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October 15, 2004 |
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**** The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz received the credentials of a number of foreign ambassadors to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The ambassadors who presented their credentials represent Gambia, Slovenia, Canada, Croatia, Germany, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Lebanon, China, Jordan, Mexico, Hungary, European Commission, Ivory Coast, Turkey, Portugal, the United States of America and Poland. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz's annual gift to the Londoners, including big quantities of copies of the holy Quran, its translations into several languages, different Islamic books and references. The Director of the Makkah-based Muslim World League's London office Abdul Aziz Ibn Nafei Al Harbi said the gift, weighing about ten tons, will be distributed over mosques, Islamic centers, universities and research centers in London before the beginning of the holy fasting month of Ramadan. Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard, has sent a message to Iranian President Sayed Mohammad Khatemi. The message was delivered by Saudi Ambassador to Iran Dr. Nasir Ibn Ahmad Al Boraik during an audience with the Iranian President. The message contained an invitation from the crown prince to the Iranian president to attend the international anti-terrorism conference to be organized by the kingdom on the fifth of February. Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard, received a message from the Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Jabir Al Ahmad Al Sabah. The message was delivered to the crown prince by Kuwaiti Ambassador to the kingdom Sheikh Jabir Da'eej Al Braheem Al Sabah during an audience. Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard, received a message from Tunisian President Zain Al Abideen Bin Ali. The message was delivered to the crown prince by Tunisian Ambassador to the kingdom Salah Aldeen Ma'awi. Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard, received the Minister of Communications and Information Technology and Chairman of Board of Directors of Commission of Communications and Information Technology Mohammed Jameel Mullah accompanied by the Commission's Governor Dr. Mohammed Ibn Ibrahim Al-Suwayyil and his deputies. The Crown Prince directed them to double their efforts to improve communications and information technology and to be in line with the rapid and scientific development of this sector in the world. The audience was attended by a number of princes and officials. Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard, received a number of princes, ministers, senior officials and citizens who came to greet him. Crown Prince Abdullah also received two delegations of Hael-based Al-Waibar and Al-Dighairat Tribes from Shammar and Assir-based delegation of Aklab Tribe. In their speeches, they denounced the acts perpetrated by the deviating group in the country. On his part, Crown Prince Abdullah thanked them for their support, noble feelings and loyalty to the religion and country. The audiences were attended by a number of princes and officials. Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard, has issued his directives to the ministry of municipal and rural affairs to grant plots of land to the Saudi Journalists Association; Culture and Arts Society; and Literary Club in Riyadh. An area of more than 5,000 square meters will be granted to each one in Journalism suburb in Riyadh. The Association's chairman and members of board of directors expressed their appreciation of and thanks to the Crown Prince for granting them a land for building their headquarters. Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard, has sent a cable of congratulations to Ferenc Gyurcsany on the occasion of his election as the Prime Minister of Hungary. Crown Prince Abdullah expressed his good wishes to the Hungarian Premier and people. Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard, has received a message from US President George W. Bush. The message was conveyed to Crown Prince Abdullah by US ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia James Oberwetter during a meeting at his farm. The ambassador conveyed to Crown Prince Abdullah the greetings of US President George W. Bush. The meeting was attended by Prince Nawaf Ibn Abdul Aziz, the President of the General Intelligence, Prince Salman Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Governor of Riyadh region, Prince Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz, the Saudi ambassador to the US, as well as other princes and senior officials. Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Second Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General, has donated $2 million for building a mosque in Kazakhstan. The $2 million cheque was delivered to the Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan by Saudi ambassador to Kazakhstan Ali Al-Hamdan. Dr Majed Ibn Abdullah Al Qasabi Director General of Prince Sultan city for Humanitarian Services confirmed that the city will open a college for health services in the near future. This was announced in a statement he made after patronising the graduation of the first batch of trainees in the English department of the academy. Al Qasabi added that preparations for launching the college are under way as agreements have been achieved with specialized foreign universities and a number of health institutes in the Kingdom, to take part in the implementation of the college programmes, which are expected to offer diplomas and BSc in a number of health specializations. He added that Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz has issued his directives that the college should include the latest technologies and health services. On the other hand the Director General of Al-Faisal International Academy Ahmad Ibn Abdul Rahman Al Tawil confirmed that this batch is the beginning of the realization of the aims of Prince Sultan organization and Al-Faisal Academy for their future projects. He added that the good results achieved in the training programme is a great incentive for all those concerned to achieve more in the future. Al Tawil addressed the thanks of Al-Faisal Academy to thanks to Prince Sultan city for Humanitarian Services for choosing Al-Faisal Academy as a strategic partner in the implementation of this national project. Prince Salman Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Governor of Riyadh region, received the Director General of the World Health Organization, Dr. Lee Jong-wook. During the reception, they exchanged cordial talks on a number of topics of concern to WHO. On behalf of Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard, Prince Salman Ibn Abdul Aziz, Governor of Riyadh Region, patronized a symposium on characteristics and requirements of early childhood. The three-day symposium is organized by Saudi National Childhood Committee of the Ministry of Education. Following the opening of the symposium, Prince Salman expressed happiness for opening the symposium on behalf of the Crown Prince, hoping the symposium will yield good results. In implementation of the directives of Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard, Prince General Miteb Ibn Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, Assistant Deputy Commander of the National Guard for Military Affairs paid an inspection visit to the utilities of vocational military training program at the National Guard Training Center in the Western Sector in Jeddah Governorate. Prince Miteb accompanied by a number of princes and officials made a tour of the center. Earlier, Prince Miteb attended a graduation ceremony of a number of military courses of officers and servicemen at the Center, A speech ceremony was held on this occasion. Then the prince handed prizes and certificates to 438 graduates. Prince Miteb also visited King Saud Brigade in the Western Sector. In a press statement, Prince Miteb praised coordination and planning between the military sectors and the General Organization for Technical Education and Vocational Training and noted that the number of individuals joining courses have reached 6,000. He added that the number of trainees who finished the 1st and 2n courses is 1400 and the 3rd course is more than 1500. Prince Turki Ibn Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Assistant Minister of Culture and Information has praised Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard for issuing his directives to grant a plot of land to the Saudi Journalists Association to build its utilities, noting that this kind gesture is a clear evidence of the government's interest and care for the Saudi Journalism. Prince Turki Ibn Sultan wished the Saudi Journalists Association all success to achieve its supreme goals. Commenting on the remarks made recently in Lebanon by Prince Al Walid Ibn Talal Ibn Abdul Aziz, an official source said the remarks represented Prince Al Walid's own personal opinion and do not reflect at all the position of the Saudi government and people. Furthermore, Prince Al Walid does not have any official capacity, the source said. Commenting on the open letter directed by the Lebanese University Graduates' League to the Crown Prince, the source said that since its foundation, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has never interfered in the affairs of any other country and will never do that because it considers this to be an interference in the sovereignty, independence and the full right of countries to run their affairs without any interference from any body. While stating this fact, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia stresses that it has never stopped