October 1, 2004

IN BRIEF ***** The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz has sent a cable of congratulations to President Ali Abdullah Saleh on Yemen's September-26 anniversary. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques expressed his good wishes to the President and people of Yemen, and highlighted the existing fraternal relations between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Yemen. Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard and Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Second Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General sent a message to Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Saleh. The message was delivered to the Yemeni president during his meeting with Dr. Musaed Ibn Mohammed Al-Eiban, the Minister of State and Cabinet Member. The message dealt with joint cooperation between the two brotherly countries; Kingdom's congratulations on Yemen's September 26 anniversary and on suppression of rebellion in Miran Region in Saadah Province, stressing the Kingdom's stand by Yemen. On his part, the Yemeni president sent his greetings to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Crown Prince and the Second Deputy Premier, wishing them permanent health and happiness and the Saudi people steady progress and prosperity. The meeting was attended by Saudi Ambassador to Yemen Mohammed Ibn Mirdass Al-Qahtani. ********** Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz has sent a reply cable to Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Second Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General, thanking him for the cable of thanks Prince Sultan had earlier sent to King Fahd on the occasion of the issuance of the royal order to grant a financial reward of two-month salaries to all military and security men in Saudi Arabia. A similar cable has also been sent by King Fahd to Chief of General Staff General Salih Ibn Ali Almohaya. Furthermore, Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard has sent similar cables to Prince Sultan and General Almohaya on the same occasion. ********** The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Fahd Bin Abdulaziz has ordered the formation of the Board of Directors of the Saudi-Aramco Company under the chairmanship of Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Eng. Ali Bin Ibrahim Al-Naimi, for a period of three years effective from 15/9/1425 H. The Board will have the following members: - Dr Ibrahim bin Abdulaziz Al-Assaf - Dr Abdulaziz bin Ibrahim Al-Mane' - Dr Abdulrahman bin Abdulaziz Al-Tuweijiri - Dr Mohammed bin Ibrahim Al-Suweil - Abdullah bin Saleh bin Juma - Abdullah bin Seif Al-Seif - Abdulaziz bin Fahd Al-Khayyal - Khalid bin Abdulaziz Al-Falih - Rodni B. Wagner - Victor Bagini - James W. Keneir ********** Lebanese President Emille Lahoud received the Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Dr. Abdulaziz Khojah. During the meeting, Dr. Khojah conveyed to the president messages of congratulations from Saudi leaders on the occasion of the extension of the president's term. ********** Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard has sent a message to President Zein Elabideen ben Ali of Tunisia dealing with bilateral relations between the two countries and issues at the Arab and International arenas of concern to the two countries. The message was delivered to the president by the Saudi Ambassador to Tunisia Ahmed bin Ali Algahtani during a meeting with him at the presidential palace in Cartage. ********** In the first meeting between the two countries at this level since 35 years, the Libyan foreign minister Muhammad Abdul Rahman Shalqam in New York on Thursday met with his American counterpart Colin Powell who asked for "more efforts in the terrorism file." He, in particular indicated the need of giving convincing explanations on the allegations that Tripoli did not conspire to assassinate the Saudi crown prince Abdullah. The two ministers shook hands before the cameras of photographers in the beginning of the meeting in the hotel where Powell is residing to take part in the meetings of the UN General Assembly. The two ministers did not make statements on the content of their meeting. This meeting. however, constitute a landmark on the improving relations between the two countries since Libya in 2003 decided to give up nuclear, biological and chemical weapons and to shoulder responsibility over blowing up the Lockerbie plane in 1988. One official at the US Department Of State said that Libya's decision to give up mass destruction weapons and the recognition made by the Libyan leadership that this weapons is a source of instability, are all positive indicators. Powell told his Libyan peer "we want to achieve progress on this ground." He added "we welcome Libya's open renunciation of terrorism and its collaboration in sharing information on international terrorism." He