(MENAFN- Arab Times) Sheikh Azzam Mubarak Al-Sabah, the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps and the State of Kuwait's Ambassador to the Kingdom of Bahrain, has lauded effective clampdown on terrorism at home and in the Kingdom. "Terrorism exempts nobody," he said, indicating that terrorist groups have been engaged in random and unprovoked killing of the innocent in various countries and regions of the world. The State of Kuwait and the Kingdom of Bahrain "have amazed the world in their confrontation of terrorism," he said in a statement to Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), clearly alluding to the recurring crackdown in Kuwait and Bahrain on terrorist cells - latest of which were announced earlier in the week.
Unity of the peoples "around our leaderships is the best deterrence against terrorism and fanaticism and those with ill intentions toward our countries," he added, praising peoples of the GCC states for facing any bid aimed at undermining the homelands' security. Kuwait and Bahrain are member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council, the GCC, founded in the early 80s of the past century. It was established to cement ties and cooperation at various levels. Kuwait and Manama have particularly maintained warm relations. Meanwhile, GCC Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council Dr Abdullatif Al-Zayani lauded Friday recent efforts exerted by security authorities in Kuwait in arresting a terrorist cell and seizing a huge arsenal of weapons, ammunitions, rockets and explosives that were to be used to destabilize security of the country. The volume of cache revealed the "heinous" criminal motives of the terrorists, Al-Zayani said in a press statement, noting that "efficiency and vigilance" of Kuwaiti security agencies foiled the cell's schemes.
He reiterated GCC states' support to Kuwait in all measures it takes to guarantee its security, preserve safety of its people and residents and combat terrorist groups. GCC countries will remain unified against terrorists and their financing sources, and they will not harm Gulf security and stability, Al-Zayani said, praying to Allah Almighty to protect Kuwait from harm and evil. In the meantime, the Criminal Court, cross-examining the recent deadly bombing that targeted a mosque packed with fasting and praying worshippers in Kuwait, is scheduled to hold the fifth session on Sunday - during which the Public Prosecution would address the tribunal.
The court decided, during the previous session held on Thursday, to pursue the prosecution in camera with a testimony by a ranking officer of the State Security, and resume the open-door proceedings tomorrow (Sunday), where the Public Prosecution would present the case, while the designated defense would copy its file on the court expenses. The tribunal has tasked a number of attorneys from Kuwait Lawyers Association, along with other counselors, with defending the suspects. None of the assigned barristers will be allowed to request relief from the mission, and those willing so, must present compelling reasons for abstaining.
The court, at a previous session, ordered release without bail 11 of the 29 persons accused of being involved in the criminal case, however all of the accused were banned from travel. Previous sessions witnessed crossexamining the "number-one suspect," Abdulrahman Sabah Al-Eidan, re-examining confiscated materials including a flash memory, including statements by Fahad Suleiman Al-Qabaa, who had personally carried out the bombing attack on the mosque. The flash memory included the security camera film showing the car that boarded the suicide bomber, the moment he descended from the vehicle entering the mosque during Friday prayers as well as the actual blast.
Al-Eidan testified that he had driven the car to the target with the attacker sitting on the front seat and that the vehicle belonged to the "suspect number seven," Jarrah Nimer. The court held its first session on Aug 4. The accused include seven Kuwaitis, five Saudis, three Pakistanis, 13 illegal residents in addition to another person who has remained at large. The list also includes five others who have not been detained. Two of them have been arrested in Saudi Arabia - they are brothers; one named Majed Abdullah Al-Zahrani (the fourth defendant) and Mohammad Abdullah Al- Zahrani (the third defendant).
Another brother of the two had stayed in Kuwait before being handed over to the Saudi authorities. The trio's fourth brother is in Syria, in the ranks of the Islamic State in Iraq and Levant (ISIL). The mosque, located in Al-Sawaber district in the heart of Kuwait City, was bombed on June 26, during the fasting month of Ramadan. Up to 26 people died and 227 others were injured in the attack. The attack had prompted His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al- Jaber Al-Sabah to head to the scene hurriedly. Tearful and deeply distressed, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad strongly condemned the bombing, affirming that such bids intended to foment discords among the Kuwaitis would certainly fail.
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