|
|
July 9, 2004 |
|
||
|
|
|
|
||
|
|
|
***** The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz has sent a cable of congratulations to U.S. President George W. Bush on the anniversary of his country's independence. In his own name and on behalf of the people and government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques wished the president permanent health and happiness and the U.S. friendly people steady progress and prosperity. The monarch also lauded distinguished relations binding the two friendly countries and their peoples and the work for their enhancement to serve urgent issues in the region and the world for the prosperity of all peoples. Similar cables were also sent on this occasion to President Bush by Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of National Guard, and Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz; Second Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General. On his part, the Crown Prince also renewed in his cable the determination on continual work to strengthen the special and distinguished relations existing between the two countries and their peoples and on the exertion of utmost efforts to serve their joint interests. The Crown Prince looked forward to working together and with friends and allies to serve urgent regional and international issues for the interests of all peoples. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz has issued a royal order to form the Council of the Financial Market Commission as follows: 1- Jammaz Ibn Abdullah Al-Sihaimi, Chairman at a ministerial rank, 2- Ibrahim Ibn Mohammed Al-Rumaih, Deputy Chairman, 3- Mohammed Ibn Mighnim Al-Shamrani, Member, 4- Dr. Abdulrahman Ibn Abdul Mohsin Al-Khalaf, Member, 5- Dr. Abdullah Ibn Hassan Al-Abdulqadir, Member. The Custodian of the two Holy Mosques King Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz has ordered the amendment of article four of the statute of the Supreme Economic Council. Accordingly, the Supreme Economic Council will be chaired by the Crown Prince and Commander of the National Guard, and his Royal Highness the Second Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General will be the Deputy Chairman of the Council. In its membership the Council will include the Chairman of the Cabinet's General Committee, two of the ministers of state and members of the Cabinet, as well as the Ministers of Labor, Commerce and Industry, Petroleum and Mineral Resource, Finance, Economy and Planning, Water and Electricity, and the Governor of the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA). The Custodian of the two Holy Mosques King Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz has ordered the reformation of the Supreme Economic Council. Accordingly, the Council will be chaired by Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard. Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz the Second Deputy Premier, Defense and Aviation Minister and Inspector General, will be the Deputy Chairman of the Council. Dr Abdul Aziz Al-Khuwaitir, the Minister of State and Member of the Cabinet, the Minister of Labor, Dr Mutlab Al-Nafissa, the Minister State and Member of the Cabinet, the Minister of Commerce and Industry, the Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Economy and Planning, Abdullah Zeinal, the Minister of State and Member of the Cabinet, the Minster of Water and Electricity, the Governor of SAMA will be members of the Council. The Custodian of the two Holy Mosques King Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz has ordered the reformation of the reformation of the Standing Committee of the Supreme Economic Council. Accordingly, Dr Abdul Aziz Al-Khuwaitir, the Minister of State and Member of the Cabinet, will be the Chairman of the Committee. Dr Mutlab Al-Nafissa, the Minister of State and Member of the Cabinet, the Minister of Commerce and Industry, the Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Economy and Planning, Abdullah Zeinal, the Minister of State and Member of the Cabinet, the Minister of Water and Electricity, the Governor of SAMA will be the members of the Committee. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz has sent a cable of congratulations to Algeria's President Abdul Aziz Bouteflika on the anniversary of his country's independence. In his own name and on behalf of the people and government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, King Fahd wished the president permanent health and happiness and the Algerian brotherly people steady progress and prosperity. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques also lauded relations binding the two brotherly countries and their peoples. Similar cables were also sent on this occasion to the Algerian President by Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of National Guard, and Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz; Second Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General. Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard, received the Jordanian Ambassador to the Kingdom Qaftan Al-Magali. The ambassador conveyed to the Crown Prince the greetings of King Abdullah II Ibn Al-Hussain of Jordan. In turn, the Crown Prince sent his greetings to the Jordanian King. The audience was attended by Prince Saud Al-Faisal, the Foreign Minister and Prince Abdulaziz bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, Advisor at the Crown Prince's court. Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard, received at Al-Salam Palace in Jeddah princes, senior officials and citizens who came to greet him. The Crown Prince also received the Chairman of Financial Market Commission Council Jammaz Ibn Abdullah Al-Sihaimi and Saudi Ambassador to Morocco Mohammed Ibn Abdul Rahman Al-Bisher on the occasion of appointing them to their posts. Crown Prince Abdullah gave his directives to Al-Sihaimi and Al-Bisher, wishing them all success. On their parts, they expressed appreciation of the royal confidence in their appointment. The audiences were attended by Prince Saad Ibn Abdullah Ibn Turki and Prince Fawaz Ibn Abdullah Ibn Abdul Rahman. Prince Abdul Rahman Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General pointed out that Almighty Allah has bestowed on the Kingdom many blessings including the presence of the two holy mosques in Makkah and Madinah, its strategic and geographical position, and other resources topped by Petroleum, stressing the strong unity and cohesion between the Saudi government and people in all circumstances. In a statement following patronizing a graduation ceremony of a number of courses of personnel from Strategic Missiles Force Center and School in Wadi Al-Dawasser Governorate on Wednesday, Prince Abdul Rahman noted that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been and will be a strong country because of its adherence to Islamic Sharia, urging everyone to correctly educate Islamic principles to his sons. Lebanon's President Emile Lahoud received visiting Prince Mishaal Ibn Abdul Aziz. During the meeting, Prince Mishaal conveyed to the Lebanese President the greetings of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Crown Prince and the Second Deputy Prime Minister. In turn, the president sent his greetings to the Saudi leadership. Prince Mishaal stressed the Kingdom's continual support for Lebanon to confront all challenges. On his part, President Lahoud condemned terrorist attacks that have recently taken place in the Kingdom, affirming his country's stand by the Kingdom to confront these acts that have nothing to do with religious teachings calling for tolerance, love and solidarity. Lebanon's President Emile Lahoud received the credentials of Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Dr. Abdul Aziz Mohieddin Khojah. The ceremony was attended by Lebanon's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Jean Obaid. King Abdullah II affirmed that values peace, freedom and tolerance are deeply rooted in the multi-ethnic Islamic civilization. In his remarks to the British Arab Organization marking its annual anniversary, the King said it is a heritage that created the Golden Age of Islam , a multi-ethnic civilization, that made historic advances in scholarship and civic developmentThe King said global relationships, trade, investment, communication, cooperation, can help our countries meet urgent needs. For new jobs and stable, growing economies. For the benefits of new knowledge. For hope. But our global system is not, cannot be, monolithic. It depends on the strengths of every region, the wisdom of every country, the creativity of every person. We cannot afford misunderstanding and division. We must work in a partnership of respect. The people of Jordan and Britain have much in common. We believe in the rule of law and the equal dignity of people. We want the best for our children: a world of opportunity and security. We want to make this new century deliver on its promises: justice, prosperity, and peace. We stand together in support of a lasting, comprehensive Middle East peace. That means a free, sovereign, viable, democratic and contiguous Palestine. And it means security for Israel to live in peace with its neighbours. A process that will allow for a comprehensive settlement to emerge, one that will also address the Syrian and Lebanese tracks. And today, especially, Jordan and Britain stand together in supporting a legitimate, inclusive political process in Iraq, and a new era of peace and freedom for that historic land. Peace, freedom, tolerance, these ideals are deeply rooted in the British democratic tradition. But they are also the deepest, humanistic values of the Arab World. It is a heritage that created the Golden Age of Islam, a multi-ethnic civilization, that made historic advances in scholarship and civic development. And today, this Arab Islamic heritage is driving a new era of progress in the Middle East. In Jordan, an extensive reform program is well underway. We are determined to help our people achieve their potential, in every sphere. In the economy, we have encouraged innovation, enterprise, and partnership with the private sector. In education, we are empowering youth to compete on a global basis. In the public sector, we are cementing human rights, streamlining services, and building transparent, accountable governance. Our agenda has one main goal: to meet our people's expectations and needs. But we believe Jordan's path can also show others what a homegrown, Arab-Islamic model can accomplish. This is essential if our region is to find an effective path towards economic development and democracy. Today, most Arabs agree that reform is vital. We also agree that for reform to succeed, it must emerge from within our own societies. And leadership for reform has emerged. Creative