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October 15, 2004 |
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PRINCE NAIF IBN ABDUL AZIZ: THE LEVEL OF PARTICIPATION IN THE CONFERENCE FOR COMBATING TERRORISM WILL BE HIGH. AL-HARAMAIN CHARITABLE FOUNDATION, WAS NOT ORGANIZED... AND THIS RESULTED IN THINGS HAPPENING THAT HARMED THE COUNTRY. PRINCE NAIF REFUTES ALLEGATIONS WHICH CLAIM THAT UNEMPLOYMENT WAS THE REASON FOR TERRORISM IN THE KINGDOM. The interior ministers of Arab Gulf Cooperation Council countries (GCC) concluded their 23rd periodic meeting. In a press statement read by the GCC Secretary General Abdul Rahman Ibn Hamad Al-Atiyyah, the ministers stressed their support for all measures taken by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to confront terrorist acts perpetrated by some deviating terrorists, praising Saudi security bodies for their high efficiency in eradicating leaders of the deviating group and foiling a number of terrorist acts which are alien to GCC societies and have nothing to do with Islam. The ministers lauded the Kingdom for its desire to host an international conference on combating terrorism in February, 2005. The conference emanates from the Kingdom's belief in actively contributing to the regional and international efforts to fight terrorism, the statement said. The ministers renewed their rejection of terrorism in all its forms. They decided to intensify contacts, cooperation and coordination among GCC various security bodies. GCC interior ministers affirmed their countries þfirm stances against international terrorism of any type saying that "such an international phenomenon had no home, religion, or nationality."þ In their joint communique issued at the conclusion of their 23rd þ þmeeting, the ministers voiced support for all international and regional þefforts to fight terrorism and showed content regarding the measures initiated þwithin the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries to combat the phenomenon.þ þ They also specified support for the efforts by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to combat terror attacks, noting that such operations were peculiar to the GCC societies and to the values and principles of the Islamic religion.þ þ The communique highlighted the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's intention to hold an international þconference to fight terrorism in February to invite the international þ community to join hands against terror and to contribute to these efforts.þ þ The interior ministers took several decisions aiming at bolstering þ þcooperation and security coordination to encounter drug trafficking, money þlaundering, and smuggling activities amongst the GCC countries, during their þtwo-day meeting. þ þThey also decided to encourage research of topics related to such þ þcriminal activities with the GCC countries.þ þ The ministers discussed the conditions prevailing in neighboring Iraq þand in the Palestinian territories and condemned the Israeli practices, and voiced support for both the Iraqi and the Palestinian peoples.þ þ They held Israel, being an occupation force, fully responsible for human þrights violations in Palestine, and called on the international community to þintervene to help the deteriorated situation there.þ The ministers sent cables of thanks to the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Jaber þAl-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, to the Crown Prince Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah and to the Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad þAl-Jaber Al-Sabah and to the Kuwaiti First Deputy Premier and Interior Minister Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah at the end of the meeting.þ Sheikh Nawaf, for his part, hailed the results of the interior ministers þmeeting and highlighted the importance of boosting inter-GCC cooperation on þthe security arena and activating the decisions taken during the meeting.þ þ Bahraini Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ibn Abdullah Al-Khalifa also praised the meeting results and welcomed the GCC interior ministers to hold their upcoming meeting in his country.þ þ He also expressed hopes that such meetings would lead to strengthening ties among the GCC countries and boost cooperation. Addressing the final meeting, Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Interior Minister and Head of the Kingdom's delegation to the meeting thanked Kuwait for the good hospitality and warm welcome extended to the delegation, looking forward to the next meeting in Bahrain. The interior ministers of Arab Gulf Cooperation Council countries (GCC) held their 23rd periodic meeting in Kuwait. Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Interior Minister, led the Kingdom's delegation to the meeting. Addressing the meeting, Prince Naif emphasized the great strategic importance of the Gulf region due to its vital position in communications among continents and its great oil resources, noting that the Gulf countries have been targeted by enemy forces for their positions. Prince Naif stressed that all member states are working to make the region stable and secure. He said that the deviating groups with the support of the enemies of the region and peace and security everywhere have been seeking to harm our interests in the region and disrupt development. He affirmed that evil and terrorism will be defeated through the unity and solidarity of the region and continuous security efforts. Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz called for doubling continual coordination among security bodies in the member states to overcome difficulties and increase the ability to confront present and future threats. Interior Minister Prince Naif urged his GCC counterparts to do more in the ongoing campaign to flush out Al-Qaeda militants from the strategic region. "You are aware that our confrontation of terrorism was, and continues to be, fierce and very strong," Prince Naif said at the start of a GCC interior ministers' meeting, which reviewed their counterterrorism pact. This confrontation "confounded the evil people and those who stand behind them. However, the security achievements scored by our countries in their ongoing confrontation with terrorism and terrorists are not enough," he said. Calling for closer security cooperation among the six GCC partners, the Saudi minister said that terrorists try, "with the help of enemies of this region ... to harm the interests of our region and obstruct its development." Saudi Arabia has been hit by a string of terror attacks in the past 18 months that left about 100 people dead and hundreds wounded. The attacks have triggered a government crackdown on Al-Qaeda sympathizers. Prince Naif said earlier on arrival that while Saudi security forces have eliminated important and active terror elements, "we cannot say it's over until we are sure of it on the ground." The main focus of the meeting was the progress made by the alliance for the ratification of a joint counterterrorism pact signed by the interior ministers in Kuwait last May. "The meeting will review procedures that have been made for the ratification of the pact ... which indicates that GCC states are determined to eradicate terror, the modern day virus," GCC Secretary-General Abdul Rahman Al-Attiyah told reporters at the start of the meeting. "We are confident that the pact will be ratified by member states because GCC states are giving top priority to fighting terrorism," he said. Bahraini Interior Minister Sheikh Rashed Al-Khalifa told reporters that the meeting would discuss the impact of terrorism on the region. "The meeting is being held amid highly delicate conditions that have an impact on the security of the GCC states, primarily terror and drugs ... which constitute a threat to the security and stability" of the GCC, he said. UAE Interior Minister Mohammed Al-Badi said he and his counterparts would focus on combating all forms of crime, including cross-border organized crime and confronting the threat from drugs and terror. The anti-terror pact calls for boosting cooperation and coordination among security agencies and facilitating the exchange of intelligence information. The pact also aims to cut red tape hindering security work. Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Interior Minister, stressed that terrorist acts are rejected by all Islamic and Arab peoples. In a press statement following his arrival in Kuwait evening to lead the Saudi delegation to the 23rd periodic meeting of interior ministers of Gulf Cooperation Council countries held in Kuwait, he stated that those who commit terrorist acts abuse religion and harm the Islamic and Arab nations. Prince Naif said those people do not represent Islam but rather they are against Islam. The Interior Minister called on the media to participate with security forces to fight terrorism and convey the real picture to people outside the region. On terrorism in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, he said security forces eliminated important operations and effective elements adding that it can't be said that terrorism is over until this fact is verified on the ground. On the level of participants in the anti-terror conference which will be held in the kingdom and whether it will be held at the level of heads of states or ministers of interior, Prince Naif said the level will be higher than the level of the interior ministers hoping the participation will be at a high level. On whether GCC countries are targeted by terror groups, Prince Naif said this is true and unfortunately GCC citizens are used as tools. On the attacks, which occurred in Taba, Egypt, Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz called for the implementation of decisions by meetings of Arab interior ministers in Tunisia as well as meetings of GCC interior ministers because these attacks might happen again. In Kuwait Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Interior Minister and Head of the Kingdom's delegation to the 23rd periodic meeting of the interior ministries of Arab Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in Kuwait, received at his residence Sheikh Rashid Ibn Abdullah Al Khalifa, the Bahraini interior minister. During the reception, they exchanged cordial talks and discussed topics of mutual interest. The reception was attended by the delegation accompanying the Prince and Ahmed Alyahya, Kingdom's ambassador to Kuwait Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Minister of Interior and head of the delegation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the 23rd meeting of Interior Ministers of the Arab Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, also received Sheikh Mohammad Al-Khaled Al-Sabah, the advisor at the Emiri Court in Kuwait. During the reception, they exchanged cordial talks and discussed a number of topics of mutual interest. Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz, the interior minister and head of the Saudi delegation to the 23rd periodic meeting of interior ministers of Gulf Cooperation Council Countries (GCC) attended the dinner party held by Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Kuwaiti first Deputy of Prime Minister and interior minister in honor of the GCC Interior Ministers. The party was attended by Prince Abdul Aziz Ibn Saud Ibn Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz, Prince Nawaf Ibn Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz, and the delegation accompanying Prince Naif. Opening the 23rd meeting of the GCC Ministers of þInterior, Sheikh Nawaf Al-Sabah, First Deputy Prime Minister and þInterior Minister, brought attention to threats to the region including terrorism, drug trafficking, and money-laundering.þ þ "The phenomenon of terrorism poses a threat to innocents and is far removed þfrom any principles of Islam or any other faith or human values," said Sheikh þNawaf, who added that along with drug abuse and money-laundering form a diabolical triumvirate that "must be challenged and uprooted collectively" by states of the GCC.þ þ He warned against forces of evil in the region that employ the latest þ þtechnologies for destructive ends. þ þ The Kuwaiti Minister wished "peace, security, stability, and prosperity under an umbrella of democracy" for the nation of Iraq, and urged perseverance for the Palestinian people in their quest for "an independent state with þJerusalem as its capital."þ þ In a similar speech to the meeting, Secretary General of the GCC þ þAbdul Rahman Al-Attiya echoed Sheikh Nawaf's notion that terrorism needs to be þ uprooted from the area, adding that the GCC must further concentrate their þcollective efforts at tracking down terrorists. He acknowledged the þ problem of drug trafficking and money-laundering in the region and called for international assistance in fighting these threats.þ þ On his part, the Saudi Minister of Interior Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz, noted the importance of the Gulf region in strategic terms and urged the GCC to work closely together to fight fringe groups that aim at destabilizing þstates of the region. GCC Secretary-General Abdul-Rahman þAl-Atiyyah highlighted the importance of the 23rd GCC interior þministers meeting. þ þ He made the statement upon his arrival in Kuwait to attend the meeting, which comes, he added, to help coordination amongst the GCC states in þconnection to security affairs.þ þ He said the conferees will discuss a comprehensive report on the history of þ security cooperation of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and reports by the relevant security and technical committees.þ þ He also said the ministers will discuss the recommendations of the interior þministries undersecretaries, who have convened in Kuwait earlier.þ þ Among other topics on the meeting agenda is an electronic linkage plan to link border terminals between the UAE, the KSA, and Oman within a three-month period, and the rest of the GCC states in a later stage.þ þ The ministers are also debating cooperation in the fight against þ þinternational terrorism in addition to other issues of common interest, the official concluded. Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Interior Minister, arrived in Riyadh coming from Kuwait after he led the Saudi delegation to the 23rd meeting of Gulf Cooperation Council countries interior ministers, which was held in Kuwait. In Riyadh, Prince Naif was received by a number of princes and officials. Prince Naif was seen off by a number of Kuwaiti officials when he left Kuwait. Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Minister of Interior denied allegations that unemployment in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been the reason behind the phenomenon of terrorism, stressing that these allegations are incorrect. At his news conference, Prince Naif refuted the claim unemployment was the reason for terrorism in the Kingdom. He said many of the terror suspects arrested by security officers were either employees receiving high salaries or traders. In a press statement in Kuwait following a luncheon party held in his honor by Saudi Ambassador to Kuwait Ahmad Ibn Hamad Al-Yahya, Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz pointed out that many of those arrested and those who knew them were employees receiving high salaries and some of them worked in trade, stressing that unemployment is not a reason. On the closure of Al-Haramain Charitable Foundation, Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz said the measure was due to organizational reasons. "The foundation was not organized... and this resulted in things happening that harmed the country," he said. However, he emphasized that it would not affect charitable activities in the Kingdom. Prince Naif indicated that invitations for the International Conference for Combating Terrorism have been distributed to countries interested in fighting terrorism which harms them. Replying to another question, Prince Naif said that it is out of question the participation of Saudi women in the municipal elections. Interior Minister Prince Naif ruled out prospects of women's participation in the upcoming municipal elections. "I don't think it's possible," he told reporters in Kuwait when asked whether Saudi women could take part in the first-ever nationwide civic elections. The