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February 17, 2006 |
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A MESSAGE FROM KING ABDULLAH TO THE YEMENI PRESIDENT CONCERNING WAYS OF FURTHER BOOSTING THE DISTINGUISHED RELATIONS AND COOPERATION BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES ESPECIALLY IN THE FIELDS OF SECURITY AND FIGHTING TERRORISM. SECURITY MEASURES TIGHTENED ALONG THE KINGDOM'S BORDER WITH YEMEN FOLLOWING THE ESCAPE OF 23 AL-QAEDA ELEMENTS FROM JAILS IN SANAA. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz Al Saud received the Minister of Education and head of the Saudi Arabian Scouts Association Dr. Abdullah Al Obaid accompanied by the delegation of the International Scouts Organization, who are guests of the international scouts camp currently held in the industrial city of Jubail. During the audience, the king made some remarks urging those present to promote peace and said the responsibility of mobilizing youths to support peace is a great responsibility. The king stressed that this responsibility can be carried out easily because it is a responsibility of men toward each other. The king sent his greetings and thanks to scouts all over the world. During the audience, speakers thanked the king for his vision of mobilizing youths to support peace pledging to work for implementing this vision. The audience was attended by a number of princes and officials. Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Premier, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General, received the delegation of the International Scouts Organization. The crown prince welcomed the delegation whose members represent all continents of the world wishing their camp, presently set up in the city of Jubail, all success. The crown prince said scouting represents peace and security which we all call for. He added that youths of the kingdom, represented by members of the scouts, proved this through the good services they provide to pilgrims every year. The audience was attended by a number of officials. Meanwhile Eastern Province Governor Prince Muhammad Ibn Fahd took the opportunity to tell a gathering of international scouts that Islam is a religion of peace. "Everybody lives here in peace and brotherhood. The participants represent the nucleus of the future world whom we hope would co-exit peacefully," the governor said during the inauguration of the World Organization for the Scout Movement's international camp in Jubail. The governor urged some 1,800 youths from over 90 countries participating in the camp to become the messengers of peace by promoting cultural dialogue. "This meet is a big event and shows that the majority of people love goodness and peace," the governor told reporters after officially opening the camp titled "Together for the Sake of Peace". Prince Muhammad said the main objective of the camp was to help people from different countries to know each other and create an atmosphere of dialogue and mutual respect, irrespective of race, religion and language. The governor stressed the need for promoting the values of love and peace in Saudis and other Muslims in order for them to win respect of other nations and communities. Earlier on arrival at the venue, Prince Muhammad was greeted by Prince Saud Ibn Abdullah Ibn Thunayyan, chairman of the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu, Education Minister and Chairman of Saudi Scouts Society Abdullah Ibn Obaid, and Abdullah Omar Naseef, president of the International Federation of Muslim Scouts. Prince Saud thanked King Abdullah for giving sanction to hold the camp in Jubail. The World Organization of the Scout Movement kicked off an international meet in Al-Deffi Park in the Eastern Province town of Jubail. The scouting camp, the first in series of planned international scout meetings, is being held with the support of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah. British scout Liam Michel was among the first arrivals. He praised the warm welcome and hospitality. The arriving contingents were Greeks, Hondurans, Brazilians, Italians, Swiss, Egyptians and Emirates. The purpose of the scout camp is to bring together youths from all over the globe into one camp where they can share their cultural experiences and discuss global issues that will affect them throughout their lives. The camp is divided into seven sections: The International Development Village, where scouts can become acquainted with the social and environmental challenges humanity faces as increased pressures are put on the planet due to population growth. The Information Village, where scouts can have fun with robots and computers that address taking heritage into the digital age. The Athletic Village, offering sports equipment and competitive events from across the globe. The Saudi Tourism Village, where the country sponsor gets an opportunity to showcase the Kingdom's sites of interest in the areas of tourism, culture and religion. The Communications Village, where scouts can communicate with friends and relatives back home through computers with wireless Internet connections. The Youth Forum for Peace, where scouts can engage in open dialogue about current events. The Media Village, where more information about the World Organization of the Scout Movement's activities are available. Spokesman Bandar BoEshi said that the activities started with the parachute descent of Eastern Naval Forces carrying the Saudi flag and the slogan of the event followed by raising flags of all participant countries. