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April 21, 2006 |
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***** The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz expressed his thanks to Sheikh Abdulaziz Ibn Abdullah Ibn Mohammed Al Al-Sheikh, Chairman of Constituent Council of Muslim World League and Muslim scholars participating in World 1st Forum of Muslim Scholars held by the League for their spelt out feelings for the patronization of the Forum and support for the League and its programs. In a reply cable, the King stressed that the support for the League and the Forum emanates from our responsibility for our Muslim brothers, wishing all success for the interest and glory of the Muslim nation. On his part, Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General also sent a similar reply cable of thanks to Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Al-Sheikh. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz Al Saud received at Al Yamamah palace in Riyadh United Arab Emirates' Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah Ibn Zayed Al Nahayan and the accompanying delegation. During the audience, Sheikh Abdullah conveyed to the King the greetings of UAE's President Sheikh Khalifa Ibn Zayed Al Nahayan. In turn, the King sent his greetings to the president. The audience was attended by Prince Saud Al-Faisal, the Foreign Minister; Prince Miqren Ibn Abdul Aziz, Chief of General Intelligence; a number of princes and officials. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz Al Saud received a message from Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. The message was delivered to the king by Omar Solaiman, the Minister at the Egyptian Presidency during an audience with the King. 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 sent a cable of congratulations to President Bashar Al-Assad of Syria on the occasion of his country's independence day. In his own name and on behalf of the Saudi government and people, the monarch wished the president continual good health and happiness and the brotherly people of Syria steady progress and prosperity. Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and Aviation and Inspector General has issued his directives to transport a baby girl from Skaka hospital to King Faisal Specialized hospital for treatment at his own expenses. The girl will be transported by a medical evacuation plane. Prince Salman Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Governor of Riyadh region stressed the government's endeavour to the welfare of the citizen. He said the government is working hard to establish all the required services in all governorates, cities and areas. The Prince was talking to the General Director of Health Affairs in Riyadh. He stressed that providing medical treatment is a priority. Prince Salman also stressed the importance of providing job opportunities to the citizens through the establishment of industrial cities and trade centers in different cities as well as in Riyadh and Jeddah. Prince Salman stressed the importance of University education and specialization in different technical, and medical fields. Prince Salman Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Governor of Riyadh region received the Leader of Lebanese Socialist Progressive Party and Member of House of Representatives Walid Jumblat and the accompanying delegation. During the meeting, they exchanged viewpoints on the regional and international issues of mutual interest. The meeting was attended by Minister of State and Cabinet's Member for Shoura Council Affairs Dr. Saud Ibn Saeed Al-Muthami. Prince Khalid Ibn Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Assistant Minister of Defense and Aviation for Military Affairs received the Inspector Gerenal of the Moroccan Armed Forces and Commander of the Southern Region General Abdul Aziz Banani and his accompanying delegation. They reviewed issues of mutual interest. The meeting was attended by General Saleh Al-Mohayya, the Chief of the General Staff and Moroccan military attaché in Riyadh Colonel Alarabi Alsabu. Prince Khalid Ibn Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Assistant Minister of Defense and Aviation for Military Affairs patronized the opening of Prince Khalid Ibn Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz center of specialist clinics and kidney dialysis unit at Riyadh-based armed forces hospital. Upon arrival at the venue, he was received by General Saleh Ibn Ali Al Mohaya, Chief Of General Staff and a number of officials. A speech ceremony was held on this occasion. Via a direct visual contact, the Prince also inaugurated the new building of family medicine and society service. King Hamad bin Eisa al-Khalifa of Bahrain received the Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Eng Ali Al-Naimi and the Minister of Finance Dr Ibrahim Al-Assaf who conveyed to him the greetings of the Custodian of the two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz and Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Deputy Prime Minister, Defense and Aviation Minister and Inspector General. King Hamad highlighted the existing distinguished relations between Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, and lauded the significant role being played by Saudi Arabia for the service of the Gulf, Arab and Muslim causes. The Bahraini King asked Al-Naimi and al-Assaf to convey his greetings to King Abdullah and Crown Prince Sultan. The meeting was attended by a number of senior officials as well as Saudi Ambassador to Bahrain Dr