Kuwait busts Arab spy ring and paramilitary party

Kuwait has busted a spy ring working for a "troubled" Arab country and a paramilitary party in another Arab country, a Kuwaiti daily reported on Tuesday. According to Al Jareeda newspaper, the espionage network had seven members, five from the "Arab country currently witnessing demonstrations" and two from the "armed party". The ringleader was arrested a few days ago upon his return to Kuwait from the "troubled" country. The daily, citing sources it did not identify, said that the ring had plotted to carry out acts of sabotage in Kuwait and other countries in the region in order to "shift attention and divert public interest from the bloody incidents in the troubled country." Al Jareeda did not identify the country or the party reportedly involved in the espionage activities. "The people who were arrested have admitted that they had links with the Arab country's intelligence and with the party," the daily said. "They also confessed that they had been tasked with gathering information about Kuwait and that they had sent a report on the decision of the Kuwaiti interior ministry to ban their fellow citizens from entering Kuwait. They also reported on the positions of the Kuwaiti lawmakers on the developments unfolding in the Arab country, including their support to the uprising and their demands to expel the ambassador." Kuwait last month banned the issuance of all forms of visas to nationals from Iraq, Syria, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan until the security situation in their countries improved. The ring members also said that they had taken pictures of vital locations in Kuwait and that they had recorded the demonstration that had been held against the political regime of their country. According to the daily, the espionage network members said that there were other spy rings with similar assignments, but that they did not know them. The spying reports were sent to a liaison officer in their home country or to an intelligence website on the Internet. The ringleader reportedly said that he often visited Arab countries to coordinate efforts, convey information and receive instructions. Al Jareeda, citing the sources, said that the security agencies were alerted through an intelligence report from a Gulf country to the presence of "sabotage elements" from an Arab country and a paramilitary party from another Arab country in Kuwait. "The elements are working on gathering information in more than one Gulf country and on monitoring the activities and political views of the Arab country nationals. They also send regular reports on what is being written and said in the media and in the street about developments in that country," the sources told Al Jareeda. "The Gulf report warned that the elements had taken pictures of sensitive locations in Gulf countries and that they conveyed the names of expatriates and Gulf residents involved in activities against the regime and calling for supporting the people," the sources said.