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October 29, 2004 |
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***** The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz has sent a cable of congratulations to President Levy Mwanawasa of Zambia on the occasion of his country's independence day. King Fahd expressed his good wishes to the President and people of Zambia, and highlighted the existing friendly relations between the Kingdom and Zambia. Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard, has expressed his appreciation of and thanks to Prince Saud Al-Faisal, the Foreign Minister, for the reports of the workshops executed by Strategic Studies Center at Diplomatic Studies Institute of the foreign ministry during the second term of the academic year 1424/1425H. In a reply cable, the Crown Prince hoped that the results of the workshops will contribute to deepening the understanding of the Kingdom's pioneering role, wishing continuous success for all. Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard, received International Monetary Fund's Managing Director Rodrigo De Rato and his accompanying delegation currently on a visit to the Kingdom. The audience was attended by Prince Abdulaziz Ibn Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz and Prince Dr. Bandar Ibn Salman Ibn Mohammed Al Saud, Advisors at the Crown Prince's Court; Dr. Ibrahim Al-Assaf, Minister of Finance; Hamad Al-Sayyari, Governor of Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency; and Sulaiman Al-Turki, Kingdom's Executive Director at the IMF. Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Second Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General, received the Minister of Telecommunications and Information Technology Eng. Mohammed Jamil Ibn Ahmad Mullah, accompanied by Dr Mohammed Al-Suweil, the Governor of the Telecommunications Commission. Prince Sultan was briefed on the achievements and activities of the Telecommunications Commission. Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Second Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General, received a number of foreign ambassadors to the kingdom led by the Ambassador of Burkina Faso Omar Dawara, who is also dean of the diplomatic corps to the Kingdom. The ambassadors, who represent world's regional groups and continents, came to congratulate Prince Sultan on the holy month of Ramadan. Prince Sultan, who holds this event annually, thanked the ambassadors for their sincere feelings. Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Interior Minister, received the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Journalists Association (SJA) Turki Ibn Abdullah Al-Sudairy, and members of the Board of Directors. The Chairman and members of the board of directors of SJA expressed appreciation for the great attention given by the Saudi officials to the Association. On his part, Prince Naif hoped that SJA would successfully perform its mission and positively contribute to the development of the press work in the Kingdom. Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz, Minister of the Interior has issued his directives to the Saudization commission to study the recruitment of foreign teachers in private schools. Private schools recruit teachers during the set period by the Ministry of Education, despite the fact that Saudi teachers are available, because foreign teachers get lower pays than Saudi teachers do. The Minister of Labor Dr Ghazi Al-Gosaibi has issued his directives to private schools to Saudize 80% of the jobs. The implementation of the directives has been postponed to the next year. Labor Minister Dr. Al-Gosaibi has announced the government's plan to cut the number of foreign workers by not less than 100,000 every year. He said the ministry had adopted a three-pronged strategy to solve the country's growing unemployment problem by rationalizing recruitment, training Saudis and increasing the cost of foreign manpower. Prince Salman Ibn Abdul Aziz, Governor of Riyadh region and Chairman of the Board of Directors to King Abdul Aziz Darat has headed the meeting of the board in Riyadh. The meeting discussed a number of issues and programs on the Agenda. The Secretary General of the Foundation Dr Fahd Ibn Abdullah Al Simary said the board reviewed the approval of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques concerning the implementation of the project of King Fahd Encyclopaedia for Hajj and the Holy Mosques. Dr Al Simari said the board has agreed to issue a historical Atlas on the life of the Prophet Peace Be Upon Him with the cooperation of King Abdul Aziz city for Science and Technology and the publishing of researches on the Arabian Peninsula as well as holding an exhibition on the history of the Kingdom in the Philippines. Prince Khalid Ibn Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Assistant Minister of Defense and Aviation for Military Affairs, received separately Askar Mussinov and Adam Kolach the ambassadors of Kazakhstan and Poland to the Kingdom respectively. Issues of common interest were reviewed at the two meetings. A consultative council, comprising prominent businessmen and chaired by Labor Minister Dr. Ghazi Al-Gosaibi, will be formed shortly to advise the minister on labor issues, especially employment and recruitment in the private sector. Dr