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November 4, 2005 |
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***** The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz chaired the cabinet's weekly session. At the beginning of the session, the King was reassured of the services provided for visitors of the Two Holy Mosques. The King stressed that the kingdom will continue its efforts to add more projects that serve the visitors of the Two Holy Mosques. The King called on the Islamic Ummah (nation) in these blessed days of the holy month of Ramadan to constructively cooperate, work for the interest of Islam and Muslims, unify their word, bolster the values of tolerance, equality, brotherhood and justice which represent Islam and its goals. In his statement to the Saudi Press Agency following the cabinet's session, Minister of Information and Culture Iyad bin Ameen Madani said the cabinet was briefed on the progress of the popular donations campaign ordered by the King in all regions of the kingdom, which will continue until the end of this blessed Ramadan, to help victims of the earthquake which recently hit Pakistan. The cabinet lauded the great positive response of the citizens in donating to help their brethren there. The cabinet monitored the progress of the relief campaign through the urgent air lift which was ordered by the King and which carried, and is still carrying, various relief supplies to the affected areas. The cabinet commended the efforts exerted by the concerned authorities to deliver and distribute the relief to the needy. The King briefed the cabinet on the previous days' meetings, consultations, talks and contacts which were made with some world leaders and which dealt with developments of events at various arenas. On the developments of the situation in Iraq, the cabinet expressed hope that the visit to Iraq by Secretary General of the Arab League Amr Moussa will achieve its goals of enhancing the unity of Iraq and its Arab and Islamic identity through reconciliation. The Minister said the Cabinet then reviewed the local items on its agenda and issued the following decisions: The Cabinet approved the documentations of the Kingdom's accession to the World Trade Organization. It deputizes the Minister of Commerce and Industry to sign the documents according to the Cabinet's attached decision. The Cabinet approved controls and measures taken when the government spends money for assisting Saudi citizens affected by disasters such as floods, fires, earthquakes, volcanoes, winds, storms, mudslides and other causes. The Cabinet decides to dissolve the General Organization for Petroleum and Minerals and to void its system. The Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources or his deputy is authorized to complete the measures of transferring the land owned by the Organization to the Saudi Arabian Oil Company ARAMCO. King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz also issued instructions to study the possibility of having the entire Holy Mosque in Makkah air-conditioned. World leaders will meet to tackle the tough issues facing the Muslim world in a two-day summit beginning in Makkah on Dec. 7. The Extraordinary Islamic Summit, being held under the mantle of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, offers Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah his first opportunity after ascending the throne to address the leaders of the 57 Muslim countries. The summit follows a September meeting in Makkah where many of the world's leading Muslim scholars and intellectuals helped formulate a new vision for the OIC and to set the agenda for the prestigious summit. Among their recommendations for discussion were Islamic solidarity and joint Islamic action, creation of a poverty fund, institutionalization of Islamic good governance, conflict prevention and confidence-building, terrorism, dialogue and civilization, Islamophobia, political and human rights of Muslim minorities in non-OIC countries. The scholars and intellectuals had also called for the restructuring of the OIC. King Abdullah extended an invitation during last year's Haj to convene a summit, the purpose being to review the current state of the Ummah and to explore new horizons for the evolution of a vision that would enable the Muslim world to face up to the challenges of the present day and of tomorrow. OIC spokesperson Atta Al-Mannan Bakheet told the Saudi Press Agency that the summit will be preceded by a preparatory meeting of OIC foreign ministers on Dec. 6. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz has sent a cable of congratulations to President Saparmurat Niyazov on Turkmenistan's Independence Day. The King expressed his good wishes to the President and the people of Turkmenistan. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz thanked the Minister of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Call and Guidance Sheikh Saleh Al Al-Sheikh, his staff and all participants in the 27th King Abdulaziz International Contest for the Holy Quran Memorization, Recitation, and Interpretation, for their good feelings. This came in a cable sent by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz to the minister in response to a cable sent earlier to King Abdullah by the minister on the occasion of the end of the contest which was organized by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Call and Guidance in Makkah recently. Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General, has donated SR 1 million to the Charitable Society for the Care of Orphans in Riyadh region. This was announced by Dr Hamoud Al-Badr, the Society's Secretary General. He noted that Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz is one of the major supporters of the Charitable society, and added that 'Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz Charitable Foundation has been extending annual assistance to the Society'. It is worth mentioning than the Riyadh-based Charitable Society for the Care of Orphans, established in 1419, takes care of about 14,700 orphans and provides them with the required moral and material support. The Society is planning to carry out a number of projects like the nursery project and the project of the recreation center. Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General will open the Eastern region center for science and technology. Prince Faisal Ibn Sultan Secretary General of the Prince Sultan Charitable Foundation has also announced that the charitable housing project in Makkah Al Mukaramah has been finalized and will also be opened very soon. Prince Faisal spoke about the Prince Sultan charitable foundation and its efforts to serve the citizens. On behalf of the Custodian of The Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Chairman of King Abdullah Foundation for his Parents For Developmental Housing, the Governor of Madinah region Prince Abdul Aziz Ibn Majed Ibn Abdul Aziz patronized the opening ceremony of the project of Alnebah Village located on the western coast of Madinah region. During the ceremony, the allocation documents were handed to the nominated citizens as well as the keys of 188 houses. The project and its facilities cost SR40 million. In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the Foundation's Secretary General Dr. Yosef Ibn Ahmad Al-Othaimeen stated that this project in this village has been finished and ready to house the needy citizens. He also said that this project is the beginning of the approved projects by the Foundation which involve an urgent plan for building 2200 houses as a first stage in a number of Saudi regions with a cost of SR500 million. Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz expressed his thanks and gratitude to Prince Faisal Ibn Bandar Ibn Abdul Aziz, Governor of Al Qassim region after being informed of the plan that was set up in Al Qassim region as part of the national campaign to combat terrorism. The Minister of the Interior expressed his appreciation for the efforts exerted in Al Qassim under the leadership of Prince Faisal to combat terrorism. Prince Salman Ibn Abdul Aziz, Governor of Riyadh region and chairman of the board of directors of Riyadh charitable foundation for science received a report on the University from Prince Dr Abdul Aziz Ibn Mohamed Ibn Ayaf Al Muqrin, chairman of the board of trustees of PSU. Prince Sultan University is an institution dedicated to lifelong learning opportunities for a diverse population of adult learners in Saudi Arabia. The acquisition of practical knowledge and applicable skills will greatly enhance their opportunities for career advancement in their chosen fields. Prince Sultan University was established to provide graduate level education to individuals of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia who want to achieve career education goals. In developing and implementing the present curriculum, Prince Sultan University has recognized that the curriculum should be designed to fit the needs of the students and is being reviewed frequently and updated as necessary to remain with emerging practices. A primary focus of the University is to respond to the needs of the students and to ensure that the students have the best opportunity to learn the skills they need to succeed in their chosen fields. Another Primary focus of the University will be to maintain a very good relationship between the student and the faculty staff members. Minister of Hajj Dr Fouad Al-Farsi met the Sudanese Minister of Guidance and Endowments Dr Azhari Al-Tijani.They reviewed issues pertaining to Sudanese pilgrims and Umrah (minor Hajj) performers. Political and economic reform in the Arab world will come under the spotlight at the second Forum for the Future, being held in Bahrain on November 11 and 12. Foreign ministers from most of the G-8 industrialised countries will be attending the event, in which representatives of civil societies and governments from the Middle East and North Africa will be discussing key regional issues. US Near Eastern Affairs Bureau deputy assistant secretary Scott Carpenter said Bahrain's government had strongly engaged key issues affecting the region such as women's empowerment, human rights, rule of law and anti-corruption. "Topics last year focused more on the economic front, but this year the focus will be more on core issues facing the region in terms of strengthening civil societies and aspects of political reform," said Mr Carpenter. Bahrain, the host country, and the UK, the current G-8 president, had set the agenda for forum. Countries that are geo strategic actors beyond the Arab world, such as Pakistan, Turkey and Spain will be participating in the forum. The Saudi delegation at the ministerial meeting will be led by Prince Saud Al-Faisal. The booming Saudi economy is at its best performing period ever with oil export revenues hitting 22-year highs and the real gross domestic product (GDP), as a result of the higher oil production than in 2004, growing at a phenomenal 6.8 percent. According to Samba Financial group's third quarter economic update on Saudi Arabia, oil export revenues will hit a 22-year high of a Samba-estimated $163 billion and the Kingdom will have a very healthy trade balance and a current account surplus of $101 billion. Real GDP will grow at 6.8 percent as a result of higher oil production than in 2004, but also due to non-oil private sector growth, which the financial group now expects to grow at 7.9 percent in 2005 and to