thinkers, entrepreneurs, humanitarians, and risk-takers are opening new doors to hope. I believe that their dynamic voices can and will drown out the preachers of cynicism and hatred who prey on our youth. In the Arab World, our future is our own to shape. But our friends here in Britain and elsewhere have a vital contribution to make. International support is essential to resolving the core Arab-Israeli conflict. Until that happens, the forces of division and despair will fight regional progress. When you help right wrongs, when you invest in development, when you encourage reform, you create a climate for positive change we are all still soldiering to make our global system work , to create hope and end despair, to defeat terror and renew peace. This is our job, and it deserves our full attention. It is in our hands to create a world in which every human being can thrive, a world in which all share the promise of our century. This is the hope, indeed the right, of men and women throughout the Arab World. With God's Blessing, with faith in humanity, and with a collective will to act, I believe we can succeed. I The Saudi Development Fund has signed an agreement in Algiers to provide Algeria Foreign Bank with credit facilities worth U.S. 5 million dollars. The agreement was signed by the Fund's Director General of Exports Program Ibrahim Ibn Mohammed Al-Mifleh and two officials of the bank. The Fund also signed a memorandum of understanding with Algeria's Company for Insuring and Guaranteeing Exports to enhance cooperation between the two sides. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Albania have signed an agreement of co-operation between the two countries and a memorandum of understanding between the Foreign offices in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Albania. The Co-operation Agreement was signed in Tirana by Assistant Foreign Minister Dr Iyad Ibn Obaid Madani and L. Haydar Agha Albanian Deputy Foreign Minister. The meetings of the 13th session of the Saudi-Korean joint committee concluded. The two-day meetings were headed by Minister of Commerce and Industry Dr. Hashim Ibn Abdullah Yamani and South Korean Minister of Commerce Du Huin Fong. Dr. Yamani and Fong signed the minutes of the meeting. In a speech following the signature, Dr. Yamani said that the two sides took a number of steps to enhance the trade exchange and to finish the project agreement on avoidance of double taxation and an accord on sea transportation. On his part, Fong said that the meeting helped in enhancing the bilateral relations between the two countries for more success in developing cooperation. He noted that South Korean exports to the Kingdom last year reached $ 1.5 billion while the Korean imports accounted for about $ 9.6 billion. Fong expected more cooperation in the energy and information technology fields. Sultan Qaboos Ibn Said has issued three royal decrees. Royal Decree No. 73/2004 appoints Dr Abdullah Ibn Mohammed Al Sarmi as Under Secretary at the Ministry of Higher Education. Royal Decree No. 74/2004 appoints Sheikh Al Fadhl Ibn Mohammed Ibn Ahmed Al Harthy as development affairs undersecretary at the Ministry of National Economy. Royal Decree No. 75/2004 appoints Saud Ibn Nassir Ibn Rashid Al Shikaili as tax secretary-general at the Ministry of Finance. The three royal decrees come into force from their date of issue. A government official denied a statement allegedly by a foreign ministry source the Yemen is ready to send peacekeeping forces to Iraq in the time being under a mandate from the United Nations. The official told Saba that Yemen is ready to send troops within the international forces to keep security and stability only after the pull out of the coalition forces from Iraq and Iraq gets a complete sovereignty. "Also if the bothers in Iraq demand Yemeni forces and the U.N. becomes the responsible for those international forces in Iraq, we would not hesitate," the official said. Bahrain is ready to take part in a naval force to secure Iraq's territorial waters should Baghdad request its help, said King Hamad. The King, who expressed his happiness that Iraq had regained its sovereignty as one of the most genuinely liberal countries in the region, added Bahrain would also be happy to train Iraqi naval personnel. "Bahrain is ready to resume its contribution to guarding Iraq's territorial waters and training Iraqis in this field, if it is asked to do so by the new Iraqi government," he said. He added that Bahrain was keen to maintain security and stability in the region and believed a liberal and unified Iraq would contribute to Arab, regional and international stability and prosperity. The King, who was visiting BDF General Command, said the way forward was to open a new chapter of relations with Iraq and build a better future. He was received on arrival by Defence Minister Shaikh Khalifa Ibn Ahmed Al Khalifa and other senior BDF officers. The King also met a number of senior officers and discussed plans to develop the BDF. He was accompanied by Royal Court Minister Shaikh Khalid Ibn Ahmed Al Khalifa. Iraq's Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari gave a lukewarm response to offers by some Arab countries to send troops, saying Baghdad would consider help from Arab troops if they come from countries that don't border Iraq and work under UN auspices. Neighboring countries who wish to send peacekeeping troops