Al-Gosaibi has already issued a ministerial decision to form the panel, the Saudi Press Agency reported. "The advisory council will contribute immensely to solving many problems facing the labor sector," the agency said. The formation of the panel comes after many businessmen complained that some of the decisions taken by the Labor Ministry as part of its Saudization drive were adversely affecting their businesses and causing them heavy losses. "The new body will be a conduit to take the ministry's views to the private sector and revert with the latter's response, opinions and worries," an official statement said. It will also review the problems facing employment of Saudis in the private sector and find practical solutions, it added. The advisory council including 11 members from businessmen and workers will discuss the issues pertaining to foreign work force, such as illicit trade in visas, proxy business, as well as ways to improve services of labor offices across the country. Chaired by its Chairman Sheikh Dr. Salih Ibn Abdullah Ibn Homaid, the Shoura Council held its 38th ordinary session. Following the meeting, Dr. Homoud Ibn Abdul Aziz Al Badr, the Secretary General of the council, said the members concluded discussion of the drug and mental Psychotropic substances combat system submitted by the Security Affairs Committee. In a press statement to the Saudi Press Agency, the Council's Secretary General Dr. Homoud Ibn Abdul Aziz Al-Badr said that the council had continued its deliberations of the draft regulation concerning anti-narcotics and psychotropic substances. Sultan Qaboos has sent a cable of greetings to Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on his election as the President of Indonesia. The Sultan also sent a cable of greetings to President Levy Mwanawasa of Zambia on his country"s independence anniversary. Meanwhile Sultan Qaboos has received a cable of thanks from President Imamali Rahmanov of Tajikistan in reply to the Sultan"s cable of greetings on his country"s Independence Anniversary. In Washington the Embassy of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques refuted allegations of the Kingdom funding Iraqi insurgency: The following comments were made by Adel Al-Jubeir, Foreign Affairs Advisor to Crown Prince Abdullah, in a conference call with journalists on October 22, 2004: We are disappointed by the statements made to the media by a Pentagon official alleging that "Saudi donors" are providing funds to the Iraqi insurgency and that the Saudi government is neglecting the problem. Such an allegation is not only irresponsible, but factually incorrect. Saudi Arabia is determined to go after the terrorists, those who support them and those who condone their actions. Our record is clear: we have arrested hundreds of suspects, killed or captured al-Qaeda members in the Kingdom, broken up terror cells, and taken strong measures to ensure that no Saudi funding goes to evil-doers. Where we have found wrong-doing, we have taken swift and firm action. And we will continue to do all we can to eradicate this scourge from our midst. Saudi Arabia monitors the situation in Iraq very carefully and desires to see the country stabilized, united and at peace. The last thing we need is increased violence in our region. We have been proactive in securing our border with Iraq, and we are working with the U.S. to ensure that the same takes place on the Iraqi side of the border. We have also been firm in dealing with anyone who supports or condones violence, including in Iraq, and have arrested such individuals. The U.S. government is fully aware of our firm commitment to fighting evil, and I would suggest that the Pentagon official be better briefed about the Kingdom's efforts before making allegations about its seriousness in going after terrorists whose objective is to inflict harm on our citizens and residents. If the Pentagon official has any evidence that funds from Saudi individuals are reaching the insurgency in Iraq, I would respectfully ask that this evidence be provided to us so we can take firm action to deal with it, and punish those responsible. We believe that anyone who funds violence in Iraq will likely fund violence in Saudi Arabia, and this is something we will not tolerate. To allege, therefore, that the Kingdom is neglecting this matter is neither truthful, nor factual. The UN coordinator and UNDP representative in Riyadh Dr Al Mustafa Ibn Al Maleeh said the role of the UN in the Municipal elections will be held according to demand of the government of Saudi Arabia sent on June 2004 to the UN Secretary General, and will be to support offer consultations but not to monitor the elections. A uranium conversion facility in Iran is nearing completion, a top official said. State-run radio quoted Mohammed Ghannadi, second in charge of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, as saying the Isfahan uranium conversion facility in central Iran was nearing completion. In talks in Austria, envoys from Britain, France and Germany offered civilian nuclear technology and a trade deal to the Iranians reportedly in return for Iran permanently giving up all uranium enrichment activities - technology that can be used to produce nuclear fuel or nuclear weapons. "The proposal by the Europeans is unbalanced," Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi