Iraqi Parliament recommends dismissing Navy Commander over Kuwait shooting

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraq's parliamentary Security and Defense Committeerecommended the removal of the naval force commander and two senior officers,holding the Naval Force Command and the Ministry of Defense fully responsiblefor a July 4 incident in which one Iraqi fisherman was killed and anotherwounded by Kuwaiti coast guard fire.

According to a committee report, the officers named fordismissal are Vice Admiral Mazen Abdulwahid Kaiban, commander of the IraqiNaval Force; Rear Admiral Wael Abdulmohsen, director of naval operations; andRear Admiral Laith Abdulsattar, commander of the Umm Qasr naval base, Iraq'sprincipal military port on the Gulf.

Read more: Kuwait consulate in Basra faces protest over Iraqi fisherman’s death

The recommendations follow a hearing the committee convenedon Thursday with military, security, and civilian officials. Documents,evidence, and the officials' answers to lawmakers' questions established thatthe incident resulted “from negligence by the Naval Force Command and itsfailure to protect Iraqi fishermen inside Iraqi territorial waters.”

According to the report, Kuwaiti personnel opened fire onIraqi fishermen inside Iraqi territorial waters on July 4 and detained them.Fisherman Najm Abdullah Khalid Al-Tamimi was killed and a second fishermansustained a head wound. The men were aboard the Iraqi fishing boat Durra.

Four other detainees “were subjected to insult and verbalabuse by Kuwaiti forces.”

The committee directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs toopen contacts with the Kuwaiti side to resolve outstanding issues, and askedthe ministry to submit a formal protest memorandum to Kuwait over incidentsinvolving Iraqi vessels and fishing boats, citing the 1982 United NationsConvention on the Law of the Sea.

A parliamentary committee, formed with the relevantgovernment bodies, should follow up on the release of Iraqi fishermen currentlydetained or convicted in Kuwait in earlier incidents, and pursue compensationfor confiscated Iraqi boats or demand their return.

Iraq's Foreign Ministry previously said it had raised thecase with Kuwaiti authorities, who presented video footage of the incident andmaintained that their forces had not intended to cause loss of life. ...