KUWAIT CITY, 10 August 2005 — Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, returned home yesterday, two and a half months after undergoing leg surgery in the United States.
The 77-year-old ruler was greeted by top officials and ruling family members when he flew into Kuwait airport from the Swiss city of Zurich where he spent a “private vacation” following his operation, said Kuwait News Agency (KUNA).
KUNA said the emir underwent “successful” surgery and routine medical check-ups in Cleveland, Ohio, in May. It had earlier reported that Sheikh Jaber underwent minor leg surgery on May 23.
In September 2001, the emir suffered a brain hemorrhage and spent four months recovering in Britain. In August 2004, he spent about 10 days at a New York hospital undergoing medical tests.
Sheikh Jaber has delegated most of his public duties to Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, his half-brother, due to the poor health of Crown Prince Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah, 75.
Several People Wounded in Military Exercise
A number of people were wounded yesterday after entering a sealed military zone during training operations with live ammunition by US forces in northwest of the capital, a Kuwaiti military statement said.
“A number of people were wounded after entering a sealed zone during training with live ammunition by the American forces there” at around 9:30 am (0630 GMT), said the statement which did not specify their number or nationalities.
“They were wounded after the vehicle they were riding was hit after having entered a shooting field in the region of Odeireh,” said the statement published by KUNA.
“They have all been treated and remain in stable condition,” said the statement which warned that the region remained a prohibited military zone.
Some 15,000 US troops are stationed in Kuwait, which served as the main launchpad for the US-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003. The country is also used as a transit point for coalition forces moving in and out of Iraq.
