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July 23, 2004 |
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***** The Custodian of the two Holy Mosques King Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz has ordered the Ministry of Finance to pay SR3912 million to the farmers. This sum of money represents the due payments of the farmers for their wheat and barley for the season of 1423. This was announced by Minister of Agriculture Dr Fahd Balghuneim. He noted that the required arrangements have made to start payment of the aforesaid sum effective next week in line with the program set by the General Organization for Grain Silos and Flour Mills. Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard, received General John Abizaid, the Commander of the American Central Command and his accompanying delegation. General Abizaid conveyed U.S. President George Bush's greeting to Crown Prince Abdullah. The audience was attended by Prince Khalid Ibn Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Assistant Minister of Defense and Aviation for Military Affairs and a number of other princes. Yemeni Interior Minister Rashad Al-Olaimi received a letter from Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Interior Minister. The letter, concerning bilateral relations and means of enhancing them, was delivered by Saudi Acting Charge de Affairs in Sana'a Counselor Shadied Ibn Hamed Al-Sehli. The Ministry of Interior has finalized a draft project for the first national strategy to combat narcotics in Saudi Arabia, according to the recommendations of the 43rd meeting of United Nations Narcotics Committee to decrease the use of Narcotics by the year 2008. Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz, Minister of the Interior has send copies of the strategy to princes and ministers to review it and write their notes: the officials are: the Head of the General Intelligence, the Assistant Minister of Defence and Aviation, the Deputy Commander of the National Guard, the Foreign Minister, the Chairman of the Youth Welfare and Head of the Anti Narcotics committee, the Minister of Justice, the Minister of Islamic Affairs, Endowment, Call and Guidance, the Minister of Higher Education, the Minister of Civil Service, the Minister of Education, the Minister of Culture and Information, the Minister of Social Affairs and Health, the Attorney General, the Director General of Customs and Excise and the Head of the Police. Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Al-Hariri received Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Dr Abdul Aziz Khoja. Speaking on the occasion, Al- Hariri lauded the support extended by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Lebanon. On his part, Dr Khoja highlighted the existing fraternal relations between the Kingdom and Lebanon. He noted that the number of Saudi tourists in Lebanon has remarkably increased, and expected that more Saudi tourists would be visiting Lebanon during this year's summer season. The Kingdom's newly appointed Ambassador to Lebanon, said he expected more than 200,000 Saudis to visit Lebanon during this summer season. Following the talks with Prime Minister Rafic Hariri at the Grand Serail, the diplomat also hailed his country's strong ties with Lebanon. "We discussed many matters and hailed the strong, cordial and brotherly bilateral ties between our two countries. His Excellency showed all support and backing for the facilitation of my mission," the Ambassador told reporters. Asked about his expectations for this summer season in Lebanon, the Saudi diplomat said, "Lebanon is characterized by large tourist capabilities and undergoes ongoing development. This encourages any tourists to come to Lebanon." Prince Khalid Ibn Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Assistant Defense and Aviation Minister for Military Affairs, received General John Abizaid, the Commander of the American Central Command. They reviewed issues of mutual interest. The meeting was attended by a number of senior Saudi military officials. In line with the directives of the Custodian of the two Holy Mosques King Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Health Ministry has provided Yemen with ten vehicles and seven sprinklers. The vehicles and sprinklers will be used in combating malaria. This was announced by Minister of Health Dr Hamad Al-Mani in a statement to SPA. On the other hand A Saudi medical team, led by Dr Abdullah Al-Rabee'a, Executive Director General of National Guard Hospitals, recently visited Yemen. The medical team delivered a series of medical lectures and reviewed with Yemeni officials aspects of cooperation between the Kingdom and Yemen in the field of training and exchange of expertise. In a press statement, Dr Al-Rabee'a said that Yemeni medical cadres would greatly benefit from the forty training programs organised by the Kingdom's National Guard hospitals. Saudi Ambassador to the U.S. Prince Bandar Ibn Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz