ABU DHABI — The death Sunday, of Kuwaiti Emir Jaber Al Ahmad Al Sabah has ushered a leading ally of the United States into
a period of uncertainty.
The 79-year-old emir, who ruled since 1977, was survived by aging and often ill
members of the ruling family.
Crown Prince Saad Al Abdullah Al Sabah, 75, has been deemed
incapacitated and would not rule Kuwait. Under the constitution, the crown
prince automatically becomes the new emir, Middle East Newsline reported.
"There won't be any immediate changes in policy, and stability will
continue in the short term," a Western diplomatic source said. "But we can
expect to see questions of succession as soon as the dust settles."
In 2004, Kuwait was designated a major non-NATO ally of the United
States. The U.S. military, with about 15,000 troops, has employed the
sheikdom to provide logistics to the American military presence in
neighboring Iraq.
Relations between Kuwait and the United States strengthened in wake of
the 1991 Gulf war when American troops liberated the sheikdom from Iraqi
rule. Kuwait has been a leading oil supplier with production of 2.6 million
barrels per day.
Kuwaiti parliamentarians said Prime Minister Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah was
expected to be appointed crown prince. Sabah, 75, has been leading the
Kuwaiti government for the last five years during the illness of both the
emir and
crown prince. In 2003, Jaber divided the posts of crown prince and prime
minister.
The expected appointment of Sabah has been opposed by some members of
the ruling family. Several parliamentarians have also called on the sheikdom
to revise the succession process in an effort to introduce younger leaders
to Kuwait.
Over the last 100 years, two branches of the Al Sabah family -- Al Jaber
and Al Sabah -- have alternated leadership. Under the 1962 constitution, the
crown prince must be appointed within a year of the death of the emir.
Jaber, who survived an assassination attempt in 1985, was the third GCC
leader to die over the last 15 months. Earlier, UAE President Zayed Bin
Sultan Al Nahyan and Saudi King Fahd died after a long illness.
Diplomatic sources said Kuwaiti Defense Minister Jaber Mubarak Al Sabah
was expected to emerge as a leading contender for leadership. They said the
minister has been a strong supporter of defense cooperation with the United
States as well as democratic reforms in the sheikdom.
