Kuwait welcomes key visit by PLO chief Abbas

KUWAIT - Kuwait's prime minister said on Saturday he welcomed a visit by Palestine Liberation Organization chief Mahmoud Abbas, the first official trip by a top Palestinian official to the Gulf state since the 1990-91 Gulf War soured Kuwaiti-Palestinian ties.

"We welcome the visit by our brother Abu Mazen (Abbas)," Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah told reporters on the sidelines of a function in Kuwait City.

State news agency KUNA said Abbas was due in Kuwait on Sunday, heading a senior Palestinian delegation.Late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat was widely hated in Kuwait for refusing to condemn Saddam Hussein's 1990 invasion of the Gulf Arab state. Kuwait severed ties with his PLO and cut its financial backing.

The Speaker of Kuwait's outspoken parliament - where many of the 50 lawmakers had demanded a public apology from Arafat - sounded more guarded over Abu Mazen's visit.

"Abu Mazen is mostly a guest of the government, not the National Assembly (parliament)," Parliament Speaker Jassem al-Kharafi told reporters at parliament.

"We must hear from Abu Mazen a clear and frank point of view about the past position of the Palestinian Authority, and then based on that we will act."

Kuwaiti daily newspaper al-Watan, quoting Kuwait official sources, said on Saturday any top Palestinian official visiting Kuwait should express clear condemnation of the 1990 Iraqi invasion.

After a U.S.-led multinational coalition drove Iraqi troops out in 1991, Kuwait also took revenge by kicking out some 400,000 Palestinians, although a few thousand stayed or have since returned.

Last year Kuwait put off a planned visit by Abu Mazen. Palestinian officials denied reports that this was because he would not apologize for Arafat's support for the 1990 invasion, saying it was because of complications with schedules.

Abu Mazen visited Kuwait earlier this year in an unofficial capacity as a guest of a conference.

Asked if Kuwait seeks an official apology from Abbas during his visit, Sheikh Sabah said: "We are not looking for apologies, this issue is over. On the contrary, we welcome the visit."

The remarks from the prime minister hinted that a new page may be turning in ties with Palestinian leaders. Kuwait's Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammad al-Salem al-Sabah was also quoted as saying he welcomed Abu Mazen's visit, saying there are no problems between Kuwait and the Palestinian people.