has refuted the allegations of a report issued by Human Rights Watch in London on Thursday that the Kingdom's foreign workers are abused. "We do not agree with the report issued by Human Rights Watch, and we do not think it a fair report which reflects the reality of the situation in Saudi Arabia," said Prince Bandar, adding: "The report, which has exaggerated a handful of cases, does not reflect the real situation of millions of foreign workers residing in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia." Prince Bandar stressed that the Kingdom, one of the biggest employers of expatriate workers in the world, has effective labour regulations to protect all workers, including foreign nationals. "If there are some cases of violation of regulations, the existing law in the country makes those violators liable for punishment," he said. Emphasising the keenness of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to preserve human rights, Prince Bandar noted the establishment of an independent committee for human rights. The Minister of Labor Dr Ghazi Al-Gosaibi issued an order prohibiting all forms of human trade such as the sale of work permits, obtaining money for employing workers or for entry or exit visas, residency and business licenses. Until now, Saudis were entitled to sponsor a number of workers, but many often made a profit by transferring them to businesses for a higher fee than they originally paid. Over eight million foreign workers, mostly from the Indian subcontinent, work and live in the country. Under Saudi regulations, foreign workers must have a Saudi sponsor to be able to get a work permit. Saudi Arabia, facing high unemployment, whichDr Al-Gosaibi put at 12 percent of the labor force, has been pushing Saudi firms to hire more Saudis. The order also banned inhuman employment, inhuman and immoral treatment as well as employment of children and exploiting them. Those violating the order could be banned from sponsoring workers. Minister of Labor Dr Ghazi Al-Gosaibi said the rate of Saudis working at the Saudi and the joint banks has ranged between 70 and 88 percent. In a press statement published, Dr Al-Gosaibi noted that intensive efforts were underway for the training and employment of Saudis at the banks. Minister of Labor Dr Ghazi Al-Gosaibi highlighted the efforts exerted by the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA) in this respect. The number of employment visas issued by the Ministry of Labor has dropped by 56 percent in one month thanks to the ministry's efforts to stem the inflow of foreign workers. It issued 23,015 visas from May 15-June 15 compared with 52,496 visas issued the previous month. Deputy Minister for Labor Affairs Ahmad Al-Zamil attributed the drop to a series of measures adopted by the ministry over recent months to cut down the number of foreign workers coming to the Kingdom. Last week, the ministry stopped the transfer of visas for workers without college and technical degrees. The ministry has recently taken over the responsibility for transferring visas previously held by the Passports Department. Low-skilled workers will not be able to change from one sponsor to another. Transfer is now limited to holders of university and technical college degrees in a move aimed at increasing work opportunities for Saudis. Also the Ministry of Labor has drafted new guidelines for the employment of expatriates. A sponsor will be required to obtain a work permit for all of his workers; regardless of the number of establishments he owns. Permits will also be issued for professions which did not require licensing in the past, including farmers, herdsmen and private drivers. A one-year permit costs SR250, including SR100 for the Ministry of Labor and SR150 for human resources. A source at the Makkah Passports Department said that labor categories such as agricultural workers, agricultural technicians, agricultural equipment mechanics and cattle breeders are required to obtain a work permit in order to have their Iqamas renewed. The alternative would be a certificate issued by the Labor Office that a given profession is exempted from the employment card requirement. The Deputy Governor of Assir region, and Chairman of the Tourism Activation Committee Prince Faisal Ibn Khaled Ibn Abdul Aziz has called on businessmen in the area to give donations to complete the Prince Sultan cultural center in the province. Prince Faisal announced this in a statement at the end of the inauguration of Khamis Mushayt festival at the Prince Sultan center. Prince Faisal said Prince Sultan has participated by establishing all the infrastructures for the project and donations are required to finish the center. Lebanese Premier Rafik al-Hariri conferred with the Secretary General of the Syrian-Lebanese Higher Council Nasri Khouri on the outcomes of the meeting recently held by the competent officials in Lebanon to rehabilitate the borderline centers between syria and Lebanon. Following the meeting, Khouri said Syria and Lebanon