How Security Police Say “Sorry”
This is from today’s Kuwait Times. I know you are all dancing for joy that journalist and blogger Bashar Al-Sayegh is free, and we as a blogging community can all celebrate his release.
His arrest was a mistake.
It says so in the article. Pay attention! You have to read carefully, because security police speak a language all their own.
This is how they say “I’m sorry. It was a mistake.”
Responding to calls to dismantle the state security department, Rujaib stressed that the department was very vital for any state. “It forms the eye that never sleeps in protecting the nation’s security, in political, social and economic fields,” he explained, pointing out that it existed all over the world.
Asked whether Sayegh’s arrest was meant to convey a message against the freedom of the press, Rujaib stressed that press freedom was fully observed, yet reminded that journalists could be arrested for other reasons. “Meanwhile, police officers could be arrested for any reason as well,” he added, underlining that no violations took place during Sayegh’s arrest. On whether he believed that the issue had been politically motivated by some MPs, Rujaib said, “I am a security official and a politician should answer this question.
Do you think he is implying that there might have been another reason? Does it sound like deflecting blame? I think he is saying “We screwed up. We’re sorry.”
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It sounds more like “We screwed up and we don’t wish to admit it!”
I’ve never heard an official says sorry!!
Shosho – you broke the code! That’s “sorry!”
Error – You just have to use your sharp ears! He was saying “sorry”. How do we know? . . . . Bashar al Sayegh is out of jail.
It’s unfortunate things had to come to such a pass in this country. I could understand if it was Bahrain or the UAE but phulease,we are talking Q8- this just is not done here.
Welcome Kosher Halal, and did you read Meshary Alruwaih’s opinion piece in todays Kuwait Times called Inequality: One dishdasha slapping another? He agrees with you. It just isn’t done.
Transition times are always times of turbulence. There are always questions about how much freedom is enough? How much freedom is too much? I know there are things – particularly hateful things – I don’t allow on my blog, but often hours, occasionally even days might go by and I am not checking. Things happen. I continue to believe the arrest of the bloggers was the result of overeagerness on the part of lower ranking security forces, and it resulted in a great embarrassment to their superiors and to Kuwait. And it gave everyone an opportunity to think about what they want. That’s a good thing.
Don’t let’s forget; at the end of the day J & B were two first class citizens, who well, got off with a rap on the knuckles.Sorry, I am not about to make little of the gauche behaviour meted out to the two of them but I can’t imagine what would have happened to them if they were say, third class expats from the subcontinent?!
You are fight, Last Among Equals. And I don’t think they were trying to make a point, I think someone just got over eager and over reacted.