elections will start February 10 and continue until April 21. The elections would be conducted in three phases in order to choose half the members of the 178 municipal councils in the Kingdom's 13 regions. He described the two-day meeting of GCC interior ministers in Kuwait as successful. In an arrival statement in Riyadh, Prince Naif noted that efforts are exerted and keenness has been continuing on the safety of sea and land borders. On the Kingdom's hosting of the International Conference for Combating Terrorism, Prince Naif described it as a big gathering, wishing that the participation will be effective to achieve our hopes. In reply to another question on whether the Kingdom will provide security assistance to Egypt, he said it up to brothers in Egypt. Saudi Minister of Interior Prince Naif Ibnþ Abdul Aziz Al Saud praised on Sunday the results of the 23rd session of the GCC þ þministers of interior, which finalized its works in Kuwait.þ þ In his statement to reporters upon arrival in Riyadh, Prince Naif praised þ security cooperation among GCC countries, asserting that the borders of Saudi þArabia will continue to be secure regardless of the security conditions in the þ area.þ þ Regarding the international convention on combating terrorism, which will take place in Saudi Arabia next February, the Saudi minister said the þ convention is considered the biggest international gathering to discuss and þcombat terrorism, expressing hope that the convention would achieve its goals.þ þ The 23rd session of the GCC Interior Ministers finalized its works in Kuwait. The session was chaired by the Kuwaiti First Deputy Prime þ þMinister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. Kuwait's Premier Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah received Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Minister of Interior and Interior Ministers of the Arab Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states taking part in the 23rd periodic meeting. Prince Naif conveyed the greetings of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz, Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard and Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Second Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and Aviation and Inspector General to the Kuwaiti Prime Minister. During the reception, they discussed a number of topics of mutual interest to the two brotherly countries. On the other hand, Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz attended a luncheon party held in his honor by Saudi Ambassador to Kuwait Ahmed Al-Yahya. The party was attended by the delegation accompanying Prince Naif. Meanwhile Gulf Cooperation Council nationals would soon be þ þable to travel between GCC states with their IDs as only required document þonce procedures are completed, GCC Secretary General Abdul Rahman Al-Atiyyah þ said.þ þ In press remarks after concluding the 23rd session of GCC Interior þ þMinisters, he said GCC nationals can currently move between all GCC states þwith their IDs except Saudi Arabia which would complete its measures soon on þthis issue. There is current consideration of measures to allow similar smooth þmovement of GCC residents as well, Al-Atiyyah added.þ þ The official added the interior ministers had in their meetings stressed þtheir states' support of Saudi Arabia in its efforts to battle terrorism and þextremism and its efforts to hold an international forum on the subject in þFebruary.þ þ Although there had long been coordination among GCC states on several issues, it is more vital now to boost exchange of information and hike þcoordination amid the current security situation, the official remarked. þ GCC interior ministers left Kuwait after þthe conclusion of their two-day 23rd meeting.þ þ Qatari Interior Minister Sheikh Hamad Ibn Nasser Al-Thani told reporters, ahead of his departure, that the meeting's importance lies in the important þregional and international changes, which dictate coordination amongst the GCC þ interior ministers.þ þ He expressed hopes that such meetings would meet the hopes of the GCC peoples and fortify þthe cooperation amongst the GCC states. Sheikh Hamad noted the ministers have approved the recommendations of the joint security committees during their þ þmeetings.þ þ UAE Interior Minister Dr. Mohammad Ibn Saeed Al-Badi þ þsaid, ahead to his departure, that he was confident the decisions reached þ during the meeting would make a significant contribution to the GCC states' efforts to cooperate on the security arena.þ He expressed thanks to all fellow GCC interior ministers and to the GCC þ Secretariat General for their determination to encounter all the hazards posed þagainst the GCC peoples' stability and security. Meanwhile Kuwait's the Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah þ Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah received the Interior Ministers of the Gulf þ þCooperation Council currently in Kuwait to attend the 23rd meeting of the GCC þInterior Ministers.þ The meeting was attended by First Deputy Prime Minister and Interior þMinister Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, GCC Secretary General þ Abdul Rahman Al-Atiyyah, Prime Minister Diwan Under Secretary Ahmad Fahd þ Al-Fahd, GCC Ambassadors to Kuwait and the Amiri Diwan Protocol þ Under Secretary Sheikh Khaled Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah Al-Naser Al-Sabah. |
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