US warns Kuwait
AMERICAN AMBASSADOR LASHES OUT AT MISTREATMENT OF CHILDREN, EXPAT WORKERS
The Daily Star (Kuwait Edition) Saturday, October 29, 2005

By Abdulrahman AI-Najjar, AI-Watan staff

KUWAIT: In a letter by US Ambassador to Kuwait Richard LeBaron directed to Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed AI-Sabah, LeBaron strongly criticized the State of Kuwait for abusing children under the age of 18, who are used as camel jockeys, and the mistreatment of expatriate laborers. He said in his letter that Kuwait, unlike Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), must act as a model country in the region.LeBaron also said that Kuwait must take actions as Qatar and the UAE did to protect children used as camel jockeys and expatriate laborers in order not to have restrictions imposed against it and face negative votes by the US in case Kuwait stands in need for US aid or assistance."Qatar and the UAE have introduced legislations to protect children under the age of 18 used as camel jockeys and expatriate laborers. Both governments established special shelters for abused expatriate laborers in cooperation with the expatriates' governments to repatriate them. Qatar in particular constructed special villas to host abused expatriate laborers, while the UAE initiated a media campaign to eradicate the phenomenon of abusing children," said LeBaron in his letter.The US Ambassador also wrote that Kuwait was informed about the actions adopted in both Qatar and the UAE last June. He demanded that Kuwait must put on trial those responsible for abusing children and expatriate laborers in addition to developing a special mechanism to protect the abused.LeBaron attached with the letter to Sheikh Mohammed an anti-exploitation of children and expatriate laborers strategy, in which he determined steps and measures that must be adopted by Kuwait, in addition to possible actions that President George W. Bush would take against Kuwait in case it remains on the watch list for countries that abuse children and expatriate laborers. The strategy outlines measure that Kuwait must implement in order to be re-evaluated in light of its efforts to end the abuse of people and children.The anti-exploitation of children and expatriate laborers strategy, which was sent in the Arabic language to the Foreign Ministry, was weak and inaccurate in translation, and stated that Kuwait does not implement the lowest standards in protecting children and expatriate laborers as stipulated in US laws pertaining to protecting humans from any type of abuse.According to the strategy, President Bush is demanded by the US Congress to submit a report listing the names of countries that do not comply with the acceptable standards and measures to protect children and expatriate laborers.According to the report, Kuwait is one of the few countries that dose not comply with these measures.The strategy also stipulates that Kuwait will be subject for re-evaluation after 60 days to examine its efforts in complying with implementation of the acceptable standards pertaining to protecting children and expatriate laborers.Kuwait is demanded to implement the following six points:

1. The Kuwaiti government must assign a specialized person in charge of monitoring the implementation of the standards as stipulated in the US law to protect camel jockey children and expatriate laborers.

2. Kuwait must conduct a precise count of the number of camel jockey children and provide protection to them, in addition to providing rehabilitation programs prior to repatriating them back to their home countries.

3. Kuwait must bring to court all persons responsible for abusing children and expatriate laborers and domestics, in addition to apprehending officials in charge of abuse.

4. Kuwait must develop special measures and mechanism to protect abused children and expatriate laborers and must also open the doors for expatriates to complain about their sponsors freely in case of mistreatment or severe abuse.

5. Kuwait is demanded to establish special shelters for abused children and expatriate laborers in addition to providing them with the necessary medical attention regardless of their legal status in the country.

6. Kuwait must initiate a media campaign to highlight the rights and duties of children and expatriate laborers and the consequences of abuse or mistreatment.

The corruption curse

Kuwait Times, Wednesday, October 26, 2005

By Hamid Yousuf Al-Gharaballi

Sociologists and politicians have vigorously debated it, the connoisseurs at diwaniyas have impaired their voices talking about it, the pens of writers, intellectuals and analysts have dried up, and the hot and sensitive topic has eventually synthesised in to the texture of the society.

Corruption has grown into a national evil, ubiquitous in every sphere of our life, wreaking havoc on our country's progress and development. Our atmosphere is clouded with corruption, contaminating the very air that we breathe, it poisons our thoughts, depresses our nerves, dampens our resolve and productivity. Corruption, by nature, engenders oppression.

Aren't the perpetrators of corruption ashamed in front of his Lord, himself, his neighbours and the society? How can any civilized being carry out such shameful acts like lying, cheating, bribing and thieving? The simple answer is: He knows he will not be caught or punished. So he dares to go deeper into corrupt practices and keeps on sucking the society's blood like parasites. All types of corruption precipitate the decaying of society, and undermine its cohesiveness. The characteristics of corruption are the absence of conscience, morality, trust and values of life.

The corrupt citizens, in my opinion, pose a strategic danger to the national security, because they lack the basic regard to patriotism and loyalty to the country. As for the corrupter, he is the master who taught them theft, and he is the expert in corruption affairs and its corrupted applications all over the country, where its evil ambitions reach to the level of tyranny.

Corruption has many dimensions, most important of which is the administrative corruption, which is instilled in public sector departments. In my column 'Diminishing productivity in government departments' published in Al-Qabas on Oct 21, I criticised the administrative machinery of the country and diagnosed its drawbacks. I have proposed some modern administrative solutions to deal with the malady, like analysis of the organisational structures and what may result in the form of mergers (cancellations), or create new structures. Analyse the methods of work and present flexible alternatives, apply the job description and performance evaluation methods.

Salary structures should be reviewed, while taking interest in training and development. As for the employment process, competence, qualifications and experience must be the decisive factors for selection, not the prevailing theory "this is our child, take care of him."

So, if the municipality's camels cannot "bear" its corruption, even the containers of Shuwaikh and Shuaiba ports may not be able to accommodate the magnitude of it. I have selected few samples of corruption, just for clarifying my point.

* A plane-load of bird-flu infected consignment from affected Asian countries arrive in Kuwait, flouting all official procedures including the veterinary clearances, threatening the very existence of people. This is while the entire world is pursuing extraordinary precautions to keep the epidemic at bay.

* Quite recently, the contents of a reservoir were reportedly dumped directly into the sea without chemical treatment to get rid of the bacteria, parasites and other germs, endangering the environment and marine life. It was also discovered that the periodical maintenance was not carried out for 10 years.

* Malpractices in the recruitment of nursing staff were reported recently, and the bribery ring has its roots in the health ministry. The lapses in ministry's regulations and the corrupt employees are to be blamed for not discovering the violations quickly.