stressed that Libya has to give convincing explanations addressed by a Muslim American detained in the US at the beginning of the year stating that the Libyan regime is involved in an assassination attempt on the Saudi crown prince Abdullah. Commenting on the alleged Libyan plot to assassinate Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, Powell said at a September 24 press conference that he conveyed to Shalghem that the issue "required continued inquiry and investigation and that it would be a problem in our relationship . . . as we go forward until the matter is cleared up." "He [Foreign Minister Shalghem] did not have any information for me that advanced my knowledge of the subject or removed the problem," said Powell. In the State Department's annual report on terrorism "we documented what has been a clear, positive trend in Libyan behavior on these issues in recent years. But before the president, the Bush administration goes to Congress on the terrorism list, we want to make sure we work through all those issues," said the U.S. official who spoke on the condition of anonymity. There also have to be assurances that no residual links to terrorist groups remain before the United States can be reasonably assured about Libyan behavior in the future, the official said. ********** Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard received a telephone call from President Yasser Arafat of Palestine. During the conversation, President Arafat congratulated Crown Prince Abdullah on Saudi Arabia's national day anniversary. They also discussed the latest developments at the Palestinian arena and issues of mutual concern. ********** Prince Nawaf Ibn Abdul Aziz, Chief of the General intelligence has sent a cable of thanks to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz and Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard, on the occasion of the issuance of the royal order to grant a financial reward of two-month salaries to all military and security men in Saudi Arabia. In the cable, prince Nawaf said the reward had a positive impact on members of the General intelligence. ********** Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Second Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General, received the French Ambassador to the Kingdom Bernard Poletti who came to bid Prince Sultan farewell upon the end of his term of office as ambassador of his country to the Kingdom. Later, Prince Sultan received the U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom James Oeberwetter. During the audience, they exchanged cordial talks and discussed a number of issues of mutual concern. ********** Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Second Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General, has donated Around SR 2 million for the renovation and refurbishment of the Saudi school in Rabat. Parents of the students expressed their thanks and gratitude for the generous initiative. At the celebration held on the occasion of the new school year they addressed their thanks to Prince Sultan for the donation that will be used for several improvements around the school. The celebration was attended by Dr Mohammed Ibn Abdul Rahman Al Bishr Saudi Ambassador to Morocco, a number of Arab Ambassadors, high ranking Moroccan officials as well as parents of the students. The Saudi school in Rabat has around 272 students in all levels. ********** The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques has agreed on the demand presented by the Minister of the Interior Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz to provide the Ministry of Trade and Industry with a list of 13 Israeli companies that export their merchandise to the Gulf markets pretending that it has been produced outside Israel, so that the Ministry of Trade and Industry could gather information on these companies used by Israel as an umbrella to export its products. The Saudi Council of Ministers has issued its directives to the Ministry of Trade and Industry to continue its direct contacts with the Jordanian side and make sure that the Kingdom will ban Jordanian companies products if it appears that these companies cooperate with Israeli factories. It also added that this issue will be discussed at the joint Saudi Jordanian meeting. The Council of Ministers stressed that the ministries of Interior, Rural and Urban Affairs, Foreign Affairs, Trade and Industry, Finance, Agriculture and health in addition to King Abdul Aziz City for Science and Technology should implement these recommendations in order to prevent this infiltration. ********** A Saudi official has denied that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is ready to decrease or cancel the Iraqi debts to the amount of $ 30 Billion. The official said our position has not changed adding the Kingdom will not work on its own but through Paris and Madrid club. Richard Armitage the Deputy Secretary