this hateful incident,” Ahmed al-Tayyeb told a conference in comments broadcast by Egyptian state television. “The time has come for the world to unite to confront this monster. “Such acts are contrary to all religious, humanitarian and civilised principles,” Tayyeb said at the opening of the conference in the southern city of Luxor focused on combating “extremist thought”. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Saturday condemned gun and bomb attacks in Paris that killed more than 129 people, saying they showed the need for action against militants worldwide. “We condemn and deplore the terrorist attacks in Paris, which emphasise that fighting terrorism calls for international efforts to eliminate it in all countries,” Abadi said in a statement.

UAE’s President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan has condemned the heinous terrorist attacks in Paris yesterday which left hundreds of innocent people killed and wounded. In his cable of condolences to the French President Francois Hollande, President Sheikh Khalifa expressed the UAE’s condemnation of these terrorist acts and extended his heartfelt condolences to the French Government, people and the families of the victims, expressing his hopes for a speedy recovery for the injured.

Solidarity
He also expressed his country’s full solidarity with France at this difficult time, and its support for all measures aimed to fight and eradicate terrorism. Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, sent similar cables of condolences to the French President. Oman on Saturday strongly condemned the terror explosions carried out in Paris last night, leaving some 140 people killed and tens wounded.

The Omani news agency quoted a foreign ministry statement as expressing condolences to the families of the victims, government and people of the friendly Republic of France, wishing the injured quick recovery. It added that Oman calls for doubling efforts to root out this dangerous and destructive plague which targets the security and stability of the entire world. Attacks in Paris that killed more than 100 people violate all human and moral values, Qatar’s foreign minister said in a statement. “The state of Qatar, through its foreign minister, strongly condemns these heinous attacks that have struck the French capital causing so many victims,” Khaled al-Attiyah said in a statement sent to Reuters by the embassy in Paris. “These acts, which target stability and security in France are against all human and moral values,” he added. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said Saturday that French policy had contributed to the “spread of terrorism” that culminated in attacks claimed by the Islamic State group which killed 129 people in Paris. In a meeting with a delegation of French lawmakers in Damascus, Assad said France’s “mistaken policies… had contributed to the spread of terrorism.” “The terrorist attacks that targeted the French capital Paris cannot be separated from what happened in the Lebanese capital Beirut lately and from what has been happening in Syria for the past five years and in other areas,” he said. Assad was referring to twin bombings claimed by IS which killed 44 people on Thursday in the southern suburbs of Beirut, a stronghold of his Lebanese ally, Shiite militant group Hezbollah. Assad regards all the rebel groups fighting his forces inside Syria as “terrorists”, not just IS. Assad said he had “warned against what would happen in Europe for the past three years.” “We said, don’t take what is happening in Syria lightly. Unfortunately, European officials did not listen,” he said, in comments to the delegation broadcast by France’s Europe 1 radio. He said French President Francois Hollande “should change his policy.” “The question that is being asked throughout France today is, was France’s policy over the past five years the right one? The answer is no.” Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Saturday cancelled a visit to Italy and France following deadly attacks in Paris, while the foreign minister decided to attend Vienna talks on Syria to address threats of extremism.

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