|
|
February 24, 2006 |
|
||
|
|
|
|
||
|
|
|
***** The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz received at the Royal Court at Al-Yamamah Palace the diplomatic credentials of a number of ambassadors of brotherly and friendly countries designated to the Kingdom. The Monarch received the credentials of ambassadors of Argentina, Niger, Italy, Russia, Indonesia, Algeria, Yemen, Brazil, Singapore and Georgia as non-resident ambassador. The King welcomed the new ambassadors to the Kingdom, wishing them a good stay. King Abdullah stressed that the Kingdom and its people will cooperate with and provide all facilities for the ambassadors to easily perform their missions. The Monarch wished them all success and sent his greetings to the leaders of their countries. The ambassadors conveyed to the King the greetings of their leaders and best wishes of all success for the King and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The ceremony was attended by Prince Saud Al-Faisal, the Foreign Minister; Prince Abdul Aziz Ibn Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, Advisor to the King; Prince Dr. Bandar Ibn Salman Ibn Mohammed Al Saud, Advisor to the King; Prince Abdul Aziz Ibn Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz, Minister of State, Cabinet Member and Chief of the Court of Cabinet's Presidency and a number of officials. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz received Former U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom and Chairman of Board of Directors of Middle East Institute Wyche Fowler and Former U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom and President of Middle East Institute Edward Walker. The audience was attended by Prince Miqrin Ibn Abdul Aziz, Chief of General Intelligence; Prince Abdul Aziz Ibn Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, Advisor to the King; Prince Dr. Bandar Ibn Salman Ibn Mohammed Al Saud, Advisor to the King; Prince Abdul Aziz Ibn Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz, Minister of State, Cabinet Member and Chief of the Court of Cabinet's Presidency; Abdul Mohsin Ibn Abdul Aziz Al Tuwaijri, Advisor to the King and Adel Ibn Ahmad Al-Jubeir, Advisor at the Royal Court. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz Al Saud received a telephone call from Syria's President Dr. Bashar Al-Assad. During the call, they discussed the latest developments in the region and reviewed bilateral relations between the two brotherly countries. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz Al Saud received a message from Egypt's President Mohammed Hosni Mubarak . The message was conveyed to the Monarch during his audience with Egyptian Minister at the Presidency Omar Sulaiman. The Minister also conveyed to the Monarch the greetings of the Egyptian President. In turn, the King 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 Al Saud received a message from President of Iran Mohammad Ahmedinajad. The message was handed over to the Monarch during his audience with the special envoy of the president and Assistant Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Mohammad Ridha Baqri and the accompanying delegation. The Iranian envoy also conveyed to the Monarch the greetings of the Iranian leadership. In turn, the king sent his greetings to them. The audience was attended by a number of princes and officials. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz received a group of princes, ministers, senior officials and citizens who came to greet him. The king also received a delegation of the tribes of Bani Shihr and Bani Amr of the province of Almajardah, Asir region. The delegation commended royal orders to raise the standard of living of citizens, denounced terrorist acts by the deviant group and expressed support for the leadership. The king thanked them and stressed trust in them. The audience was attended by a number of princes. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz received a message from the French president Jacques Chirac. The message was delivered to the king by the French president's personal envoy Maurice Gourdault-Montagne during an audience. The envoy conveyed to the king the greetings of the French president. In turn, the king sent his greetings to the president. The audience was attended by Prince Meqrin Ibn Abdul Aziz, Chief of General Intelligence; Prince Dr. Bandar Ibn Salman Ibn Mohammed Al Saud, Advisor to the King; Prince Abdul Aziz Ibn Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz, Minister of State, Cabinet Member and Chief of the Court of Cabinet's Presidency, and French ambassador to the kingdom Charles-Henri d' Aragon. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz will patronize the 6th Arab conference and the 3rd Gulf conference for Blood Transfusion which will held in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia between 11 and 13 / 1/ 1428, the Minister of Health Dr Hamad Al Manei said. He praised the care given by the leadership for health services, adding that it has reached the highest standards. Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Minister of Interior received the Yemeni ambassador to the Kingdom Mohammad Ali Mohsin Al-Ahwal. During the meeting, they discussed a number of topics of mutual interest between the two brotherly countries. Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Interior Minister received French president's advisor Maurice Gourdault-Montagne. During the meeting, they discussed topics of mutual interest. The meeting was attended by French ambassador to the kingdom Charles-Henri d' Aragon. Prince Salman Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Governor of Riyadh Region, today inspected Wadi Hanifa environmental rehabilitation project. He was received by a number of officials, led by Prince Dr. Abdul Aziz Ibn Mohammed Ayyaf Al Miqren, Mayor of Riyadh Region, who briefed him on the construction works completed. The 80-kilo-long project aims at first reconstructing Wadi Hanifa to its natural situation through streamlining rain, food and sewage waters and second constructing new touristic, agricultural and water treatment facilities. The project's cost was estimated at SR360 million. So far, 70 percent of the project has been completed, Prince Ayyaf told the governor. Implementing the directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Supreme Commander of All Military Forces, Prince Khalid Ibn Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Assistant Minister of Defense and Aviation for Military Affairs, decorated here today chief of staff of French land forces general Bernard Thorbet with King Abdul Aziz Medal of the Excellent Rank. The decoration recognizes efforts by the French official to boost cooperation between the land forces of the two countries. Saudi Ambassador to the United States Prince Turki Al-Faisal met with Saudi students who are attending universities in the Boston, Massachusetts area. Prince Turki was on a visit to the Northeast, where he has given a series of speeches about issues important to the Saudi-US relationship, including the war on terrorism, oil policy, trade and education. Prince Khalid Ibn Sultan, the Assistant Minister of Defense and Aviation for Military Affairs, received here today US Assistant State Secretary for bureau of international security and non-proliferation (ISN) Stephen Rademaker and the accompanying delegation. They reviewed issues of mutual concern. Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal received French president's advisor Maurice Gourdault-Montagne, who is on an official visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. During the meeting, they discussed bilateral relations and ways to develop them as well as regional and international issues of mutual interest. The meeting was attended by head of the European Union department at the Foreign Ministry Prince Mohammad Ibn Faisal Ibn Turki Al-Saud. Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal received Director of Arab World Institute in Paris Yves Guéna. During the meeting, they exchanged views on the institute's work and the kingdom's role in the institute's activities and programs. Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal received Georgian Ambassador-Designate to the kingdom Acatrina Miring Mikadzah who presented to him copies of her credentials as non-resident ambassador of her country to the Kingdom in preparation for presenting them to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz. The meeting was attended by the Head of Royal Protocol ambassador Abdul-Rahman Ibn Mohammad Al-Nwaiser and the Western Department Head Dr. Khalid Al-Jandan. Prince Saud Al-Faisal, the Foreign Minister, visited the headquarters of the general secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Conference. During the visit, he met with the Secretary General of the organization Professor Ekmel-Eddin Ihsanoglu and discussed with him current Islamic issues. Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal received here today Abdullah Gul, the deputy prime minister and foreign minister of Turkey. During the meeting, they discussed issues of mutual interest. The meeting was attended by the director of foreign ministry branch in Makkah. Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal received Amr Mousa, the Secretary General of the Arab league. During the meeting, they discussed issues of mutual interest. The meeting was attended by the director of foreign ministry branch in Makkah. The United States has angrily rejected UN calls to close down its Guantanamo terror suspect detention camp, which is holding Australian David Hicks among its 500 prisoners. UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said "sooner or later" the controversial camp would have to shut. In Britain, a senior member of Prime Minister Tony Blair's cabinet also called for its closure. "I would prefer that wasn't there. I would prefer it was closed, yes," said Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain on BBC TV. A UN report by five independent experts acting as monitors for the UN Human Rights Commission said the US government should close Guantanamo "without further delay". The 54-page document strongly condemned the treatment of detainees at the Guantanamo Bay US Naval Base in Cuba. It pointed to cases of "excessive violence" during transportation of prisoners and force feeding of hunger strikers. These "must be assessed as amounting to torture", the report said. The investigators said the US military acted as judge, prosecutor and defence in the special trials at the base. They said the US authorities should "expeditiously bring all Guantanamo Bay detainees to trial" under international law, "or release them without further delay". The White House quickly hit back, criticising the investigators for writing the report without having been to Guantanamo. The experts cancelled a planned visit to the camp last year because the United States refused to give them free access to all prisoners. They based their report on US government answers to a questionnaire, plus interviews with former inmates in Britain, France and Spain, and lawyers for some detainees. "The United Nations should be making serious investigations across the world, and there are many instances in which they do when it comes to human rights. This was not one of them," said spokesman Scott McClellan. "And I think it's a discredit to the UN when a team like this goes about rushing to report something when they haven't