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The Australian woman who was jailed for allegedly bashing the Emir of Kuwait at the country’s airport, has been set free.
Nasrah Al Shamery will stay in the Kuwait jail that she’s been in since December until she is at last deported back to Australia. She was originally given a two year sentence but now it has been suspended.
Al Shamery’s family is overjoyed not only because they insisted she was innocent of the charges, but because they were concered for her health.
Al Shamery reportedly suffers from diabetes, heart, breathing and back problems and is now unable to walk.
“I understand she is in a wheelchair right now and she is suffering … a few pains but you know that doesn’t matter as long as we got her back,” her son Ahmad told the AFP. “We will have to look after her.”
Al Shamery’s problems began during a family vacation to Kuwait back in December. A melee broke out between the family and the airport officials. During this, the officials say Al Shamery cursed out Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed al-Sabah, a crime in Kuwait. This Al Shamery’s family have always denied.
It is unknown why her sudden release has been made.
The Emir of Kuwait arrived in China Sunday for a four day visit to the world’s most populous nation.
 - Reuters
Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed al-Sabah is there to strengthen economic ties with China, especially in the field of energy.
“We attach great importance to advancing cooperation with China in various fields, including cooperation in economy and trade and politics,” the Emir told Chinese President Hu Jintao.
In 2005, the two countries signed signed an agreement to build an oil refinery in China’s Guangdong province. Back then, Chinese state media called the move the nation’s largest ever joint venture.
This time, the two nations signed an agreement to a project by Kuwait Petroleum International and Sinopec Corp., which is estimated at $9 billion – that is even larger than the 2005 venture. It will include a refinery and an ethylene plant in Guangdong.
In addition, Kuwait will finance a $24 million project to clean up the heavily polluted Bosten Lake in China’s mainly Muslim western region.
An Australian woman has been sentenced for two years for insulting Kuwait’s emir. 
Nasrah Al-Shamery was arrested back in December at a Kuwaiti airport after officials accused her of screaming insults of the country’s ruler.
Bashing Emir Sabah al-Ahmed al-Sabah is not permitted to Kuwaitis or foreigners.
Al-Shamery’s family insist she is innocent, and are pleading for her release.
“The emir is a good and respectable man,” said Sulaiman Al-Shamery, Nasrah’s husband.
“I beseech him to pardon her. She has kids, she has back problems, psychological problems and heart problems.”
Nasrah’s attorney, Falah al-Hajraf, said a misunderstanding between family members and an airport official turned into a melee during which she was said to have screamed obscenities.
Two of Al-Shamery’s sons were also detained in the December incident but they were later released on bail; it is not clear yet if they will face trial.
Al-Shamery’s husband and the rest of the children were deported, while Nasrah remained in a Kuwaiti jail.
On Monday, the ruler of Kuwait accepted the resignation of the Cabinet, asking his prime minister to deal with “urgent matters” until a new government is in place. 
The Emir – Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed al-Sabah – may appoint a new prime minister or dissolve parliament but has few options to resolve an underlying standoff between Islamist deputies and the pro-Western government.
He also has the chance to decide on a non-parliamentary rule for two years, and even dissolving the national assembly. Either way, the Emir is expected to take action soon.
“The signals indicate a dissolution. We’re awaiting the decision,” liberal MP Mohammad al-Abdul Jader told reporters.
Another deputy, Mohammad al-Sager, said a full suspension of parliament was widely expected after the country lurched from one crisis to another in recent years.
“There is a lot of talk in parliament corridors…that there is an inclination toward an unconstitutional dissolution but we hope this is not true,” he said, referring to a suspension.
With parties banned, parliamentary work is often chaotic and unproductive with MPs flooding the floor with motions without coordination.
Many confrontations have occurred between the government and MPs since the election of the country’s first parliament in 1963. Sheikh Sabah’s predecessors suspended the assembly for six years beginning in 1986 and five years in 1976.
Nicolas Sarkozy promoted France all over the Middle East these past two days. Following his historic visit to Baghdad, the President of France went to Oman, Bahrain and Kuwait, and met with the monarchs of those countries during his tour of the region. 
In Oman, Sarkozy aimed to sell French-made aircraft to replace the country’s aging 20 Anglo-French Jaguars. This was to be a challenge since most Middle East countries buy from the English-speaking world.
“These are by tradition Anglo-Saxon countries — fine, but France has its own cards to play,” Sarkozy told journalists before meeting the Sultan of Oman, Qaboos bin Said.
“I am not going to leave here empty-handed. We are sowing seeds and then we will fight to defend our companies and bring back contracts,” he said.
Sarkozy tried to do the same in both Bahrain and Kuwait.
In Bahrain, where he became the first French President to visit the Gulf state in 19 years, he told the Gulf State News newspaper about his plans for France to invest in the country.
“France wants to be a partner with Bahrain in its economic and energy diversification policy, in the long-term, for nuclear power,” Sarkozy said in an exclusive interview on his way to Bahrain.
He also said he believes Bahrain’s economy is strong enough to weather the global credit crunch.
