ABU DHABI – Kuwait has increased security amid concern of an Al
Qaida strike.
Police have reinforced their presence around Kuwait City as well as
U.S. military facilities in the sheikdom. Troops also remained on
alert during the four-day weekend, which combined two national holidays.
"All preparations are in place to start implementing the plan to deploy
large numbers of police patrols in all areas and major intersections,
markets and public parks and other places where people gather," Interior
Ministry spokesman Brig. Gen. Khalil Al Shamali said.
[On Sunday, BAe Systems alerted its employees of an imminent Al Qaida
attack in Saudi Arabia. The company said it received intelligence of what it
termed a terrorist attack in the kingdom.]
Al Qaida and Kuwaiti security forces clashed several times in January
and February 2005. Officials said nearly 200 suspected insurgents have been
arrested, with about 40 regarded as key operatives.
No incident was reported over the weekend in Kuwait. Many Kuwaitis
stayed away from celebrations in the sheikdom because of heavy rain and
patrons were unable to reach shops and restaurants because of roads closed
by police.
In an unrelated development, Yemen continues to arrest suspected Al
Qaida operatives. On Feb. 25, Yemeni authorities reported the capture of two
suspected Al Qaida agents in the Aden province. Earlier, an appeals court in
Sanaa upheld a death sentence of an Al Qaida operative convicted of
participating in the suicide attack on the USS Cole in 2000.
