July 30, 2004

THE SAUDI LEADERSHIP REVIEWS WITH PAKISTAN'S PRIME MINISTER THE LATEST DEVELOPMENT IN THE REGION. SAUDI ARABIA WELCOMES THE POSITIVE RESULTS OF THE 9/11 REPORT. PRINCE BANDAR IBN SULTAN: THE REPORT CONFORMS WITH THE SAUDI POSITION TOWARDS TERRORISM AND FIGHTING TERRORISTS. DR GHAZI AL-GOSAIBI SAUDI MINISTER OF LABOR: THE HRW REPORT OF SAUDI ARABIA IS UNBALANCED. Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard chaired the cabinet's weekly session at Al-Salam palace in Jeddah. At the outset of the session, the Cabinet expressed the Kingdom's welcome of the statement issued by U.S. Congress on September 11th events and the Kingdom's efforts in combating terrorism. The Kingdom also welcomed the good proposals relating to cooperation in the field of combating terrorism and opening channels for wider dialogue, a matter that has always been invited by the Kingdom. On the visit of Iraq's Premier Dr. Iyad Allawi to the Kingdom, the Cabinet welcomed the visit, hoping that the visit will achieve the aspirations of the two brotherly peoples and will serve Iraq's interests in general. In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency following the session, the Minister of Social Affairs and Acting Minister of Culture and Information Dr. Ali Ibn Ibrahim Al-Namlah said that the Crown Prince briefed the Cabinet on the contents of talks held by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz and the Crown Prince with Pakistan's Premier Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain. The talks dealt with the latest developments at Islamic and international arenas, bilateral relations between the two countries and ways of their enhancement. The minister added that the Cabinet reviewed reports on the latest developments in the region and the world. The Cabinet praised the final statement which was issued by the 6th meeting of the foreign ministers of Iraq neighboring countries. The statement welcomed the transfer of authority to the Iraqi interim government; stressed Iraq's sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence; and supported the Iraqi government's efforts to assume its political and security responsibilities. The Cabinet affirmed that the statement spoke to the aspirations of the neighboring countries which hope that Iraq enforce security and stability so that it can resume its positive role as an effective member at the international arena. On the Palestinian arena, the Cabinet expressed regret over the differences and rifts in the Palestinian internal front that will only serve Israel, calling on the Palestinians to unite their ranks to confront Israeli aggressions rather than to give Israel an opportunity to fish in troubled waters. It also affirmed the necessity of dealing with Israeli aggressive practices so that the Palestinian people can achieve their stability and security. In this regard, the Cabinet stressed the importance of settling differences wisely and of staying away from dividing the unity of the Palestinian ranks. In this way, the Palestinian people can achieve the good benefits of regaining their usurped rights. The Cabinet condemned Israeli aggression against South Lebanon, renewing its call on the world community, topped by the United Nations, to confront Israel's intransigence and persistent blocking of the resolutions of the international legitimacy through its practices and procrastinations, thwarting thereby all efforts seeking to achieve peace in the region; the latest of such violations is pointed out by the ruling of the International Court of Justice on the illegitimacy of the racial segregation wall in the occupied Palestinian territories. Acting Minister of Culture and Information said the Cabinet then reviewed the domestic items and approved amendments to the basic law of the International Tourism Organization. The cabinet also approved the final account of the Human Resources Development Fund. Furthermore, the cabinet approved issuance by the Ministry of Finance of the required guarantee of the credit support agreement of Alshoaibah 3 project for water and electricity. The cabinet authorized the Minister of Finance to sign credit support agreements for similar projects of water and electricity (Aljobail, Ras Alzoor and Alshqaiq). Finally, the cabinet approved two 14th grade government appointments. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz received Pakistan's Prime Minister Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and his accompanying delegation. During the audience, the two sides discussed the situation on the Islamic and International field and means of cooperation between the two countries. The meeting was attended by Prince Abdul Rahman Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General, Prince Abdul Aziz Ibn Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz, Minister of State and Member of the Cabinet and Chief of the Court of the Cabinet's Presidency and a number of officials from the two countries. Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard, received Pakistani Prime Minister Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and the accompanying delegation. During the meeting, discussions focused on regional, Islamic, international and bilateral issues. The audience was attended by a number of princes and officials. Pakistani Prime Minister Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain discussed with Crown Prince Abdullah trade and investment as well as the situation in Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine and Kashmir, a Pakistan Consulate official said. The talks were useful and successful, Pakistani Press Consul Sohail Ali Khan told The Saudi Gazette. The bilateral relations could be further cemented through enhanced trade and commercial activity, Khan said. The discussions are said to have also covered current issues facing the Muslim nations as well as measures to bring Pakistan and Saudi Arabia closer. Khan said that Abdullah remarked during the meeting that Saudi Arabia and Pakistan could constitute a force for peace and stability in the Islamic world. Chaudhry met with the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz , earlier in the day during which he apprised the Saudi monarch of developments taking place in and around Pakistan, especially the talks with India. The Pakistani Prime Minister also held talks with Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz, Minister of Interior, on their ongoing as well as future efforts in the global war against terrorism. Chaudhry, who had arrived on a four-day official visit last Thursday, left for Islamabad after the meetings. His entourage during the meetings included Pakistani ministers Ejaz Ul Haq, Babar Ghouri, Mohammad Naseer and Raees Munir and also Pakistan s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Admiral Abdul Aziz Mirza and Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan Ali Awadh Assiri. It was Chaudhry's first visit to a foreign country as prime minister and it will most likely be his last one in that capacity as Chaudhry would hand over the premiership to Shaukat Aziz, Minister of Finance, in less than four weeks from now. Shaukat Azaiz is now contesting member-of-parliament (MP) seats from two constituencies one in Sindh and the other in Punjab to qualify for premiership. A frequent visitor to Saudi Arabia for over three decades as Pakistani citizen, parliamentarian, provincial and federal minister and now as head of the government, Chaudhry drew huge crowds of visitors. Chaudhry's children have been studying in Saudi Arabia. For about 24 hours in the Prophet's City, Chaudhry received scores of Pakistanis in and outside his residence as well as at the Madina Haram. Chaudhry had arrived directly from Pakistan to Madina for prayers at the Prophet's Mosque. On the other hand Ambassador to the United States Prince Bandar Ibn Sultan stated: "The 9-11 Commission has confirmed what we have been saying all along. The clear statements by this independent, bipartisan commission have debunked the myths that have cast fear and doubt over Saudi Arabia." 1. THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF SAUDI GOVERNMENT FUNDING OF AL-QAEDA The 9-11 Commission confirmed that it has found no evidence that the government of Saudi Arabia funded Al-Qaeda. The 9-11 Commission also confirmed that it has found no evidence that the 9-11 hijackers received funding from Saudi citizen Omar Al-Bayoumi, or from Princess Haifa Al-Faisal, wife of Ambassador to the United States Prince Bandar Ibn Sultan. According to the 9-11 Commission: "we have found no evidence that the Saudi government as an institution or senior Saudi officials individually funded the organization." According to the 9-11 Commission: "We have found no evidence that Saudi Princess Haifa al Faisal provided any funds to the conspiracy, either directly or indirectly." Although there was some initial suspicion of Saudi citizen Al-Bayoumi and his contact with two of the 9-11 hijackers, according to the 9-11 Commission: "we have seen no credible evidence that he believed in violent extremism or knowingly aided extremist groups. Our investigators who have dealt directly with him and studied his background find him to be an unlikely candidate for clandestine involvement with Islamist extremistsNeither then nor later did Bayoumi give money to either Hazmi or Mihdhar," 2. SAUDI FLIGHTS WERE INVESTIGATED AND HANDLED PROFESSIONALLY. Despite accusations by Craig Unger, Michael Moore and others, the post 9-11 