Ailing Kuwait emir to abdicate after deal

[ECH1969]

Kuwait's ailing emir, Sheik Saad Al Abdullah Al Sabah, has abdicated following an agreement within the ruling family, a lawmaker said Monday.

The abdication paves the way for the prime minister and longtime de facto ruler, Sheik Sabah Al Ahmed Al Sabah, to become the country's new emir, and ends an unprecedented public quarrel inside the ruling family.

"An agreement has been reached in the family, and he will sign the abdication papers tomorrow," parliamentarian Nasser al-Saneh told The Associated Press.

He said the two struggling camps of the family met Monday evening in order to reach a compromise before a parliament session Tuesday that was to debate Cabinet demands that the ailing new emir be ousted in favor of the Sheik Sabah.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/01/23/kuwait.ap/

[central scrutinizer]

1. life imitates art

sounds like Syriana

[htuttle]

2. Is there anyone in the Kuwaiti government who's not in the Sabah family?

[NYC]

3. Isn't this the one who just took over from the dead one?

Or am I confused?

[Posteritatis]

4. He was going to, but he's not in good health

The impression I got is that the Kuwaiti government didn't want to bury two leaders in quick succession, so they talked the successor into abdicating so someone younger or in better shape could step in instead.

In terms of stability and so on, it was probably the right thing to do.

[NYC]

5. Thanks. Makes sense.

I was just verifying that it was who I thought it was. I know the new guy was only about 6 months younger than the dead guy.

[emad]

6. Order of the Boot: Ailing Kuwait ruler ousted by MPs

The Kuwaiti parliament has voted to oust the new emir on health grounds, the first time a Gulf ruler has been removed by a constitutional process.

Kuwait has been gripped by a leadership crisis since Sheikh Saad al-Abdullah succeeded his late cousin 10 days ago.

MPs met in closed session after efforts to resolve the matter within the ruling family failed to produce a compromise.

The cabinet will run the oil-rich Gulf state until a replacement is chosen. It is expected to be the current PM.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4643434.stm

[emad]

7. Someone should ask him about HIS role in the WMD intelligence

gathering operations linked to his personal espionage cohorts.