Skip to main content

Lobbying 2016: Kuwait lobby blitz secures Gitmo release

US President Barack Obama greets Kuwait's Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed al-Sabah on the South Lawn as he welcomes members of the Gulf Cooperation Council to the White House for a dinner on May 13, 2015 in Washington, DC. AFP PHOTO/MANDEL NGAN        (Photo credit should read MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images)

Kuwait's lobbying blitz has paid off.

The Gulf emirate has spent millions of dollars over the past decade pressing Washington for the release of its 12 citizens captured on the battlefield in Afghanistan. The last remaining one, Fayez al Kandari, was released from the US prison at Guantanamo in January.

Access the Middle East news and analysis you can trust

Join our community of Middle East readers to experience all of Al-Monitor, including 24/7 news, analyses, memos, reports and newsletters.

Subscribe

Only $100 per year.