even looked into the facts, all they've done is look at the allegations," he told reporters. "We know that these are dangerous terrorists being kept at Guantanamo Bay," he said. "I think that what we are seeing is a rehash of allegations that have been made by lawyers representing some of these detainees." McClellan said al-Qaeda detainees were "trained to provide false information," including allegations of torture. UN chief Annan added to the controversy when he said: "I think sooner or later there will be a need to close Guantanamo. "It will be up to the (US) government to decide hopefully to do it as soon as possible." Republican decree No. 8 for the year 2006 was issued and stipulated a reshuffle of the cabinet chaired by Abdul Qader Ba Jammal. The reshuffle ended up in the walk out of a number of veteran ministers that is deputy premier and foreign minister Ali Al-Salami and deputy premier and planning minister Ahmad Soufan. The new appointments involved naming Rashad Mohammad al-Alimi as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior and Hassan Ahmad al-Awzi as Minister of the information. Foreign Minister Abu Bakr al-Qirbi took over as Minister of Foreign Affairs and and Expatriate after being merged together. General Mohammad Naser Ahmad Ali took over as Minister of Defense. Two females took over ministries, namely, Dr. Amat Al-Razaq Ali Hamad as Minister of Social Affairs and Labor and Khadijah Ahmad al-Haisami as Minister of Human Rights. The Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah called for placing Kuwait and its interests above all and to implement the law on all. This came after the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Mohammed Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah and Cabinet members took oath at Sief Palace during a meeting chaired by the Amir, and in the attendance of the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and Minister of Amiri Diwan Affairs Sheikh Nasser Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. The Amir wished the Prime Minister and the ministers success in fulfilling their duties and provided them with his guidance, calling upon them to cooperate so as to achieve the aspirations of the people, especially in relation to public service and development. Sheikh Sabah expressed his great trust in the Cabinet members and hoped for greater cooperation between the legislative and executive authorities for the prosperity and advancement of Kuwait. The Prime Minister, he thanked the Amir for the trust he bestowed upon him in the formation of the Cabinet, and reaffirmed that he and his colleagues the ministers would follow the wise guidance of Sheikh Sabah. He also said that the ministers would carry out their duties and bear their responsibilities with dedication for the prosperity of Kuwait and to present a good image of the country. Sheikh Nasser added that they would work hard to transform the guidance of the Amir into reality so as to achieve the prosperous future aspired by the people. He concluded by praying for the health and long life of Sheikh Sabah. The Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Mohammed Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah addressed the ministers and called for supporting the independence of the judicial system and the strict implementation of the law, as well as combating bureaucracy and unbalanced employment. Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs and Minister of State for National Assembly Affairs Mohammed Dhaifallah Sharar quoted the Prime Minister as saying that it was now a priority to establish a country of law and institutions, adding that it was through the implementation of the law that Kuwait may remain safe and secure. He added that law would maintain freedom and democracy in the country, making it a center of free trade, investment and development which incorporated the private sector in its visions for the future. Sheikh Nasser stressed the importance of creating a change in the quality and efficiency of the workforce based on elements of modernization and creativity, which in turn required a review of legal and legislative regulations and developing them so as to eliminate imbalanced employment and administrative routine or bureaucracy. He said that the minister bore the greater responsibility of the administrative aspect, but also shared this with leading figures at the ministry and those holding supervisory positions, as well as with the simplest government employee. The Prime Minister noted that this meant that employees at all levels must commit themselves to their jobs, overcome centralization, implement the principle of punishment and reward, and thus elevate the standard of state services and facilitate the needs of citizens. He stressed the importance of developing media mechanisms and bringing them to the level of professionalism, thus boosting the role of Kuwaiti journalism as a free podium, calling for the preservation of supreme national interests. He then stressed the importance of consolidating virtues and principles in youth, and spreading the culture of tolerance, dialogue, and moderation, while leaving behind violence and both religious and intellectual extremism. Sheikh Nasser called for adopting moderation as a means to reach out to others so as for Kuwait to remain united, and so as not to distort its visions and goals, thus preserving the sense of nationalism and pass on the message to future generations. The Prime Minister said that Kuwait would remain committed to its principles that governed its foreign policy in line with its Gulf, Arab, and Islamic and International commitments, the most important of which is its commitment to international legislations and UN resolutions. He said