KUWAIT, Aug 8 (KUNA) -- Acknowledging Iran's right to peaceful nuclear technology, Kuwaiti Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Dr. Mohammad Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah urged the Islamic republic to tune itself with the international legitimacy.
"Kuwait reiterated time and again its unequivocal support for Iran's right to peaceful nuclear energy," Sheikh Dr. Mohammad said in an interview aired by Al-Arabiya News Channel Friday evening.
"Iran, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) members and any country in the world have the right to peaceful nuclear energy as long as they meet the controls and safeguards of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)," he made clear.
"Our friends in Iran have to know that failure to respond positively to the international demands will serve neither their interest nor those of their friends in the Gulf region," he noted.
"Nevertheless, Kuwait is against use of force to settle the dispute. We recommend dialogue and diplomatic means as the only effective and constructive way to handle this issue," Sheikh Dr. Mohammad underscored.
Iran has reportedly threatened to shut the Straits of Hormuz, southern Iran, in case it was attacked by the United States.
Asked to comment on the Iranian threat, Sheikh Dr. Mohammad said: "We, as well as the other GCC members, are against any military action." "The talk about closure of the straits seems to be targeting the GCC members rather than the United States. Such a move could harm us more than any other party," he explained.
"If Iran was attacked for example by Israel which is an enemy to us as it is to the Iranians and the straits was shut down, who could be the loser except us?" he wondered.
"Mere talk about such a move damages the interests of the countries of the Gulf region as it arouses sense of wariness and leads to higher insurance fees on ships passing through the Gulf.
"So a statement or threat by any of the concerned parties in the framework of the exchanged media campaigns costs us a lot and affects us in some way or another.
"Therefore, we expect our Iranian and U.S. friends to be more cautious in their statements, avoid creating tensions, and solve their disputes through peaceful means," he added.

-- Asked about Kuwait's position in the event of a military action against Iran, Sheikh Dr. Mohammad said "true were are allies of the United States due to its great credit in liberating Kuwait from Iraqi occupation, but at the same time we are explicit with the United States by openly declaring our position that we are against any military action to be launched from Kuwaiti soil against Iran." He added "we are against escalation against Iran and this is what we made clear and we have the nerve to communicate with key allies in line with Kuwait and the region's interest, therefore we are against the use of force and military action against Iran, as well as we were not satisfied with the manner of dealing in Iraq after the fall of Saddam Hussein and we were constantly talking to our American friends about mistakes that occurred in Iraq." He continued: "We do not have diplomatic relations with Israel, eventhough we are the United States' biggest ally in the area," noting that Kuwait could not normalize relations with Israel as long as it occupies Arab lands and continues to violate international legitimacy, reaffirming that Kuwait had the courage to talk with its allies out of its national principles first and its Arab nationalism second.
Regarding tension caused by counter Iranian-US statements and Kuwait's stance should the US rake a strike to Iran, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister said that the talk was now revolving around a peaceful solution of the matter, expressing belief that the prevailing atmosphere was not an atmosphere of war, but of a diplomatic action through the international channels and political actions.
Sheikh Dr. Mohammad, during the interview, rhetorically wondered if the region was now entering a political deadlock; "undoubtedly" he exclaimed, noting that the region was now entering a tense phase in light of new sanctions on Iran.
As for neutrality, Sheikh Dr. Mohammad said it was either a negative or positive one, and that Kuwait would not accept to be negative due to the fact that Kuwait was a part of the region and that any disruption would affect it and therefore positivism in the Kuwaiti natural stance must occur.
Sheikh Dr. Mohammad explained that consultations with "our Iranian friends" were ongoing.
"I was there last week and talked with our friends and brothers and with Iranian Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki. They know the position of Kuwait.
"I announced in Tehran that Iran must reassure the world about its peaceful nuclear program through a commitment to the protocol established by the International Atomic Energy Agency and I always say that the IAEA's Director General Mohammad El-Baradei is a friend and not an enemy and if he was not satisfied of this program, the whole world would not be comfortable," he said.
Sheikh Dr. Mohammad wondered if that required for him to "hide these things and deal with issues as if they do not concern me..I must be frank with my Iranian friends on this matter.

-- Asked about Iran's threat to attack the U.S. military bases in the Gulf region including Kuwait, Sheikh Mohammad said: "I have not heard of such talk, or at least have not got it this way." "I understand that in the event a military assault on Iran the Iranians would respond to all sources of fire - This is a legitimate right, a right of self-defense." Regarding the possibility of using the U.S. military bases in Kuwait in attacking Iran, Sheikh Mohammad said: "U.S. forces stationed in Kuwait have specific duties and tasks. They are tasked with defending Kuwait against any foreign aggression.
"The bases in Kuwait do not target any party in the region and we have reassured Iran of this ... After all if the U.S. decides on military action, it does not need the bases in the region. They (the U.S.) have other resources based on the United States that could be tapped as was the case in Iraq.
"We have talked about these issues with our brothers in Iran and discussed the nature of the U.S. presence in Kuwait. We have fully explained to them that the bases had nothing to do with Iran.
"The presence of American, British and French forces in Kuwait and our military deals with Russia and China are the product of the occupation of Kuwait (by Iraq)," Sheikh Mohammad explained.
Concerning the sectarian sedition in the region, he said: "There are no doubt some malicious people who want to promote or raise sedition among our communities.
"Such people try to manipulate the region to serve their ulterior interests and divide people on the sectarian lines. Let me talk about my country where Shiites and Sunnis coexist in a harmonious social texture.
"There are many Shiites who were martyred in defense of Kuwait not only in the 20th century and during the Iraqi occupation but in the old wars.
"We have to remember the martyrs killed in Al-Seref Battle in the 19th century. All Sunnis and Shiites are true sons of Kuwait," Sheikh Dr. Mohammad Al-Sabah went on to say.
"Similarly, the Iraqi people started to restore its national unity to abort the malicious sectarian attempts orchestrated by Al-Qaeda terrorists. The Iraqis formed the awakening councils in a bid to restore their national unity." Asked about the recent conflict in Lebanon, Sheikh Mohammad said: "Lebanon is particularly dynamic special case that can hardly apply to any other Arab country. The emergency of Lebanon, its political setup and ideological background of its people make the country a unique and beautiful country.
"That country underwent several phases of conflict and internal fighting that reasserted the no-winner-no-loser equation and the necessity of national unity," he concluded