of State had announce that the $ 45 billion offered by the Gulf states to Iraq from 1980 to 1988 were a donation. But the Saudi official stressed that these amounts were loaned to Baghdad. The Kingdom also informed a meeting of the donors that any decrease in the debts should be built on the principle of sharing with other parties. Saudi Arabia is the largest creditor. The debts include $ 24 billion in cash and a further $ 6 million of oil supplies. ********** The Ministry of Labour will start a media campaign for a project to list all those seeking jobs. The Under Secretary of the Ministry of Planning Dr Abdul Wahed Al Homaid said that Ministry wants to list job seekers with the cooperation of the General Organization for Technical Education and Vocational Training. The project is addressed to all Saudis. The first phase will receive male only while the second phase will receive male and female. Al Homaid said the project will be advertised during this month and job seekers will be met by professionals, and services are going to be provided according to their needs. ********** Sultan Qaboos has issued three Royal Decrees. Royal Decree No 100/2004 amends some of the provisions of the pensions and gratuity system for the personnel of the Defence Ministry and the Sultan's Armed Forces. Article 1 of the decree replaces the text of the second and third clauses of Article 15 of the above-mentioned system by the following text: "Its calculation includes the service period which the employee had completed in any government or private sector authority without receiving any pension or gratuity, provided that all contributions which comprise his/her pension rights for these periods are transferred to the Fund. The employee shall pay the aforesaid contributions for the secondment and the payless leave periods. The minister may at the recommendation of the Fund exempt the employee from all or part of the state contribution when necessity arises." The decree comes into force from the date on which Royal Decree No 3/2003 becomes effective. Royal Decree No 101/2004 endorses the oil agreement signed between Oman and the Chinese Sinopec Petroleum Exploration and Production Corporation on 23/8/2004. Royal Decree No 102/2004 endorses the agreement on encouragement and mutual protection of investments signed between Oman and the Swiss Federal Council in Bern on 17/8/2004. The last two decrees came into force. ********** Shaikh Abdullah Ibn Ali al Qatabi, President of Majlis Ash'shura, received Abdul Qadir Ibn Saleh, President of the Algerian Ummah Council, and his delegation. Al Qatabi briefed the guest about the Shura march in the Sultanate. The Algerian guest praised Oman's modern renaissance. He hailed the Sultan support for the Arab cause in the international arena, as well as his calls for world peace and stability. Al Qatabi and Bin Saleh discussed ways of boosting parliamentary co-operation between Majlis Ash"shura and the Algerian council. Later, Al Qatabi hosted a dinner banquet at Oman Sheraton Hotel in honour of the Algerian guest and his delegation. The dinner was attended by senior government officials. A session of talks was held at the Majlis Addawla between the Omani side led by Dr Yahya bin Mahfoudh al Mantheri, Majlis Addawla President, and the Algerian side headed by Abdulqadir bin Saleh, President of the Ummah Council. Al Mantheri said such meetings would help boost relations between the two countries and the two councils. The session reviewed Arab and international developments and matters of common concern. Saleh said he was delighted to visit the Sultanate and thanked Al Mantheri for his invitation to him to visit the Sultanate to exchange views on ways of enhancing bilateral co-operation. He told Oman News Agency that the two sides reviewed the experiences of the two countries on parliamentary issues. He expressed delight at the policy adopted by the Sultanate to achieve continuity and stability in the Shura field. The session was attended by members of the Majlis, the Majlis Secretary-General, the Algerian ambassador to the Sultanate and the delegation accompanying the guest. ********** Arabic scholars and researchers from the region and outside will gather at Sultan Qaboos University, from October 4 to 6, to share their experience and knowledge at a conference, titled 'Arabic Language in Education: Identity and Creativity'. Besides keeping up the Arabic/Islamic identity, the event aims at achieving certain goals such as infusing a sense of pride towards Arabic language among learners, inculcating a strong belief that Arabic language could relate with civilisation and scientific developments just like other languages, and finally, focusing on the reality of teaching Arabic language in public learning. Four main issues have been identified for discussion at the conference. The first issue is Arabic language: identity and creativity, which will focus on Arabic language as the main element of Arab identity and the relationship between Arabic language and creativity. Second, Arabic language in the public learning, which will see experts discussing Arabic language curricula in learning, the effects of teaching foreign languages in the early stages of public learning and the role of the learning environment towards the Arabic language. The third issue to be discussed is, Arabic language in higher education, which will focus on Arabisation in higher education, language requirements for academic students and Arabic language teachers. The fourth topic is on Arabic language at private schools, colleges and universities. ********** The Sultanate's total export of crude oil reached 154. 