told a news conference. "However, the Europeans have chosen the correct path of dialogue." Asefi said, "We think we have to reach a solution acceptable to both sides so that European concerns are eased and, at the same time, our rights under the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty are recognized and met," Asefi added. Asefi said Iran would not accept a permanent suspension of its nuclear activities, and maintained that the Europeans did not want that either. "The discussion is not about permanent suspension of enrichment. The Europeans have proposed indefinite suspension until an agreement is reached. They didn't call for a permanent suspension," he said. The Egyptian Foreign Ministry hosted two meetings in preparation for the upcoming international conference on Iraq, to be hosted at the Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheikh on November 23. The first meeting brought together representatives of Iraq's neighboring countries. The second was attended by representatives of the G-8 countries, Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC). Also participating were the ambassadors of the EU, UN, Tunisia, current chair of the Arab summit, and Malaysia, which holds the OIC presidency. The conference invitations were handed to the participants during the meetings, which also took up the latest preparations, said an Egyptian diplomatic source. He noted that a meeting of the foreign ministers of Iraq's neighboring countries will be held on November 22, a day before the conference. Meanwhile the Egyptian leadership is seeking to extend more assistance to the Iraqi people, said Iraqi ambassadress in Cairo Safya Taleb as-Suhail. In statements to MENA, she underlined the importance of cooperation between Egypt and Iraq in the political and security files. She highlighted the necessity of enhancing economic and trade cooperation between both sides through encouraging businessmen in each country to invest in the other. As for the latest developments in Iraq, she expressed optimism over the future of Iraq despite huge difficulties now besetting her country. She asserted that the Iraqi elections will be held as scheduled in January 2005. The Iraqi ambassadress called for exerting all possible efforts to render the conference on Iraq, set for Sharm El-Sheikh in November, a success. This year's Dubai Strategy Forum, to be held from Dec. 13 to 15, will discuss future scenarios of the Arab world. Titled "The Arab World in 2020," the forum is expected to draw heads of state and NGOs, government decision makers, top businessmen and international experts, the organizing committee said in a statement. The forum sessions will discuss future scenarios of the Arab world across three major axes: Governments in the Arab world by 2020, business and economy in the Arab world by 2020 and Arab society by 2020. Mohammad Al-Gergawi, chairman of the organizing committee, said, "The significance of this year's forum stems from the fact that the themes and discussion topics have been carefully selected after a comprehensive review of current and projected Arab affairs. This selection is backed by an impressive line-up of leading regional and international speakers. Topics such as the evolution of home-grown governance systems in the Arab world, the economic and social implications of regional instability, and issues such as the future of Arab economic integration and the new global role of the region are on the agenda this year." The forum is designed to bring together decision makers and officials with a view to promoting a constructive and collaborative approach to regional issues, he added. Dubai Strategy Forum aims to develop the region by bringing together key regional stakeholders to engage in activities that bridge differences and build opportunities for growth and prosperity in the region. Over 50 sessions in the two previous forums have featured over 70 key speakers and over 3,000 participants from around the world. Dr Yahya bin Mahfoudh al Mantheri, President of Majlis Addawla, opened at the Sharia and Law College a national seminar on preparing a strategy to develop education. Dr Abdullah bin Mohammed al Sarmi, Higher Education Ministry Under-Secretary and head of the national team preparing the strategy, said the strategy is prepared in translation of the directives of Sultan Qaboos to develop education in accordance with a clear vision. He said the project focused on both general education and higher education. The seminar discusses among other topics the aspects of educational systems, the need to develop education in the light of the requirements of the future and education management and linking general education with higher education. The education development strategy (2006-2020) will be implemented in accordance with the five-year development plan. The opening of the two-day seminar was attended by ministers, under-secretaries and officials of higher education institutions in the Sultanate. Kuwaiti Finance Minister Mahmoud Abdul-Khaliq Al-Nouri said here on Saturday night that the GCC ministers have discussed, þ þduring their 65th meeting which wrapped up today, 22 topics on the meeting þagenda.