Abdullah al-Quwaiz. The World Health Organization has recognized the National Laboratory for Polio in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as an official Lab for WHO during the period from January until December 2006. The United States blocked a UN Security Council statement that would have urged Israel to refrain from "excessive use of force" against the Palestinians. US Ambassador John Bolton told reporters after council consultations on the issue that the draft text was not fair and balanced and consistent with the US long-standing policy. Palestinian UN representative Ryad Mansour, who had pushed for council action, said the council's 14 other members had shown "a tremendous amount of understanding and flexibility", but unfortunately one member (the United States) is shielding and protecting Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people. The text came in response to intensive Israeli bombardments of the Gaza Strip that saw 18 Palestinians killed over the past few days. Aid organizations and human rights groups, have accused the military of bombarding civilian targets in the Gaza Strip. The eight conference held in Tunisia for borders control ended its deliberations with a number of recommendations aiming at securing Arab borders. The recommendations included the necessity to find a mechanism for exchanging information and expertise to counter terrorism, while providing airports, ports and borderlines with the necessary modern equipments. Also included in the recommendations was equipping all airports, ports and borders with the latest technologies to discover forgeries, as well as protecting ports and ships from piracy. In his opening remarks at the opening of the First CIS Arts and Science Communities' Forum, the Russian President Vladimir Putin said when the world faces the real threats of terrorist and extremist ideology, humanist values are one of the main means by which we can oppose this evil. The spiritual unity between our peoples and the close cultural ties we share have always strengthened peace and harmony throughout our vast space and helped us to stand firm and emerge victorious in the Great Patriotic War. Today they form the foundation upon which we can build a world of freedom and justice. The president called on people to "place more trust in true academics and true cultural figures", to work together to preserve cultural diversity and not allow uniformity to take over. He said that the twenty-first century should become a century of humanities and humanitarian culture. President Ali Abdullah Saleh, along with Vice President Abdu Rabu Mansour received the General Secretary of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Abdul-Rahman Al-Attiyah and his accompanying delegation. During the meeting, they discussed cooperation relations between Yemen and GCC in different fields and means to reinforce them, specially in economic area. Al-Attiyah told Saleh about the results of his meetings with Yemeni officials, particularly with the technical committee which include GCC Finance Ministries, Yemen Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation and the GCC General Secretariat to prepare studies to identify the developmental needs of Yemen and to prepare for a conference on investment opportunities in Yemen. He also lauded Yemen's economic, judicial and administrative reforms steps and development process in Yemen. Al-Attiyah affirmed that the situations in the region require common efforts to be settled. On the other hand, President Saleh welcomed Al-Attiyah and the accompanying Delegation. He pointed out that the current situations in the region necessitate Arab countries to work together in order to reinforce fraternal and cooperation ties. He welcomed Gulf investments in Yemen again and insisted they would be given all help and support needed. At the end of the meeting, President Saleh gave Al-Attiyah the Unification Medal for his efforts to reinforce cooperation between Yemen and GCC. The General Secretary of the Gulf Cooperation Council Abdul-Rahman Al-Attiyah confirmed that the Yemeni-Gulf talks held in Sana'a in last two days had reached to an agreement on four points to activate the king Fahd summit's decisions to support Yemen's economy to cope with the Gulf states economies. He said that the four points included reactivating the joint working group that was formed in the Muscat summit that approved accepting Yemen as a member in many GCC institutions and commissions, and arranging a meeting for the Gulf funds that would finance Yemen's infrastructure as suggested by Yemeni side, as well as arranging for holding a donors conference on discovering investment opportunities in Yemen. Al-Attiyah said in the a press conference along with the Foreign Minister Abu Bakr al-Qirbi that there were real trends for GCC to accelerate Yemen rehabilitation to join the GCC, pointing out that his current visit to Yemen comes according to the Gulf's leaders desire to start procedures for supporting infrastructure in Yemen. Al-Attiyahh highly appreciated the Yemen's national economic reform, pointing out that the government's efforts in this regard are welcomed by all GCC states, saying that these reforms would attract the Gulf investments to Yemen. He added that the decision of integrating the Yemeni economy in the Gulf economies is a decision we can't abandon. He confirmed that security coordination between Yemen and GCC states to guarantee security in the region is very important, underling that Yemen's security is a part of the Gulf security. Regarding Iran's