67 million barrels compared to 162.86 million barrels during the corresponding period of last year, constituting a fall of 5 per cent. The statistical bulletin issued by the Ministry of National Economy showed that the Sultanate's total production of crude oil and condensates stood at 167.002 million barrels by the end of July this year compared to 176.11 million during the corresponding period of last year, constituting a drop of 5.2 per cent. The bulletin stated that the average daily production during the first seven months of this year stood at 784,000 barrels compared to 830,800 barrels during the corresponding period of last year, fell by 5.6 per cent. It showed that the average price of Oman crude rose by the end of July this year by 18.2 per cent, amounting to $32.61 per barrel, compared to $27.60 during the corresponding period of last year. China topped the countries importing Omani oil as regards the quantity by the end of July this year. As the imported quantity reached 65.55 million barrels compared to 34.64 million barrels during the corresponding period of last year, rose by 89.2 per cent. The Sultanate's production of liquefied natural gas (LNG) rose by 6.4 per cent to reach 453.78 million cubic feet at the end of July this year, compared to 426.45 million cubic feet by the end of July last year. Gas consumption also rose by 6.4 per cent to 453.78 million cubic feet, compared to 426.45 million cubic feet by the end of July last year. ********** The Information office at the Lebanese presidency has denied rumours circulating in the media about a reshuffle and names of politicians supported by the presidency, who will take part in the new government. A statement published in Beirut said the Information office reiterates that these rumours are not true and that the President has only specified the responsibilities of the new government. ********** UN Mideast envoy Terje Roed Larsen is putting the final touches on a UN report on the compliance of both Lebanon and Syria with Resolution 1559. The resolution, passed on Sept. 2, a day before Parliament amended the Constitution to give President Emile Lahoud three more years in power, calls on all foreign forces to withdraw from Lebanon, not to interfere with the election of a new Lebanese president, and for the disarmament of all Lebanese and non-Lebanese militia in the country. The final draft of Larsen's report is due to reach Annan on Friday and in turn, Annan will present it to the Security Council on Oct. 3 - 30 days after the resolution was passed. After Larsen issues his report, Under Secretary General for Political Affairs Kieran Prendergast will deliver a final UN report on the matter. New York-based diplomatic sources close to Annan said the council will hold a consultation session early next week so it can question Annan and Larsen on the report. Larsen conducted intensive discussions with the parties concerned with the resolution before drafting the UN report. After the discussion session, the Security Council will decide whether to formally convene on the issue. The decision to hold this session depends on the attitude of both the United States and France, the two countries thatco-sponsored the resolution. Annan has urged Lebanon to "prepare practical plans before asking the secretary general for help with regard to the implications of Resolution 1559." The Lebanese delegation to the UN, which is headed by Deputy Prime Minister Issam Fares and includes Foreign Minister Jean Obeid, has made it clear that Lebanon wants no foreign troops to remain on Lebanese soil. "But Lebanon's opposition to a complete Syrian troop withdrawal stems from the fact that such a withdrawal could jeopardize the country's domestic political stability," Fares told Annan in a meeting that was attended by Larsen and Arab UN diplomat Lakhdar Ibrahimi. ********** Lebanese Deputy Premier and Head of his country's delegation to UN General Assembly meetings Issam Fares expressed pleasure over the UN understanding of Lebanon's point of view. In a statement carried by the Lebanese National News Agency, Fares stressed UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's complete understanding of Lebanon's