* In a warning issued by Kuwait Society for Environment Protection, it has been mentioned that all government and private departments were informed about the large scale mercury pollution on Al-Salam beach, near the new petroleum building, threatening the salt unit in the vicinity. It was removed from the beach to some other area, but no one, except some insiders, knew about the mercury left out in the marine environment. The society asked people not to swim or fish near the beach due to the danger mercury can cause on human beings. Why people were not informed at the right time about the pollution? Such carelessness can prove fatal sometimes. I saw many families happily swimming on the mercury-contaminated beach before the warning was issued; I hope the pollution will not affect the new oil building.

* I do not want to talk much about drug-related problems and their patrons, nor about the bribes and embezzlement of public funds, nor about the Internet and billiards café's, nor about Wasta and what it does to employments and promotions, nor about the cancerous groups that only think about their own interests, regardless of whatever happens to the country...

What is the solution? The solution does not need a math formula, nor a magic wand, laws and procedures are enough to control the country and protect it from the pandemic corruption. The key here is to give law its teeth of steel to monitor, deter and punish all violations. Wasta is the mother of all violations, so whenever it is eradicated, the country will flourish, and people will live in a democratic ambience that safeguards all with its warm and strong arms. Freedom, justice and equality for all, where all people are equal in rights and duties. Kuwaiti people will then rise in unison against corruption and its strong 'yellow' winds. And we will be successful in implementing the reform programmes, which we desperately need now. - Al-Qabas

Anti-graft body labels corruption as 'invasion'
Kuwait Times, Monday, October 24, 2005

By B. Izaak

KUWAIT: Kuwait Parliamentarians Against Corruption (KUPAC) yesterday issued a stern warning against widespread corruption in Kuwait, branding it a new invasion and urged honest forces to join hands in the fight against graft. Commenting on a new report by Transparency International that placed Kuwait in the 45th position among 159 countries, KUPAC charged in a statement that corruption here has reached a very serious level. Last year, Kuwait was placed in the 44th position, down from 35 the previous year.
The statement attributed the rise in corruption to a number of factors, mainly the current election law which distributes the country into small electoral districts that are easy to control by political money. This has enabled corrupt people to have members who effectively control the formation of parliamentary panels and abuse monitoring tools and votes on crucial decisions, the statement said.
It is ironical that parliamentary majority has succeeded in electing corrupt members to committees entrusted with economic legislation, protecting public funds and combating corruption, KUPAC said in the statement. "This would not have happened without government votes, which clearly reveals an alliance between corrupt people in the two bodies (government and Assembly) to consolidate the foundation of corruption," the statement said.
It said the corrupt establishment is attempting to exploit the concept of economic reforms like economic liberalisation and seeking assistance of foreign expertise in oil extraction for the benefit of certain people. The absence of protests towards what is going on in Kuwaiti foreign investments, arms deals and the process of awarding state projects are all indications of widespread corruption, it said. This has been accompanied by an unprecedented deterioration in public administration, spread of bribe-taking and influence and breaches of the law, the KUPAC statement added.
"What makes the picture even darker is the attempt by corrupt people to use the judiciary for crippling the tools of supervision and accountability," KUPAC said. "As a result, it was no surprise that Kuwait was placed in the 45th position, but what is surprising is the fact that Kuwait came in as the second worst in the GCC states regarding corruption," it said. "KUPAC urges all the good people of Kuwait to confront this new invasion. We call on all honest lawmakers to shoulder their historical responsibility to stop this aggression," the organisation said.
KUPAC was formed in Kuwait a few months ago as part of the Beirut-based Arab Parliamentarians Against Corruption, which is the regional branch of the Global Organisation of Parliamentarians Against Corruption (GOPAC).

Quick steps needed to protect expat workers' rights in Gulf
Kuwait Times, October 23, 2005

By Meena S Janardhan

DUBAI: The United Arab Emirates has announced it will publicly "name and shame" employers who fail to pay their workers or provide decent living conditions. The move followed a series of protests by hundreds of foreign workers who marched along roads and blocked traffic. "My ministry will not hesitate to publish names of employers who fail to pay their workers in time and will blacklist the companies concerned. We will make sure that our measures deter companies which do not care about their workers and about the country's reputation," Minister of Labour and Social Affairs Ali bin Abdullah Al-Kaabi warned in a statement earlier this month. "We will not remain silent and allow non-payment of salaries to pass without taking strict action against violating companies. Punishment and action will be taken to prevent their recurrence," he said adding that this would be only the first in a series of planned measures.
"An estimated 10,000 expatriate labourers have gone on protest in 2005. Such protests have become a major source of embarrassment for the UAE since they tarnish the country's reputation and image abroad," he said.
Elsewhere in the region, thousands of workers have staged a series of protests in Kuwait over the past few months, and 600 construction workers went on strike in Qatar in August. In all cases, the labourers complained of not receiving their salaries for several months and poor living conditions.
Rights activists say the worker protests highlighted the need for effective legal measures to help them. "The issue requires fundamental solutions. We need an effective legal framework to govern employer-employee relations to protect workers from such businessmen. We must use the language of force to compel them," Ali Al-Baghli, board member of Kuwait's Human Rights Association, told the Gulf Times newspaper recently.
The six Gulf Cooperation Council countries are home to a population of 35 million, about 13 million, or 37 per cent, of whom are expatriate workers and their family members. Foreign workers in the Gulf remit about $30 billion to their home countries annually, although more than half draw under $400 in monthly wages.
Activists feel that the "sponsor" system adopted by most Gulf nations, which curtails workers' freedom and puts them at the mercy of their employers, allows workers to be exploited.
Under it, employers have the right to terminate the contracts of their foreign staff and prevent them from seeking jobs in the same country unless they fulfil a set of tough conditions. This makes workers the underdogs in labour disputes.
"We must alter the sponsor system in a way to prevent employers from taking oppressive measures against their foreign staff," Baghli said.
But change is on the way. Most Gulf countries are introducing new legislation consistent with international standards, including introduction of a minimum wage system, substitutes for the sponsor system and expanding the role of trade unions.
Bahrain and Kuwait already have trade unions for nationals in which expatriates can be non-voting members. Qatar also introduced a law last year granting workers the right to form trade unions. The Saudi Shura (consultative) Council has issued a law allowing "workers committees," while Oman plans to allow trade unions.
The UAE Labour Ministry has prepared a preliminary list of 13 companies, many of them construction companies, which have faced strikes through Oct. 1 of this year. A more comprehensive list will be drawn up soon.
Discussions are also on between officials from the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs and the Interior Ministry's Department of Residency and Naturalisation to find a new way to ensure workers are paid their wages promptly and fairly.
These measures and other steps aimed at repatriating child jockeys come in the wake of a United States report in June that criticised some of the Gulf countries and threatened sanctions for failing to fight human trafficking.
Nearly 98 per cent of private-sector workers in the UAE are expatriates. Last year alone, the UAE government issued 500,000 visas for expatriate workers -- a 20 per cent increase in the country's workforce.
One of the leading companies on the watch list is the Al-Hamed Development Co., which has 13,693 foreign labourers under its sponsorship. Already in the limelight for having housed workers in substandard shelters, the company has seen frequent labour disturbances since March 2, ending in a public demonstration Sept. 20 by 1,000 workers protesting unpaid wages.
"Other companies too have infamous reputations-take the Abu Dhabi-based Baftec plant where 273 labourers staged strikes on March 2 and March 25. Although the issue of unpaid salaries has been settled, the company remains under scrutiny," said a Labour Ministry official.
"We are really in a mess. The salary we get varies from 500 to 800 dirhams ($140-$220) a month and some companies don't pay the salaries for several months. Whenever we ask the management for our salaries, we are threatened with cancellation of visa and deportation," said Rafeeq, a Bangladeshi construction worker.
"Once the case is brought to the government's notice, some companies are offering one month's salary instead of the outstanding six-month dues, which is unfair," added Rafeeq, whose roommate was at the receiving end of such a deal after having spent about 7,000 dirhams ($1,920) in his country to get the job and visa.
"Any government move to ensure that we get what is due is welcome. This should have been done long ago," said Mundiah, an Indian domestic worker.
In the UAE, assuring the labourers that the ministry would stand by them and was ready to help them solve their problems, the minister said, "I call upon employees to approach the ministry whenever they face problems with their employers, rather than resorting to protests. This method is much more effective than labour protests."
Moreover, blacklisting and boycotting companies which fail to pay workers their salaries "would virtually halt their business and act as a deterrent to other companies, because they are sullying the image of the country," president of the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry Saeed Saif bin Jabr Al-Suwaidi said at a press conference.
"I personally think the financially weak companies must deposit three months salaries (of employees) with the Ministry of Labour as a guarantee so that in case of default, the workers can be paid salaries from the surety amount after liquidation," he said. - Inter Press Service