þ He told Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) ahead for leaving Saudi Arabia that the þconferring ministers have discussed the economic, technical and legal effects þresulting from the GCC countries signing unilateral agreements, which grant þcustoms tariffs waiver to other countries, on the GCC customs union.þ He also said the ministers also considered imposing a tax on tobacco and þ þtobacco products on a gradual basis inside the GCC states.þ The Kuwaiti minister, who headed the meeting, said the ministers have also þdiscussed a report in the executive steps related to the common GCC market that will be referred to the GCC leaders summit.þ þHe added the meeting welcomed a UAE offer to host the GCC central bank þheadquarters.þ The ministers have decided , he added, that the draft law on foreign investment in the GCC countries needed more study. They also debated the þframework agreements signed with Pakistan, India and China, and asked for þauthorization to carry out the relating negotiations.þ The ministers council decided to authorize Saudi Arabia and the Bahrain to decide regarding a Saudi request to ban inter-GCC exportation of any sea þproduct, if the catching of the same was banned in any of the GCC states.þ The ministers also decided to hold their next meetings on May and November þ þ2005. The Finance ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council þ þ(GCC) concluded their 65th session of the Financial and Economic þ þCooperation Committee. The meeting, focused þon the annual report on the Gulf integrated market, which will be established þ þin 2007 and other important topics.þ The meeting also discussed the economic, legal, and technical effects of þsigning agreements that waive custom tariffs on certain countries, giving þopportunity for national products in the GCC in government purchases, and þ þhosting the Gulf Central Bank headquarters. World Bank Managing Director Rodrigo De Rato also took part in the meeting.þ The European Union Foreign Policy Chief Javier þSolana called on the Sudanese government and Darfur rebels to accelerate the signing of a humanitarian protocol, during their current talks þ in the Nigerian capital Abuja.þ In a joint press conference with the Sudanese Foreign Minister Mustafa þIsmail, Solana explained here that signing the protocol, which was agreed upon þby both parties during the last round of talks, will help in restoring þ confidence between them and will positively contribute in making an þ improvement in the humanitarian situation in the region.þ Solana declined to describe the situation in Darfur as genocide, saying þthat the EU is not responsible for the events taking place in that area. He pointed out that the UN organizations and the international community þmust cooperate to solve the problem.þ Solana confirmed the EU's support of the African Union to play its role and carry out the tasks entrusted to it in order to solve the Darfur crisis.þ Meanwhile, the Sudanese Foreign Minister Mustafa Ismail described his talks with Solana as very beneficial, noting that the EU official has presented his visions that might help in bringing the situation in Darfur back to normal.þ Ismail renewed his government's concern to overcome the obstacles that þobstruct its serious efforts to put an end to the crisis and emphasized his þ þgovernment's commitment to cooperate with the international community in order þfor peace to prevail in Sudan.þ Solana has arrived in Khartoum last night coming from Ethiopia on an þofficial two-day visit, with the aim of exploring the means to find a solution þto the Darfur crisis. Secretary of State Colin L. Powell said that the insurgency in Iraq is getting worse and that the U.S. occupation there has increased anti-American sentiment in Muslim countries, but he said successful elections in Afghanistan and Iraq would turn the situation around. "We have seen an increase in anti-Americanism in the Muslim world. We'll not deny this," Powell said. "But I think that that will be overcome in due process because what the Muslim world will see . . . is that in Afghanistan, 10 million people have voted on the ninth of October and bring in place a freely elected president."And I think we're going to do the same thing in Iraq if we stay the course, if we defeat this insurgency," Powell said. A U.S. military statement said a lieutenant of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi had been arrested along with five other suspects in one of its raids on Southern Fallujah. "The individual targeted and captured was recently assessed to be a relatively minor member of the Zarqawi network, according to intelligence sources," the statement said. "However, due to a surge in the number of Zarqawi associates who have been captured or killed by (U.S.) strikes and other operations, the member had moved up to take a critical position as a Zarqawi senior leader," it said. However, the statement did not identify the man or give his nationality. "Zarqawi followers are starting to move to outlying areas of Fallujah in a continuing attempt to hide amidst the civilian population of Falluja due to precision strikes against Zarqawi hideouts and fighting positions," a separate statement said. Former U.S. President Bill Clinton has set his sights on becoming U.N. secretary-general. A Clinton insider and a senior U.N. source have told United Press International the 56-year-old former president would like to be named leader of the world body when Kofi Annan's term ends early in 