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz Al Saud received the Chairman of the Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Industry Saleh Kamel. During the audience, the Chairman briefed the king on future plans of the chamber. The audience was attended by a number of princes and officials. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz Al Saud received Sheikh Abdul Aziz Ibn Abdullah Al Al-Sheikh, the Kingdom's Grand Mufti and Chairman of Senior Ulema Commission and Religious Research and Ifta Department; Sheikh Salih bin Mohammed Al-Lehaidan, Chairman of the Supreme Judiciary Council; Ulema and sheikhs who came to greet him. The audience was attended by a number of princes and officials. Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General, received Sheikh Abdul Aziz Ibn Abdullah Al Al-Sheikh, the Kingdom's Grand Mufti and Chairman of Senior Ulema Commission and Religious Research and Ifta Department. He also received Pakistan's ambassador to the kingdom Abdul Aziz Mirza who bade farewell to him on the occasion of the end of the ambassador's work in the kingdom. During the audience, cordial talks were exchanged. On the other hand Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz Al Saud has sent a message to Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Salih concerning ways of further boosting the distinguished relations and cooperation between the two countries. The message was delivered to the president by Prince Mohammad Ibn Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz, Assistant Minister of Interior for Security Affairs. Prince Mohammad left after the audience during which discussion focused on cooperation between the two countries in the security and anti-terrorism field. Security source from the Saudi border guards in the Najran area confirmed that security measures have been tightened along the kingdom's border with Yemen following the recent escape of 23 alleged Al-Qaeda elements from the political security jails in Sanaa, Yemen. The source indicated that the tightening of security measures were in place before the prisoners had escaped to prevent the infiltration of any wanted persons and further highlighted that the border is characterized by strong security using both technological and human resources. Concerning fears that the escapees may have infiltrated into Saudi Arabia, the source admitted that this might be possible especially considering there are land and sea routes to exit Yemen. On his part, Saudi representative for the Interior Ministry, Major General Mansour Al-Turki, stated that there is a possibility that the escapees could have gained access into the kingdom. He added, however, that the security authorities continue in their readiness to combat terrorism and the relevant measures are still in place. He stressed that Saudi anti-terrorism action is at its peak, particularly in its search for wanted persons. Major General Mansour Al-Turki added that based on Interior Minister Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz assertion as well as Al-Turki's personal opinion, terrorist acts in Saudi Arabia could not be ruled out unless the deviant ideology is destroyed from its roots. He added, "It is for this reason that the security willingness to combat terror continues to be strong and the relevant measures remain in place." Yemen issued arrest warrants for 23 Al-Qaeda operatives who escaped from a Sanaa prison. Yemen has asked the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) to help trace and arrest them, a senior police official said. The official, who asked for anonymity, told Arab News the arrest notices were sent to the Interpol's headquarters in France and would be circulated to countries in the region in case the fugitives leave Yemeni territory. "The search is now concentrated inside the country," said the official, adding that, "We issued international arrest notices in case they managed to flee the country." The 23 fugitives, including 13 Al-Qaeda operatives convicted in the 2000 bombing of the US destroyer USS Cole and the 2002 attack on the French oil tanker Limburg off Yemen, escaped late Friday from a jail at intelligence headquarters in the southern Sanaa suburb of Hadda. "Interpol will issue notices with names and photographs of the escapees and circulate them through its data network to regional bureaus and member countries to trace them," he said. The prisoners fled through a 70-meter-long underground tunnel they managed to dig. The tunnel linked their cells to a mosque on a nearby street. Official sources have said that the second main convict in the USS Cole bombing, Jamal Al-Badawi, was among the escapees. Al-Badawi had been serving a 15-year jail term. Four