flights that repatriated Saudi citizens, including members of the bin Laden family, were investigated by the FBI and "no one with known links to terrorism departed on these flights". According to the 9-11 Commission: "First, we found no evidence that any flights of Saudi nationals, domestic or international, took place before the reopening of national airspace on the morning of September 13, 2001. To the contrary, every flight we have identified occurred after national airspace reopened." "Second, we found no evidence of political interventionNone of the officials we interviewed recalled any intervention or direction on this matter from any political appointee." "Third, we believe that the FBI conducted a satisfactory screening of Saudi nationals who left the United States on charter flights. The Saudi government was advised of and agreed to the FBI's requirements that passengers be identified and checked against various databases before the flights departed. The Federal Aviation Administration representative working in the FBI operations center made sure that the FBI was aware of the flights of Saudi nationals and was able to screen the passengers before they were allowed to depart." "The FBI interviewed all persons of interest on these flights prior to their departures. They concluded that none of the passengers was connected to the 9/11 attacks and have since found no evidence to change that conclusion. Our own independent review of the Saudi nationals involved confirms that no one with known links to terrorism departed on these flights." 3. THE SAUDI GOVERNMENT WAS PURSUING BIN LADEN PRIOR TO THE ATTACKS ON THE U.S. The 9-11 Commission confirmed accounts of Saudi Arabia's attempts to capture Osama bin Laden prior to 9-11 and efforts to foil Al-Qaeda terror attacks inside the Kingdom as early as 1998. The Saudi Arabian government was pursuing bin Laden and his Al-Qaeda network before the 9-11 attacks, and these terrorists, in turn, were pursuing targets inside the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia before those attacks on the United States. Osama bin Laden fled Saudi Arabia 10 years before the 9-11 attacks. The government of Saudi Arabia revoked his citizenship in 1994. In 1996, he publicly denounced the government of Saudi Arabia. According to the 9-11 Commission: "The CIA learned in the spring of 1998 that the Saudi government had quietly disrupted Bin Ladin cells in its country that were planning to attack U.S. forces with shoulder-fired missiles. They had arrested scores of individuals, with no publicity." According to the 9-11 Commission: "Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah, who had taken charge from the ailing King Fahd, promised Tenet an all-out secret effort to persuade the Taliban to expel Bin Ladin so that he could be sent to the United States or to another country for trial." The former head of Saudi intelligence Prince Turki Al-Faisal coordinated with CIA Director George Tenet to get Mullah Omar and other Taliban leaders to hand over bin Laden. According to the 9-11 Commission: "Yet in September 1998, when the Saudi emissary, Prince Turki, asked Mullah Omar whether he would keep his earlier promise to expel Bin Ladin, the Taliban leader said no. Both sides shouted at each other, with Mullah Omar denouncing the Saudi government. Riyadh then suspended its diplomatic relations with the Taliban regime." Minister of Labor Dr Ghazi Al-Gosaibi said the report recently issued by the Organization of Human Rights Watch on the situation of the foreign manpower in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has projected the problems of the foreign manpower in an unbalanced manner. He noted that the labor problems in the Kingdom are tackled by labor committees and judiciary organs. 'The Kingdom hosts about seven million expatriates who remit annually about SR 60 billion', he said noting that the Kingdom has been positively contributing to the process of economic development in the countries which export to it the manpower. Dr Al-Gosaibi pointed out that the decision of the Cabinet number 166, issued on 12.7.1421, aimed at organizing relations of employees with their employers in a fair and just manner. 