signed agreements to rehabilitate the borderline centers and to take some instant measures to facilitate transit of goods and trucks between both countries. He added that the decision recently taken by Syria to permit to import the foreign products from the country of origin or from Lebanon will positively affect trade in Lebanon and will activate the commercial exchange between Syria and Lebanon. Lebanon Mufti Sheikh Mohammed Rashid Qabbani returned to Lebanon from Saudi Arabia where he participated in the International Muslim delegation formed by the Muslim World League to discuss issues of the Muslim nation. He was received by the representative of the President Minister Abdul Raheem Murad, the representative of the Prime Minister Ali Abdullah and a number of personalities. Qabbani said the delegation met with Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, Dr Abdullah Ibn Abdul Mohsen Al Turki, Secretary General of the Muslim World League, Prince Saud Al-Faisal, the Foreign Minister and the Grand Mufti Shiekh Abdul Aziz Ibn Mohammed Al Al-Sheikh. Sheikh Qabbani said the delegation will work towards enhancing the unity of the Arab and Muslim world and the image of Islam as a tolerant religion. He said the delegation will resume its visits to Arab countries during the next coming months, and condemned the terrorist attacks that take place in Saudi Arabia and condemned the Zionist aggression against the Kingdom and Islam, adding that threatening the Kingdom is a threat to the all the Arab and Muslim world. Advisor of the High Representative of the EU Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana, Anna lisa Jianila said that the aim of her recent visit to Syria is to brief the Syrian friends on the security strategy and the strategy of non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction that was adopted by the European Union in last December. In a statement to reporters following her meeting with Foreign Minister Farouk al-Shara, Jianila pointed out that this strategy based on the principle of plurality in cooperation with the Mediterranean states. This strategy aimed at establishing a strategy with them that allows better understanding of each other. She expressed hope that this strategy will be fruitful and efficient in the framework of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership Association. She said " We want to set up a association strategy with Syria and the states of region states that based on dialogue and cooperation in the political issues including the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction". The US House of Representatives overwhemingly defeated a measure aimed at punishing Egypt for tolerating anti-Semitism in television programming and for restricting its anti-terrorist cooperation with the United States. The measure, an amendment to the foreign aid bill for fiscal 2005, would have reclassified 570 million dollars in aid to Egypt from military to economic. Proposed by Democratic Representative for California Tom Lantos, the amendment was rejected Wednesday by a 287 to 131 vote, according to congressional records. The measure had been strongly opposed by the White House. The amendment would have authorized the "transfer of 570 million dollars in military assistance for Egypt to economic aid for Egypt," according to an account of last Wednesday's congressional proceedings. Secretary of State Colin Powell, wrote to Congress, Powell and senior lawmakers from both parties also stressed that cutting military aid to Egypt would send the wrong signal. National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice also lobbied lawmakers by telephone. The National Commission for Wildlife Conservation (NCWCD) opened a new website for the Protected Areas Thematic Center (PATC) of West and Central Asia and North Africa (WESCANA) Region. The Secretary-General of the NCWCD, Dr. Abdul Aziz Abuzinada, commissioned the new website, www.wescana-patc.org, in the presence of an invited audience of environmentalists including the adviser to the commission Prince Bandar Ibn Saud. "The new website is vital tool for the role of the PATC," said Dr. Abuzinada said. "It will provide updated information on protected areas at regional and international levels." He added that it was a new mechanism to exchange information and to increase public awareness on environment, wildlife and natural resources. PATC of the WESCANA region, headquartered in Riyadh, was established in 2002 following a memorandum of understanding signed between the commission and the World Conservation Union (IUCN). The WESCANA region comprises 25 member countries extending from Morocco on the Atlantic Ocean through the Arabian Peninsula to Kazakhstan in Central Asia. Dr. Abuzinada, who is also the vice president of IUCN, said the global agency recognizes Saudi Arabia's efforts through NCWCD, which during the last 15 years had set up 16 protected areas spread over 84,000 square kilometers. This he said would be doubled in due course. He said