further pick up pace in 2006. Through 2005, record high global oil prices will help sustain Saudi oil at an average price of $51 per barrel. High prices for Saudi oil will likely be sustained through 2006. The report also said fiscal performance will be strong. The report said the oil sector is set to grow in real terms by 7.2 percent. The non-oil private sector is set to grow by 7.9 percent. The government will grow by 3.9 percent in 2005. Liquidity as measured by overall money supply (M3) has grown through August by nearly 7 percent and we estimate it will grow by over 14 percent for the entire year. Money supply growth fell during July and August, but will pick up robustly from September through year-end 2005. The Kingdom's finances are strong, and all trends indicate a strong fiscal position for the next few years. For 2005 revenues to total SR551 billion as a result of higher oil revenues and other non-oil revenues. Spending will total SR343 billion. This will lead to a surplus of SR208 billion. The 2006 budget will be expansionary, based on a higher, and more realistic, oil price assumption than the $25 per barrel assumption behind the 2005 budget. As government revenues rise, government debt is falling. According to Samba estimates government debt to amount to SR595 billion at year-end 2005, equivalent to 49 percent of GDP. This is a significant improvement within a three-year period. The current boom is helping the government build up its foreign assets, which have nearly tripled since 2002 from $41 billion to $122 billion by August 2005. The official working team on the accession of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the World Trade Organization (WTO) approved the documents of the Kingdom's membership in the Organization in its final 14th meeting. The meeting was attended by Minister of Commerce and Industry Dr. Hashim bin Abdullah Yamani; Minister of State and Cabinet's Member Abdullah Zainal Ali Ridha; Saudi Ambassador in Geneva Dr. Abdulwahab Attar; all members of Saudi negotiating team; specializing technical teams; and heads of delegations of 52 member states in the working team. In his speech, Dr. Yamani expressed the Saudi team's thanks and appreciation for the successful and conclusive results of the Kingdom's joining process which lasted 10 years. He pointed out that the Kingdom believes in free economy and principles of just competition, national treatment and the right of the most favored state which are the most important principles of the Organization. It is naturally that the Kingdom will be a member in the Organization to reap the gains from the opening of the world markets for Saudi exports and building its human abilities and capabilities through the increase in the opportunities of investment in the Kingdom, he noted. Dr. Yamani added that the agreement satisfies all parties, achieves the main goal of the Kingdom's admission to the Organization within the principle of equivalence to rights and obligations. At an inaugural speech, the Chairman of the official working team and Pakistan's Ambassador to the United Nations Munir Akram presented the documents of the Kingdom's joining the Organization including obligations in the sectors of commodities and services agreed between the Kingdom and member states which have resulted in 38 bilateral agreements on access to markets and the final report of the working team along with the joining protocol. The working team approved the documents and recommended to submit them to the General Council for approval on November 11. On his part, WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy welcomed this conclusive step in the Kingdom's entry process in the Organization, commending the efforts of all parties to achieve the Kingdom's joining the Organization. It is noteworthy that the Kingdom's joining the Organization will be officially announced after 30 days of approving the documents. The Kingdom will be a full member in the 6th ministerial conference due to be held in Hong Kong on December 13-18. Arab League (AL) Secretary General Amr Moussa said Iraq's Kurds are an important part not only of Iraq but also of the Arab world and the Middle East. Moussa noted that an era in Iraq's history has come to an end and that a new period is now beginning. Moussa said that in order for Iraq to start a new era it should first achieve an all-out national reconciliation. Moussa asserted that he was on a mission to Iraq on behalf of the AL to address all Iraqis, including Kurds. Moussa pointed out that the proposed dialogue among Iraqi political forces, scheduled to take place in Cairo, would offer all parties the opportunity to speak out their views on the future of Iraq. He urged the Kurds to attend the conference. Moussa spoke of the Arab initiative to hold a national reconciliation conference under the AL auspices in mid- November. The UNDP representative in Riyadh said that November will witness many activities a top of which choosing two Saudi personalities as good will Ambassadors one of whom a well know female known on the regional, Arab and international levels. The Palestinian economy has lost some 15.5 billion dollars since the eruption of the Aqsa intifada in late September 2000 till 29/9/2005 due to the Israeli aggressions, a statistics report, released by the PA public data board, unveiled. The report said that the Israeli policy of collective punishment against the Palestinian people badly affected the economic, social, educational, and cultural aspects of Palestinians' lives. It highlighted that the Palestinian economy was still fragile due to its dependence on the Israeli economy, and indicated that the rate of the gross domestic output was down by 40%. Meanwhile, Azzam Al-Shawwa, chairman of the PA