Transparency International

Corruption Perceptions Index 2005
http://ww1.transparency.org/cpi/2005/cpi2005_infocus.html#cpi


The TI Corruption Perceptions Index is a composite survey, reflecting the perceptions of business people and country analysts, both resident and non-resident. It draws on 16 different polls from 10 independent institutions. For a country to be included, it must feature in at least 3 polls. As a result, a number of countries – including some which could be among the most corrupt – are missing because not enough survey data is available.
The Corruption Perceptions Index provides a snapshot, with less capacity to offer year-to-year trends. Nevertheless, time-series data for the CPI have been analysed for the first time this year by Professor Johann Graf Lambsdorff at Passau University in Germany. TI is advised in relation to the CPI by a group of international specialists. The statistical work on the index was coordinated by Professor Graf Lambsdorff.

Details are available at:
www.transparency.org/surveys/index.html#cpi

Corruption still rampant in 70 countries, says Corruption Perceptions Index 2005

London / Berlin, 18 October 2005 --- More than two-thirds of the 159 nations surveyed in Transparency International’s 2005 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) scored less than 5 out of a clean score of 10, indicating serious levels of corruption in a majority of the countries surveyed.

Corruption continues to threaten development

The 2005 Index bears witness to the double burden of poverty and corruption borne by the world’s least developed countries.
“Corruption is a major cause of poverty as well as a barrier to overcoming it,” said Transparency International Chairman Peter Eigen. “The two scourges feed off each other, locking their populations in a cycle of misery. Corruption must be vigorously addressed if aid is to make a real difference in freeing people from poverty.”
Despite progress on many fronts, including the imminent entry into force of the United Nations Convention against Corruption, seventy countries - nearly half of those included in the Index - scored less than 3 on the CPI, indicating a severe corruption problem. Among the countries included in the Index, corruption is perceived as most rampant in Chad, Bangladesh, Turkmenistan, Myanmar and Haiti – also among the poorest countries in the world.
The world has set its sights on halving extreme poverty by 2015. Corruption hampers achievement of the Millennium Development Goals by undermining the economic growth and sustainable development that would free millions from the poverty trap. Fighting corruption must be central to plans to increase resources to achieve the goals, whether via donor aid or in-country domestic action.
Moreover, extensive research shows that foreign investment is lower in countries perceived to be corrupt, which further thwarts their chance to prosper. When countries improve governance and reduce corruption, they reap a “development dividend” that, according to the World Bank Institute, can include improved child mortality rates, higher per capita income and greater literacy.
Nineteen of the world’s poorest countries have been granted debt service relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative, testifying to their economic reform achievements. Not one of these countries, however, scored above 4 on the CPI, indicating serious to severe levels of corruption. These countries still face the grave risk that money freed from debt payments now entering national budgets will be forfeited to greed, waste or mismanagement. The commitment and resources devoted to qualifying for HIPC must also be applied to winning the fight against corruption.
Stamping out corruption and implementing recipient-led reforms are critical to making aid more effective, and to realising the crucial human and economic development goals that have been set by the international community.
“Corruption isn’t a natural disaster: it is the cold, calculated theft of opportunity from the men, women and children who are least able to protect themselves,” said David Nussbaum, TI’s Chief Executive. ”Leaders must go beyond lip service and make good on their promises to provide the commitment and resources to improve governance, transparency and accountability.”

Progress has been made against corruption

An increase in perceived corruption from 2004 to 2005 can be measured in countries such as Costa Rica, Gabon, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Russia, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago and Uruguay. Conversely, a number of countries and territories show noteworthy improvements – a decline in perceptions of corruption – over the past year, including Estonia, France, Hong Kong, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Nigeria, Qatar, Taiwan and Turkey.
The recent ratification of the United Nations Convention against Corruption established a global legal framework for sustainable progress against corruption. The Convention, which will enter into force in December 2005, will accelerate the retrieval of stolen funds, push banking centres to take action against money laundering, allow nations to pursue foreign companies and individuals that have committed corrupt acts on their soil, and prohibit bribery of foreign public officials. Low-income countries that embrace and implement the Convention will have a head start in the race for foreign investment and economic growth.