WESCANA is one of the most important regions of the IUCN and to accomplish its objectives a number of goals have been set including coordination and management of protected areas in the region and the provision of adequate training for IUCN members in the field of protected areas. The Thematic Center coordinates with the member countries by providing technical assistance for implementing specific programs in the field of protected areas. The Kingdom is among the first countries in the WESCANA region to have successfully carried out a program for re-introducing endangered species to the wild. It has the largest fenced protected area at Mahzat Al-Sayd in Taif, which is home for several endangered species. The NCWCD's Training Center in Riyadh conducts refresher programs regularly to environmentalists in the region to keep them abreast of the latest advances in the field. Assistant Undersecretary of Health Ministry of Preventive Medicine Dr. Yaqoub Al-Mazroa' has clarified that 24 cases of Maltese fever were registered in A'moud village in Jazan province during the period from Moharram 15 to Rabie Alawwal 15, 1425 H. Dr. Almazroa' explained that this kind of diseases is a bacterial one which infects animals and is transmitted to humans through non-boiled milk, its by-products and a direct touch with the blood of the infected animals. Dr. Al-Mazroa affirmed that all cases had been treated in Beash General Hospital, noting the highly coordination between the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Agriculture to take all necessary measures to prevent the Maltese fever from transmitting to people. Meanwhile an official of the Ministry of Agriculture has said initial reports coming from Jazan region state that animals stricken with the disease Brucellosis in the village of Wadi Amood in Alraith province in the region of Jazan, leading to the death of some of them, are within normal rates. The official Dr. Khalid Ibn Solaiman Al Ahmad said the ministry is currently taking measures to fight the disease. With near record oil revenues, healthy trade balances and a rallying stock market in the first half, 2004 is shaping up to be the best year for the Saudi Arabian economy in decades, according to Samba Financial Group. Samba, in its mid-year report on the Saudi economy, revised upward all its forecasts for Saudi economic performances for 2004. "We now see real GDP (gross domestic product) rising 3.0 percent and nominal GDP rising 7.4 percent," Samba Chief Economist Brad Bourland said. "Saudi Arabia is expected to record current account surplus of about $41 billion, or 18 percent of GDP," he said. The Samba report said yesterday Saudi Arabia is set to achieve a record budget surplus of SR112 billion ($29.8 billion) in 2004. Due to soaring oil prices, which currently range from $25-$35 per barrel compared to $15-$25 last year, and rising production, Kingdom's oil revenues are likely to touch $100 billion this year, compared to last year's $86 billion, which was also the best year in 20 years, Samba said. Mired in a global economic slowdown in 2003, Samba said it had earlier predicted global growth in oil demand would remain weak at about 1 million barrels per day for the next several years and that non-OPEC oil supplies to the market, especially from Russia, would grow faster than global demand, painting a disappointing picture for future oil prices and production and revenue growth for OPEC countries. One year on, the picture looks completely different. Samba said, at midyear, it appears that global demand will grow closer to 2.3 million bpd in 2004 and that growth in non-OPEC supply may stall. "Samba expects foreign assets at the central bank (Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency) to grow this year to $75 billion, up from $59 billion at the end of 2003 and $41 billion in 2002. This creates a substantial asset cushion for defending the country's pegged exchange rate to the US dollar, which has been in place since 1986," Bourland said. The report said the local stock market continued its rally, which began in 1999, so far this year. At the end of June, the market was up 29 percent, after a 78 percent gain in 2003. "Strong local liquidity, underlying earnings strength and optimism due to rising oil prices and IPO (initial public offering) activity appear to be driving the rally in the stock market," Bourland said. Due largely to the high oil export earnings, Saudi Arabia's trade picture will remain healthy in 2004, with a likely 20-year high current account surplus. In 2004, Samba estimates that exports will be about four times the value of imports. Total exports for 2004 will be around $110 billion, of which $100 billion will be oil and natural gas liquids exports, while total merchandise imports will be about $30 billion. When financial transfers, such as worker remittances abroad, and the import and export of services are included to calculate the "current account," then Saudi Arabia would end 2004 with a current account surplus of $41 billion, the fifth year in a row in the black and its largest surplus since a similar $41 billion surplus in 1981. Samba also pointed out some interesting shifts with Saudi Arabia's trade relationships. Over the past decade, the US has been losing share, though it remains Saudi Arabia's single largest source of imports. These have steadily declined from a recent high of SR24.0 billion in 1998 to SR19.7 billion in 2002, and a probable like amount in 2003 and 2004. In contrast imports have been rising from Asia, particularly from Japan and China. Saudi accession to the WTO has gained momentum this year, Samba said. In 2003, Saudi Arabia signed bilateral trade agreements with most of its remaining major trade partners, including a major breakthrough a bilateral agreement with the European Union. In the first half of 2004, the Kingdom has focused its efforts on concluding an agreement with its last remaining major trade partner, the US. It is likely that a deal will be struck soon, paving the way for Saudi membership into the WTO later this year or early 2005 after a decade of negotiations. Iraq's justice minister escaped unscathed but five bodyguards were killed when a suicide car bomber drove into his convoy in an attack claimed by a group led by al Qaeda ally Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. Statements posted on an Islamist Web site said the attack was one of two carried out Saturday by the military wing of Zarqawi's Tawhid and Jihad group, blamed by Washington for a series of deadly suicide bombings in Iraq and for executing at least three hostages. Witnesses said the attacker drove toward the convoy close to the home of Justice Minister Malik al-Hassan and detonated his car bomb in a ball of flame. "There was a blast alongside the convoy. A booby-trapped car came alongside and blew up," said traffic policeman Hussein Abed. The Health Ministry said five bodyguards were killed. Five gutted cars were littered across the road, and Iraqis collected human remains scattered among the wreckage. Abdul Nasser Mohammed, one of the surviving bodyguards, pointed at one of the cars destroyed in the blast and said: "Two people were killed in this car and all we found was body parts." Hospital officials said at least eight people were wounded. "We were working as painters near the ministry house when suddenly there was an explosion," one of the injured, Khalid Waleed, said from his hospital bed. "The glass shattered everywhere, hitting us." The courts of appeal in Oman convicted Rebecca Thompson, an American woman, of premeditated murder of Mark Lee Thompson, an American citizen, and sentenced her to death. The court also found three other defendants guilty of the crime and sentenced Qaysar bin Hilal bin Rashid Al Hasni and Adam bin Sulaiman bin Jabir Al Jabri to 10 years in prison, while Derek William Green, an American, received a verdict of three-year suspended jail term and deportation. In a separate case, the court convicted Dana Gerlish, a German woman, of premeditated murder of Gert Manfred Gerlish and sentenced her to life imprisonment. She will be deported after serving the sentence. The German victim was shot dead and his body found in a residential district in Muscat Governorate on December 2, last year. Four other accomplices in the same case were also sentenced to life in prison after convicted by the court. They are Ali bin Issa bin Mansoor Al Nobi, Mamoon bin Hafidh bin Salim Al Ghassani, Mahmoud bin Salim bin Khalfan Al Gardani and Fawzi bin Mohammed bin Salim Al Ghammari. The 43-year-old Rebecca was found guilty of killing oil worker husband Mark Lee Thompson in December. Derek William Green is Rebecca's 14-year-old son by a previous marriage. The husband was battered to death on December 30 last year and his body partly burnt. During the trial, which concluded April 21, Rebecca claimed she was provoked into hitting and killing her husband with an iron bar. Dana Gerlish, a physiotherapist, was sentenced to life in prison for killing her father, Gert Manfred Gerlish, a 53-year-old car mechanic, who was shot in the head at point-lank range in Qurum in early December. The prosecution had said that Gerlish, who pleaded not guilty to premeditated murder, decided to get her father killed because he opposed the relationship with her fiance. In another case, a Bangladeshi man was sentenced to death for murder and rape of a woman, Halema bint Sulaiman bin Mohammed Al Mamari. Zuhair Islam Abdul Haq was given capital punishment for murder and 10 years imprisonment for rape. The sentences will be merged and the harshest will be executed. Sultan Qaboos Ibn Said has sent a cable of greetings to the French President Jacques Chirac, on his country's National Day. In the cable, the Sultan wished Chirac good health and happiness and the French people further progress and prosperity under his wise leadership. Sultan Qaboos Ibn Said has sent a cable of greetings to Natsagiyn Bagabandi, president of the Republic of Mongolia, on his country's National