attitude over latest amendment of the Lebanese constitution. On the relations with Syria, Fares said "these relations concern us, they are based on agreements and treaties between us. We are the parties who decide what is right for our country." No action is likely to be taken by the Administration before the report that UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan is mandated to deliver to the Security Council by Council Resolution 1559, adopted at the beginning of the month and calling for the withdrawal of all foreign (by implication, Syrian) forces from Lebanon and the disarmament of all Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias. In this context the Lebanese Foreign Ministry and other official bodies have been carrying on a campaign to inform the "decision-making powers" of Lebanon's view of Resolution 1559. This is the task especially of the Lebanese delegation attending the 59th session of the UN General Assembly in New York. The delegation was being led by Deputy Prime Minister Issam Fares, who addressed the assembly to say that Lebanon agreed with the world body on the principle of a withdrawal of foreign forces from its territory, but disagreed on the timetable for a pullout, "which should be the subject of discussions between the two countries and should depend on security conditions in the region". In regard to Resolution 1559, Fares noted its two dimensions. "The first is a matter for discussion between the Lebanese and Syrian governments. The second, in regard to the Constitution, we consider to be an unacceptable interference in our internal affairs". Then, reiterating Beirut's support for the UN in its struggle with every form of terrorism, "which cannot be confused with the struggle to recover despoiled national rights", Fares laid down four desiderata for the UN: resolving the Arab-Israeli conflict; achieving peace in Iraq; setting in place a new order based on justice and the right of peoples to determine their own destiny; and making the Middle East a region free of all weapons of mass destruction. ********** US Secretary of State Colin Powell said last week he believed Syria had adopted a "helpful" attitude in addressing US concerns about patrolling its border with Iraq and meeting a UN call to withdraw troops from Lebanon. A day after holding what he termed "positive" talks with Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk Shara on the sidelines of the annual session of the UN General Assembly, Powell said he had been encouraged by Damascus' response. "We were pleased to see that there is under way a withdrawal of forces from Lebanon and from some camps south of Beirut that we have not previously seen withdrawals. "So I think that's encouraging", Powell told reporters at the State Department's Foreign Press Center in New York. Powell said that Washington -- based on his conversation with Shara and recent talks in Damascus between Syrian President Bashar Assad and senior US officials -- believed Syria might accept a US-backed UN Security Council resolution calling for all foreign forces to withdraw from Lebanon. "We get the impression that the Syrians are taking the resolution seriously and are trying to be helpful." Last week, Syria began redeploying about 3,000 of its some 15,000 troops remaining in Lebanon in apparent response to the UN resolution. It was the fifth redeployment in three years, during which Syria has trimmed the number of its troops in Lebanon from a high of 35,000 at the end of the 1975-1990 war. Shortly before Powell spoke, Syrian state radio hailed what it described as a "marked improvement" in ties with the United States after the Powell-Shara meeting and the visit to Damascus earlier this month of top US Middle East envoy, William Burns. US-Syrian relations reached a new low in May, when Washington imposed sanctions on Damascus for its support of what Washington termed terrorist groups and undermining the American military occupation of Iraq. But shortly after Burn's trip to Syria, reports emerged that Damascus was ready to begin cooperating with the interim government of Iraq and the US-dominated coalition there on stemming the flow of militants, guns and money over the Syrian border. "Conversations are taking place between the coalition, and the Iraqi interim government and Syrian authorities with respect to the border and people going back and forth across the border", Powell said. A US delegation was expected in Damascus soon to discuss concrete ways of securing the border, across which Washington alleges militants were crossing to destabilize the interim Iraqi administration. Powell said the talks with Shara had ended "on a positive note" but stressed that if US ties with Syria were to be fully normalized, Washington would need to see more than words. "We have seen some positive actions but we are looking for full action and not just statements or claims to action". ********** Sheikh