The news that a Kuwaiti prince was shot dead by his uncle came as a surprise and shock to me. The entire country is in a state of mourning.
No statement was issued by the interior ministry about the death, but reports said Shaikh Basel,52, was allegedly shot several times by by his much younger uncle, Shaikh Faisal Abdullah Al Sabah, 32,Thursday evening at his weekly diwaniya while the two had an argument over cars.
According to one version, the two princes were sitting in the diwaniya together with other people, when the alleged killer told his nephew that he wanted to speak with him in private.The two princes left the main room and, seconds later, the diwaniya guests heard shots.Upon entering the room, they found Shaikh Basil wounded and promptly took him to a hospital where he was declared dead. Medical staff said that the prince had been shot several times from a close range, according to reports. The police took the alleged killer into custody and launched an investigation into the case.
However, another report claimed that the argument was related to the composition of a new board of the quarter mile drag racing club and in which the killer, the former deputy chair, was not re-appointed.The club members had been allegedly invited by the slain prince to his Messilah palace in Kuwait City to have dinner and discuss the club board composition, one Kuwaiti report said.
Shaikh Basel was the spiritual father of car racing in Kuwait and he had been pushing for the construction of a motor racing track for young car enthusiasts in the country.
Despite blatant divergences, all reports emanating from Kuwait City agreed that the shooting was not politically motivated.
Sheikh Basel is the grandson of Kuwait’s 12th Emir, Shaikh Sabah Al Salem Al Sabah who ruled from November 24, 1965 until December 31, 1977, and the eldest son of Shaikh Salem Sabah Al Salim Al Sabah and Shaikha Badriya Abdullah Al Jaber Al Sabah.
His father was Kuwait’s ambassador to the US, Canada and Venezuela from 1970 until 1975. He then held the portfolios of social affairs and labour, the interior, defence and foreign affairs until 2001 when he gave up political work because of his health condition.
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