and will never stop its support to the brotherly Lebanese people in all fields, respecting the national will of the brotherly Lebanese people without infringing the sovereignty and independence of the Lebanese decision . Police have arrested an Islamic activist in Al-Ahsa, accusing him of sedition and sectarianism, the Ministry of Interior said. In a statement announcing the detention of Muhanna Ibn Abdul Aziz Al-Hubail,, the ministry said he "violated the rules, incited sedition and appointed himself a leader of a suspicious group which aims at causing dissent, and spreading sectarianism. "With this, he broke an undertaking which he made to the authorities. Legal procedures will be taken against him," the statement said. He was arrested with Sheikh Abdul Hameed Al-Mubarak in 2002 for creating trouble and organizing protests in front of the American Consulate in Dhahran. Hubail and Mubarak were released in June the same year. Hubail was arrested last Wednesday night after he announced with four others the establishment of new group called "National Islamic Gathering of Ahsa Province." This new organization came as a shock to many intellectuals and social groups in the Eastern Province because it aimed at promoting sectarianism in the country, the ministry statement said. Such organizations will promote religious sectarianism in a country that is trying to strengthen unity through national dialogue, it added. Many people read Hubail's statement launching the new group on the Internet and other media. Hubail, 41, worked in Aramco after middle school and left work in 1986 to gain religious education. Sultan Qaboos Ibn Said has issued two Royal Decrees. Royal Decree No 106/2004 endorses the amendment of Montreal 1997 and Beijing 1999 of Montreal protocol on the substances depleting the ozone layer. Article 2 of the decree empowers the authorities concerned to submit the amendment approval document in accordance with its provisions. Royal Decree No 107/2004 endorses the Kyoto protocol attached to the United Nations' framework agreement on climate change. The two Royal Decrees came into effect. Sheikh Abdullah Ibn Ali Al Qatabi, president of the Majlis Al Shura, has received a written message from Rohie Fattouh, president of the Palestinian Legislative Council, dealing with promotion of relations between the two councils and the drastic Israeli practices against the Palestinian people which violate the international law. The message was delivered by Awni Battash, accredited ambassador of the State of Palestine to the Sultanate, when received by Qatabi at the Majlis. They reviewed the good ties of fraternity between the two brotherly countries and explored the current developments on the Palestinian arena and issues of joint interest. Qatabi also received Mohammed bin Al Arabi Al Dala'ee, the Moroccan ambassador to the Sultanate of Oman. They discussed the relationship between the two councils of their brotherly countries. The ambassador renewed an invitation from Abdul Wahid El Ra'adi, the speaker of the Moroccan parliament, to Qatabi to visit Morocco. In a statement the PLO Calls for Quartet's Urgent Intervention in Gaza Strip the statement said: As Israel pressed ahead with its deadly invasion of the northern Gaza Strip that has so far taken the lives of 116 Palestinians, the PLO called on the Quartet of the US, UN, EU and Russia to urgently intervene to stop the Israeli military escalation, in light of the latest US veto that undermined a UN Security Council resolution demanding an end to the Israeli reoccupation. The US veto on September 5 was the seventh by the Bush Administration to torpedo a Palestinian anti-occupation motion. The United States vetoed at least 29 pro-Palestinian Security Council draft resolutions. In light of the high toll of Palestinian civilians killed and wounded during the 13-day reoccupation and the destruction of infrastructure as well as industrial, agricultural and business projects, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) called on the world community, the Quartet in particular, and international rights groups to "urgently intervene" to avert the humanitarian crisis in the northern Gaza Strip. The PLO's call came last Sunday following the weekly meeting of its executive committee, which was chaired by President Yasser Arafat at his besieged headquarters in the West Bank city of Ramallah and attended also by the representatives of national anti-occupation factions. Highlighting the "importance of pressuring Israel to return to negotiations in order to secure peace and stability" and calling on the Israeli side to adhere to the signed accords, the Palestinian leadership "rejected statements by Israeli officials that explicitly express the real intentions of the extremist Israeli government, which the leadership had previously warned would destroy the peace process," a statement released by the official news agency WAFA said. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's chief of staff and senior adviser Dov Weisglass told Haaretz the Sharon's Gaza unilateral disengagement plan was designed to remove indefinitely the Palestinian state from the Israeli agenda by freezing the peace process. "The significance of the disengagement plan is the freezing of the peace process . . . effectively, this whole package called the Palestinian state, with all that it entails, has been removed indefinitely from our agenda . . . All with a (US) presidential blessing and the ratification of both (US) houses of Congress," Weisglass said. The Interior Ministry requested non-Muslim residents in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to respect the Muslim holy month of Ramadan by abstaining from eating, drinking and smoking in public during daytime hours. The Ministry warned that those who do not respect Ramadan could face deportation or termination of their work contracts. "Non-Muslim residents in Saudi Arabia must respect Muslims by refraining from eating, drinking or smoking in public places, outdoors and in workplaces during the dawn-to-dusk fast observed by Muslims throughout the holy month," the Ministry statement said. The Ministry reminded non-Muslims in the Kingdom that they are obliged to respect Islamic rules and follow the Kingdom's regulations in accordance with the terms of their contracts. The Ministry urged companies and individual employers to explain the Ministry statement to their non-Muslim personnel and caution them against violation of regulations. Palestinian Leadership expressed its sorrow over what happened to the Egyptian, Israel and other civilians in the explosions took place in Taba and Nwaiba' resorts. During the PLO Executive Committee meeting, headed by President Arafat and attended by representatives of various Palestinian organisations meeting, the Leadership reiterated its decisions, appeals and rejections of extremism, violence and all acts that harm civilians from different nationalities. Regarding the Israeli military escalation, the Leadership said that despite the US veto, the international community, especially the Quartet Committee, should immediately intervene and end the Israeli escalation and, as well as to pressurize Israel to go back to the peace process and to revive negotiation as a real guarantee for achieving peace. The Leadership confirmed that achieving peace, including the establishing of the Palestinian state, depending on the international legitimacy as the path for protecting peace. In this regard, the Leadership reiterated its rejection of statements of some Israeli officials which reveals the maneuvers of the Israeli extremist Government. Such maneuvers target but to total destruction of peace process and reinforcing of the unilateral resolution depending on the plans of the extremist Israelis, According to the Leadership. Israeli PM Sharon's senior adviser Dov Weisglass said that "the significance of the disengagement plan is the freezing of the peace process." "When you freeze that process, you prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state, and you prevent a discussion on the refugees, the borders and Jerusalem," Weisglass said in an interview with Haaretz for the Israeli Friday Magazine. Such Israeli plans would lead the region into unlimited dangers, Leadership said, affirming that the Israeli Government consider the latest US veto as a cover of its extremist policy. Last Friday, October 6, the US vetoed against a draft resolution, submitted by the the Algerian member of the UNSC on behalf of the Arab League, to condemn the Israeli invasion of Gaza Strip. This is the seventh time in which the current US administration uses veto against the UN resolutions relevant to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. The Leadership discussed the Israeli plans and the ambitions of Israeli colonizers to blew up the al-Aqsa Mosque, recalling the explosions found with a colonizer from Kiryat Arba Colony near Hebron prepared for dynamiting Islamic shrines. It concluded its meeting with calling for commitment to the signed agreements and implementing of the Road Map plan for the sake of ending the Israeli occupation and establishing the Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. Israel is holding 25 United Nations employees in the Palestinian West Bank or Gaza but has not charged any with a crime or even told the UN of their detention, UN officials said. The officials spoke a day after an Israeli officer in Jerusalem said Israel had arrested 13 employees of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and planned to indict them for "suspected links to terrorism." Israel linked the UN employees to "terrorism" shortly after backing away from an accusation that Palestinian militants transported a rocket to be fired at Israel in an UNRWA ambulance in Gaza. UNRWA insisted the film showed an ambulance