energy and natural resources authority, confirmed that the authority was suffering a monthly deficit rate of 59% due to the beneficiaries' inability to pay the accumulated debts they owed to the corporation, which are estimated at nearly 223 million dollars. Shawwa said that the rate of the monthly consumption of electricity in Gaza districts was put at 97,000 megawatt/h and that the value of the monthly electricity bill amounted to 4,583,244 Shekels as the collected electricity bill charges stood at 18,791,293 shekels. The international security situation remains dominated by the global terrorist threat that is showing deeper roots in many regions, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS). IISS director John Chipman said that the pressing issues were the instability in Iraq and its capacity to infect the whole region, and non-proliferation concerns, at present most intense over Iran's presumed nuclear programme. Launching the London-based institute's annual Military Balance, he said that finding the right mix of diplomatic and military tools had become "exasperatingly difficult." All three dilemmas required "increased international co-operation and regional extroversion." "Most difficult of all will be the ever elusive quest to bring more international actors into the situation in Iraq," Chipman warned. He suggested that a form of international contact group diplomacy will need in time to replace the predominantly American nature of present external influence in Iraq. Such contact group diplomacy "could serve to introduce a degree of flexibility into the constitutional arrangements," the director of the right-wing think-tank said. "As so often, the challenge over the coming months will be how responsibly to share power and influence internationally for managing these major issues," he said. President Bush said military action was a last resort in dealing with Syria and he hoped Damascus would cooperate with a probe into the killing of former Lebanese premier Rafiq al-Hariri. "A military (option) is always the last choice of a president," he told Al Arabiya television in an interview aired on Tuesday when asked about a U.N. investigation that implicated Syrian officials in the killing of Hariri. "I am hoping that they will cooperate. It (military action) is the last -- very last option," he said. "But on the other hand, you know -- and I've worked hard for diplomacy and will continue to work the diplomatic angle on this issue." The Quartet's special envoy for the disengagement has criticized Israel for holding up agreements on opening Gaza Strip border crossings to the passage of people and goods and on improving Palestinian mobility in the West Bank. In a letter sent to United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan and the foreign ministries of Britain, Russia and the United States, James Wolfensohn wrote: "The Government of Israel, with its important security concerns, is loath to relinquish control, almost acting as though there has been no withdrawal, delaying making difficult decisions and preferring to take difficult matters back into slow-moving subcommittees." Accompanying the letter, which was dated October 16, was a report written on October 17 regarding Wolfensohn's latest visit, from October 7-12. The introduction to the report stated: "The Special Envoy was disappointed that none of the key movement issues has been resolved. Without a dramatic improvement in Palestinian movement and access, within appropriate security arrangements for Israel, the economic revival essential to a resolution of the conflict will not be possible." The letter, a copy of which was obtained by Haaretz, indicated that Israel is preventing the implementation of a proposal by Wolfensohn and the World Bank to introduce a temporary system for allowing people and goods to move between Gaza and the West Bank in convoys. "Despite an earlier commitment in June to introduce convoys, GOI has not been willing to enter bilateral or trilateral discussions on their implementation," Wolfensohn wrote. Since the pullout was completed, the Erez Checkpoint has been almost hermetically sealed to Palestinian traffic. Before the disengagement, 6,500 people went through Erez daily. That number dropped in September to 100, on average, and to zero at the beginning of this month. The Karni cargo crossing has also been either closed or particularly slow. Wolfensohn thinks that the convoy system should be used until mid-November. "The system should be serious with a regular schedule and not two or three buses every few days," he wrote. Wolfensohn's main complaints concerned the Rafah crossing, the link between Gaza and the West Bank and mobility within the West Bank and they were directed at Israel. "The Israelis have not agreed to accept the EU's generous offer to consider the role of 'a third party'" in supervising the Rafah crossing temporarily, the report stated. "The Israelis cited the need for additional internal consultation," whereas Wolfensohn urged Israel to begin talks with the Europeans to define their third-party role. In his estimation, if it were not for Israel's tendency to transfer the few remaining issues in dispute to subcommittees, the Rafah crossing could be reopened quickly. He repeatedly urged Israel to engage in immediate talks on freedom of movement and the crossings, stating: "I believe that economic activity is the greatest contributor to security for both sides." French President Jacques Chirac said "terrorist risk is real in France" and called on the nation to remain totally mobilized to face that. He made the remarks at the weekly ministers meeting of his government and shortly after Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy presented an anti-terrorism bill to