that Kuwait would always seek to encourage peace and reconciliations, and prayed for Almighty Allah that the Cabinet would rise to the expectation of the people under the wide leadership of the Amir and the Crown Prince. The office of President Emile Lahoud has accused French President Jacques Chirac of working with anti-Syrian political forces in a bid oust the under-fire Lebanese head of state. An official from the presidential office, who asked not to be named, accused Chirac of personally supervising a group working with the anti-Syrian parliamentary majority in an effort to push Lahoud out of office. The official's comments to AFP came after the Lebanese media quoted sources close to the presidency accusing France of attempting to oust Lahoud, a pro-Syrian Maronite Christian. "Chirac is personally supervising an urgent plan to oust Lahoud," wrote the Lebanese daily An-Nahar, citing sources close to the presidency. The official source told AFP that Chirac was personally implicated in "supervising a working group charged with coordinating ... (an action) ... to provoke a constitutional coup aiming at ousting President Lahoud before the end of his mandate on October 24, 2007." Lahoud "regrets Chirac's positions, which take a side in the conflict, instead of treating all Lebanese with equality, as France always did in its history," the official source said. Lahoud has been under severe pressure ever since Lebanese security officials close to him were arrested over last year's murder of five-time Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri and a UN probe accused his Syrian allies of being implicated in the killing. The president's critics reject as illegitimate a three-year extension to his mandate pushed through in 2004 when Syrian troops and intelligence agents remained deployed in Lebanon. France had already angered the president's supporters by co-sponsoring with the United States a series of Security Council resolutions critical of Syria and its Lebanese allies. However, Paris rejected the accusation that it was working with anti-Syrian political forces to oust the embattled head of state. "France does not interfere in Lebanon's internal affairs," a Foreign Ministry spokesman said. "Its action is aimed on the contrary at stopping foreign interference in the country and allowing the Lebanese to recover their full sovereignty and independence in line with UN resolution 1559," said the spokesman, Denis Simonneau in Paris. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has indicated that Lebanon would be better off with a new president but said that this decision could only be taken by the Lebanese. "I think it's everyone's view that the presidency should be something that looks to the future of Lebanon, not to its past," she said in an interview with LBCI TV. However, Rice added that President Emile Lahoud's removal from office "is a decision that has to be made in the Lebanese context." Rice's comments came as anti-Syria politicians prepared to oust the staunchly pro-Syrian Lahoud peacefully through constitutional means. The president answered by pledging to remain until the end of his term. "The presidency should look for an independent Lebanon and not one that remembers foreign occupations and foreign interventions that were deeply rooted with the security forces," said Rice. Rice charged that Syria continues to "create an atmosphere of intimidation and insecurity in Lebanon that we think leads directly to the kind of assassination attempts and successful assassinations that have taken against Lebanese political figures, journalists and society figures." She said the international community needs to remind Syria that it cannot intimidate Lebanon nor interfere in its politics. "Syria will not be allowed from now on to intimidate Lebanon and interfere in its political system," Rice said. The assassination of former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri a year ago, widely blamed on Damascus, led to the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon in April. However, President Bashar Assad's regime is still blamed for meddling in Lebanese internal politics and is held responsible for a year-long string of attacks that have targeted anti-Syrian figures. Rice evaded a direct answer to a question about whether the U.S. is afraid it would be unable to "contain" the repercussions of a regime change in Damascus. "We have been very clear that our concern is for the behavior of the Syrian regime. The Syrian regime needs to change its behavior. It is a negative force in the Middle East and needs to become a positive force in the Middle East," she said. Pope Benedict XVI expressed support for peaceful demonstrations in the Muslim world against the publication of caricatures of the Prophet Mohammad Peace Be Upon Him, the Lebanese Prime Minister said after meeting with the pontiff. Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, who is Muslim, said he and the pope discussed the cartoons as well as Lebanon's intention to bring to justice those who instigated violent attacks against them. "He expressed that freedom in no way should really trespass on the freedom of others," Siniora told reporters in a brief press conference after the 20-minute private meeting in the pope's library. Siniora said he told the pope that Muslims should have the right to express their anger about the caricatures peacefully. "And the pope was very supportive of the peaceful expression of opinion in the Arab world, the Muslim world, because he condemns himself, as well, the efforts that are being made by others to trespass on the freedom and the convictions of other people," Siniora said. He said the Lebanese government found violent demonstrations unacceptable and that authorities