Wealth does not determine progress against corruption

Wealth is not a prerequisite for successful control of corruption. New long-term analysis of the CPI carried out by Prof. Dr. Johann Graf Lambsdorff shows that the perception of corruption has decreased significantly in lower-income countries such as Estonia, Colombia and Bulgaria over the past decade.
In the case of higher-income countries such as Canada and Ireland, however, there has been a marked increase in the perception of corruption over the past ten years, showing that even wealthy, high-scoring countries must work to maintain a climate of integrity.
Similarly, the responsibility in the fight against corruption does not fall solely on lower-income countries. Wealthier countries, apart from facing numerous corruption cases within their own borders, must share the burden by ensuring that their companies are not involved in corrupt practices abroad. Offenders must be prosecuted and debarred from public bidding. The opportunity for ensuring sustainable progress also lies in the hands of the World Trade Organization, which needs to actively promote transparency and anti-corruption in global trade.
The lessons are clear: risk factors such as government secrecy, inappropriate influence of elite groups and distorted political finance apply to both wealthy and poorer countries, and no rich country is immune to the scourge of corruption.

Transparency International urges the following actions:

By lower-income countries
Increase resources and political will for anti-corruption efforts.
Enable greater public access to information about budgets, revenue and expenditure.

By higher-income countries
Combine increased aid with support for recipient-led reforms.
Reduce tied aid, which limits local opportunities and ownership of aid programmes.

By all countries
Promote strong coordination among governments, the private sector and civil society to increase efficiency and sustainability in anti-corruption and good governance efforts.
Ratify, implement and monitor existing anti-corruption conventions in all countries to establish international norms. These include, the UN Convention against Corruption, the OECD Anti-bribery Convention, and the regional conventions of the African Union and the Organization of American States.

Report Corruption
email: ti@transparency.org

"Trafficking in human beings is nothing less than a modern form of slavery."
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice

Human trafficking, sexual servitude, beating, starvation, kidnapping, rape and unpaid wage are some of the sad stories found at:
http://www.trafficking.org.ph/index.htm

Human trafficking in Gulf is a byproduct of economic boom

The Manila Times, June 7, 2005

Dubai, United Arab Emirates: While soaring economies lure millions of workers to the Gulf, authorities say they are struggling to deal with an unwanted byproduct: human traffickers who bring in prostitutes and child camel riders, along with unscrupulous companies that refuse to pay their imported workers. The United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar—among the top US allies in the Middle East—were among 14 countries warned by the US State Department this week that they face sanctions if they don’t adequately address human trafficking. The US report also slammed the four countries for exploiting the low-wage foreign laborers who underpin the construction booms under way in the Gulf. It said governments allowed companies to exploit low-paid foreign workers, while withholding passports and sometimes pay. Arab Gulf countries are packed with more than 10 million expatriate residents who form the backbone of the work force, especially in the booming construction and service sectors. In the Emirates, foreigners make up 80 percent of the population. Gulf countries, especially the Emirates, also lure thousands of foreign women who are eventually deported as prostitutes, the State Department said, a large number, it said, are forced into sexual servitude by criminals from their own countries. Rights groups have also condemned camel racing on the Arabian Peninsula, saying boys as young as four who work as jockeys are kept as virtual slaves. Officials and analysts said the problems are genuine, but most are being addressed though police training, laws, women’s shelters and other means. Some analysts questioned the United States’ moral authority, saying Washington’s credibility had been diluted by its own violations of prisoners’ rights in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guántanamo Bay, Cuba. For Gulf countries that cherish close relations with the United States, the black marks from Washington are a worrying sign that the US government is meddling in sensitive local affairs, said Abdul Khaleq Abdulla, who heads the Gulf Research Center, a Dubai-based think-tank. A Saudi human rights activist agreed with the American allegations, saying the government doesn’t enforce—or even publicize—the relatively lax laws in place to protect millions of foreign workers. But embassies also neglect the rights of their own citizens, perhaps because countries like India, Pakistan and the Philippines depend heavily on expatriates’ remittances. “They don’t follow up on their cases and simply don’t care,” said Ibrahim al-Mughaiteeb, a member of the unofficial Saudi rights group Human Rights First. --AP

14 Nations Fail to Stop Human Trafficking

Yahoo! News, June 4, 2005

by Anne Gearan, AP Diplomatic Writer

Washington - The United States accused 14 nations Friday of failing to do enough to stop the modern-day slave trade in prostitutes, child sex workers and forced laborers. The countries include Saudi Arabia, Washington's closest Arab ally in the war on terrorism.
Three other U.S. allies in the Middle East — Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar — were newly listed this year as nations that are failing to adequately address trafficking problems. The State Department said the 14 countries could be subject to sanctions if they do not crack down.
As many as 800,000 people are bought and sold across national borders annually or lured to other countries with false promises of work or other benefits, the State Department said in its annual survey of international human trafficking. Most are women and children.
"Trafficking in human beings is nothing less than a modern form of slavery," Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said. "The United States has a particular duty to fight this scourge because trafficking in persons is an affront to the principles of human dignity and liberty upon which this nation was founded."
The other countries listed as poor performers in stopping trafficking are: Bolivia, Cambodia, Cuba, Ecuador, Jamaica, Myanmar, North Korea, Sudan, Togo and Venezuela.
Venezuela, which has had a tense relationship with the United States in recent months, said it has taken several steps to combat trafficking. In a written statement by its embassy, it called Venezuela's inclusion in the list "a sad demonstration of how the administration has politicized its work on human rights."
The department placed China, South Africa and 25 other countries on a watch list. Those nations have trafficking problems, but their governments are making what the State Department calls significant efforts to combat them.
Saudi Arabia has turned a blind eye to the problem of poor or low-skilled workers brought into the country and exploited or who go there voluntarily but find themselves in "involuntary servitude," the report said.
Saudi employers physically and sexually abuse migrants from South Asia, Africa and other places, withhold pay and travel documents or use migrant children as forced beggars, the report said. Some of the migrants work as domestics in the homes of wealthy Saudis.
"The government of Saudi Arabia does not comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so," the 2005 Trafficking in Persons report said.
The report said the Saudis apparently prosecuted only one employer during the period covered by the report, from March 2004 to March 2005.
"We have domestic workers being brought in from many countries into domestic servitude, child beggars, a lot of beatings, reports of beatings and rape," said John R. Miller, the special ambassador for human trafficking.
The Saudi Embassy in Washington had no immediate comment on the report.
Despite periodic differences, Saudi Arabia and the United States have a tight alliance built on economic and military cooperation. Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah, the kingdom's de facto ruler since his half brother King Fahd suffered a stroke in 1995, visited President Bush at his Texas ranch in April.
The United States spends $96 million to help other countries combat trafficking, Rice said.
The United States is not included on the list, although Miller said the country is far from immune.
"Modern-day slavery plagues every country, including the United States," Miller said.
The Justice Department is due to issue a separate report on trafficking in the United States later this month.
Congress began requiring the international ranking reports in 2000. This is the fifth report, and it covers trafficking to and from 150 countries.
Miller said the goal "is not to punish, but to stimulate government action to eliminate" human trafficking.
Countries that fail to crack down can be subject to a variety of sanctions, including the withholding of some kinds of U.S. foreign aid. The United States will not cut off trade and humanitarian aid, the report said.
Countries that receive no such assistance can be declared ineligible to take part in cultural and educational exchange programs.
Two countries have been sanctioned since the reports began — Equatorial Guinea and Venezuela.

