The Kuwaiti ambassador to the United States has expressed regret at "hasty declaration of inaccurate information" by a defense lawyer of forecast release of Kuwaiti citizen Fayez Al-Kanderi, held in Guantanamo detention camp, along with another national, Fawzi Al-Odeh.

The veteran diplomat, Sheikh Salem Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, in a statement released on Sunday, said, "It is regretful that the defense attorney, Adel Abdul Hadi, has created press controversy regarding false information about the release of Fayez Al-kanderi.

"I believe revelation of such inaccurate information leads to negative impact on families of the detainees, and the lawyer should have instead contacted the embassy to get accurate information, rather than hastily and unjustifiably making statements to the press about such false information." Affirming that release of the two Kuwaitis from Guantanamo remains among priorities of the Kuwaiti leadership and the embassy in Washington where the mission has diligently, relentlessly and continuously worked with American quarters and authorities to set free the two detainees, Sheikh Salem noted that the Kuwaiti diplomatic mission had helped in release of 10 out of the 12 Kuwaiti citizens who had been held at the detention camp.

A visiting Kuwaiti delegation, including officials from the ministries of foreign affairs, justice and interior, concluded, on Saturday, a chain of meetings with officials from relevant US authorities and departments, discussing the release of the inmates. Defense attorney, Abdul Rahman Al-Haroun, attended some of these meetings.

As to issue of waiving charges against Al-Kanderi, Sheikh Salem said American officials had notified him that this measure was technical and related to laws of the US Department of Defense (the Pentagon), "and leads to no legal effect on the issue of the release.

"His detention is governed by the war jurisdictions enjoyed by the American president and a relevant Congress resolution, thus I am deeply bewildered as a result of the fact that the lawyer Adel Abul Hadi is unaware of such legal information, although he is representing one of the detainees at Guantanamo." As to the attorney's remarks that the ambassador has not visited the detainees behind bars, Sheikh Salem clarified, saying that the lawyer should have been aware that US laws and regulations prohibit such visits by diplomats and allow "only limited visitations by security delegations." In conclusion, Sheikh Salam has affirmed that he is looking forward to the moment when he will be able to disclose the happy news about the release of the two citizens. "Moreover, considering the humanitarian aspects of this case, I call upon the lawyer Adel Abdul Hadi to authenticate his information before hurriedly announcing such inaccurate information, thus negatively affecting morale of the families and efforts of the Kuwaiti embassy in Washington." Sheikh Salem had previously told KUNA that the visiting delegation had held a series of meeting with the US officials regarding this case, in line with guidelines of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, to find a quick solution to bring back the detainees to their homeland as soon as possible.

The Kuwaiti envoy asserted that the file of the Kuwaiti detainees in Guantanamo Bay prison was a top priority for both the Kuwaiti government and US administration. Kuwait has received 10 prisoners so far and only two are left in the detention camp.