By Abubakar A. Ibrahim
Arab Times Staff

KUWAIT CITY, Aug 14: Several MPs have called on the Kuwaiti authorities to reinstate the nationality of Suleiman Bu Ghaith after the United States removed his name from al-Qaeda terrorist group.
Former MP Dr Obaid Al-Wasmi wants to know the government response after the United States removed Bu Ghaith’s name from the list of terrorists which was the reason why his Kuwaiti nationality had been revoked.

He said “after years of revoking the nationality of Suleiman Bu Ghaith who was considered a member of al-Qaeda terrorist group what is the response of the government after his name has been taken off the list by the United States.”

MP Dr Jamaan Al-Harbash said that the government should facilitate the procedures for the return of Bu Ghaith and reinstate him as Kuwaiti citizen after his name has been removed from the terrorists list.
MP Falah Al-Sawagh also stressed the government should re-instate the nationality of Bu Ghaith after he is proven innocent and his name lifted from the list of terrorism in America.

Islamist MP Mohammed Hayef said as long as the United States has lifted Bu Ghaith’s name from the terrorism list and given him a certificate that he is not wanted, the duty of the government is to review its decision — of revoking his nationality.

In 2001 the Kuwaiti Cabinet had approved a decree to revoke Bu Ghaith’s Kuwaiti citizenship.
In accordance with national interests and the law concerning Kuwaiti citizenship and its amendments, the Council had adopted a draft decree revoking the citizenship of Suleiman Bu Ghaith.

Suleiman Bu Ghaith, whom Kuwait called a ‘traitor’ and ‘criminal’, was linked to the 9/11 attacks in the US which left nearly 7,000 dead.

Bu Ghaith, formerly a teacher and Muslim cleric in Kuwait, left for Afghanistan at the end of 2000. He was seen in a videotape featuring Osama bin Laden, which was released by the Qatar-based Arab satellite TV Al-Jazeera.

On the tape, bin Laden, blamed by Washington as the prime suspect of the 9/11 terror attacks, had denounced then US President George W. Bush as the ‘head of the infidels’ and praised the devastating terror attacks on the US.