328 DH from Kuwait reveal litany woes

The Manila Standard, August 28, 2004

by Lolit Rivera Acosta

Starved, beaten or scalded with hot water, most of the 328 overseas Filipino workers who came home from Kuwait late Thursday night were awash with sob stories, not dollars. And unlike Sarah Balabagan, their stories do not have happy endings yet.
A woman who was jailed for a year said Filipino domestic helpers were molested and raped by Kuwaiti prison guards. “We were abused!” she said, in between sobs.
Arnelia Malisko (not her real name), who lived and worked in Kuwait since 2001 but did not receive her pay, said some Filipino women became sex slaves of Kuwaiti policemen. “They are all evil. I hate all of them because they all looked like devils.”
Malisko said she escaped from her employer, who would beat her without provocation. She showed bruises inflicted by the Kuwaiti all over her body.
Another woman, who went to Kuwait to earn money for the schooling of her two children, showed reporters a big scar on her left thigh. “My employer would pour hot water over me.”
The 328 OFW, most of them employed as domestic helpers, were stranded for months at the Filipino Workers Resource Center in Kuwait. They were repatriated in two batches via Kuwait Airlines — courtesy of the Kuwaiti government.
Their repatriation came about after months of negotiations for the settlement of their cases, ranging from unpaid wage and other labor disputes to immigration-related violations, said Overseas Workers Welfare Administration Administrator Virgilio Angelo.
“We have been negotiating for the repatriation of other OFW stranded not only in Kuwait but also in other countries in the Middle East where there are many cases of unpaid salaries and other labor disputes. We will continue to do everything to facilitate their return,” Angelo added.
The workers were taken directly to the OWWA office where they were given assistance. Those who needed medical attention were brought to hospitals. Residents of Metro Manila were ferried to their homes while those who reside in the provinces will be given money so they can go home and be reunited with their families, said Angelo.

2 Pinay OFWs on Kuwaiti rapists: 'They're not our boyfriends'

People's Journal, July 1, 2004
by Bernadette E. Tamayo

The two Filipino domestic helpers who were kidnapped and raped by eight Kuwaiti men last June 20 described the suspects as being in their late teens.The victims also denied reports that the suspects were their boyfriends. Julia and Mariana, the victims, narrated their ordeal to People's Journal by calling from the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait to correct earlier reports that came out in some papers.In fact, the 29-year-old Julia, who has three kids, thought of committing suicide by jumping out of the kidnappers' car but she decided against it because she was worried about Mariana, a 32-year-old mother of two, who would be left behind."Wala ho kaming mga nobyo dito. Bakit ganoon pinalabas nila? Kinidnap ho nila kami nang tumakas kami sa amo namin dahil hindi kami sinuswelduhan ng apat na buwan na. Hindi ko akalain na mangyayari sa akin ito," said Julia who, together with Mariana, are now staying at the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration center within the Philippine Embassy compound in Kuwait.Both asked this reporter not to reveal their true identities so as not to alarm their relatives in the Philippines. Both of them are married. Julia said after she and Mariana escaped from their employers, they walked along Faheel district at about 3 a.m. on June 20, looking for a taxi cab to take them to the Philippine embassy.Julia said that a car stopped and one of the three men on board asked them where they were headed. The two women ignored the men and continued walking but one of the men grabbed Mariana and hit her with a baseball bat in the head and hip. Julia, on the other hand, managed to hide behind a pile of tires in a gasoline station. But she too was threatened by the suspects if she would not come out from her hiding place.They eventually told the men that they were looking for the RP Embassy and the men offered to bring them there. Julia engaged the three men in small talk while travelling wherein she asked them about their age."Iyung isa 18 (years old), yung isa naman 21. Iyung driver ay 20. Mga mukhang bata pa talaga sila," Julia said. However, after almost four hours of travelling, the women became worried when they noticed that they were headed toward the desert. Julia asked them where they were going but the men just told her to "shut up." Julia was able to read sign boards that indicated they were entering Wafra City.They reached a resthouse in the middle of a desert where the three men raped Julia. It was about 7 a.m., Julia recalled. She said that the men ordered them to take off their clothes. She tried to dissuade them by telling them, "Hindi ba ang Muslim mababait?" But the suspects were bent on executing their evil desire.The suspects did not rape Mariana because she had her period that day but they subjected her to oral sex, Julia said.She said that during the incident, a caretaker of the resthouse peeped through the window, prompting the suspects to order the two women to hide but warned them not to make any noise. Julia said that she wanted to scream to get the attention of the caretaker but was afraid to do so. "Iyung isa kasi may suot na singsing na pambugbog na may mga tusok," she told People's Journal.When one of the suspects, who did not look like a Kuwaiti national, went away, the two suspects dragged the two women back to the car. After a few minutes, the victims were taken to another place still in the middle of the desert. Julia then noticed that the suspects were placing several calls on their cellphone. She said the suspects were even laughing while talking on the phone.A few minutes later, two cars arrived with five men on board. They too raped Julia despite her repeated pleas for them to stop. "Nagkasayahan sila. Parang nawalan na ako ng malay. Sabi ko ayaw ko na pero pinalo nila ako. Akala ko, patay na ako," she told this reporter.After two hours, the suspects dumped them somewhere in the desert.
The victims were not able to get the plate number of the cars. "Wise sila eh," Julia said. They walked toward the highway and tried to hitchhike. "Pero walang pumara sa amin," Julia said.Then, a car stopped. The man asked them where they were going but they were too afraid to respond. But the man who introduced himself as a certain Baba Mausu, a Saudi national working in Kuwait, had told them not to be afraid and offered them help. The man called up the Faheel police to pick them up. The police arrived five minutes later and asked the victims to show the place where they were brought. However, the women could no longer remember the exact place.Upon learning of the victims' plight, Amb. Bayani Mangibin instructed one of his assistants to go to the police station in Faheel District to take custody of Julia and Mariana. He also directed his staff to track down the victims' employer to explain about his alleged maltreatment of and non-payment of salary to Julia and Mariana.Meanwhile, Mangibin also created a team that would handle the case of Julia and Mariano. "We were going to go back to the scene of the crime to get evidence against the suspects," Mangibin told People's Journal.