driver carrying a stretcher. Israel is now detaining one person in Gaza and 24 in the West Bank, UN chief spokesman Fred Eckhard told reporters, adding that the individual in Gaza had been held for over two years and was still awaiting trial. He said he was speaking on the issue because of reports that UNRWA staff "may have been detained by Israeli authorities for their involvement in terror activities." While UNRWA quickly requests information about any staff member it finds has been detained, Israel had rarely provided any information, he said. Nor had UNRWA officials been allowed access to the detainees, said Maher Nasser, an UNRWA aide in New York. While Israel initially gave the impression the UNRWA staffers had all been detained recently, it later said it was talking about detentions made since the start of a four-year-old Palestinian uprising. Israeli charges that UNRWA staff were involved in terrorism "complicate our work and endanger our staff," Nasser said. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan sent the team this week after Israel claimed a Palestinian rocket had been transported in a UN ambulance. The UNRWA has denied allegations that IDF footage released last Friday showed personnel loading a Qassam into an ambulance, saying the object was actually a stretcher. As the Israeli offensive against Gaza Strip (GS) enters its fourteenth day running, three citizens were killed, one died of severe wounds and scores were wounded in less than 24 hours. In Jabalia refugee camp, two citizens died early Monday of wounds he sustained earlier when an Israeli drone shelled a group of citizens in al-Sikka Street of the camp, Palestinian medical sources said. Medics at Kamal Udwan hospital of the camp told WAFA that Ahmed Hamad 24, and Youssef Abu Seif , 24 died of severe wounds they sustained earlier. Earlier on Sunday, another citizen Sameh al-Waheedy was slain by Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) in the camp. Scores were critically wounded. In Deir al-Balah city, central GS, a citizen was killed and several others were wounded, one critically when IOF soldiers opened fire at them, witnesses said. They added that Tamer Khammash 22, was killed as being shot with a live bullet in the head. Ramez Hajjaj 18, was critically shot with a live bullet in the head and dozens others were wounded. Meanwhile, a nurse Fatma Abu Etema was wounded when IOF, stationed at vicinity of Israeli colony of "Naveh Dikalem", opened its heavy machineguns at the houses in al-Namsawy neighbourhood of Khanyounis city, locals said. A shell fell at a house near Nasser Hospital of the city where Abu Etema used to work as a nurse. She was wounded with shrapnel. Things in the West Bank were not much better, seven citizens were arrested early Monday by IOF in Nablus and Bethlehem. In Nablus, IOF rolled into the city refugee camp of Balata amid intensive fire shooting and stormed the house of Hany Ziada, arresting him and another. In Bethlehem, five citizens were arrested in the city, Palestinian security sources said. They added that massive Israeli troops broke into al-Doha and al-Khader towns, besieged a number of houses and arrested Anwar Keinas 18, Mustafa Jubran 18, Emad Abu Fadda 32, and two others. Labour is heading for a third landslide general election victory, according to an opinion poll for The Telegraph. The ICM survey, the first to be carried out since the Conservative conference last week, gives Labour - who had the support of 39 per cent of those questioned - a nine- point lead over the Tories, who had 30 per cent. The Liberal Democrats were on 23 per cent, while three per cent said that they would back the United Kingdom Independence Party. The results are a serious setback to Conservative hopes of a revival after the party's conference in Bournemouth last week. The poll also shows that there would be little difference to Labour support if Gordon Brown replaced Tony Blair as leader. It is the level of backing for the main parties, however, which will make the grimmest reading for Michael Howard, the Conservative leader. If repeated in the election, widely expected to take place next May, Labour would win a majority of 154 seats, only five fewer than its present 159. Since a similar ICM poll last month, the Conservatives have seen their support fall two per cent, while Labour is up three and the Liberal Democrats up one. Mr Howard also lags behind Mr Blair on the issue of trust, which the Conservative leader pinpointed in his conference speech. Asked which of the two main party leaders they trusted more, 40 per cent said the Prime Minister while 29 per cent opted for the Opposition leader. The results came as Robert Kilroy-Silk threatened UKIP members to make him their leader or lose him. Interviewed by The Telegraph, he said: "What I am doing is telling people 'put up or shut up'." ICM interviewed a random sample of 1,020 adults aged 18-plus