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December 16, 2005 |
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**** The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz received a message from President Mohammed Hosni Mubarak of Egypt. The message was conveyed to the King during an audience at his palace with Minister at the Egyptian Presidency Omar Sulaiman. The Minister also conveyed the greetings of the Egyptian President to the Monarch who in turn sent his greetings to the President. The audience was attended by Prince Saud Al-Faisal, the Foreign Minister and Prince Miqren Ibn Abdul Aziz, Chief of General Intelligence. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz has sent a cable of congratulations to Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al-Nahayan, the President of the United Arab Emirates on his country's national day. In his cable, King Abdullah wished the President excellent health and constant progress and prosperity to the UAE people. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz has sent a cable of congratulations to Liberian President Eline Johnson Sirleaf on the occasion of her winning the presidential elections held recently in her country. King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz wished the new President and the people of Liberia constant progress and prosperity. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz has sent a message to Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, the President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), on bilateral relations and issues pertaining to the development of Al-Jazierah Shield within the framework of the joint work of the Arab Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The message was delivered to Sheikh Khalifa by Prince Khaled Ibn Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Assistant Defense and Aviation Minister for Military Affairs, during a meeting. The meeting was attended by a number of high-ranking officials. Prince Khaled Ibn Sultan arrived in Al-Ein earlier. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz received a message from Sheikh Khalifah bin Zayed Al Nahayan, President of United Arab Emirates, including an invitation for the king to attend meetings of 26th session of the Supreme Council of the Gulf Cooperation Council which will be held in the UAE. The message was handed to the king by UAE's Minister of State for the Affairs of the Supreme Council and the GCC Sheikh Fahim bin Sultan Alqasmi during an audience here today. Prince Salman Ibn Abdul Aziz, Governor of Riyadh region received Hashim Al Sheikh Deeb the Palestinian Ambassador who visited the Prince at the end of his mission in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Prince Salman thanked the Ambassador for his efforts to enhance bilateral relations. Crown Prince of Dubai General Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktum, Minister of Defense of the United Arab Emirates, met with Prince Khalid Ibn Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Assistant Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General for military affairs. During the meeting, they discussed the brotherly and distinguished relations binding the two countries and aspects of bilateral cooperation as well as current regional issues and topics of mutual interest. Prince Mohammed Ibn Nawaf Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Saudi Ambassador to the United Kingdom and Ireland, met with representatives of the Saudi community and a group of Saudi students studying in Britain at the Saudi embassy in London downtown. Following the meeting, Prince Mohammed Ibn Nawaf Ibn Abdul Aziz expressed to the Saudi Press Agency his gratitude for the valuable royal confidence appointing him to this prestigious post, noting the position of the United Kingdom in the regional and international arenas. He said he is going to follow the advice given to him by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz; Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Deputy Premier, Aviation and Defense Minister and Inspector General, and Prince Saud Al-Faisal, the Foreign Minister, to build on the achievements reached by previous Saudi envoys to Britain. Among the files pending for discussion between the Saudi and British sides were the issue of combating terrorism and further consolidating aspects of cooperation in the scientific, health, energy fields, he concluded. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees UNRWA has hailed the generous aid provided by Saudi Arabia to build 800 homes for Palestinian refugees whose homes were destroyed by Israeli military operations in Rafah, Gaza bank. UNRWA has laid the cornerstone for the 'Saudi project to re-house homeless refugee families', funded by a contribution of $ 20 million from the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. UNRWA's representative Jamal Hammad has said that the $ 20 million aid will contribute to building homes for 690 families immediately and homes for 800 families are to be built. This grant, administered by the Saudi fund for development through UNRWA, will cover the construction of new shelters for over 800 homeless refugee families, three schools, a health centre, a mosque, a community centre, a market area and all related infrastructure works. The International Council on Alcohol and Addiction has offered its thanks and gratitude to Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz the Minister of the Interior for the efforts and support offered