48 abused OFWs home

People's Journal, June 20, 2004
by Willy Balasa

Forty-eight distressed overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) returned home Friday penniless and hurting from the abuses they experienced in the hands of their employers.
The office of Overseas Workers Welfare Administration chief Virgilio Angelo said the abused workers arrived from Kuwait Friday afternoon.
The OFWs included Estrella Pabiling, Corazon Reyes, Rosemari Carable, Zorayda Francisco, Rosalie David, Marie Laptu, Anabella Abina, Nida Teves, Irish Dalagit, Myrna Abaceno, Lorenza Bigornia, Marie Joy Cervante, Interia Misante, Sambrina Abeden, Mary Jane Aban, Maricel Lobera, Tarhata Samid, and Mariel Cargalle.
The workers were stranded at the Philippine Consulate in Kuwait after they ran away from their employers. The OFWs said they were maltreated, sexually and physically abused and forced to work long hours without sufficient food. Some were not even paid their salaries.
The migrant workers also complained that an official at the Philippine Consulate there added to their misery when he demanded money from them.
"Napakawalanghiya po ng opisyal na iyon at kahit na walang pambili ng tiket ang ilan sa amin ay pinipiga pa niya na mag-produce ng salapi para ipambigay sa kaniya. Kinawawa na nga kami ng Kuwaiti, pati pa rin ng inaakala naming kababayan na opisyal ng Philippine Consulate ay pagsasamantalahan pa rin kami," one of the workers said.

Not 1, but 4 Pinays gang-raped in Kuwait

Manila Standard, November 22, 2003
by Joyce Pangco Pañares

The Philippines is ascending a high-ranking foreign affairs official to Kuwait today to verify reports that not one, but four Filipinas were raped separately in that Middle Eastern country this month.Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Rafael Seguis promised that the government will do everything to ensure that the perpetrators are prosecuted."These cases are detestable. We will bring these suspects to justice," he told reporters yesterday.It was earlier reported that a Filipina maid was gang-raped by nine Kuwaiti teenagers early this week. The Philippine embassy, however, confirmed yesterday that three other Filipinas suffered the same fate in Kuwait recently.On Nov. 14, a Filipina was allegedly raped by three Kuwaiti policemen. She is now under the custody of the Filipino Women's Resource Center, an attached agency of the embassy.Two other Filipina helpers were allegedly abducted and sexually abused by Kuwaiti men armed with knives.Seguis admitted that the latest victim could have a problem prosecuting her nine attackers, all of whom are minors."We are assessing our options. Under Shariah law, rape is punishable by beheading, but we have yet to see with this case which deals with minors," he said.For his part, Foreign Affairs Secretary Bias Ople gave assurance that the government will allow no whitewash in the four cases."Cases have already been filed in court against the perpetrators of these sexual crimes. The Philippine government is fully committed to the pursuit of justice on behalf of the victims of these heinous crimes," he said.Ople summoned Kuwaiti charge d'affaires Nayef Al-Otaibi last Wednesday to convey the Filipino people’s outrage over the incidents.

Pregnant Pinays in Kuwait prison

Sunday Tonight, January 5, 2003
by Conrado Ching

Several Filipina maids who have been jailed for running away from their employers - who reportedly raped them - are now languishing in Kuwait prison. Many of them are due to give birth soon.
Four Filipina workers returning from Kuwait told airport reporters upon their arrival yesterday that they had spent time in the same Kuwaiti prison for breach of employment contract after they escaped from their employers.
Sali Arban, Teresita San Juan, Janette Anapin and Mary Grace (last name withheld) said their pregnant compatriots had run away from their Arab employers after they were raped.
Some of the prisoners are now five to six months pregnant, while others are due to give birth, the returning workers told the reporters.
They cited the case of a certain Noraya, 25, the daughter of a colonel in the Philippine military. Noraya was reportedly sent to prison upon the complaint of her employer that she failed to complete the one-year term of her employment contract as a domestic helper.
"Malaki na ang kanyang tiyan. Nakakaawa naman siya at nasa deportation cell sa Kuwait. Hindi lang siya and buntis na nakita naming doon kundi marami pa sa ating kababayan," the four repatriated Filipino women subsequently reported to the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration.
They also asked the Department of Foreign Affairs to do something for the pregnant Filipinas. They said it id the employers who should be sent to jail instead of them, who had committed only minor offenses and were only forced to do so.
Noraya, they said, ran away from her employer after she was repeatedly raped by him. The Arab complained to the police and files trumped-up charges against her.
Her stay in prison is made difficult by her pregnancy, the balikbayan workers said. Noraya is not receiving any medical attention, the four lamented.

Raped, enslaved, jailed, unpaid- 28 Pinays tell horror stories

The Manila Standard, January 5, 2003

by Lolit Rivera-Acosta and Mariecar Jara-Puyod

At least 28 female overseas Filipino workers - four from Kuwait and 24 from Ivory Coast in West Africa - are complaining of white slavery, rape, torture and other abuses at the hands of their former employers.

Rape, torture in Kuwait
Four other OFWs who arrived from Kuwait also on Friday night revealed that they and many other OFWs were victims of rape, torture and other abuses.
Many OFWs remain imprisoned in Kuwaiti jails on trumped-up charges, the four added.
The OFWs, aged 24, 25, 34 and 40, were penniless, apparently shaken and bore signs of torture. They are all from Tacurong, Sultan Kudarat.
The 25-year-old, reportedly the daughter of a military officer in South Cotabato, is six months pregnant.
She accused her Arab employer of repeatedly raping her. When she became pregnant, her employer reported her to the Kuwaiti police for allegedly stealing his jewelry and money.
The OFW admitted that she and her companions had run away from home and tried their luck in Kuwait, where they were hired as domestic helpers but ended up becoming slave laborers, working more than 12 hours a day with little food and no salaries.
The other OFWs said they ran away from their employers to escape harsh treatment but were caught and kept in a deportation cell.
"There are many other OFWs there (at the cell). We urge authorities to investigate before it is too late," the 25-year-old said. "There are OFWs who became pregnant after they were raped behind bars by the Kuwaiti police."

When will we act like a modern state?
Kuwait Times, Monday October 17, 2005
LOCAL SPOTLIGHT

By Muna Al-Fuzai

A group of Egyptian labourers held a protest against their employer, a local Kuwaiti firm, in Fahad Al-Salem Street this Saturday. Their demands were reasonable and humane. They called for their salaries which had not been paid and for their passports to be handed over. About 80-100 workers attended the rally.