Tayseer Al-Tamimi, chief Islamic judge in Palestine, has underlined that Jewish fanatic groups were posing real dangers to the holy Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem. He warned of the consequences of the continuing Zionist diggings under the foundations of the holy site that has not ceased ever since the occupation of eastern Jerusalem in 1967. Tamimi affirmed, in this regard, that protection of the Aqsa Mosque was the responsibility of the Arab and Muslim Ummah. He warned that Arab and Islamic silence was encouraging the fanatic Jewish groups and the Zionist government to go ahead in their schemes against holy shrines. Zionist warnings on the possible collapse of the Marwani Mosque targeted probing Arab and Islamic reactions before embarking on the second stage of their schemes, the chief Islamic judge opined. ********** Sudanese security authorities have found a new weapons cache near Khartoum and blamed Hassan al-Turabi's opposition Popular Congress party for hiding the arms, which were to be used in a coup, media reports said. Dozens of members of Turabi's party have been arrested, the reports said. In its early morning bulletin, Omdurman radio said weapons and ammunition including Kalashnikov rifles, rocket-propelled grenade launchers, and hand grenades were found in a pre-dawn raid Monday in a house in the Marzouq suburb of Omdurman, on the opposite banks of the Nile River to Khartoum, the capital. Interior Minister Abdel Rahim Moohamed Hussein, accompanied by senior army, police and security officers and a senior prosecutor, rushed to the scene to watch the latest arms cache being hauled out, the radio said. Four men living in the house were arrested, said the report which was also carried by dailies Al Rai Al Aam and Akhbar Al Youm. The seizure was the fifth since last Friday, when the authorities said they had thwarted a coup bid led by Turabi's party. The opposition has dismissed the government's claims of a coup plot, saying they were a ploy to divert attention from the crisis in the western region of Darfur and an excuse to crush the banned Popular Congress party. ********** The United Nations atomic agency called for a nuclear-free zone in the Middle East and for North Korea to dismantle its nuclear weapons programmes. On the last day of its week-long annual conference, the 137-nation International Atomic Energy Agency passed a resolution that "affirms the urgent need for all states in the Middle East to forthwith accept the application of full-scope agency safeguards to all their nuclear activities ... as a step in enhancing peace and security in the context of the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone". The IAEA's call for a nuclear-free zone in the Middle East, which was adopted by consensus, did not name Israel specifically but was clearly aimed at it, which is believed to be the only nation in the region with atomic weapons. The IAEA also called on North Korea "to completely dismantle any nuclear weapons programme" and to allow international inspectors to return to monitor nuclear activities there, after they were kicked out of the country in December 2002. The IAEA's demand for a nuclear-free Middle East did not specifically mention Israel, which neither confirms nor denies that it has atomic weapons and is the only state in the region which has not signed the NPT. Israel, which is an IAEA member, is believed to have up to 200 nuclear weapons. Israel was part of the consensus in favour of the resolution, which was passed in time for the Israeli delegation to leave for the sundown start of the Jewish Yom Kippur festival, the holiest day in the Jewish year. But the head of the Israeli atomic energy commission, Gideon Frank, reminded the IAEA conference of Israel's insistence that there must be an overall peace agreement in the Middle East before any nuclear-free zone could be created and that "no progress compromising national security is viable". But Egypt's IAEA ambassador, Ramzy Ezzeldin Ramzy, said the establishment of a nuclear-free zone in the Middle East was "something that cannot wait until there is a just and comprehensive peace but it is the very axis (of such a peace)". The resolution was part of a compromise package worked out under US moderation. Israel agreed to support the call for a nuclear-free Middle East in return for an Arab proposal to discuss "Israeli nuclear capabilities and threat" being put off until next years's IAEA general conference. This year's IAEA conference saw a showdown on Tuesday between the UN watchdog and Iran, which defied an IAEA ultimatum to immediately halt all uranium enrichment activities. ********** The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Troika þ delegation led by Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Dr. Mohammad Sabah Al-Salem þ þAl-Sabah met Thursday with the EU representatives.