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Obama: Ties with Kuwait Should Become Stronger
Bilateral relations between the United States and Kuwait are strong and should become even stronger in the future, President Obama said Monday.
During the joint media conference in Washington with Obama, Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, reaffirmed that “Kuwait shall remain a partner of the United States. Kuwait shall remain an ally and a partner of the United States.”
Obama said the two leaders also discussed regional issues, ranging from the importance of moving the Arab-Israeli peace process ahead, to Afghanistan, to joint counter-terrorism efforts and the need to emphasize that Iran meet its international obligations.
“And I’m confident that, based on this conversation and ongoing work between our two countries, that we can strengthen not only Kuwaiti-U.S. relationships, but also create a more stable region of peace and security in the region,” Obama said.
Arab Peace Initiative
Kuwait’s emir has said that Arab states will adhere to their Middle East peace initiative only when Israel also abides by its terms.
“It is in our interest that peace be brought about [between Israel and the Arab world]” Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed al-Sabah said as he met Barack Obama at the White House.
“We will implement this peace initiative when Israel implements and fulfills its obligations,” he said, referring to the Arab Peace Initiative, which was presented by Saudi Arabia in 2002.
Under the terms of the Arab proposals, which were re-adopted at an Arab League summit in Lebanon in 2007, Israel would be granted a full normalisation of relations if it withdraws from Arab land occupied since the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.
The initiative calls for the creation of a viable Palestinian state in Gaza and the West Bank, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
It also seeks a “just solution” to the long-term future of Palestinian refugees under the terms of UN General Assembly resolution 194.
The Israeli government has repeatedly rejected calls for Palestinians who fled or were forced out of their homes during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war to return to areas in what is now Israel.
About 4.6 million Palestinian refugees are living outside their ancestral lands in Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Gaza and the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
Outstanding host
President Obama said that Kuwait has been an outstanding host for U.S. military stationed there since the beginning of the war in Iraq and that he looks forward to even stronger relations with the Gulf ally.
The U.S. military used Kuwait as a staging ground for the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
Obama said “Kuwait has been an outstanding host for the United States Armed Forces during its operations in Iraq. And as we transition our operations in Iraq, it’s important for us to emphasize not only our gratitude to Kuwait, but also our ongoing commitment to Kuwait’s security.”
Obama has said all U.S. combat troops will be withdrawn from Iraq by August 2010, with a complete pullout of all forces by December 2011. (AFP, UPI, Aljazeera).
Adam Turner
Global Arab Network