other convicts in the attack serving jail terms from four to 10 years also fled the prison. Also among the fugitives was Fawaz Al-Rabyee, whom a state security court sentenced to death in August 2004 after convicting him of leading a 14-member group linked to the terrorist Al-Qaeda network. I London a judge sentenced Muslim preacher Abu Hamza Al-Masri to seven years in prison for inciting followers to kill non-Muslims. Judge Anthony Hughes told the former imam of London's Finsbury Park mosque that he helped to persuade his followers that they had a "moral and religious duty" to kill. The mosque was attended by both Sept. 11 plotter Zacarias Moussaoui and "shoe bomber" Richard Reid. "You used your authority to legitimize anger and to encourage your audiences to believe that it gave rise to a duty to murder," Hughes told Al-Masri. A jury earlier in the day convicted Al-Masri on 11 of 15 counts, including incitement to murder, fomenting racial hatred, possessing a terrorist document and possessing abusive recordings. He had faced a maximum of life in prison. Hughes sentenced Al-Masri to seven years on the most serious charges of soliciting murder, and allowed him to serve his sentences on the other charges concurrently. The preacher's attorneys said he planned to appeal. Lawyer Muddassar Arani said Al-Masri believed he was "a prisoner of faith, and this is a slow martyrdom for him." A supporter in the public gallery shouted "God Bless You Sheikh Hamza" as he was led out of the courtroom. Others shouted to him in Arabic. The trial, which began Jan. 11, also was closely watched in Washington because the Egyptian-born firebrand preacher was arrested after US authorities charged him on an 11-count indictment with trying to establish a terrorist training camp in the state of Oregon, conspiring to take hostages in Yemen and facilitating terror training in Afghanistan. Under British law, the domestic charges took precedence over the extradition case, but Al-Masri could now be sent to the United States for prosecution there if US authorities request it. In his trial at London's Central Criminal Court, Al-Masri, whose real name is Mustafa Kamel Mustafa, faced nine charges of soliciting the murder of others, "namely a person or persons who did not believe in the Islamic faith." Three of the charges add: "in particular Jewish people." He also faced four counts of using threatening or abusive language designed to stir racial hatred, one count of possessing threatening or abusive recordings and one count of possessing a document likely to be useful in terrorism the "Encyclopedia of the Afghani Jihad." During the trial, Al-Masri, who pleaded innocent, sat in the dock of the wood-paneled courtroom flanked by guards and listened intently to the proceedings. The cleric has one eye and a hook for a hand, which he says he lost fighting Soviet troops in Afghanistan. Close media coverage of the preacher has made him one of Britain's best-known radicals. He was head preacher at the Finsbury mosque from the late 1990s until 2003, when he was ousted by the community's leaders. In Washington the Bush Administration defended its practice of bypassing the courts to eavesdrop on Americans suspected of terrorism when Alberto Gonzales, the US Attorney General, appeared before Congress. Although he was not in charge when the Justice Department approved the programme in 2001, Mr Gonzales was hauled before the Senate Judiciary Committee to explain the legal case for the wiretaps. "The terrorist surveillance programme is both necessary and lawful," he told the hearing. "This Administration has chosen to act now to prevent the next attack with every lawful tool at its disposal, rather than wait until it is too late." The New York Times revealed in December that the US National Security Agency (NSA) has listened to the telephone conversations of thousands of American citizens since September 11, 2001, without obtaining a warrant. The operation, quickly dubbed "Snoopgate", has outraged Democrats and senior Republicans alike, who have argued that President Bush exceeded his authority under the Constitution by ordering the programme. But the White House has fiercely defended the wiretaps, saying that Congress granted the President sweeping powers in the days after September 11 that allowed the Bush Administration to bypass a 1978 law, which requires a court warrant for all telephone calls recorded in the US. The hearing showed the depth of indignation felt by some members of Congress, including Republicans, who say they did not interpret the President's new powers in the same way. Arlen Specter, the Republican senator from Pennsylvania who chaired the hearing, said that American law "has a forceful and blanket prohibition against any electronic surveillance without a court order". The senior Democrat on the panel, Senator Patrick Leahy, said in his opening statement that Mr Bush had trampled on the civil liberties of innocent citizens: "My concern is for peaceful Quakers who are being spied upon, and other law-abiding Americans and babies and nuns who are placed on terrorist watch lists," he said. The programme has