þ EU Foreign Policy chief Javier Solana told reporters that "discussions þduring the meeting touched on bilateral relations, including the economic, þ þcommercial and investment matters that are being fostered by lapse of time".þ He said "views of both sides on regional and world issues were identical".þ The meeting he added was a chance to brief the GCC delegation on meetings þ of the Quartet concerned with the peace in the Middle East.þ The EU is member of the quartet in addition to the US, Russia and the UN.þ In turn GCC Secretary General Abdul Rahman Al-Atiya said in a statement that the discussions centered on need to end the GCC-EU economic negotiations þand to set a date for the next round of talks.þ On the political matters Atiyah said the GCC delegation voiced appreciation þ þfor the European stance on Middle East peace and the voting of the Europeans in favour of the UN resolution that condemened Israel's building of the separation wall.þ Atiyah concluded that the EU side repeated keenness on Iraq's territorial unity and stability. ********** Muslim leaders are launching a guide on citizenship and rights in the wake of fears over anti-terrorism policing. Some 500,000 copies of the guide are being distributed to Muslim households around the UK. The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) says Muslims need to protect their rights and play an active civic role. Home Secretary David Blunkett has welcomed the publication, although some Muslims say they believe it may do more harm than good. The 16-page pocket booklet, 'Know Your Rights and Responsibilities' includes advice for Muslims on what to do if arrested or stopped by the police, how to play a fuller role in schools, and urges readers to join political parties. It also details how to complain to the media if they find stories they believe to be Islamophobic or unfair in other ways. On the threat of terrorism, the guide lists the key police anti-terrorism hotline and, with verses from the Koran, stresses that averting an attack on the UK is an "Islamic imperative". Terrorism has no religion and is indiscriminate in whom it injures and kills - public vigilance and co-operation is essential. The booklet is being officially launched at a conference at the London Muslim Centre, in east London. The guide represents a major effort by the MCB to more directly assist members of Islamic communities in both tackling prejudice and fears over terrorism, while encouraging them to become more active citizens. Inayat Bunglawala, spokesman for the MCB, said: "We had the idea for the booklet after the Madrid bombings. We had sent a letter to mosques but we thought we needed to get something into households. "Many people are deeply unhappy with the media and so on - but we need people to be more engaged if they are to make a difference." A quarter of the guide is devoted to rights in relation to the security services. It gives advice on being stopped and searched, what happens if questioned at an airport and what to do if police enter the home. The guide also details employment rights, including how they can combat prejudice thanks to the recent workplace ban on religious discrimination. The publication will later be available in Urdu, Gujarati, Arabic, Bengali and Turkish translations. ********** Ghazi Al-Gosaibi, minister of labor has turned down all proposals aimed at fixing minimum wages to accelerate the localization of the jobs in the private sector according to a report by the Arabic Language newspaper Okaz. Gosaibi justified his rejection of these proposals by maintaining that there are seven million expatriate workers in the Kingdom who are five or six times more in number than Saudi workers. The minimum wage system is applied in many countries in the world but you will never ever find any country in the world that applies the two sides of this system one for the nationals and another one for the foreigners. Thus if we introduce a two different wages system in the country this will constitute a gross violation of human rights for it will be considered as segregation. He went on to explain other drawbacks of a two-tier wage system. And if we apply this minimum wage system under the current labor structure then our economy will turn upside down in the sense that this will lead to the emergence of manpower blackmarket, he said. In turn, this will increase the cost of the work force by two or three times, a matter that will adversely affect the enterprises and lead to surge in unemployment. This shows that the minimum wages scale can only be made if the majority of the workers are natives. He pointed out that the countries that have endorsed the minimum wages system usually have a very limited number of foreign workers. If we assume that we plan a minimum wage of SR3000 then most of the factories will close down. And if we fix a minimum wage scale of SR1000 for the housemaids then the salaries of the maids will drastically jump up. This makes me call on