Kuwait plans to buy Patriot missiles from the U.S. but will not allow its territory to be a launch pad for attacks, Kuwait’s Defense Minister said.
Sheikh Jaber Mubarak al-Sabah said the planned $900 million Patriot missiles purchase is aimed at boosting the military's capability and should not be "misunderstood."
"We do not purchase arms to launch attacks on others, and we do not accept attacks to be launched from our territories against other countries”, he added.
The U.S. has several military bases in Kuwait, including Camp Arifjan, one of the biggest U.S. military facilities in the region. There are between 15,000 and 20,000 U.S. troops stationed in Kuwait.
Last month, the Pentagon said it had notified the U.S. Congress about the sale of Patriot missiles saying "Kuwait needs these missiles to meet current and future threats of enemy air-to-ground weapons."
Meanwhile the Kuwaiti Defense Minister said his country has not made a final decision on the purchase of several French-made Rafale warplanes, saying the army is also looking into other European and U.S. fighters.