Kuwait Government Officials

Kuwait's ambassador to the United States has offered financial help to a Persian Gulf war widow who claims that the military has been slow to make good on her husband's death benefit payments and to return his remaining personal effects. Sheik Saud al Nasir al Sabah said Monday that his office had contacted Carol Bentzlin of San Juan Capistrano, widow of Marine Cpl. Stephen E.

In elegant, marble-tiled villas in this city built on oil and ease, the dinner talk is of reconstruction projects. The top priority, people say, is a new highway south to Saudi Arabia with six lanes--one way. It is only partly a joke. A striking number of Kuwait's brightest, best-educated citizens, deeply demoralized by the postwar political climate, say they plan to leave the country. Many who stay are hedging their bets, opening bank accounts in dollars and buying houses overseas.

The Kuwaiti ambassador to the United States on Thursday defended his country against charges that it has allowed widespread abuse of non-Kuwaiti residents, calling such accusations "politically motivated." Sheik Saud al Nasir al Sabah, in an interview before an evening address to the World Affairs Council of Orange County, acknowledged that Kuwait has undergone severe postwar trauma that spawned violence against those suspected of collaborating with the Iraqi invaders.

Kuwait's government extended military rule for 30 days on Monday, one day after its crown prince denounced continuing human rights abuses, including abduction and torture by well-armed vigilantes. Kuwait's emir, Sheik Jabbar al Ahmed al Sabah, quietly extended the martial law decree that has governed Kuwaitis since allied forces liberated their nation three months ago.

Opposition leaders balked Monday at signing on to a new interim government in Kuwait, complaining that the ruling emir did not commit to a speedy restoration of the dissolved national Parliament.

Kuwait's ruling emir, in the face of widespread public disillusionment with his government, vowed Sunday to hold national elections for a new parliament within the next year and said he will encourage U.S. troops to remain in Kuwait as long as Saddam Hussein remains in power in Iraq.

Republican congressman Christopher Cox will join Kuwait's ambassador to the United States in Newport Beach today in a panel discussing business opportunities for reconstruction work in Kuwait. This will be Ambassador Sheik Saud al Nasir al Sabah's first visit to Orange County since Iraqi forces were driven out of Kuwait in late February.

The dissolution of Kuwait's newly restored government is a political gamble designed to defuse growing public anger at apparent government paralysis and increasing demands for democracy in this long-closed society, diplomats and analysts said here Wednesday. But the mass resignation of 22 Cabinet ministers, announced here Wednesday afternoon, is unlikely to restore confidence in leaders still unable to provide water, electricity or security three weeks after liberation.

Kuwait's newly restored government has resigned after growing public anger at the failure to restore electricity, water and other basic services. Planning Minister Suleiman al Mutawa told reporters today that Crown Prince Saad al Abdullah al Sabah, the prime minister and martial law administrator, dissolved the Cabinet late Tuesday because of the "criticism of us." "I think it was quite apparent that all the people talked about the lack of services," Mutawa said.