Kuwait Shiite MP Wants Minister Grilled over Yemen War

A Shiite parliamentarian in Kuwait on Monday demanded to grill the foreign minister over the Gulf state's participation in Saudi-led air strikes against Yemen's Shiite Huthi rebels and their allies.

"Kuwait's air force has taken part in the military operations without parliament being informed," Abdulhameed Dashti said.

He said this was a breach of the constitution which bans launching an offensive war or the government declaring a defensive war without informing parliament.

Dashti accused Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled al-Sabah, a senior member of the ruling family, of responsibility for the emirate's involvement in the Yemen conflict.

Since March 26, a Saudi-led coalition has been carrying out air strikes against the Huthis and forces loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh after they overran large parts of the impoverished Arabian Peninsula country.

Dashti also accused the foreign minister of pushing for parliament to ratify a Gulf security pact which he said contains provisions that violate Kuwait's constitution.

The motion to question the minister has been listed for parliament's May 19 session, acting speaker Adel al-Khorafi said.

There are just seven Shiite MPs in Kuwait's 50-seat parliament, where several MPs swiftly rejected Dashti's move.

Independent Mansoor al-Dhafiri called it "sectarian" and Saadun Hammad dismissed it as "born dead."

Dashti is an outspoken critic of the Sunni-ruled Gulf state of Bahrain, for its alleged mistreatment of majority Shiites, and also of Saudi Arabia for sending troops to Manama.

He currently faces two criminal investigations, instigated by the foreign ministry, for allegedly endangering diplomatic ties with both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.

Along with Kuwait, all are members of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) which also includes Oman, Qatar and United Arab Emirates.

Oman is the only GCC member not taking part in the Saudi-led coalition waging the Yemen campaign.