to the council and for the Saudi role played over 25 years in combating addiction. At least five people have been injured in clashes between Syria's security forces and a "terrorist group", the official Sana news agency says. The clashes came after security forces followed a group intending to commit terrorist acts in the northern city of Aleppo, the agency said. Two "terrorists", two civilians and a security officer were injured and taken to hospital, Sana said. It also said two militants were killed in an unreported clash. That also took place in Aleppo, but was not reported at the time because of a continuing security operation, Sana said. The incident occurred on the road leading to the airport in Aleppo, about 355km (220 miles) north of Damascus, residents told the Associated Press by telephone. A source in Aleppo said that security forces stopped a stolen car, whereupon the occupants opened fire on them. The car later caught fire as it was being towed away, he said. The official report did not specify which militant group was involved. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has announced its long term strategy for 2005 -2025 which is based on improving the level of living. The strategy was presented at symposium held by UNDP in Riyadh. The most important issue in the strategy is improving the citizens income and diversification of income resources. A technical committee tasked with following-up the water link in the GCC member states held a meeting in Muscat. The meeting discussed a number of topics including the establishing of water storing complexes to encounter any emergencies. Deputy Secretary General of the Arab League Noor Aldeen Hashad praised the outcome of the Islamic Summit held in Makkah. In a statement to Saudi Press Agency, he also commended the speech delivered by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz at the summit. Saudi Arabia and Jordan signed a memorandum for exchange and pooling of seismic data and geological surveys as well as unifying geological codes relating to the border area between the two countries.The agreement was signed by the visiting director of the Saudi Geological Survey Authority Mohammad bin Asaad Tawfiq and head of Jordan's Natural Resources Authority Maher Hijazine, Arab News reported. The memorandum provides for the exchange of expertise and information as well as taking part in seminars, workshops and conferences that focus on geological researches and mineral resources, monitoring geological risks and developing desert geological tourism in such a manner that "accomplished bilateral interests and makes benefit from expertise and know-how available in the two countries". The Sultanate of Oman and the Republic of South Korea issued a joint communiqué after an official visit of the South Korean premier to the Sultanate. The statement says that during the audience given by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said to the South Korean premier, both reviewed the existing excellent bilateral relations and exchanged views on various issues of regional and international arenas. The Sultan has praised the mutual relations between the two countries. During the meeting, the South Korean premier conveyed to the Sultan the greetings and best wishes of the South Korean president. The communiqué continued that the Omani and Korean side held an official session of talks under the chairmanship of Sayyid Fahd bin Mahmoud Al Said, deputy prime minister for the Council of Ministers; and the South Korean premier. The two sides reviewed all fields of cooperation and agreed on strengthening cooperation in various fields. During the sessions, discussions were held on a number of topics related to the visit of Sayyid Fahd to South Korea in September 2005. Both sides also decided to activate on agreed issues. The two sides decided to activate the agreements signed between the two countries and developing the joint work and enhancing the mutual relations. The two sides also reviewed a number of regional and international issues and exchanged views on them and expressed confidence that the Iraq would achieve its stability and prosperity and extended all political support and reconstruction of Iraq. Both sides also reviewed the Middle East issues and stressed the need to move forward to implement the roadmap and other UN resolutions. During the session, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between the Oil and Gas Ministry of the Sultanate and the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Power in South Korea. The South Korean premier extended his sincere thanks and appreciations to the Sultan and his government on the warm welcome and care extended to him and his delegation during their stay in the Sultanate. Lee Hae-chan left at the end of his three-day visit to the Sultanate during which he led a top-ranking trade delegation. "This visit will open a new phase in our already deep and broad cooperation in the political and economic arena," Lee said. "Our friendly and cordial talks covered trade, investment and other economic areas of cooperation, which will strengthen bilateral relations on a long-term basis," he added. Sultan Qaboos bin Said gave an audience to the premier at Bait Al Barakah during which they discussed relations between the Sultanate and the Republic of Korea and ways of promoting them in all spheres in the mutual interest of the two peoples. A senior US official has defended the country's treatment of terror suspects and the transfer of prisoners to third countries for