  "The Kuwaiti aids to Lebanon that were approved after the Israeli aggression in 2006 amounted USD 300 million earmarked for the reconstruction of Lebanon and mostly channeled to mainly-Shiite villages and cities," Sheikh Mohammed pointed out.
"We have coordinated in this matter with the political forces including Hezbollah and Amal Movement as well as a number of other parties and communities in order to rebuild what was destroyed by the Israeli aggression. "We absolutely did not deal with Lebanon and its parties on the basis of partisan identity or ideological affiliation .. We dealt with the people of Lebanon. When the issue comes up sectarian, we go 'color blind' and that how we deal with everybody." As for Iraq he said: "We support the democratic system in Iraq which proves that we have a color blindness regarding sectarianism." "We deal with elected governments as long as their political line is consistent with a new Iraq, a democratic one which is open and peaceful. I refuse to term Saddam Hussein as Sunni ruler, he was a terrorist, criminal and dictatorial ruler, who harmed Sunnis before others," he asserted.
Replying to a question about Iraqi debt to Kuwait, Sheikh Dr. Mohammad said "I want to clarify the debts are an old issue relating to the right of the people of Kuwait. Yet, Kuwait will not allow such debts to add to the burdens of the Iraqi people." "The economic situation in Iraq is witnessing a significant improvement this year ... Iraq will have a large surplus in the budget." "Iraq's debts to Kuwait are governed by formal contracts and agreements that were passed by the (Kuwaiti) National Assembly in full transparency," he recalled.
"So, the National Assembly has the final say in this issue," he added.
Asked about the presence of Iraqi voices still promoting that Kuwait was part of Iraq, Sheikh Mohammad said: "There are people who do not believe in Arabism, or in God, as there are shades of strange mentalities in the community .. we are dealing with whose who are in power and with the Iraqi official discourse which must be in line with the international legitimacy and UN resolutions." "Saddam's media had taken a great dimension in brainwashing a lot of Iraqi citizens, the culture of rape and treachery which Saddam had entrenched and I am sure that the Iraqi people would cleanse itself from these social diseases intellectual calamities with our help." He stressed that since the fall of the former regime, Kuwait had opened its doors to the Iraqi people and had sat up centers for humanitarian aid and is continuing to send aid and supplies to the Iraqi people.
In response to a question on whether the demarcation of the border is the solution, Sheikh Mohammad said "there are those who ask about the border and trying to get a different answer, yet from more than 15 years, resolution 833 of demarcation between Kuwait and Iraq had ended such issue and eradicated any controversy in this matter .. Demarcation the border was done by the United Nations, which placed signs along the Kuwaiti-Iraqi border under resolution 833."

-- Replying to a question on how Kuwait would deal with the military coup in Mauritania and whether it would recognize the new rule, Sheikh Mohammed said "it is regrettable to resort to arms to resolve political dispute, and this is a general principle and I hope matters would soon return to normalcy in Mauritania." Asked whether the Kuwaiti position would come under an Arab and GCC umbrella to recognize or not the new situation, Sheikh Mohammad said "things are foggy now and I can not speak and I do not want to give any impression that might complicate matters .. all I can say that resolving crises can not be through arms".
Asked about reports over a Turkish-brokered Syrian-Israeli agreement, Sheikh Mohammad said "brothers in Syria have their territories occupied and they have every right to use all available means to retrieve them ... Arabs gathered in Beirut and decided to accept an Arab initiative stipulating a comprehensive Israeli withdrawal in return for peace, and I think that our brothers in Syria firmly believe in the Arab initiative, therefore, this Syrian move is within the framework of the Arab initiative and we support them.
" As for calls to amend the Constitution of Kuwait, Sheikh Mohammad said "the constitution was established in 1962 and undoubtedly there are many articles that need to be developed and there is no objection to that and this is what is enshrined in the Constitution .. but are conditions now conducive for a review of some of these articles need to develop to open the political process more broadly." Sheikh Mohammad noted "the right time to amend the constitution is determined by the mood of society .. and matters in the region are troubled and tension caused is obliging us to focus first on securing the domestic front than aside from any tensions." Asked about the tugging between the government and parliament, Sheikh Mohammad said "we are accustomed in Kuwait regarding this matter, which became part of our daily life and the day we do not hear criticism would be a strange one," saying that the absence of criticism was worrying, which indicated that people have lost confidence in expression, change and reform.
He stressed that Kuwait was truly a "country of opinion and other opinion, either in its institutions, press and culture," saying that Diwaniyas was a historic insititue with an interactive and complex political inputs that always ends always in the interest of Kuwait." Asked about the Islamic trend growing in Kuwait, Sheikh Mohammed said he was concerned "if they are not growing, the Islam we know and were upbrought and not imported Islam ... that of al-Qaeda, murder and slaughter .. This what we fear, but I hope for a moderate Islam to grow".
He continued: "so when the United States has marked some Kuwaiti charities as funding terrorism, we disagreed with it to prevent the inclusion of Kuwaiti institutions as terrorim-tolerant because Kuwait calls for moderation". (end) ka.bsr.amm.hb