to Iraq could guard United Nations missions and personnel, Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said. Iraq has repeatedly refused to accept neighboring countries' troops on its soil, fearing their presence might exacerbate ethnic tensions. "These countries can support the work of the United Nations in Iraq ... by protecting their teams and installations," Zebari said. "We are still considering and examining this question," he told a joint press conference with his Romanian counterpart, Mircea Geoana. But he reiterated Iraq's opposition to neighbors joining the multinational force patrolling the country. "As a general policy we're opposed to such participation," said Zebari, adding that other Arab and Muslim countries could take part. "In principle, we welcome the participation of Arab and Islamic forces coming from non-neighboring countries." Palestinian President Yasser Arafat received a reply from the elected Secretary General of the OIC Akmaluddin Ihsam Oghli in which he stressed that the Palestinian issue is at the core of issues concerning the OIC and takes priority in all international forums. Yemen's interior minister said nearly two weeks of clashes between government forces and supporters of an anti-US cleric had left 118 people dead, including 32 soldiers. Brig. Gen. Rashad Al-Alimi told Parliament that 32 soldiers and 86 followers of the radical preacher Hussein Badruddin Al-Houthi had died since the clashes erupted on July 20 when security forces tried to arrest the religious leader at his mountain stronghold in the north of the country. Sources close to Al-Houthi have put the death toll at about 200. The minister said 120 policemen and army soldiers and 21 supporters of Al-Houthi were wounded and 185 insurgents arrested in the fighting in the Maran area of Saada Province, 240 km north of the capital Sanaa. Two rounds of negotiations with the cleric last week ended to a deadlock. "Al-Houthi refused all mediation efforts by parliamentarians, scholars and government officials to surrender peacefully," Alimi said. As the minister spoke, fighting continued to rage in the area with residents saying that seven soldiers were reportedly killed yesterday in the Nashoor area of Saada. A witness in Malaheet, also in the province, said four more of Al-Houthi's supporters had been killed, while six were wounded. A website run by the Defense Ministry reported yesterday that Al-Houthi and some of followers had fled his stronghold which had been surrounded by troops backed by tanks, artillery and helicopters. The September.net website quoted a local official in Saada as saying that residents of the district where the cleric had taken refuge expelled him and his supporters from their areas. Commanders overseeing the operation said that the insurgents' resistance was diminishing as their food and water supplies are running out. Yemeni authorities accuse Al-Houthi of leading an armed rebellion with foreign aid. The minister told Parliament the preacher established an underground armed group named "The Believing Youths" in 1997. "Each member of this group receives $200 a month which indicates they may have foreign support," Alimi said but did not elaborate. French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier called for an end to Israel's confinement of Yasser Arafat to his West Bank headquarters, following talks with the Palestinian leader. "During my two meetings yesterday with President Arafat, I was able to take a close measure of the fate that he has been subjected to," Barnier told reporters in Ramallah. "Considering what he represents, (his situation) is not dignifying for him and is not dignifying for the Palestinian people he represents. "We consider that this situation cannot last as he is the elected and legitimate president" of the Palestinian people, Barnier added. Arafat has been confined by the Israeli army to his headquarters in this West Bank town since December 2001 and declared by his archenemy, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, as an "absolute obstacle" to peace. Islamic Endowment in Al Quds have cleared the smoke from Al Buraq site in the south east of Al-Aqsa mosques. The smoke was seen coming out of the wall close to Al Buraq wall and from the ground. Citiznes and officials rushed to the area and Israeli soldiers said the smoke was caused by papers inserted between the wall by faithful citizens. Adnan Al Hosseini Director of the Endowment stressed that the Islamic Endowment have formed a committee to investigate the reasons behind the incident. Sheikh Al Tamimi the Chief judge said the Israeli government bears full responsibility adding that fires are lit by extremist Jewish groups in tunnels they dig under the mosque, which will lead to a disaster in the future. The Sheikh said the intensity of the smoke was a proof of a fire under the structure of the mosque. The Endowment council called on the OIC, the Al-Quds Committee, the League of Arab States, and the UNESCO to take serious steps in order to discuss the dangerous situation in Al-Quds. British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said mistakes were made in the run-up to the power transfer in Iraq but the country will look very different by the end of next year, says the foreign secretary. Jack Straw was speaking on the first full day of the interim Iraqi Government's control of the country. He said errors had been