Ahmed Al-Jarallah

Ahmed Al-Jarallah (Born 1942.[1] Full name Ahmad Abdel Aziz Al-Jarallah) is a Kuwaiti journalist, author, and the editor-in-chief of the Kuwaiti newspapers Arab Times and Al-Seyassah and owner of the weekly magazine Al-Hadaf.[2][3] Jarallah is known for his criticism of Islamic extremists.[4][5][6]

Ahmed Al-Jarallah
Born1942[1]
NationalityKuwaiti
Years active1963 - Present

Biography

Jarallah was born in 1942 to a family of Kuwaiti pearl merchants.[7]

In 1963, Al-Jarallah started his journalism career in the Kuwaiti daily Al Rai al Aam, eventually becoming Managing Editor and Deputy Editor-in-Chief. In 1965, he left the newspaper to join the weekly magazine Al-Seyassah as Editor-in-Chief.[5]

In 1968, he became the owner of Al-Seyassah, which he changed from a weekly magazine to a daily newspaper format. In 1977, Jarallah expanded Al-Seyassah into a media group, which also publishes the English-language Arab Times newspaper and the weekly magazine Al-Hadaf (English: The Target).[5] The assets of Al-Seyassah have been estimated at more than five million Kuwaiti dinars ($17.25m) in 1977 values, including a printing plant which was at the time the most modern in the region.[6]

On April 23, 1985, Al-Jarallah escaped death when a gunman opened fire on him outside his offices in the Shuwaikh Area. He was shot six times, and was rushed to the nearby Al-Razi Hospital by his driver, seriously injured. An organization under the name Arab Revolutionary Brigades claimed responsibility. It is estimated that Abu Nidal Organization (ANO) was behind the assassination attempt. The CIA reported that Jarallah's published views were "pro-Saudi, pro-egyptian, and critical of Palestinian extremism, the Iranian regime, and Iraq's territorial ambitions in Kuwait"[3][8][9][10]

On 11 December 2003, Al-Jarallah's secretary at Al-Seyassah was injured when he opened a large envelope addressed to Jarallah, sent from Beirut, Lebanon. The envelope bomb contained the plastic explosive Semtex. The motive and source of the bombing was unclear, however it has been reported that the pro-Saudi newspaper led by Al-Jarallah had been critical of religious extremists and terrorism in Saudi Arabia, and supported the U.S.-led war in Iraq.[4][11][12][13]

In 2011, Al-Jarallah received a Challenger 605 business jet from Bombardier Aerospace.[14]

Views

In 2004, in an editorial which was described as "breaking long-held taboos", Jarallah called for the Arab world to make peace with Israel and for Arab leaders to cease using the Palestinian people as a tool of their policies.[15]

In 2010, Jarallah called on Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to start unconditional negotiations with Israel.[16]

In April 2011, in an interview to Al Arabiya News Channel, al-Jarallah accused Iran of inciting a Shiite revolution in the Gulf region, and for "trying to push Gulf nations to the brink of war through escalating disputes and using bullying tactics.”[17]

Books
  • Expats guide to Kuwait. 1984. 288 p.
  • هكذا عدت من الموت: So I came back from death. 1985. In Arabic.

References
  1. Sabin M. Shukri. The International who's who of the Arab world, Volume 2. 1984. p. 265.
  2. Arab Press Network: Kuwait Archived August 8, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
  3. Seale, Patrick. Abu Nidal: a gun for hire. Random House, 1992. p. 130
  4. Beirut's Lethal Letter-Bombs to Kuwait Blamed on Fanatic Islamists. Naharnet Beirut, 15 Dec 2003.
  5. Ahmed Al-Jarallah: Bio Archived 2012-03-30 at the Wayback Machine, The Emirate Center for Strategic Studies and Research (ECSSR)
  6. "The Gulf reporter who became a newspaper tycoon". Events, Volume 3. Shore Varrone, Inc., 1977. p. 51
  7. "Arab editors who matter". The New Middle East: Issues 16-39. 1970. p. 15
  8. CIA Terrorism Review (U). Directorate of Intelligence. 5/6/1985. p.33. Declassified document.
  9. Najeeb Al-Wagayan, Sabah al-Shemmari. Major Political Crimes in Kuwait. 1997. p. 203
  10. Melman, Yossi. The master terrorist: the true story of Abu-Nidal. p. 206. Adama Books, 1986
  11. Attacks on the Press in 2003 - Kuwait. The UN Refugee Agency.
  12. KUWAIT: Letter bomb injures editor's secretary. 11 December 2003
  13. "More Letter Bomb Attacks on Kuwaiti Writers". Mailroom Safety News. December 15, 2003
  14. BOMBARDIER DELIVERS A CHALLENGER 605 AIRCRAFT TO KUWAITI-BASED CUSTOMER. BART International.
  15. FATTAH, HASSAN M.: Kuwaitis Quietly Breach a Taboo: Easing Hostility Toward Israel. New York Times. October 5, 2005
  16. Kuwaiti paper calls for 'unconditional' talks with Israel. Jerusalem Post. August 11, 2010.
  17. Iran inciting Shiite revolt in Gulf: Kuwaiti editor-in-chief. April 7, 2011.
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