nuclear weapons, he expressed the GCC states' worries from increasing the Iranian nuclear activities, but renewed the Gulf steady attitude that every country has the right to have nuclear energy to use it for peaceful purposes. For his part, foreign minister Abu Bakr al-Qirbi highly appreciated the vital role played by the General Secretariat of the GCC that enhances the Yemeni-Gulf relations, confirming that Yemen needs for support estimated at $17 million from the donors to help Yemen rehabilitates its economy. He confirmed that the $ 17 million that Yemen hopes to get from the donors conference is a part of the $ 45 million that Yemen needs to reform its economy. Minister of Public Health and Population Abdul-Karim Rasee met with the Japanese ambassador to Yemen Yushi Ishi and discussed with him mutual collaboration aspects between the two countries in the field of health in addition to Japan International Cooperation Agency'(JICA) support for tuberculosis centers in Aden, and cooperation programs related to mother and child health and nutrition. On the other hand, Rasee met with the representatives of World Fund (WF) for supporting malaria, tuberculosis and aids projects. In the meeting, they reviewed the process of implementing the projects funded by the WF and what have been achieved so far in addition to what would be executed. The Palestinian people commemorated the Palestinian Prisoners' Day that coincides with a feverish Israeli escalation against the Palestinian freedom fighters. Israel has, so far, arrested more than 650,000 Palestinians since 1967; of them 40,000 were arrested during the intifada. Approximately, 9500 Palestinian citizens, including 13 legislators, 2 PLO members, 350 children and 120 women, are currently detained in Israeli prisons and detentions centers. The Israeli intransigent stance on the prisoners issue symbolizes the conflict between Israel, as an occupying power, and the Palestinian determination to have their national and human freedom according to the international law. The Israeli government refuses to recognize the prisoners' legal right to struggle against the military occupation, as the international law guarantees their natural right to resist occupation. Furthermore, the Israeli occupation government violates all humanitarian and international agreements, the United Nations' resolutions, Geneva 3rd and 4th conventions and the international Declaration for Human Rights applicable to the Palestinian prisoners. These prisoners are regularly subject to solitary confinement and torture. They are treated as criminals and terrorists in an attempt to crush their well and consequently crush the aspiration of the Palestinian people for freedom. The Palestinian Ministry of Information considers this day as a day for freedom, a day for rejecting unjust, siege and occupation. It calls for the United Nations Secretary General Mr. Kofi Annan and all human rights organizations, to raise their voice against the Israeli violation to all international norms and conventions, and to immediately interfere to: First: Put an end to the state of international silence on the flagrant Israeli violations, reject unjust Israeli detention conditions, abide Israel by all laws and agreements, and release all detained freedom fighters. Second: Call on the international Red Cross Committee to investigate the detention conditions of the Palestinian prisoners in Israel and to come up with the relevant recommendations. Third: Form a committee of the Fourth Geneva Convention states parties to urge holds legal and moral responsibilities towards the Palestinian prisoners. Fourth: Release 350 children, and abolish the Israeli military order no. 132 that allows detaining 12 years old children and above, and military order no. 235 that set the minimum age of childhood as 16 instead of 18, and to pressure Israel to apply the Child Rights Convention to the Palestinian children. Fifth: Release the detained 22 Palestinian women, the mother who gave birth in the jail, the pregnant woman and the eight infants detained behind the bars. Sixth: Release all Palestinian prisoners who spent 15 years or more in detention, including Said Al-Attabah who spent 29 years, and the Lebanese prisoner Sameer Al-Qentar, the Syrian prisoners Basheer, Sodqi, Assem and Seittan, the Jordanian prisoner Sultan Al-Ajloni, the Saudi prisoner Abdul Rahman Al-Ittawi and many others. Seventh: Put an end to administrative detention, release the 1200 prisoners, illegally detained, and release prisoner Abdul Razeq Farraj whose administrative detention was renewed for 14 times. Eighth: Allow physicians and medical committees to treat the sick prisoners, particularly those of chronic illness. The prisoners' issue is a central one for the Palestinian people and that the Israeli intransigent stance on the issue caused revival of conflict after the Oslo agreement. This asserts the fact that no peace settlement or truce can be achieved without the prisoners' release. Arab League Secretary General Amr Mousa received the Saudi ambassador to Egypt Hisham Nadhir. During the meeting, they discussed issues of common interest. Oman and Lebanon signed two key agreements one relating to the promotion and mutual protection of investment, and the other concerning the establishment of an Omani-Lebanese Cultural Centre in Beirut, financed by the Sultanate. Both pacts were inked in the presence of Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora at the Prime Minister's Office. Ahmed Ibn Abdul Nabi Macki, Minister of National Economy and Deputy Chairman