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| Arabia |
| Kuwaiti Confesses to Shooting Americans |
| 2003-01-23 |
| A Kuwaiti civil servant confessed to opening fire on two Americans in Kuwait, killing one and wounding the other, and authorities have found the weapon he used, the Interior Ministry said Thursday. That didn't take long A Kuwaiti security officer said the suspect, Sami al-Mutairi, 25, was not working alone. And the Interior Ministry, in its statement, said he acknowledged following the ideals of Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida terror network. Tap, tap, suprise meter still isn't working Al-Mutairi was arrested at the border with Saudi Arabia as he tried to flee and was extradited to Kuwait, the ministry said. His weapon and some ammunition was found at his workplace, according to the statement. It did not say where he worked. The ministry statement said al-Mutairi became a suspect ``in the first hours after the crime was committed.'' The security officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said al-Mutairi was arrested by Saudi border guards Wednesday. The official said he was a Kuwaiti civil servant and the prime suspect, but that he ``had partners, maybe two.'' The official Saudi Press Agency had said border guards arrested the suspect early Wednesday and ``the initial investigation revealed that he was the assailant who fired on the American citizens.'' The "I luv Osama" T-shirt gave him away. Earlier Thursday, U.S. Embassy spokesman John Moran said the United States hoped investigators would quickly determine whether the assailants ``have ties to any larger organization. We call on the government to do everything in its power to protect our citizens from terrorist attack and to prevent any further tragedies.'' In Tuesday's attack, a gunman hiding behind a hedge ambushed the sport utility vehicle carrying two civilian contractors working for the U.S. military. The attack took place at a stoplight about 3 miles from the U.S. military's Camp Doha, which is 10 miles west of Kuwait City. The survivor, David Caraway, was in stable condition Thursday at al-Razi hospital in Kuwait City. His co-worker Michael Rene Pouliot, 46, was killed. Caraway, interviewed from his hospital bed Thursday on the ABC television show Good Morning America, extended condolences to Pouliot's family. He said he remembered little beyond a barrage of machine-gun fire coming from behind bushes along the road. ``Couldn't see anything, anyone. They hit us with the first volley,'' he said. Caraway said the road was not one he and Pouliot usually used. ``These are the risks, you know, you take when you come over here,'' he said. ``The war on terrorism just got a little personal today, that's all.'' Members of an organization representing the families of Kuwaitis killed during the Iraqi invasion in 1990 left a wreath at the spot where the Americans were shot. ``We didn't expect this to happen, this is not an act of the Kuwaiti people,'' said Sharouk Qabazadre, whose father was killed by Iraqi troops. She said the majority of Kuwaitis support and are thankful to the United States for defending Kuwait against Iraq. The government erected a billboard Thursday at a major Kuwait City intersection that read: ``Much Obliged to America and Our Allies: God Bless You All.'' We remember our friends. Can we interest you in a couple of nice cities in Saudi Arabia? I hear they are going to need new guardians for the holy places there. |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #3 My proposal: the Kuwaiti Civil Service vs. the U.S. Postal Service. Winner take all, no holds barred, weapons allowed. War and transportation costs recouped by pay-per-view. |
| Posted by: Joe Katzman 2003-01-23 14:19:28 |
| #2 and he ran to Saudi...tap, tap, yep it's broken |
| Posted by: Frank G 2003-01-23 12:32:21 |
| #1 The Kuwaitis hopped on this one pretty quickly and efficiently. I like to believe the Kuwaitis are represented more by Ms. Qabazadre than by the gunnies and thugs and Iraqi agents running around. But the fact remains that Qaeda is trying diligently to get as many malcontents and religious fanatics as they can under their wing. I'm surprised there haven't been more of this kind of attack. Now the question is, what kind of "civil servant" the gunny is. Another cop with a mental problem? |
| Posted by: Fred 2003-01-23 11:08:12 |