interrogation. State department senior legal adviser John Bellinger told the BBC Washington sought reassurance in those countries that prisoners would not be tortured. He said allegations that hundreds of suspects were sent around the globe to be tortured were "ludicrous". Mr Bellinger said the US did practice rendition, by which some terror suspects were sent to a third country to be questioned. But he added that even transferring a prisoner to a country which had been criticised over its human rights record was not a violation of international law. "We as a state department have got problems with the human rights records of some countries... but this does not mean per se that you may not transfer a person to those countries," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. Mr Bellinger insisted that if there were such questions, the US would seek reassurances that a prisoner would not be subjected to torture. But he said some practises had been wildly exaggerated. "Some of the allegations more broadly about all sorts of things are ludicrous, [like one] about hundreds of flights from European cities taking people to be tortured," he said. He repeated that Washington did not condone or practise torture but would not comment on whether some prisoners had been subjected to interrogation techniques such as water-boarding - when a suspect is made to feel that they are drowning - to extract information. The lawyer said he could not comment on speculation about so-called enhanced interrogation techniques or the existence of secret prisons. French Defense Minister Michele Alliot-Marie called for a strategic cooperation between Europe and the oil-rich Gulf on security matters. "I am convinced that the time has come to go up a level in our cooperation," she said at the start of a forum organized by the International Institute for Strategic Studies think-tank in Manama. "Concerning security issues, the Arabian-Persian Gulf seems to many like the private domain of the United States," she said. Alliot-Marie said "Europe could provide a very important contribution to the region because it is a heavyweight actor and because we, Europeans, consider that we are capable of bring in our experience and help in the stabilization of the Gulf." She said the mechanism established by Europe for regional cooperation outside its own borders could be an example for cooperation with Gulf states."It could be a joint action between the European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)," which groups Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, she said. "I consider that it is high time for European states and countries of the Gulf to consolidate their cooperation in this domain (security) in order to contribute, together, to the stabilization of this vital region of the world," she said. Former Iranian President Sayyed Mohamad Khatami called on the Lebanese to put internal differences aside. Sayyed Khatami's call came during a tour of Lebanese political and religious figures. He visited Mufti Mohamad Qabbani at the Dar al Fatwa in Beirut and touched on political and religious issues. From his side the Grand Mufti reiterated the importance of the Muslims unity and the Muslims and Christians unity. He stressed the necessity of Muslim cooperation and dialogue between different views, noting the role the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Republic of Iran play in the international arena. Sources in the Arab league announced that meetings of the Arab foreign ministers was postponed until December 29 and 30. One of these sources said that the "the AL secretary general Amr Moussa decided in coordination with several Arab foreign ministers the postponement of the term of convening the special Arab foreign ministers council. He added "the new date complies with the end of the general elections in Iraq and the end of the first session of the Interim Iraqi parliament." One Arab diplomatic source said that "the adjourning of the term of the special meeting of the Arab foreign ministers council allows the opportunity to form a clear vision for the future of Iraq following the elections which will be held there on December 15th. The General Assembly wrapped up its annual consideration of the question of Palestine and the situation in the wider Middle East, adopting six traditional resolutions, underscoring, above all, that sustained international involvement was urgently needed to support both the Palestinian and Israeli sides in revitalizing the peace process and towards the speedy resumption of negotiations leading to a final settlement. Convinced that achieving a final and peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine - the core of the Arab-Israeli conflict - was the key to stability in the Middle East, the Assembly adopted, by vote of 156 in favour to 6 against (Australia, Israel, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, United States), with 9 abstentions (Cameroon, Canada, Costa Rica, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu), a text stressing the need for Israel's withdrawal from the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967. The resolution welcomed the recent agreement on movement and access between the two sides - leading to the opening of the Rafah Crossing between Gaza and Egypt -- in the wake of Israel's disengagement from the Gaza Strip and parts of the West Bank. The Assembly stressed the need to ensure that the new commitments followed the agreed timeline, and also emphasized the need for the parties, with the help