the business owners to focus more on the employment of the citizens rather than pressing for fixing a minimum wage scale for the workers, which will only help in increasing the rate of unemployment. This seems to be very easy solution but still we need to ponder over its negative economic impact. ********** Some 3,000 Syrian soldiers have withdrawn from Lebanon in recent days, a senior Lebanese army official said. Syrian troops began vacating positions Sept. 21. Military convoys headed from areas near the coast toward the Syrian border in the Bekaa Valley. Witnesses confirmed statements by Lebanese officials that troops had crossed into Syria and not just redeployed inside Lebanon. A senior Lebanese military official said that "some 3,000 Syrian soldiers have returned to Syria in the past few days." That would leave an estimated 15,000 Syrian soldiers deployed in Lebanon, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Officials have said only 3,000 soldiers would redeploy at this stage. ********** British police said on Saturday they had arrested four men under anti-terrorism legislation after a tip-off from a newspaper which said the suspects tried to buy explosives for a dirty bomb. Three of the men were arrested in a raid on a hotel in Brent Cross, north London, and the fourth was seized later the same day at his home, also in north London. "All four were arrested under section 41 of the Terrorism Act, on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism," London's Metropolitan police said in a statement. They said they had been acting on information provided by the News of the World newspaper, which said one of its reporters had infiltrated a gang trying to buy radioactive material. ********** Iran stressed its commitment to voluntary suspension of uranium enrichment, but warned against hauling Tehran to the UN Security Council for possible sanctions. Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi reiterated Iran`s overtures for dialogue after the world nuclear watchdog recently set a deadline for Tehran to come clean on its nuclear program. Speaking at a weekly news briefing, he said nothing has changed since the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) adopted a resolution which called on Tehran to freeze all enrichment activities. In a move to prove its good faith, Tehran has voluntarily suspended uranium enrichment and manufacture of centrifuge components. Moreover, the Islamic Republic has signed an additional protocol to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT), allowing snap inspections of its nuclear activities. Asefi said, "We are still committed to voluntary suspension of uranium enrichment and have not yet started injection of (hexafluride) gas to (centrifuges)." The Foreign Ministry spokesman further played down several Iranian MPs` call to quit the NPT, saying the issue is not `seriously on our agenda yet`. "Several MPs believe that if the Europeans and the IAEA treat Iran improperly, such an action has to be taken, but this is only their view. "However, Iran will adjust its policies according to the performance and decision of the opposite side (the Europeans)," Asefi added. He said, "We do not want Iran`s file referred to the Security Council, but in case of a referral, the Europeans will be harmed more than us." The IAEA Board of Governors recently approved a resolution, setting a November 25 deadline for a full review of Iran`s nuclear program and calling on Tehran to `immediately` suspend all uranium enrichment activities. The Europeans, however, opposed Washington`s demand to set an October 31 ultimatum for Tehran to fully suspend uranium enrichment or report Iran to the UN Security Council for possible sanctions. Asefi said, "The Islamic Republic has the capacity to fend off every serious problem even if its dossier is sent to the Security Council. "But world countries must refrain from using the language of forceand threats since it is the worst approach in international relations," he added. The Foreign Ministry spokesman said a `bridge has to be built between the Europeans` concerns and Iran`s legitimate right to peaceful nuclear technology`. The official stressed that nuclear weapons have no place in Iran`s defensive doctrine, but did not mince his words when asked about a possible Israeli attack on the country`s nuclear facilities. "Israel is well aware of its own capacity and that of Iran`s and such threats are aimed at deviating public opinion since Israel is not at a level to square up to Iran. "Israel has no right to pass its views in this respect, and as a country which has the most sophisticated and destructive atomic weapons it is not permitted to say who is entitled to have nuclear weapons and who is not," Asefi added. Iran has already dismissed the world nuclear watchdog`s demand to freeze uranium enrichment, saying the country does no accept any obligation in this regard. **********