KUWAIT: A Kuwaiti lawmaker called yesterday for severing diplomatic ties with Iran and closing the Islamic Republic's embassy in the country in response to what has been described as an 'interference in Kuwait's internal affairs' with regards to a statement issued by the Iranian embassy over the ongoing investigation in an alleged Iranian-linked terrorist cell.

The Iranian embassy had sent a statement to the media last Thursday criticizing the Kuwaiti government for its handling of information surrounding the uncovering of alleged Iran-linked terror cell, and expressing dissatisfaction with what it described as "pushing Iran into a Kuwaiti domestic concern." The embassy also accused local media of dealing with the issue without notifying official Iranian bodies through proper diplomatic channels. In response, the Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry said that the Iranian action violated diplomatic norms. "A country's wish to officially access information concerning certain issues should be done through proper channels," it noted in reference to the Iranian embassy's statement.

Insult

"The Iranian embassy's statement was an interference in Kuwait's affairs, an insult to the judiciary and an act in which it questions the integrity of the public prosecution's investigations in the Abdaly cell whose members admitted to dealing with Iran and the terrorist Hezbollah group," MP Majid Mousa said yesterday.

The lawmaker accused the Iranian embassy of playing a 'dirty role' that is far from political traditions and diplomatic representation, and asked the foreign ministry to put an end to the 'Iranian embassy's violations' and warn those in it against interfering in Kuwaiti affairs. "We should not remain silent at all levels - official and popular," Mousa said, calling for closing the Iranian embassy in Kuwait and banning Iranians from entering the country "following the series of crimes they committed against Kuwait." "The nation's MPs will not keep silent towards Iran's repetitive behavior," he said, adding that there is parliamentary coordination to close down the Iranian embassy in Kuwait.

"The embassy of the bad neighbor Iran is still carrying out distortion of facts and practices all types of trickery and lies that are far away from treaties," Mousa said, adding that Iran's goal 'as well as that of traitors' in Kuwait remains to "destroy the country and instigate strife and compromise security and sovereignty of our dear country."

Same practices

Meanwhile, Chairman of the parliament's foreign affairs committee MP Hamad Al-Harshani accused Iran of using practices in Kuwait similar to what it previously used in Bahrain. He said that Iran attempted to create chaos in Bahrain, accusing it of interfering in Bahrain's internal affairs. He added that Iran did the same thing in Kuwait when it claimed no relations with the terrorist cell discovered in Abdaly "despite the suspects' confessions that there were contacts with two Iranian diplomats."

Official letter

MP Abdullah Al-Maayouf, commenting on the Iranian embassy's statement, said that if the statement had said that no official letter was sent to the embassy by the general prosecution, then it was better for the Iranian embassy to follow diplomatic channels and call the foreign ministry instead of issuing a statement in response to what has been published in the local press, which received its information from official documents by the public prosecution. "We reiterate that Kuwait is a country of institutions and freedom of expression is guaranteed for all, and it is not a police state as is the case with other countries," Maayouf said.

Aggressive acts

Kuwait's public prosecution on Wednesday charged 24 men for spying for Iran and Hezbollah and plotting "aggressive acts" against Kuwait. It also accused a number of them of being members with Hezbollah and others of receiving training on the use of weapons and ammunition to carry out the attacks.

On August 13, the Interior Ministry arrested three citizens after uncovering a huge arms cache at farmhouses in Abdaly near the border with Iraq. The cache included 19,000 kg of ammunition, 144 kg of explosives, 68 weapons, and 204 grenades were seized from three properties near the Iraqi border, the Interior Ministry said. Additional arrests were made and houses searched in Adan and other areas.

A trial of the suspected terror cell will start September 15. Several lawmakers this week called for a downgrading of diplomatic ties with Iran and the labeling of the Lebanese militia Hezbollah as a terrorist organization in response to the discovery of the cell.