of the international community, to speedily and fully resolve the remaining issues in the Gaza Strip, including a durable arrangement for the airport, construction of the seaport and removal of rubble. On Jerusalem, the Assembly adopted a resolution reiterating its determination that any actions taken by Israel to impose its laws, jurisdiction and administration in the Holy City are illegal and, therefore, null and void, and have no validity whatsoever. It did so by a recorded vote of 153 in favour to 7 against (Costa Rica, Israel, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, United States), with 12 abstentions. That text reaffirmed the international community's interest in protecting the city's unique spiritual, religious and cultural character, and stressed that a comprehensive, just and lasting solution to the question of Jerusalem - which took into account the legitimate concerns of both sides - must include internationally guaranteed provisions to ensure freedom of religion and of conscience, and permanent, free and unhindered access of all to holy places. The resolution on the Syrian Golan, adopted by a recorded vote of 106 in favour to 6 against (Canada, Israel, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, United States), with 62 abstentions, stressed the illegality of Israeli settlement activities in the occupied Syrian Golan since 1967, and determined once more that the continued occupation and de facto annexation constitute a stumbling block to achieving a just, comprehensive peace in the region. In addition to resuming talks with Syria and Lebanon, and respecting commitments and undertakings reached during the previous talks, the world body also once again demanded a complete withdrawal from the occupied Syrian Golan to the 4 June, 1967 line. The head of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) called on NATO to press for the elimination of nuclear arms in the Middle East so that the Gulf region does not become "sandwiched" between Israel and Iran. "I call on NATO to exercise direct pressure to eliminate WMDs (weapons of mass destruction) from our region, without exception," said Sheikh Abdul Rahman al-Attiyah, GCC secretary general. Attiyah, speaking on the sidelines of a conference in Qatar on NATO's role in Gulf regional security, said "we do not want our region to be sandwiched by arms here and arms there." Asked if he was reassured by Tehran's insistence that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only, he said: "We hope so, because that is exactly what we want a secure and non-nuclear zone." But he said that "Israel was the first to introduce these types of arms into the region, which has led other states to seek to imitate it." He expressed concern about a cycle of action and reaction that could lead to a spread of atomic weapons throughout the region. Iraqi security forces could take control of some UK-run areas of Iraq in 2006, Defence Secretary John Reid has said during a visit to Basra. Mr Reid inspected British troops and met new members of the Iraqi army in the southern Iraqi city. He said the quality of the 210,000 Iraqi security forces meant the handover could start next year. But he stressed British troops would not leave completely until Iraqi forces could "defend their own democracy". Mr Reid told the BBC his talks with generals on the ground suggested growing Iraqi security forces might be able to take over certain regions in 2006. "That does not mean to say that that will happen everywhere at the same rate or that we will be removing all our troops," he said. "We'll be here as long as is necessary. We'll not go until the Iraqi armed forces are capable of defending their own democracy. "But that is a process of handover that could begin in the course of next year." A Ministry of Defence spokesman said the trip had been a "regular" visit to see British forces in the southern Iraqi city. Abdullah al-Dardari, Syria's deputy prime minister said that Syria may eventually hand over to the United Nations any of its nationals indicted in the assassination of former Lebanon's Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri. He then added: "Handover could happen only after indictments had gone through a Syrian legal process." "If he (chief U.N. investigator Detlev Mehlis) wants to indict anyone, the indictment should go to Syria and through the Syrian legal process," he told reporters. "The person will be arrested by Syrian authorities and then handed over to the U.N." Dardari, visiting London, said five Syrians to be questioned by U.N. investigators in Vienna next week will have their lawyers with them. Dardari said Syria had won an agreement that Syrian and international law be applied in a legal process of questioning by the U.N. investigators and possible arrest later. John Maples MP who headed a House of Commons delegation in a visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia praised the visit. The delegation visited the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz and Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz. The MP said the visit is a result of the distinguished relations between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom. The Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA) has given licenses to 126 investment projects worth SR3.6 billion. SAGIA revealed that the 3rd quarter of 2005 witnessed an increase of 223 percent in investments over the 3rd quarter of 2004. According to SAGIA, by adding the results of the 3rd quarter to the rest of the year, total