the cabinet. The bill would stiffen prison sentences for convicted terrorists, strengthen the use of surveillance cameras and require telephone operations to keep records for at least one year for investigators tracking suspected terror networks. Chirac said what's required is to permanently adapt the provisions to the risk development and in anticipation. The bill would grant anti-terrorist officials greater access to airline passenger lists, driver licenses, passports and identity card information. The bill is scheduled to be handed over for the adoption of the two houses of French parliament before the end of the year. Vice presidential adviser I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby Jr. resigned after being charged with obstruction of justice, perjury and making a false statement in the CIA leak investigation, a politically charged case that could throw a spotlight on President Bush's push to war. Karl Rove, Bush's closest adviser, escaped indictment but remained under investigation, his legal status a looming political problem for the White House. The indictment charged Libby, 55, US Vice President Dick Cheney's top aide with one count of obstruction of justice, two of perjury and two false statement counts. If convicted on all five, he could face as much as 30 years in prison and $1.25 million in fines. The charges stem from a two-year investigation by special counsel Patrick Fitzgerald into whether Rove, Libby or any other administration officials knowingly revealed the identity of CIA officer Valerie Plame or lied about their involvement to investigators. Libby is accused of lying about how and when he learned about Plame's identity in 2003 and told reporters about it. The information on the officer was classified. He is also accused of lying when he told Fitzgerald's investigators that he learned about Plame's CIA status from Tim Russert of NBC. He learned it from Cheney, the indictment says. Minister of Commerce and Industry Dr Hashim Yamani has issued a decision banning import of poultry and its products from Turkey and Romania to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. At the same time, the decision stipulated that ban will continue on import of poultry from Vietnam, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Pakistan, China, Thailand, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Laos, Malaysia, Russia, Kazakhstan and Mongolia to the Kingdom. The decision, issued on 21/9/1426 AH (Oct 24, 2005) has come in line with the Royal directives. The Ministry of Commerce and Industry hoped that all citizens and importers will cooperate with the Ministry in this respect and inform the Ministry about any product which has doubts pertaining to its quality so as to preserve the health and safety of the consumers. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said that Israel's demand for the disarmament of Palestinian militants before a resumption of peace talks could lead to civil war. In an interview with Israel's mass-market Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, Mubarak urged the Jewish state to take steps to boost beleaguered Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who faces growing lawlessness in the West Bank and Gaza Strip."Particularly now, you need Abu Mazen," Mubarak said, using Abbas's nickname. "You must help him and strengthen his position toward his people." "You must not condition any progress in the political process on confiscating weapons. If you try to force them, they will have a civil war," Mubarak said. Mubarak urged Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to meet with Abbas as soon as possible. Sharon and Abbas postponed a summit they had tentatively set earlier this month, saying more preparations were needed. "In the end you both live in the same place ... You aren't far apart like the United States and Japan," the Egyptian leader said. "The fact you don't meet is liable to be interpreted as though he (Abbas) is being punished," and weaken him in the eyes of his people, Mubarak added. Prime Minister Tony Blair's government won a crucial parliamentary vote on sweeping new anti-terrorism legislation, but faced a further fight over plans to lock up terror suspects for up to 90 days without being charged. Following a lengthy debate in the House of Commons, lawmakers voted 472-94 to back the Terrorism Bill. The main opposition Conservative Party supported the measure, but warned it would seek to block the legislation if the government did not rethink some of the proposals. After July's deadly attacks on London's transit system, the government said it wanted to extend the maximum 14-day detention without charge for terror suspects to three months, outlaw attending terrorist training camps and make it an offence to glorify or encourage terrorism. Pakistan has extradited 14 Taliban fugitives to Afghanistan, the first such move by Islamabad since U.S.-led forces overthrew the radical Islamists in 2001, officials said. Taliban spokesmen Abdul Latif Hakimi and Mohammad Yasar were the most senior members of the group of 14 men sent back by military plane to Afghanistan on Wednesday, they said. The fugitives, who were blindfolded for the trip, would be tried over their role in violence against the Afghan government and foreign troops based in Afghanistan, officials said. While hailing the extradition, Kabul urged its neighbour to hunt down more suspected militants based in Pakistan. "Such measures by Pakistan would strengthen relations between the two countries and, God willing, may we have more successes in future too in this regard," Interior Ministry spokesman Yousuf Stanezai said. President Hamid Karzai had demanded Hakimi's extradition after his arrest earlier this month in Pakistan. |