Day. The Sultanate of Oman will host in February next year the first international conference on biological safety to be held in the Gulf region. The conference is expected to attract wide Arab regional and international participation. Sheikh Abdullah Ibn Salim Al Rowas, minister of regional municipalities, environment and water resources, said organising the conference would underscore the government policy on implementing the vision of Sultan Qaboos Ibn Said regarding preserving the environment and seeking best means to promote environment resources and prevent related harmful activities. The minister noted that the environmental movement in the Sultanate boasted numerous initiatives and achievements, thanks to His Majesty the Sultan's care and added those efforts were capped by designating the years 2001 and 2002 as Years for the Environment. On themes of next year's bio-safety conference, the minister said, the event would discuss developments and scientific progress in the field of bio-safety, and relevant regulatory legislations. The conference will also identify systems for assessing potential risks involved in applying of biological technologies and promote bio-safety and its impact on the environment and community. On the other hand the Sultanate represesented by the ministry of regional municipalities, environment and water resources will host in October the international symposium on water technology and waste water with the co-operation of the UNESCO regional center on urban water management. This was announced by Khaled Al Sulaymani, director of water resources at the ministry of regional municipalities, environment and water resources. He said the ministry aims to exchange information on water resources and the latest developments in water waste. He stressed the importance of the symposium as it comes at a time the Middle East faces large challenges in the field of water due to the increase in population. He said the symposium is part of the care accorded by the Sultanate to water problems and would discuss different areas in the field of water technology and waste water. Khaled Al Sulaymani, director of water resources at the ministry of regional municipalities ended his statement saying that the symposium will be followed by visits to areas of the Sultanate including the waste water station at Sultan Qaboos university. The Unicef office in the Sultanate of Oman drafts its Country Programme charting its vision for supporting the Omani government in the development of national policies and programmes designed to achieve the objectives of the Convention of Child Rights, said Hassan Shawareb UNICEF co-ordinator in Oman. The three-year-long programme encompasses the following broad areas: early childhood development and protection of children and the youth. These areas cover projects on planning, monitoring and evaluation, reduction of malnutrition, better parenting and pre-school learning, quality education, legal and social protection, and adolescent life skills. Although Oman has achieved dramatic progress in child care still there are gaps to be filled. On the other hand 'Check out for Children' event was held and some unique memorabilia were auctioned with its proceeds going to the UNICEF'S 'Check out for Children' programme. The UNICEF'S immunisation programme seeks to change the face of the children, who are so special to the world. In recognition of the needy children Starwood Hotels and Resorts, of which Sheraton is one of the brands, has an ongoing partnership with UNICEF since 1995. Across Starwood hotels worldwide, the 'Check out for Children' programme has proved successful. Every time a guest checks out, he or she can choose to make a token contribution of $1 and this year the Starwood hotels have touched the $10 million mark in collections. Speaking ahead of the charity dinner, Oman's Goodwill Ambassador for Unicef Hamed Al Wahaibi said: "I fully support this event in raising funds for immunisation programmes." He added: "Everyone's support no matter how small can help save and improve children's lives. As a rally champion, I also endorse the sports theme of the gala event, and ask the children of Oman to adopt healthy lifestyles, which will give them lifetime benefits." UNICEF representative June Kunugi stated: "This is a beautiful demonstration of how 'many drops make an ocean, and every drop counts'." According to Kunugi, the $1 voluntary contributions made by Sheraton and Starwood hotel guests through 'Checkout for Children' have amounted to $10 million for UNICEF'S immunisation programmes, and the funds raised at the charity dinner tomorrow will help immunise some 800,000 children against measles. He said: "Globally, measles is still a major child killer: out of two million children who die every year from vaccine-preventable diseases, half, or one million, die from measles alone. We need everyone's support to provide life-saving vaccinations to the 30 million children who still don't receive them, as part of fulfilling all