Growing concerns in Kuwait about developments in Iraq

The Kuwaiti army has denied statements attributed to Defence Minister Khalid Al-Sabah in which he allegedly said that his army was ready to intervene militarily in Iraq.

A press release by the office of the army’s chief of staff categorically denied that Al-Sabbah had issued any statements to the media in this regard.

A statement widely circulated in social media quoted the Kuwaiti defence minister as saying that military intervention in Iraq to conquer ISIS is likely, amidst fears that the conflict would spill over to the Kuwaiti cities adjacent to Iraqi borders.

According to press reports, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is scheduled to hold an emergency meeting on Iraqi developments soon. Meanwhile, the Kuwaiti Prime Minister Gaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabbah has phoned his Iraqi counterpart Nouri al-Maliki to learn about the security developments in Iraqi cities. Al-Sabbah expressed Kuwait’s confidence “that Iraq will pass this critical phase.” He expressed his wishes that Iraq will enjoy security and stability and maintain its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Furthermore, Kuwait’s Foreign Minister Sabbah Al-Khaled said that developments in Iraq are “deeply worrying for Kuwait and all the countries in the region.” He pointed out that these developments were “expected” and represented a “translation of what Kuwait had previously warned against.”

The Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Al-Jarallah stressed on “the need to act effectively and for security coordination among the countries in the region in a way that protects them from terrorist organisations and other threats in the region.”

Concerning the regional map published by ISIS, which included Kuwait within its borders, Al-Jarallah said: “ISIS does not only target Kuwait, but the entire region as well. The map they published confirms this. We have to be cautious and to move effectively on the security level to protect our internal front in the GCC countries.”