September
17, 2008: A Kuwaiti military
intelligence lieutenant colonel was arrested for taking bribes from pro-Iranian
Iraqis. The lieutenant colonel was paid $22,400 to change Kuwaiti security
watch lists to enable pro-Iranian Iraqis, who would normally be stopped at the
border and turned back, to enter Kuwait, and then travel on to other countries.
The arrested lieutenant colonel was recruited by a retired Kuwaiti army officer
who had long time contacts in Iraq. This retired officer was also arrested.
While few
additional details were revealed, Kuwait knows it has a problem with
pro-Iranian Iraqis. Many of these Iraqis have kin in Kuwait, as there has long
been intermarriage between Shia Arabs in southern Iraq and Kuwait. Some of
these connections go back generations, and it's hard to say no to kin, even if
they are somewhat distant. But just having such connections in Kuwait enables
Iraqis to seek out who might be bribed.
While this
"family connections" problem is found everywhere, it is particularly
troublesome in the Middle East, where many nations have cultures where tribe
and clan loyalty is considered more important than national loyalty.