nationwide by telephone between October 6 and 7. Patricia Hewitt, the Trade and Industry Secretary, has become the first senior member of the British Government to make a direct apology over the Iraq war. Miss Hewitt said she was speaking on behalf of the Prime Minister and the whole Cabinet when she apologised for failings in the intelligence used to justify the war in Iraq. Mr Blair has said that he could apologise about the information gathered on Iraq's supposed weapons of mass destruction, but has stopped short of actually doing so. Miss Hewitt, appearing on BBC1's Question Time, was challenged by members of the audience when she said that Prime Minister had actually apologised for the inaccuracy of the intelligence. She then said: "I certainly want to say that all of us, from the Prime Minister down, all of us who were involved in making an incredibly difficult decision are very sorry and do apologise for the fact that that information was wrong, but I don't think we were wrong to go in." The Iraq Survey Group report confirmed that Saddam Hussein had no weapons of mass destruction at the time of last year's war, though it said he still retained ambitions to obtain them. The Government's case for joining President George W Bush in military action on Iraq was based on the claim that intelligence indicated beyond doubt that Saddam's WMD were a threat to British interests. In his keynote speech at Labour's recent annual conference, Mr Blair said: "I can apologise for the information that turned out to be wrong, but I can't, sincerely at least, apologise for removing Saddam." Miss Hewitt sparked gasps of disbelief from the studio audience when she told Question Time: "What we said at the time and in the dossier about the stockpiles of weapons was wrong and we've apologised for that." The Ambassador of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to Iran Dr Nasser Ibn Ahmad Al Boreik has attended the celebration held in Tehran on the occasion of World Tourism Day on 29 September 2004, which coincided with the visit of the World Tourism Organization Secretary-General Francesco Frangialli. The celebration was attended by the first deputy to the Iranian President Mohammed Reza Aref, the Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Ahmad Masjed Jamei, a number of ambassadors and officials of the Iranian tourism sector. Kuwait decided to send a US dollars one million-worth of human assistance to lessen the suffering of the Palestinian þpeople living under Israeli authorities' criminal acts and policies of destruction and sabotage.þ Following the weekly session of the council of ministers, an þofficial statement renewed Kuwait's calls upon the international community to þexert its utmost efforts in bringing an end to the tragic situation the Palestinian territories.þ The statement said the donation was meant to reflect the Kuwaiti people's sympathy with the people of Palestine as result of the criminal acts, destruction and sabotage of the Israeli authorities in Gaza strip lately. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia donated $ 6 million to the programs executed by United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) in the Palestinian occupied territories. The donation came in a memorandum of understanding signed by Vice President and Managing Director of Saudi Development Fund Eng. Yosef bin Ibrahim Al-Bassam and the Agency's Commissioner General Peter Hansen. Tony Blair and George Bush are "clinging to straws" to justify the war in Iraq, Hans Blix has said. The former UN chief arms inspector was writing in the Independent on Sunday following the release of the Iraq Survey Group's report last Wednesday. The report found no evidence of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) but Mr Blair said it made clear Saddam Hussein had "every intention" of developing them. Mr Blix writes the findings were more moderate than Mr Blair's interpretation "Far from confirming Tony Blair's reported reading that Saddam 'had every intention of reviving his WMD programmes', the report suggests Saddam gave his officials the impression that he was interested in resuming programmes 'if sanctions were lifted'," he says. "This is the new straw to which the governments concerned have begun to cling." Mr Blix goes on to say that even if sanctions were lifted, the UN Security Council would have been unlikely to relax its ban on Iraq possessing WMD. "Any 'breakout' by Saddam would have caused loud alarm bells to ring," he writes. Mr Blix also points out that the Iraq Survey Group believed, as he does, that Saddam Hussein allowed the world to believe he still had WMD "to look bigger and more dangerous than he was". "The inspectors appointed by the Bush administration to search Iraq for weapons of mass destruction have had to acknowledge that the reality on the ground was totally different from the virtual reality that had been spun," he writes. |