“Bahrain’s cautious economic policy means the country is now well armed to face the economic crisis, due in particular to the excellent reputation of its banking system,” the President said.
“Its role as the reference financial centre in the Middle East should come out stronger.
“In addition, as a pioneer in the development of Islamic financial products, the kingdom no doubt has all the trump cards in its hand to assert itself as a global Islamic financial centre, in the same way as Kuala Lumpur in its sphere of influence.”
Sarkozy also added how important it is for peace in the region, referring to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“Everyone is aware that there is no military solution to this conflict,” he said.
“There is therefore no alternative to restarting negotiations with a view to creating a viable Palestinian state that is independent, modern and democratic alongside Israel.
“Gaza cannot continue to be the world’s largest open-air prison, but to do this, we have to end illegal arms trafficking”
Once arriving in Manama, the Bahraini capital, President Sarkozy met with King Hamad Al Khalifa.
King Hamad voiced Bahrain’s respect for France as he received the President.
Both leaders emphasised strong bilateral relations, expressing interest in further developing them in various political,  economic, educational and cultural fields for the benefit of both countries and their peoples.
Last but not least, Sarkozy went to Kuwait, where he was greeted by Emir Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmed Al Jaber Al Sabah.
Again, Sarkozy offered to French products by offering the Emir Rafale combat jets, frigates and an anti-missile defense system.
Kuwait had signed a defense pact with France back in 1991, after the Gulf War. France was part of the international coalition which freed the oil-rich state from Iraqi occupation.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy said the two countries would also consider updating their defense pact and cementing “a strategic partnership.”
“Defense ministers are in deep discussions,” and will try to reach agreement on the weapons deal by the end of the year, Sarkozy told reporters in Kuwait City.
Sarkozy said France also would open a military base with air force and navy capabilities in the neighboring United Arab Emirates in April “to help (maintain) stability in the area.”
The French base in Abu Dhabi would be one of only a few run by Western powers, including the United States, and would allow French defense contractors to showcase their hardware.
An Australian woman at the center of an international freedom of speech conflict was given two more weeks of detention in a Kuwaiti jail. 
Nasrah Alshamery has been behind bars since late December for allegedly insulting Kuwait’s emir.
It happened when Alshamery, her husband and children travelled to the Middle East via Kuwait for a holiday. A misunderstanding at the Kuwaiti airport led to a chaotic scene between her family and officials. It led to Alshamery, 43, to cry out obscenities, including supposedly bashing Emir Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.
She, along with her family, were taken into custody. After a few days, the family was released, but Alshamery had to stay behind.
Her lawyer said the latest extension of Alshamery was the third one so far and that under Kuwaiti law, a judge can renew a suspect’s detention for up to six months pending investigation.
If convicted, she could face 3 to 5 years in jail, according to her lawyer, Salah al-Hajraf.
But the attorney said he was confident she will be acquitted if the case goes to trial. No charges have been raised yet.
“Does she know the emir? Did she intend to insult him? No,” the lawyer told The Associated Press. “She was just in hysterics after a misunderstanding got out of hand and turned into a melee.
“I see the matter as one of legitimate defense,” he said.
An Australian woman has been sitting in a Kuwaiti jail cell for three weeks for allegedly bashing Kuwait’s ruling Emir at a Kuwaiti airport. 
But according to the daughter of Nasrah Alshamery, 43, she does not even know the name of the Emir.
Wafa Alshamery, 21, a medical science student, said: “My mum didn’t swear about the emir. She didn’t even mention his name. [The security guards] made this problem because their friend started hitting my dad.”
“One of the police said something like, ‘Saddam Hussein, he made you (look) human’. My mother said ‘Thanks to George Bush and John Howard, they gave you the freedom’.”
Under Kuwaiti law, the Emir – Sheik Sabah IV Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah – does not have to be mentioned by name and under Article 25 of Kuwait’s constitution, the offence carries a five-year jail term.
Two of Mrs Alshamery’s sons, Abdulaziz, 22, and Abdulrahman, 18, were also jailed but have since been released on bail and are being investigated for allegedly assaulting Kuwaiti government officials.
The row occurred when Mrs Alshamery, her husband Solomon, 43, six sons and daughter flew into Kuwait from Syria as part of their return to their homeland, which they left 10 years ago.
At the family’s Winston Hills home outside of Sydney, Ms Alshamery told how an airport security officer was rude to her youngest brother, Mohammed, when the family asked about getting visas.
“He shouted ‘I told your son upstairs’ and my dad said: ‘Hey, you should speak nicely because everyone’s watching us.’
“And he said: ‘Are you teaching me how I [should] speak?’ and then when my dad turned around to come back to us [the guard] took the passport from my dad’s hand and pushed my dad on the floor.”
She said Abdulaziz and Abdulrahman went to the aid of their father.
“They grabbed my brothers and dad and put them in the office and started hitting and punching them for a couple of hours,” said Ms Alshamery, who is now back in Sydney with her father and four other brothers.
“My mother was screaming at them ‘Give me my sons’,” said Ms Alshamery, adding the security officers made fun of her mother’s Arabic, saying she was speaking with a funny accent and accusing her of being a “slut” because she was Australian, even though she was wearing a hijab that covered everything but her eyes.
