As The Ill and Old Kuwait’s Ruler’s Reign Comes To An End, The Muslim Brotherhood Is Already Planning To Take Over The Government
22 July 2020
The Kuwaiti media has announced that the Amir, Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber Al-Sabah, was admitted to the hospital. Jafaj intelligence sources in Kuwait have confirmed that Sheikh Al-Sabah, who has been battling different illnesses for over a year, went into a coma and is now clinically dead.
At the same time, intelligence gathered from Kuwaiti sources have confirmed that the country’s Muslim Brotherhood (MB) has been planning and deliberating for over a week on how to take advantage of the Amir’s death. Evening meetings across the political saloons, known as Duwaniayah, have been intensified with some lasting until the early morning hours.
The MB’s effort is a part of a plan’s that rests on their influencing the Al-Sabah’s family, and supporting their decisions to pick a successor who is supportive and tolerant of the MB’s activities in general, and their politics specifically. They hope that they will entrench themselves politically, and that they will be installed in the government.
The plan’s roadmap was established over a decade ago. During that time, Kuwait’s MB has ensconced itself in the Kuwaiti Parliament and currently holds a “good chunk of the seats”. [COMMENT: Elections were held in November 28, 2016. The Emir called for early elections due to a gridlock over economic policies. Voter turnout was an estimated 70%, which was the highest ever recorded. The opposition, which around half consisted of Salafist and the Muslim Brotherhood, won a total of 24 seats. END COMMENT].
The MB has been tolerated and propped up by Al-Sabah family for the purpose of using the MB to confront the country’s liberal and Westernized opposition, as well as the growing public demands for economic reforms and the end of corruption. In fact, while Kuwaiti law does not recognize political parties, the Kuwaiti authorities and security agencies allow the MB to operate freely in the country.
Additionally, the Al-Sabah ruling clan has used the MB’s ties with Iran to gain political power and have helped minimize the “hostility from the Islamic Republic”.
Historically, the Kuwaiti ruling family has always been afraid of “an Iranian takeover” of their small, yet oil-rich country. These fears are justified because Iran is a Shiite oriented neighbor and between 20-25 percent of Kuwaiti nationals belong to the Shiite sect, and thus ideologically sympathizes with Iran. The MB of Kuwait has ushered behind the scenes talks and understandings between Kuwait and Iran. This has resulted in Kuwait becoming closer to Iran than it has ever been over the last two decades.
Despite the MB having been overly accommodating to Kuwait’s ruling class, they have never given up their dream of eventually ruling Kuwait, under a powerless monarchy. They are not seeking to remove the monarchy all together, but to control it through time. For now, the MB want more seats in the Kuwaiti Parliament and more senior government positions.
Jafaj intelligence sources have confirmed that the MB’s plan is to exhibit support for the incoming Amir in exchange of more seats in the government with up to one third of Kuwait’s ministerial positions.
Jafaj’s intelligence confirms that the MB understands that the royal family will not allow them to take full control of the government and turn the Amir into a Constitutional Monarchy. Nonetheless, the MB is patient and thinks long-term. Their patience has paid off in countries like Jordan and, to a great extent, Morocco.
Jafaj intelligence sources have also confirmed that the leaders of Kuwait’s MB are in constant contact with their Jordanian counterparts. The Jordanian and Kuwaiti MB leaders “have been discussing a variety of opportunities that are expected to arise from the Amir’s soon to be death pronouncement.” The Jordanian MB leaders reportedly gave the Kuwaiti arm the following advice: “offer support for the next Amir in exchange for more government positions and parliamentary seats”.
Kuwait’s crown prince, Nawaf Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber Al-Sabah is known to be tolerant of the MB. Nonetheless, his personality is not as tolerant or humble as the outgoing Amir. While he may not agree with all of the MB’s demands, the MB stands to gain more power under him, simply because he cannot do without them and their growing role in the government.
The MB may not get everything they want in the short run, but if they stick to their plan and embrace their patience, they will become stronger and closer to their aim of eventually controlling Kuwait’s government, natural resources and wealth.