generated enormous controversy in the US, not least because critics of the Bush Administration believe that the White House has broken a law put in place to prevent just such eavesdropping. The 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act was passed after a Senate investigation in 1975 revealed a similar NSA eavesdropping programme that spied on American citizens suspected of terrorism and drug trafficking. A senior U.S. security official was scheduled to visit Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia this week to cement their cooperation in Washington's fight against terror, diplomats said. U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) head Robert Mueller's visit coincides with Moroccan media reports that suspected al Qaeda members were attempting to sneak into Europe from the region. Quoting security officials, Moroccan media has suggested group members were infiltrating waves of illegal sub-Saharan migrants arriving in Morocco and Algeria. His visit precedes that of U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, due in the region on Sunday after a NATO summit in Sicily. It will be Rumsfeld's first visit to the Maghreb. Morocco, has clamped down on suspected cells of Islamic radicals since 2003, when multiple bombings in the country's financial capital Casablanca killed 45 people and shocked the normally peaceful country. Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia want more U.S. support to counter attempts by radical Islamists to recruit and train operatives of al Qaeda network in Europe. In Beirut During a press conference, Acting Interior Minister Ahmad Fatfat explained the Internal Security Forces did not have enough men or equipment to face riots, including the one that occurred Sunday. Fatfat said that the number of arrested rose to 416. They were 223 Lebanese, 138 Syrians, 47 Palestinians, seven stateless people and one Sudanese, adding that all non-Lebanese who took part in the riots were in the country legally. He revealed that security forces had deployed only 900 security members simply because ' they don't have more men to deploy.' According to Fatfat, for the situation to improve in the ISF, they need a strong financial decision from the cabinet, adding that the Lebanese government received a number of promises from Arab states for technical support, but this support has not yet seen the light. In another development the Security Forces's were able arrested five men who confessed they were behind the bomb attack at an army barracks in Beirut last week. The acting interior minister said the five, three Palestinians and two Lebanese, also said they were responsible for attacks on army posts in the Southern city of Sidon. He added that a large cash of arms were also seized at a hideout in Sidon that belonged to then men who, according to Fatfat were not acting as individuals but as a group. The bomb had exploded shortly after a local newspaper had received a call from someone claiming to speak on behalf of al Qaeda and saying a security target in Beirut would be bombed in retaliation for the arrest of 13 group members last month. Fatfat said authorities were still questioning those 13 men. A military prosecutor charged them last month with planning to launch terrorist attacks. The Lebanese minister of the Interior Hassan al-Sabaa had resigned from his post, while the Lebanese authorities started large scale acts of detention covered scores of Syrians and Palestinians. This was after the burning of the headquarters of the Danish consulate in Beirut on the background of the increasing anger over the blasphemous picture for Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), that were printed by several European papers. A Lebanese security source said that the acts of detention targeted "persons involved in acts of riot against citizens property, foreign interests and worshiping places." The Lebanese government held an emergency meeting after the expansion of the objection to the insulting of the prophet to Beirut, and the burning of the Danish consulate, less than 24 hours following similar attacks in Damascus resulted in burning the Danish and Norwegian embassies there. The Lebanese prime minister Fouad Sinioura called for convening the meeting after 15 demonstrators came from various parts of Lebanon burnt the building of the Danish consulate in Beirut and cars for the Lebanese army during a demonstration converted into confrontations with the police which opened live bullets and tear gas to disperse the demonstrators. Sinioura deplored resorting to violence in acts of protests. he said what had happened had no connection to Islam, adding that "violating security and destruction gives an inappropriate image about Islam." However, the Lebanese republic Mufti Sheikh Muhammad Rshid Qabbani called for self-control. News reports in Beirut said that thousands of demonstrators broke into the Danish embassy after they were able to cross the security forces which tried to prevent them from approaching its headquarters in al-Ashrafeyah, east of the capital Beirut. |
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