These poor workers were complaining because of not getting their salaries. The Egyptian Embassy representative talked to the gathering and promised them to follow up their problem. The workers expressed their anger for not getting paid their salaries.

One of them said "All we want is our money." "We have been working day and night, but we are also having responsibilities towards our families." The worker added "We have needs and demands like any other human being. We don't want anything more that what is owed to us."

The police came in. They talked to the gathering and calmed them down. The crowd finally scattered and the workers were asked to file a complaint with the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour.

Just another daily agony with a typical dead end response: I think this problem is getting deeper with no way to salvation. Not only have these workers been away from their home and families for many long years but they work day and night like animals or less. All this time they were hoping to get paid eventually, the fair due for their skills and labour and time.

Can you imagine anything harder for anyone than not getting paid after so many long working hours? Is there any greater cruelty than this? Are we living in a civilised country or what? Such complaints must be stopped immediately. An urgent act must be taken to protect our image as a modern state.

Modern countries respect human rights and seek the best of its abilities to support its residents regardless of their nationalities or ranks. Discriminations and human violations must be denied by real acts not words.

Words can never be enough to illustrate the dilemma of those poor workers. I believe it is another chapter in an endless story. I think it does not matter what nationalities you have.

If you came to this country with a business contract as a cleaner or a fisherman or whatever, any lowly job, then you are an easy target for human violations. You will be a small fish in a big ocean. Get ready to fight for your life. You will have to ask a lot for your simple life demands such as your salary.

I will not ask the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour to interfere because I think it knows everything about such practices. Instead, I call upon the local and the international NGOs to say No to such manipulations in people's life. I hope the media keep covering such stories until something happens.

munaalfuzai@kuwaittimes.net

American woman, a human rights activist illegally imprisoned by Kuwait
Pressbox.co.uk Added: (Fri Oct 07 2005)

PRESS RELEASE
From: HUMAN RIGHTS COALITION OF USA in KUWAIT
For immediate release October 06, 2005, Kuwait City, Kuwait

AMERICAN FEMALE HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST ARRESTED ILLEGALLY BY THE KUWIATI AUTHORITIES FOR THREATNEING TO EXPOSE THE PRIME MINISTER’S DIRTY LAUNDRY TO THE WORLD PRESS.

Trina Flowers, an American actively working for those expatriates whose basic human rights are routinely compromised by every Kuwaitis who employ over a million foreign workers from India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Indonesia, Philippines, China, Thailand, Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, and many other poor countries.

Trina was hired by the University of Kuwait to teach English under a contract over 6 years ago. After completing the contract she was hired by another technical institute where her troubles began. She was asked to pass several students who were the members of the ruling families despite the fact that they were all failing student. Her refusal to pass these students started an antagonistic relationship between her and the Director of the Institute. The Director ended up firing Trina. This firing was clearly in violations of the employment contract between Trina and the Institute. Subsequently Trina filed civil cases against the school and the Director. In retaliation the Director, through his political connections with the ruling families, illegally placed a travel ban on Trina and filed a complaint with the labor department alleging that she is absconding from her work that was a totally self-fabricated lie by the Director.

Trina won the cases in all the courts where the courts found the Infinitude in violation of their contractual obligations. Despite her winning the cases under the Kuwaiti laws, the corrupt court system refused to pay her back pays that she won fair and square according to the Kuwaiti laws. She took the case to the US embassy for help. US embassy, instead of helping her, was siding with the corrupt regime of the country. It has been a norm not an exception that the mid level diplomats receive various types of favors from the local corrupt businessmen and from the state employees. On a larger scale the scandal of the former US ambassador Mr. Richard Jones and his cronies like Sean Murphy, and the commercial attaché Patrician Gonzales are well documented. The oil that was sold to Iraqis at highly inflated prices at US tax payers money by the Kuwaitis was the tip of the iceberg of the corruption that the US embassy in Kuwait was implicated in. Instead of helping an American citizens who is fighting on the principal on which the foundation of the American society is based on, the US embassy sided with their corrupt benefactors for personal gains during their diplomatic assignment to this rich and corrupt little country. Who knows the next assignment could be in more accountable European countries where the opportunity for the crooked diplomats may not be as easily available with such impunity. Richard Jones was at just at the beginning of our Iraqi invasion that made him few millions quickly and the discovery of this fact by his superiors got the damage control started. Ambassador Richard Jones and his henchmen were briskly transferred to more corrupt regimes. Sean Murphy, the right hand man of Richard Jones is now basking in the corrupt glory of Chile and Richard Jones is still peddling his influence between Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and rest of the corrupt Gulf States.

Trina is illegally detained in the CID/Interpol station without any charges. She is denied any visitation by any of her friends and well wishers. Even her lawyer Mr. Abdul Majid Khuraibet (965- 964-6266), an ex-police general and a well connected Kuwaiti is denied all visitations with Trina. He is appalled and furious at the illegalities of the Kuwaiti government. Ironically, our embassy is assisting the corrupt regime. Embassy has obediently performed attaché request of the Ministry of Foreign affairs of Kuwait to issue Trina a new US passport as her older passport is expired. Embassy sent their photographer to the detention center and took Trina’s picture against her wishes and without her request issuing a passport to facilitate the Kuwaiti government to illegally deport Trina out of Kuwait for fears that she has very damaging and compromising information on some of the highest officials of Kuwaiti government and our US embassy who in collaboration with the Kuwaiti Ministry of foreign affairs does not wish to expose these officials to such scandals. Instead of serving the US citizen’s needs, US embassy is obediently following the commands of their rich masters of Kuwait.

A shameful and disgusting act of the US embassy’s brown nosing to their rich patrons that make all of us Americans feel totally vulnerable for to speak on the issues of democracy, human rights, labor rights and related issues dealing directly with democracy. Here we are sacrificing hundreds of our sons and daughters in Iraq in the name of democracy and freedom and killing thousands of innocent men, women and children in Iraq as a justifiable sacrifice for the future of democracy while at the gateway of Iraq, a tiny country like Kuwait is basking in glory of tyranny, corruption, anti democratic practices, and doing every possible thing against the principals that we as American stand for.

It is one the most shameful act of our incompetent and self-serving little poodles who are lapping it up what their corrupt and rich Kuwaiti masters throw at them. Very disgusting situation with us Americans in Kuwait. Our embassy and the State department is a sorry case for generations to speak of.