investments in Saudi Arabia stood at SR68.8 billion ($18.3 billion). Sources in the Suez Canal Authority announced that the Authority has received information from the Egyptian Embassy in Copenhagen saying that Al-Qa`eda is plotting to launch attacks on oil tankers and merchant shipping that could threaten world trade. Sea-borne terrorism could potentially cripple global trade and have grave knock-on effects on developed economies, sources said. Western governments have intelligence that terrorists view shipping as an attractive target. The sources added that security measures are been taken to prevent these attacks. King Abdullah II opened the parliament with a vigorous call for a strategy to confront terrorism, saying security and stability were a greater priority than ever following last month's suicide bombings of three Amman hotels. King Abdullah told lawmakers the Nov. 9 blasts claimed by the al-Qaida in Iraq group targeted Jordan because of its "location, its message and positions" a reference to his nation's pro-Western outlook, its embrace of moderate Islam and its lying between Israel and Iraq. "These attacks impose upon Jordan the largest security challenge to ever confront it," he told a joint session of the upper and lower chambers. "Thus, a security strategy capable of dealing with these changed circumstances and containing these challenges is in order," he said. "This requires the drafting of legislation that serves this strategy to ensure that Jordan will remain as it always has been: an oasis of security and stability and a haven for freedom where human rights are respected..." "When the hand of the traitors targeted Jordan's security and terrorized its innocent citizens and guests, the country passed, with great success, a critical test of its security and stability," he said"I feel the suffering of my people, and I know the extent of economic difficulties they are facing due to the rise of prices, poverty and unemployment," he said. He urged lawmakers to pass laws that would "relieve the people's suffering""We are at a new threshold of the reform and modernization march, and confronting the challenges imposed upon us by difficult regional circumstances requires each and every one of us to rise to the challenge at this moment," he said. "It requires that parliament deal with the government with a sense of responsibility" He reiterated Jordan's support for the Palestinians and said the country would continue to back the Iraqi people "until Iraq is restored to its natural status and its citizens enjoy decent, free and secure life." Another important step recently was taken in Saudi Arabia's industrialization drive with the beginning of construction of Saudi Aramco's Hawiyah Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) Project, which will add hundreds of thousands of barrels of petrochemical feedstock daily to the industrial cities of Jubail on the Arabian Gulf and Yanbu' on the Red Sea. The massive construction project is a team effort of Saudi Aramco and contractors Snamprogetti, JGC, General Dynamics, Yokogawa, GE Nuevo Pignone and several in-Kingdom contractors, each of which has a piece of the petrochemical complex to complete. Ali A. Al-Ajmi, vice president of Project Management; Saad A. Turaiki, executive director of Southern Area Gas Operations (SAGO); and several members of Project Management and SAGO were on hand for the groundbreaking ceremonies and related festivities. "These facilities are vital for supporting the energy flow, both to the Kingdom and the world," Al-Ajmi told the construction team. "We're counting on you to deliver these NGL facilities on or before schedule." At the ceremony, Al-Ajmi turned the first shovelful of earth on construction of the NGL facility being constructed by JGC, according to an article written by Stephen L. Brundage and carried by Saudi Aramco web site. Saudi Aramco and the contractors have erected temporary camps to house and cater to the thousands of workers who will remain on site during construction, which is expected to be finished early in 2008. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called on the US to set a timetable for withdrawing troops from Iraq, saying it could dampen insurgent attacks. In an interview with The Australian as part of the first visit to Australia by a Turkish prime minister, Mr Erdogan said a timetable would give Iraqis something concrete to look forward to. "If the Iraqi people know that the coalition forces plan to withdraw, perhaps in stages as of a certain date, this can offer a glimmer of hope for the future," he said. "If such a road map were to be announced, then some of the insurgents or some of the resistance would die down." Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that "Iraq has become a training ground for terrorism." Militaristic approaches were not a solution to terrorism "in and of themselves," he told a lunch in his honour at Parliament House. "As to whether a solution has been found to the situation in Iraq we can say that that solution has not been found because tens of people die every day in Iraq, unfortunately." More needed to be done to attack the root causes of terrorism, including poverty and religious intolerance, he said. "We must make sure that we dry up the swamp of terrorism and we must have a lot of intelligence sharing in order to achieve that. That is how we can combat terrorism." Mr Erdogan, whose country has suffered at the hands of terrorists, stressed how hard it is to deal with those whose tactics include suicide. |