'In line with our Islamic values, we are keen on ensuring honorable treatment for all residents in the country', he said Dr Al-Gosaibi reiterated that the Ministry of Labor would unwaveringly shoulder its responsibility towards solving all labor problems. Minister of Labor Dr. Ghazi Al-Gosaibi accused Human Rights Watch (HRW) of exaggerating the incidence of foreign labor abuse in the Kingdom. He described as "unbalanced " the New York based human rights group's report, released on July 15, alleging that foreign workers in Saudi Arabia were "systematically abused and exploited, some of them living in conditions resembling slavery." Dr. Al-Gosaibi said limited cases of abuse can happen anywhere in the world and that in its annual reports covering all countries of the world, the HRW usually focuses on what it considers as negative and unusual. "The report by HRW about the Kingdom highlighted issues related to foreign labor in an unbalanced way that suggests that abuse is the norm rather than being limited to individual cases that can happen in the Kingdom or anywhere else," the minister said in a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency. Dr. Al-Gosaibi stressed that the report was based on limited cases of individuals hailing from three carefully selected nationalities who work in the Kingdom and that the conclusions drawn by the group did not reflect the true picture of the conditions of expatriate workers in Saudi Arabia. He said the Kingdom hosts many foreign workers who benefit from the work opportunities available. "Saudi Arabia participates indirectly in the economic growth of the home countries of 7 million workers who remit about SR 60 billion ($16 billion) annually." He pointed out that millions of workers come more than once to the Kingdom. "This would not happen had they been abused in the exaggerated way described by the (rights) organization." He said that most of the abuse described in the report is criminal under Saudi labor laws. As for the criticism contained in the report regarding cases of religious nature that are directly linked to Islamic teachings such as executions, he said these are derived from Shariah and that executions are carried out in many countries of the world including the United States where the death penalty is applied in several states. "Execution verdicts are opposed by HRW in principle, despite being applied in many countries including the United States. The Kingdom will always adhere to its religion as the main source for laws and regulations," he said. Dr. Al-Gosaibi said the real problem in most cases lies in the expatriates' ignorance of their rights guaranteed by the country's laws and that the authorities are working to address this problem through educating the workers and also by seeking the cooperation of the countries who have workers in the Kingdom. "We call upon embassies and different countries (of foreign workers) to cooperate and increase awareness among their nationals brought to the Kingdom." He said the labor committees set up to review disputes that arise between the employees and employers handled more than 7,000 cases last year, most of which were filed by expatriate workers and during the current year more than 3,500 cases have been reviewed so far. Meanwhile Dr Mohammed Ibn Abdullah Arafa, member of the Shoura Council and the Islamic Affairs and Human Rights committee said he challenges the HRW report with regards to the labour law. He said the laws are clear, available to all and are covering the rights of workers in all areas. He added that the Kingdom relies on the rules of Islam. He pointed out that there are individual cases related to some employers, but this is not general. On the other hand the Census department has agreed the census for Saudis living abroad, either on a temporary or on a permanent basis. This plan will cover diplomats, delegates in international organizations, students abroad and permanent Saudi residents outside the Kingdom. The plan will be implemented in co-ordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs which will co-ordinate with Saudi embassies abroad. The Census department has called on all Saudi nationals living abroad to contact their embassies and consulates in order to receive the required documents and information. Meanwhile the Muslim delegation under the Chairmanship of Dr Abdullah Ibn Abdul Mohsen Al Turki will start a tour in a number of Arab, Muslim and western countries to discuss issues of concern with officials in those countries. The mission of the delegation will concentrate on youth issues and finding ways of fighting the campaign against Islam through dialogue. Dr Al Turki said the tour will be completed in two phases. The first phase will include a number of Arab and Muslim countries starting with Jordan and Sudan and the second phase will include several dialogues. Dr Al Turki said the mission will concentrate on youth and stressed the importance of education them while co-ordinating will callers, Muslim official and popular institutions, and educating those working in the field of call in order to unify the Muslim message. The delegation includes the Grand Mufti of Lebanon Sheikh Mohammed Rashid Qabbani, the former Sudanese President Mohammed Suwar Al Dhahab and the former Jordanian Minister of Endowment Kamel Al Sharif.