If you really care for human justice, democracy, the sacrifices our boys and girls are making in Iraq in the name of democracy and freedom, then please help Trina Flowers, an innocent and totally persecuted individual who is fights for thousands of helpless poor in this country where no one dares to questions the corrupt and cruel system that is prevailing with not a single establishment media exposing the evils of Kuwait. Please write about her so the world could expose another of America’s shameful act. Saudi’s royal family’s expose is well documented while the tiny corrupt tyrants of Kuwait are getting away with murders. Our US government sure has a knack in picking up losers when it comes to international politics and partners of crimes.

For more information, please contact John Locke at CorruptionWatch@USA.Com . Or Abdul Majid Khuraibet, Esq. at (965) 244-4820, 244-4828
Thank you.

John Locke, A concerned American and an admirer of Miss Trina Flowers’ work in Kuwait on human rights and related issues.

This guy just made my point, no wonder why human rights violation issues aren’t being dealt with…

Kuwait is 'forgiven'
The Daily Star (Kuwait Edition) Tuesday, October 4, 2005

by Adel Al-Mizaal

The US administration lifted Kuwait's name from a blacklist of nations that are accused of human rights violations. George W. Bush has forgiven the State of Kuwait, and will no longer impose a threatened embargo on us. And now, all Kuwaitis are overjoyed by this great piece of news.
Here's how I feel about this so-called 'forgiveness.'
Kuwait has never violated human rights. More than 120 nationalities live in Kuwait, and all of them are treated equally in the eyes of the law, and they all enjoy the peace and security guaranteed to them by our laws.
Their honors and finances are guaranteed by the government; their salaries are transferred to their bank accounts at the beginning of each month. As for domestic workers, we all know that they don't work long hours, and the pay they do receive is a fair amount in exchange for the hours they work.
If by any chance anyone's rights are violated, they can resort to local authorities, who will promptly do what is needed. Human rights are guaranteed by our Constitution and our laws. In addition, it is the nature of Kuwaitis to not accept humiliation and injustice to any human being no matter their nationality.
The United States is the last nation that should speak about human rights. All you have to do is look at what is going on in Cuba's Guantanamo Camp and Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison camp. They have humiliated these Muslim prisoners and violated their holy Quran.
Even in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, still the US government practiced racial discrimination when it came to deciding who gets aid relief first.
Kuwait's human rights record is clear of any violations. We have no political prisoners in Kuwait; individuals in Kuwait are not oppressed because of their religion, race, domination, etc.
The US administration made such a big deal about young camel jockeys participating in camel races... why? These youth were not kidnapped from their parents and forced into participating in these races. In fact, their parents granted full permission for them to take part in these activities.
The question I ask is this: aren't there any young athletes in the United States? Of course there are! And for some reason, what they do is okay... but what we do is not.

An interresting post about the terrorism phenomenon

Terrorism: The never-ending

epidemic...
http://q8iness.blogspot.com Wednesday, September 28, 2005

By q8iness

So here we are again, battleing for justice over those that kill in the name of Allah...or are they? Is there an underlying reason these "religious groups" go around slicing people's heads or blowing them up? Are they trying to make some kind of point? Well, if they are, its beyond us now. Every week, all over the world, bombings and murder's, and even kidnappings have been reported. Has it now evolved from being the "common cold" that people controlled from time to time, to the new" black plague" that takes over the world?

Yes! thats exactly where we are now. Bush and Kofe Anan say "It's a war against Terrorism"; yet in reality it's a war against a conflict that has taken the world by storm: globalization. It is struggle to keep the world the way it is; primitive and ignorant so that people can be controlled. These religious fanatics foster a beleif that people can be controlled only if they move things back in time. They are not against politicians, and they could not give a damn about Bush and his treasure hunt for oil in Iraq. It's all about contolling the minds of the ignorant and what they are exposed to.

Terrorists are against globalization and against that idea of media literacy. They want people to relay on the pigeon to give them their news. To these people, the world will be a much better place if we make people believe what we want them to, with out anything standing in the way. The war is not about the innocent by-standers that were killed by bombings in Iraq, Lebanon and London. It's all about getting the point accross that they do not want change. Why do you think bin laden gave up his nice life to go live in a cave in the middle of Afghanistan. Thats food for thought, right?

Corruption within the government
The Daily Star (Kuwait Edition), Thursday, September 29, 2005

Ahmad Zakaria, Daily Star staff

A prominent Islamic legislator stated that the government's recent efforts in combating corruption proved to be useless, as the government itself is involved in its own corruption.
MP Nasser Al-Sane said that corruption will damage the development process in the country. He added Tuesday in a symposium organized by the Islamic Constitutional Movement (ICM), entitled 'Reasons Behind Corruption,' that the interference of both the Cabinet and a number of legislators made combating corruption a difficult struggle.
"Corruption isn't only found in Kuwait; it is present in countries all over the world. Those who practice it use the most recent technologies to cover up their tracks. This makes it difficult to prove anything against them, so people end up feeling frustrated and just give up," Al-Sane said.
"Corruption is the main obstacle standing in the way of investments. People need to shed light on this issue either by using the media to expose it or by filing suits against those who practice it. I also think that non-governmental organizations should allocate more money to help fight this problem. I was surprised when I learned that one of the ministries spent 720,000 Kuwaiti dinars to buy ice. This proves that there is no type of monitoring system overlooking those who control the nation's wealth," he continued.
Furthermore, Al-Sane spoke about the Northern Oil Field Project, which he said is a clear example of corruption. He noted that the government is trying to conceal vital information from Parliament, because it feels that the information might hinder the project's approval. Al-Sane reaffirmed the ICM's rejection of the project, especially since its request for the government to set regulations for the project was ignored. He went on to praise the Parliamentary Legislations Committee's rejection of the draft law approving the project. The committee refused to pass the law on grounds that it needs more information regarding the long-term effects of the project.
Al-Sane concluded by stating that the ICM will remain firmly against the law, despite the fact that the head of the project, Ahmad Al-Erbeed is a member of the ICM.
For his part, former legislator Adnan Abdulsamad stated that corruption has turned from individual practice to being carried out by distinguished institutions and organizations.
"Some lawmakers in charge of combating corruption are involved in it themselves. Bribes have become common practice in some government institutions. Media conglomerates make it much easier to cover up this problem, as none of the mediums are able to expose it,"Abdulsamad said.
"Different political blocs have not been able to tackle this issue, because they have their own inner conflicts to deal with. Facing corruption is a difficult process with serious consequences, but it must be done," he continued.
Abdulsamad stated that corruption in Kuwait is at its strongest in three main areas; purchasing weapons, the oil sector and investments.