were "pursuing this matter to the fullest, and those who really committed these crimes are going to be brought to justice." The Vatican has previously said the cartoons represented an "unacceptable provocation," and that the right to freedom of expression "cannot entail the right to offend the religious sentiment of believers." In a brief statement after the meeting, Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls said the pope and Siniora discussed the general situation in the Middle East and in Lebanon and that both men underlined "the need to work to educate people in reconciliation and peace, in the respect of human rights and in particular religious rights." He said particular attention was given to the situation of Christians in Lebanon "and the contribution that they hope to give in the progress of the country." Shoura Council Chairman Dr. Salih Ibn Abdullah Ibn Homaid received a message from Iranian Shoura Council Chairman Dr. Gholam A'adil. The message was delivered to Dr. Salih by Vice Chairman of the Iranian Shoura Council Hosain Sheikh Al Islam during a meeting. The message reviewed ways of boosting relations between the two peoples and included an invitation to the council's chairman to attend a conference in Iran next month for supporting the Palestinian people. The French aircraft carrier "Charles of Gaulle" will install in a few days for a three months and half mission in the Middle East and in the Indian Ocean, a spokesman from the French Ministry of Defence said. The spokesman of the ministry, Jean-François Bureau, specified in Associated Press that this mission envisaged of long date does not have "any relationship" with the Iranian nuclear crisis. This mission, baptized Agapanthe 2006, lies within the scope of the contribution of France to the operations "Enduring Freedom" against terrorism and of the international Force of assistance to safety in Afghanistan, according to the ministry for Defense. The single French aircraft carrier will leave Toulon on February 24. It will put the course on March 1 on the Indian Ocean. During its mission, the "Charles de Gaulle" will carry out exercises with the Saudi armed forces, Indians, of the Arab Emirates and of the Sultanate of Oman, like with the French forces based in Djibouti. The French aircraft carrier will be accompanied by five ships of escort, of which anti-aircraft frigate British HMS Lancaster. Its embarked air group includes/understands 28 aircraft including 14 Super-Standard and eight Rafale. Three thousand sailors will take part in this mission. French President Jacques Chirac, who is expected to visit the Kingdom early next month, will address the Saudi-French Business Council in Riyadh, according to Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh, the council's chairman on the Saudi side. He said Chirac's meeting with Saudi businessmen would boost trade exchange and joint investment projects. "The business council meeting will discuss the challenges facing trade movement between the two countries," Al-Jazirah quoted Al-Asheikh as saying. Consensus over a candidate in Lebanon's Baabda-Aley by-elections was reached between the Lebanese Forces and the Free Patriotic Movement, leaving the way open for the real battle of ousting President Emile Lahoud, according to LF leader Samir Geagea. "We hope that this agreement over the Baabda-Aley by-election will lead to a consensus over the need to oust Lahoud, which is the most important battle we should focus on," Geagea said in a news conference he held to announce the selection of Pierre Dakkash to fill the Baabda-Aley seat left vacant by LF MP Edmond Naim's death. Dakkash, who had vowed to be an independent MP upon his candidacy, was first adopted by MP Michel Aoun's FPM as a compromise candidate in order to avoid an electoral battle in the district. The agreement was also welcomed by Premier Siniora and Berri, in addition to Jumblatt, who dubbed the step as a victory for Lebanon and March 14 Forces. "This is a great step because it saved the country from an electoral battle it did not need at this time," Siniora said in a statement. The Islamic Development Bank has approved US$ 650,000 as Emergency Relief Assistance allocated to drought stricken countries in the Horn of Africa ( Somalia, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Kenya) in addition to Malawi in South East Africa. The amount, which will support the ongoing relief efforts in those countries where More than 11 million people were affected by the drought, will be disbursed as follows: US$ 150,000 Emergency Assistance to Somalia for water wells and purchasing food stuff. US$ 100,000 Emergency Assistance to Djibouti for purchasing food stuff. US$ 100,000 Emergency Assistance to Kenya for purchasing food stuff. US$ 100,000 Emergency Assistance to Ethiopia for purchasing food stuff. US$ 100,000 Emergency Assistance to Eritrea for purchasing food stuff. US$ 100,000 Emergency Assistance to Malawi for purchasing food stuff. Tony Blair's controversial plan for a new law to stop people "glorifying" terrorism has been backed by MPs. The House of Lords voted last month to remove the measure from the Terrorism Bill, but the Commons has now voted by 315 to 277 to reinstate the plan. Mr Blair said the vote was a "signal of strength" which could outlaw placards glorifying the bombers who attacked London last July. But the Tories accused Mr Blair of "ineffective authoritarianism". The Lib Dems and Tories both opposed the law. They said existing laws - and plans for a new offence to prevent indirect encouragement of terrorism - mean the glorification offence is not needed. Seventeen Labour MPs rebelled in the vote and some others abstained, reducing the government's usual majority of 64 to 38. |