children's right to survive and lead a life of peace, health and dignity." "The response to this auction shows just how the people in Oman feel towards children. The money raised is going to a worthy cause and will really assist UNICEF and all their projects," he added. Saudi Electricity company has signed a contract to the amount of SR 64 million ($ 17 million) with one of national companies to provide electricity to Hard Lab. No 3 in eastern region. Sulaiman Abdullah Al Qadi Executive Director of the company said the contract signed with Asharq Al-Awsat for Engineering and Development Ltd, will participate in enhancing the capacity of Saudi Aramco to produce oil and gas essential for national sustainable development. New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark imposed diplomatic sanctions on the Zionist entity, shortly after a local court sentenced two "Israelis" for attempting to unlawfully obtain a New Zealand passport. "Israel" breached New Zealand's sovereignty and international law when two of its agents attempted to fraudulently obtain a passport, Clark noted. According to her, "there were very strong reasons to believe" that Uriel Zosha Kelman, 31, and Elisha Cara, 50, "were acting on behalf of Israel's intelligence services." Clark added that New Zealand was suspending high-level visits to and from "Israel", requiring a visa application from any "Israelis" visiting New Zealand in an official government capacity, and delaying approval for appointment of the new "Israeli" ambassador to New Zealand. She also said New Zealand was not interested in having President Moshe Katsav visit the country in August as part of his scheduled trip to Australia. "New Zealand condemns without reservation these actions by agencies of the Israel government," Clark said in the statement. She said "Israel" was asked for an explanation and an apology three months ago, but has not provided either one. "The Israeli agents attempted to demean the integrity of the New Zealand passport system and could have created considerable difficulties for New Zealanders presenting their passports overseas in future," Clark said. "This type of behavior is unacceptable internationally by any country", she said and recalled it was not the first time "Israel" had sought fraudulently to obtain passports from another country. The Auckland High Court sentenced Kelman and Cara to six months in jail and a fine of 50,000 New Zealand dollars each. The New Zealand media quoted government sources as saying the two were part of a Mossad cell that was working to obtain New Zealand passports for use in secret operations. Philippine National Police (PNP) operatives apprehended an Israeli Mera Doutvsky in Baguio City. Reports reaching the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City, disclosed that Mera was nabbed by joint elements of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit and the Bureau of Immigration at the vicinity of the Department of Social Welfare Development in Baguio City. Authorities also said that Doutvsky was also found to be an undocumented and overstaying alien. Doutvsky was turned over to the office of Alipio Fernandez Jr., BI commissioner, in Manila for proper disposition. The authorities reportedly prevented a possible terror attack coinciding with the 106th celebration of Independence Day. Iran has arrested a number of Iranian supporters of Osama bin Laden 's al-Qaeda group, the country's intelligence minister was quoted as saying by state television last Saturday. "Iran's intelligence apparatus has identified and arrested small Iranian deviate branches of the al-Qaeda group," state television quoted minister Ali Yunesi as saying. It did not elaborate or specify how many were detained. Yunesi warned Iran would take a tough line against militants using Iran as a base. "Those who seek to misuse the safe situation in Iran will face serious consequences," he said. Iran says it has arrested and repatriated hundreds of al-Qaeda suspects in the last two years. It also says it wants to try other al-Qaeda suspects it has detained who come from countries viewed as unfriendly. French President Jacques Chirac says Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is not welcome in Paris until he explains his appeal to French Jews to leave the country, a presidential spokeswoman said. "A visit by the Israeli prime minister won't be looked at closely until the requested explanation is provided," the spokeswoman said. Sharon said last weekend that French Jews should consider immigrating to Israel because of the rise in anti-Semitic incidents in France. An invitation to visit France had apparently been extended to Sharon, but no date had been set, French officials said. The French foreign ministry said Sharon's remarks were "unacceptable," and other officials described them as an "insult to France." Leaders of some French Jewish groups also disagreed with Sharon's remarks and said the Israeli prime minister was not well-informed about events inside France. |