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View Full Version : Army Probes Marijuana Smuggling Into Kuwait By U.S. Contractors



Gold9472
04-18-2006, 02:38 PM
Army probes marijuana smuggling into Kuwait

http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=domesticNews&storyid=2006-04-18T155939Z_01_L18690410_RTRUKOC_0_US-CRIME-KUWAIT-USA.xml

Tue Apr 18, 2006 11:59am ET

ARIFJAN, Kuwait (Reuters) - The U.S. military said on Tuesday it was investigating allegations that its postal service was used to smuggle marijuana, following the arrest of three civilian sub-contractors by Kuwait authorities.

The U.S. army was responding to reports in Kuwaiti newspapers that three U.S. soldiers were arrested for selling marijuana in southern Kuwait.

A U.S. army spokeswoman said the three men, arrested on Sunday, were not soldiers but American civilian contractors who worked for Westar, a contracted company of the Army Material Command at Camp Arifjan, south of Kuwait City.

The daily Arab Times said all three suspects confessed to the crime and admitted they used to bring in the drugs through the U.S. army mail in Kuwait. Their case has been sent to prosecutors in the Gulf Arab state.

"The U.S. military and its command in Kuwait expect all military, civilian and contracted personnel working for the U.S. military to respect the laws of Kuwait," Lt. Col. Debbie Haston-Hilger said in a statement.

"We are taking this matter very seriously and will take appropriate actions based on the findings," she said.

Kuwait, the launchpad for the 2003 U.S.-led war on Iraq which ousted Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, is home to some 12,000 American civilians and up to 30,000 U.S. troops stationed.