KUWAIT: US media
sources said Kuwait urged the UN to pardon blacklisted Kuwaiti citizens whose
assets are frozen, including Hajjaj Al-Ajmi. According to a Wall Street Journal
report quoting well-informed sources, "loopholes in UN Security Council
sanctions procedures are allowing blacklisted Al-Qaeda and Islamic State
terrorists and their supporters to tap their bank accounts despite a UN asset
freeze."

The report added that those who had had access to their bank accounts include
Qatari Khalifa Al-Subaiei, a terrorist financer whom the US had long ago
declared to be providing financial support to Al-Qaeda leaders, including the
9/11 mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammed. Subaei was blacklisted in 2008, but the
US has been granting him access to $10,000 monthly for his basic needs.

Further, the report also shows the UN Security Council approved 71 out of 72
requests made by blacklisted financers in 2008 and 2018 to have access to their
bank accounts. In addition, the report stressed that although, according to UN
sanctions, blacklisted terrorist are not allowed any access to their assets and
bank accounts, a loophole in the sanctions policy allows their home countries
to apply for exemptions to give them access to small amounts of money for daily
basic needs.

Expats' contracts

The Ministry of Education (MoE) plans to cancel the posts of special education
supervisors in various educational areas because they had been appointed without
Civil Service Commission (CSC) approval, said informed sources, noting that the
cancellation decision is due to be signed within a few days and that the six
supervisors will then return to their old posts.



Meanwhile, a delay in terminating the contracts of expat teachers and
administrative staff members has resulted in speculations, rumors and optimism
that the ministry will change its mind and halt the process for this year.
However, official MoE sources stressed that the ministry is keen on implementing
CSC instructions concerning replacing expats with citizens and that lists had
already been prepared and signed pending the minister's final approval to
submitted to the laid off personnel.

Imams' residence

The Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs refused to allocate special
residences for imams and muezzins outside residential areas, said the manager
of the ministry's engineering department Salah Al-Shallahi in response to a
proposal made by municipal councilmember Abdul Aziz Al-Mojel. Shalahi justified
the rejection by the fact that both clerics have to reside close to mosques to
lead prayers five times daily. They also do not have driving licenses and the
ministry cannot afford to transport them to mosques.

By A Saleh