- Iraqis Ask Govt To Sever Kuwait Ties Over Port Row
- ‘UN, Arab League Must Help Solve Disputes’
KUWAIT CITY, July 30: Several Iraqis gathered in Tahrir Square, Iraq Friday asking their government to sever diplomatic ties with Kuwait for the latter’s refusal to respond to Iraq’s call for halting the Mubarak Al-Kabeer port project, reports Al-Rai daily quoting sources.
On the other hand, some Iraqi parliamentary figures have stressed the need to settle disagreements with Kuwait through the assistance of regional and international authorities like the Arab League and the United Nations (UN).
Iraqi MP Ameer Al-Kinani urged the Iraqi government to seek the assistance of the Arab League to solve the Mubarak Al-Kabeer port crisis, considering its role as a regional organization in charge of addressing issues between Arab nations.
“In case the Arab League fails to solve the problem, it is necessary to resort to the UN but if the latter also fails, then our last option is to ask for the help of the International Court,” Al-Kinani added.
On demands to sever ties with Kuwait, Al-Kinani believes this will not work in favor of Iraq because there is no other way to settle the issue but for both parties to have a dialogue.
Another Iraqi MP, Abdulhussein Rasan, is of the view that Iraq must ask for the intervention of countries, which have political and economic influence on Kuwait or have the ability to negotiate directly with Kuwait without using the language of escalation.
MP Ali Naseef called on the Iraqi government to refer the issue to the International Security Council. She also asked the American administration to announce its official stand on the issue. She said Washington should stop its discrimination policy in the interest of both Kuwait and Iraq. She warned the Iraqis are now sick and tired of seeing the US working in favor of Kuwait, while disregarding the welfare of Iraq, particularly the latter’s wish to be free from Chapter Seven of the UN Charter.
In another development, sources disclosed Iran has been conducting seismic surveys to identify oil wells in Al-Dorrah and Al-Lulu. Sources said the Kuwaiti authorities are aware of these violations, prompting some observers to believe that the Iranian activities are aimed at putting pressure on Kuwait to let Iran participate in the drilling operations in the aforementioned areas.
Sources pointed out the Iranian movements have violated the secrecy code on the two fields, asserting the improvement of both fields is included in the five-year expansion plan of the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) from 2009 to 2012. Sources added the corporation has spent over $40 million in conducting seismic surveys to pave the way for drilling in the two fields.