made in the way Baath Party figures had been removed from Iraq's security forces. But the power handover had confounded many commentators' predictions and the situation was improving, he argued. "Of course, in this transition some mistakes have been made and probably the de-Baathication went too far," Mr Straw told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. "On the other hand, not only the coalition forces but above all the Iraqis had to be assured that the people who were reappearing as police officers and still more as members of the armed forces were not Saddamists, former regime elements, in new uniforms." Mr Straw said that aside from the security problems, the situation had improved, pointing to electricity production, hospitals, schools and reconstruction projects. There was always disruption after any conflict but the presence of a 160,000-strong multi-national force did not make Iraq any less sovereign. He declined to predict how long it would be before there was stability in Iraq, saying it would take time. Elections are due to be held by next January and would be an "important milestone". Mr Straw said: "The violence will continue for some time but it is my belief, and more importantly the Iraqis' belief, that they will be able to get through this period and establish a democratic Iraq. "I think we will see a very different situation in Iraq during the latter part of next year." Iraq did not pave the way for military action against other states, said Mr Straw, saying the war had been an "exceptional case" because of Saddam Hussein's defiance of successive United Nations resolutions. Russian envoy to the Middle East Benjamin Taguev urged Lebanon to support his country's efforts to join the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC). After meeting with Lebanon Foreign Minister Jean Obeid, Taguev said Moscow hopes that OIC agrees with Russia's request to join OIC as an "observer" and added the Russian President Vladimir Putin considers the issue very important. Taguev, who is in charge of following up the Russian case in OIC, said his country has historical ties with the Islamic world and 20 million Muslims in Russia consider themselves as a part of that world. The OIC has 57 members and its headquarters is in Saudi Arabia. Heading a political delegation, the Russian envoy arrived in Lebanon for a one-day visit. NATO officials met with Iraq's defense minister and U.S. military officials on Tuesday as the alliance took its first steps to carving out a military role in war-ravaged country's future. It was too early to tell, however, what role NATO would take and when its assistance would begin, said U.S. Adm. Greg Johnson, head of the delegation that included British and Italian military officials. "The purpose of this visit is to find out what needs to be done and present that in a report, and the political decision has to be taken in Brussels," said Johnson, who described his visit as "a fact finding trip." Iraq's army was dissolved by the U.S. interim authority at the end of the war last year. While still in the process of rebuilding, it remains poorly resourced, and its troops badly trained. At a summit in Istanbul, Turkey, NATO leaders offered military training to the new Iraqi government. However, France and Germany, which had strongly opposed the Iraq war, rejected the U.S. notion that an alliance training mission could develop into a NATO presence in Iraq. French President Jacques Chirac and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder insisted that any training must be outside Iraq. Iraqi Defense Minister Hazem Shaalan welcomed NATO's support and cooperation. His goal was to build up Iraq's army while he was still in office, "so that one day I can pass it on in good shape to a permanent Ministry of Defense," Shaalan said. "We need to build a connection between the military and the civilian society to rid the army of the dictatorship that ruled it in the past," he said. Johnson, commander of NATO's southern Europe command based in Naples, was heading the eight-strong military mission. Most of the delegation, expected to remain in Iraq for five days, will meet with government and leaders of the coalition forces, to explore options and prepare advice for the NATO ambassadors. Israel is to alter part of the route of its West Bank barrier after the Supreme Court ruled last week that its current path violates the rights of tens of thousands of Palestinians living near Jerusalem. A judgement issued in response to a petition filed by residents and rights groups ruled that while the barrier could be justified for security reasons, the army was also bound to take into account the impact on local residents. "The additional margin of security achieved by the current path of the fence is not equal to the current path's additional infringement on the local inhabitants' rights and interests", said a summary of the judgement. "The current balance between security considerations and humanitarian considerations is disproportionate. "The court ruled that the IDF [Israeli Defense Forces] Commander should reduce the infringement upon the local inhabitants, even if it cannot be totally avoided, by altering the path of the fence in most areas complained of in the petition". The judgement means that modifications will have to be made to a 40-kilometer stretch of the barrier to the north and west of Jerusalem. It will affect villages such as Biddu and Beit Surik, which have been the scene of some of the largest protests against the project in recent months. The Defense Ministry said that it would respect the court's ruling. "Security officials in Israel will implement the decision of the supreme court and draw up a new route for the barrier that will take into account the principles established by the court", a ministry statement said. Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmad Qorei reacted by saying that the barrier should be torn down altogether. "It is not about changing the route or not", he told reporters. "It's a racist separation wall and therefore it should fall. There is no other alternative". Palestinian Negotiations Minister Saeb Erakat said Israel should now reroute the barrier to conform with the internationally-recognized border. "The only way to take into account the humanitarian needs of the Palestinians is by not building this colonial wall, but if Israel insists on doing it, it should along the lines of the 1967 border". Israel's Chief Justice Aharon Barak said in the judgment that appropriation of land could be justified as the barrier was being built for security rather than political reasons. But the army had not taken "adequate account of the fence's infringement on the lives of 35,000 local inhabitants. "Building the fence requires seizing thousands of dunums of land", he noted. "The wall's current path would separate landowners from tens of thousands of dunums of land, and the planned regime of authorizations to access that land would not substantially reduce the harm". Mohammad Dahleh, the lawyer for the villagers affected by the ruling, said the decision was more important than an upcoming verdict by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the barrier's legality. "This ruling will have a major impact on the judicial fight against the racist wall and will influence the army's planning for its route", Dahleh told reporters. The ICJ will deliver an advisory ruling on July 9 after a hearing at its headquarters in The Hague in February. The Israeli government has pledged to complete construction of the barrier -- a montage of electric fencing, barbed wire and concrete -- by the end of next year despite a barrage of international criticism. All 114 Church of England bishops have joined in writing to Prime Minister Tony Blair to warn him of the damage to Britain's reputation caused by the abuse of Iraqi detainees. Archbishops have presented a united front over Iraq abuse. The misgivings of many in the Anglican Church about the war in Iraq was well-known to Tony Blair. Back in February last year, the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams issued a joint statement with the leader of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, doubting the moral case for military action. Since then he's questioned whether the outcome in Iraq could be regarded as a victory, and, only a few weeks ago accused Tony Blair of damaging people's trust in politics by the way his government handled the conflict. However, the latest attack has the added impact of being the unanimous view of all Anglican bishops in the Church of England... whole-hearted agreement that is all the more remarkable for coming from a body that's repeatedly made the headlines for being divided over issues such as homosexuality and women priests. It was prompted by the abuse of Iraqis in the custody of coalition forces and by a perceived lack of even-handedness in dealing with the Middle East conflict. The bishops are seriously concerned, not least because of the growing alienation of British Muslims each has caused. The bishops believe the disgrace of Abu Ghraib jail in Baghdad - and the accusations of abuse by British soldiers - have badly damaged Britain's standing. They don't pull their punches. "The appearance of double standards inevitably diminishes the credibility of Western governments with the people of Iraq and of the Islamic world more generally", says the letter. "There is a wider risk to our integrity if we no longer experience a sense of moral shock at the enormity of what appears to have been inflicted." The Bishop of Southwark, Tom Butler, told the BBC: "Our government in particular went to war on legal and moral grounds - that's now widely disbelieved". Other bishops - especially those whose dioceses contain big Muslim minorities - worry that the disbelievers now include British Muslims. John Packer, the Bishop of Ripon and Leeds, says there have been tensions over a perceived bias, including in the Middle East. In a clear reference to the influence of the Christian Right in the Bush administration, the letter criticised their strong support for Israel as "uncritical and one-sided"... Our stance on Palestinian-Israeli conflict is regarded by Muslims as a litmus test of our respect for human rights they say, but we are losing our traditional role as an honest broker in the Middle East. There is now a need to atone say the bishops. The only way to restore Britain's reputation in the Muslim world is to carry out a full investigation into what happened to Iraqi detainees, and why. At the back of their mind is the suspicion that the abuse might not have been simply a series of single events now passed into history. As the letter puts it: "There remain serious questions over how such brutal and indecent behaviour could have come about." |