2006. "He definitely wants to do it," the Clinton insider said this week. A Clinton candidacy is likely to receive overwhelming support from U.N. member states, particularly the Third World. Diplomats in Washington say Clinton would galvanize the United Nations and give an enormous boost to its prestige. But the former president's hopes hang on a crucial question that will not be addressed until after the presidential elections: can he get the support of the U.S. government -- a prerequisite for nomination? The political wisdom is that a second George W. Bush presidency would cut him off at the pass. The notion of Clinton looming large in the international arena from "the glass tower" in New York would be intolerable to the Bush White House. If Democratic candidate, Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., wins on Nov. 2 the prospect of Clinton as secretary-general won't exactly be welcome either, but Kerry would find it much harder -- if not impossible -- to go against it. No American has ever been U.N. secretary-general, but the United States is both host country to the United Nations and the major contributor to its budget. Clinton has talked of his interest in taking over at the United Nations since the publication of his commercially successful autobiography, which he recently said had sold 1.9 million copies. Writing the book kept him busy after leaving office in 2000, but he is now ready to channel his considerable political skills and energy into another role in public life. With a sense of foreboding looming over the Middle East, a senior United Nations official called for the international community to be more vigorously engaged in the region's peace process. "Violence, not negotiation, continues to be the all too frequent mode of communication in the Middle East," Under Secretary-General for Political Affairs Kieran Prendergast said in his monthly briefing to the Security Council. "There is a palpable sense of drift and foreboding, [and] neither side is fulfilling its obligations under the Road Map," he added, referring to the plan sponsored by the so-called Quartet of the UN, European Union, Russian Federation and United States that calls for Israel and the Palestinians to take a series of parallel and reciprocal steps leading to two States living side-by-side in peace by 2005. Mr. Prendergast drew attention to Israel's recent major operation in the Gaza Strip which resulted in the deaths of a large number of Palestinians, many of them civilians. He also underscored the fact that the terror attacks earlier this month in Taba, Egypt, had struck a place, which had been known as haven of coexistence and peace. Speaking in an open session, Mr. Prendergast said the UN remained gravely concerned at the extensive destruction of civilian property by the Israeli army, and that movement restrictions imposed on Palestinians continued to erode the humanitarian situation. He also expressed renewed concern at the continuous, illegal Israeli policy of targeted assassination. He reminded Council members that the planned Israeli pullout from Gaza and the northern West Bank must be full and complete, and be carried out in the context of the Road Map. Israel and the Palestinian Authority must coordinate the implementation of the withdrawal. "One hears from many quarters the argument that the time has come for a renewed commitment and effort, but that the parties cannot succeed left to themselves. The international community's more vigorous engagement is therefore an indispensable ingredient if we want to end the violence and bring fresh hope of peace in the Middle East," he stressed. On Sept. 15, FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III and John E. McLaughlin, then acting director of the CIA, brought a special note of concern to their daily briefing with President Bush. Fresh intelligence had arrived pointing to plans for a mass-casualty terrorist attack before Election Day, bolstering previous indications that such an assault was possible on U.S. soil, according to accounts of the briefing provided to Mueller's and McLaughlin's subordinates. What's more, intelligence officials told Bush, there was reason to believe that the plotters may already have arrived in the United States, according to the accounts. The new information led the FBI and other agencies across the government to launch a well-publicized campaign aimed at foiling potential plots before the elections, including hundreds of interviews in immigrant neighborhoods and aggressive surveillance of suspected terrorist sympathizers. But five weeks after the effort began, U.S. intelligence and law enforcement officials say they have found no direct evidence of an election-related terrorist plot. Authorities also say that a key CIA source who had claimed knowledge of such plans has been discredited, casting doubt on one of the earliest pieces of evidence pointing to a possible attack. "We've not unearthed anything that would add any credence to talk of an election-related attack," said one senior FBI counterterrorism official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. The Arab League affirmed the privotal þrole of the United Nations for serving global peace and development and þensuring that states abide by the charter of the international legitimacy and þlaws.