“[He said:] ‘You think you’re Australian. You’re not Australian. Australian ladies they’re all sluts.’ He said: ‘We go to Australia to use the ladies for sex.’
“He said: ‘I’ll show you the rape here in Kuwait’ and started to pull me.”
At that point, the entire Alshamery family were taken into custody and spent nearly three days at the airport.
“They put my mum and brothers [Abdulaziz and Abdulrahman] in a separate jail and left me and my dad in a room without food, without drink,” Ms Alshamery said.
“They took our passports and didn’t give them back until the last minute.”
Everyone was set free, except for Mrs Alshamery. According to one of her sons, Nasrah is sick and is refusing to eat or drink.
The son, Ahmed, said his mother was targeted because she threatened to tell Australian authorities about the situation.
“She was telling him, `I’m going to let the Australian Government know about it, and we’re going to tell the Kuwaiti Government and you’re going to get in trouble’,” he said.
The family’s lawyer Mohammed Masri, said he would be lodging a complaint with the Department of Foreign Affairs on their behalf.
A DFAT spokesman said she was being helped by embassy officials.
Australian consular officials were helping the family, Foreign Affairs Minister Stephen Smith said today.
Divisions within Kuwait’s ruling family are exacerbating a political crisis that has paralysed legislation and threatened economic reforms in the OPEC state, lawmakers, analysts and diplomats said.
Last month, the cabinet resigned after deputies moved to question the Gulf Arab state’s prime minister, a senior member of the royal family, over mismanagment charges and allowing the visit of an Iranian Shi’ite cleric to the Sunni-ruled country.
“The political crisis in Kuwait is difficult to relate to one factor, but no doubt the infighting in the ruling family and their disagreement is one of the main causes,” Islamist parliament member Faisal al-Meslem said.
Other MPs, speaking on condition of anonymity, echoed those sentiments. Kuwaiti newspapers often report that members of the ruling al-Sabah family have encouraged MPs to grill ministers in order to weaken the government and boost their own influence.
“There is interference by some members of the ruling family to stir up trouble for the prime minister,” said liberal MP Ali al-Rashid.
A senior Western diplomat who regularly speaks to al-Sabah family members agreed: “You hear it again and again from Sabah members that some of them are trying to use lawmakers to stir trouble as they want to hold key posts in the country,” he said. The standoff is the latest in a series of rows between parliament and the government, which have in the past often led to ministers’ resignations, cabinet reshuffles and the dissolution or even suspension of parliament.
This time, Kuwait’s ruler, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah, who has the last say in politics, is expected to accept the resignation and reappoint his nephew Sheikh Nasser al-Mohammad al-Sabah as prime minister but no new lineup is likely to be unveiled until the new year.
Repeated political bickering is threatening long-awaited economic reforms, such as the creation of a regulator for the bourse that has shed over 30 percent of its value this year.
Such reforms have been made even more urgent by the global financial crisis, which has already forced the government to step in to rescue one of the Gulf Arab country’s largest banks.
TWO WINGS
Kuwaiti rulers have dissolved parliament five times since it was formed in the early 1960s and suspended the assembly in 1976 and 1986 for several years to end crises in the U.S. ally.
The emir dissolved the last assembly in March and called fresh elections in May but tensions have bubbled up again.
Splits within the family, which holds key cabinet portfolios such as defence, interior and foreign affairs, came to the surface in 2006 when the late Sheikh Saad al-Abdullah al-Sabah was forced to step down as emir just over a week after assuming power.
Adhering to the constitution and family tradition, Kuwait’s ruling family had named Sheikh Saad as ruler despite his poor health. He quit under pressure from some family members and MPs.
By appointing the current emir, Sheikh Sabah, the family interrupted a long tradition of alternating power between its two main wings – the Jabers and Salems.
There are no political differences between the two wings but deputies and diplomats said some senior members of the al-Sabah family want to play a bigger role and use parliament as a way to target the government.
“I’ve heard it twice from Sabah sources that some members try to persuade MPs to submit questioning requests to provoke a dissolution,” another Western diplomat said.
Others say some discontent may stem from the fact that the Salem wing is currently represented in only one key job — that of foreign minister.
“The ruling family is not united,” said political analyst Ali al-Baghli, a former oil minister.
Sheikh Sabah has appointed his brother Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah as crown prince and his nephew Sheikh Nasser as the prime minister, which means that the top three al-Sabah officials now all come from the Jaber wing.
Analyst Shafiq al-Ghabra said there were also differences within the political and business elite over whether Kuwait should open up to become a major commercial hub like Dubai, or adopt a more conservative approach.
“There are different views about what to do,” said Ghabra, who heads the American University of Kuwait.
Islamist and tribal MPs, who increased their grip on parliament in the May elections, often raise motions to strengthen Islamic values in education and have blocked government plans to explore some northern oil fields, partly because some object to the involvement of Western firms.
Reuters article written by Ulf Laessing, additional reporting by Rania El Gamal and Mahmud Harbi, Editing by Lin Noueihed and Samia Nakhoul
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