þ The league, in a statement marking the UN 59th anniversay, underscored the þ þnecessity of rallying international efforts for developing the organization so it may become more effective in settling conflicts and facing non-conventional þchallenges in the world.þ This anniversary constitutes a significant opportunity for the þinternational community to underline the fact that the UN, that was þestablished following the World War II, remained the best authority to þexpress will of the nations. In light of the latest video of Mrs Hassan, CARE International said it continues to be deeply concerned for her welfare. In a statement it said: CARE joins with the many Iraqi people who Mrs Hassan has helped over her decades of charitable work in Iraq in calling for her immediate release. Mrs Hassan is an Iraqi citizen and holds the people of Iraq in her heart. Her tremendous dedication to the Iraqi people has been demonstrated through overwhelming public support in Iraq for her release. We call on the people who are holding Mrs Hassan to be aware that she is an Iraqi and to release her to her family, her husband Tahsine and the Iraqi people who love her. CARE International is a non-governmental charitable organisation and has worked continuously in Iraq for the past 14 years. Margaret Hassan's husband, Tahsine Ali Hassan, gave a press conference in Baghdad. 'We have good hope that she will be released', Hassan said, 'but we have not been contacted so far. So I don't know who has kidnapped her but they should know that my wife has worked almost all her life for the Iraqi people and considers herself an Iraqi.' 'If this was for political reasons, I want to say that CARE is a humanitarian organization and has nothing to do with politics. My wife is apolitical, she is a humanitarian worker and I ask you to release her' Hassan added. 'I don't know how my wife is doing but I hope she is in good health, she is a strong lady but she must be very nervous. I sincerely hope they are treating her well.' Margaret Hassan, an Iraqi citizen, has lived in Iraq and has been providing charitable assistance to the people of Iraq for the past 25 years. Her tremendous dedication to the Iraqi people is demonstrated through the public outpouring of support in Iraq for her release. Last Wednesday patients of the National Spinal Cord Injuries Centre in Baghdad demonstrated for the release of Mrs Hassan. Rebuilt twice by Mrs Hassan and her CARE team, the hospital's patients campaigned for her safe return, saying 'she loves Iraq, she is a good woman.' CARE International can only hope that Mrs Hassan's captors are aware of what the Iraqi people are saying and release her so she can return to her family and husband Tahsine. The Lebanese foreign ministry announced it has received a diplomatic passport carrying the name of the Lebanese Shiite leader Imam Mousa al-Sader who disappeared in 1978. The passport was issued in Beirut on 1/4/1978 and it was valid until 3/1/ 1979. The Lebanese foreign ministry also received an ordinary passport carrying the name of Muhammad Shahadeh Yaqoub. One of Imam al-Sader escorts upon his disappearance in 1978, issued in Beirut on 11/3/1977 and valid for three years. News reports said that the Lebanese foreign ministry got the two passports via the Lebanese embassy in Italy and they were conveyed by the chairman of Rome court Lueiji Scots on September 30, as the two passports were found during a criminal trial of unidentified persons under the charge of falsifying the character of Imam al-Sader himself. This is, however, the first time in which it is indicated to Imam al-Sader passport and his aide Sheikh Muhammad Yaqoub who disappeared with journalist Abbas Bader Eddine following a visit to Libya. It is revealed from the papers of the passport that its bearers got the Italian visa and another French one in Tripoli, Libya on 31 August, 1978 and left Libya in the same date via the airport of Tripoli. The Lebanese republic attorney general ordered re-opening the file and inquire all persons involved in it including the Libyan leader Muammar al-Qathafi. After that Libya stressed it is concerned with the question of the disappearance of Imam al-Sader and it will work on unmasking sides behind their disappearance. President Yasser Arafat dispelled Israeli reports that his health was in critical condition as he chaired two separate meetings of the National Security Council and the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) at his besieged headquarters in the West Bank city of Ramallah last Sunday, following check-ups by Tunisian and Egyptian teams of doctors. Erakat told Reuters that Arafat was "recovering from severe stomach flu." He denied the Israeli television reports that the Palestinian leader might need an operation, saying they were "unfounded." "During the meeting, he was handling the matters very well. At one point he screamed (at someone)," Erakat told Reuters. The minister added that Arafat was not in need of an operation, and he stressed that Arafat was suffering from stomach flu. Refusing to follow doctors' orders, Arafat is also fasting during the holy Islamic month of Ramadan. "An Egyptian medical team has fully examined President Arafat and the test results showed that the president is well. The president suffered from minor illness which is acute flu," Arafat's media adviser Nabil Abu Rudainah said earlier. |