of the Financial Affairs and Energy Resources Council, signed the two agreements on behalf of the Omani government. Lebanon's Minister of Finance, Dr Jihad Azaour, signed the first agreement, while Dr Tarek Mitri, Minister of Culture, signed the second. After the signing ceremony, Macki told Oman News Agency the two agreements were a reflection of the distinguished ties between the Sultanate and Lebanon. He said the agreement relating to the promotion and mutual protection of investment would give new impetus to opportunities for joint investment while safeguarding such investments against non-commercial risks. The Cultural Centre, whose establishment is set out under the second pact, will allow for an Omani cultural presence in Lebanon, which is a cultural hub and tourist destination in its own right. The Centre will also spotlight Oman's culture, he added. Also present at the signing, from the Lebanese side, were Sami Haddad, Minister of Economy, and other officials, and from the Omani side, Amir bin Hamad al Hajri, the Sultanate's Ambassador to Lebanon, and members of the delegation accompanying Macki. The Arab League Secretary General Amre Moussa stressed the importance of communication between Arab immigrants and Arab communities and Arab businessmen abroad within the framework of a program set up by the Arab League with the cooperation of chambers of commerce in foreign countries. Moussa said an important meeting organized by the Arab League, the French government and Arab French chambers of commerce will be held from April 26 to April 28 in Paris. The second meeting will be held in Houston followed by the Arab Chinese Forum and the reopening of the Arab Leagues offices in Brazil and Argentina. Syria denied what the Israeli newspaper Maariv had reported two days ago on messages directed by Syria to the Israeli designate Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on resuming peace negotiations as "baseless." "These information are baseless," an official media source told SANA Sunday. The source asserted "Syria's continuous commitment and demand for achieving the just and comprehensive peace in accordance with the relevant international legitimacy and UN Security Council resolutions which provide for the full Israeli withdrawal from the occupied Syrian Golan to June 4th 1967 line." "Such Israeli leakages from time to another aim at covering the Israeli racial and suppressive practices in the occupied territories and rejection of the just and comprehensive peace requirements in addition to its flagrant defiance to the international community and its resolutions," the source concluded. President Bush's new chief of staff said it was time to "re-energize the team," and told White House aides who might be thinking about quitting to leave now. Taking charge in a time of crisis, with Bush's poll ratings at their lowest and Republicans anxious about the November elections, Joshua Bolten laid down his pointed directive at his first meeting with top presidential aides. He did not ask for anyone's resignation, and none of the senior aides said they would go, White House press secretary Scott McClellan reported later. But Bolten has Bush's full authority to make changes to the president's staff, and McClellan said he would expect announcements soon. One of the first jobs to be filled is that of budget director the position Bolten left to become chief of staff. The job of domestic policy adviser is open as well. Further changes are clearly on the horizon. "He wanted to make sure he had the team in place that is going to be here for a minimum of the remainder of the year," McClellan said. "And he said if people are thinking about leaving, that now is the time to come to such a decision." Bolten told the staff that he was assuming his new job at a challenging time when the United States was engaged in a war on terrorism. With U.S. casualties rising in Iraq, Bush faces sagging public support, Republican angst about the midterm election and struggles with a Congress that has resisted some of his top priorities. Russia has expressed an intention to send money to Palestine, after the United States and the European Union had stopped their financial aid to the autonomy. $10 million will be allocated to the Palestinian administration, Izvestia newspaper reported, quoting a source in Russia's Foreign Ministry information department. The source said that this money would go towards meeting the "social and humanitarian needs of the people of Palestine." Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said it was a mistake to "deny aid to Palestinians only because they have elected a government consisting only of Hamas members." He added that the Islamic movement should negotiate with Israel. "But to make it realistic, we should work with Hamas, not declare a boycott." The Palestinian administration is counting on monthly allocations from Russia, Palestine's Finance Minister Umar Abd Al Razik was quoted by the paper as saying. Sources in the Palestinian government quoted by the paper, said the authority hoped to receive a total of $70 million from Russia. Russia's Foreign Ministry officials declined to reveal whether the country is sending more money to Palestine. An al-Qaida member wanted for his suspected role in the bombings of U.S. embassies in East Africa was killed by Pakistani forces in a raid near the Afghan border, a Pakistani Cabinet minister said today. Egyptian Mohsin Musa Matawalli Atwah, 45, who was on the FBI's list of most-wanted terrorists, was killed along with at least six other militants in a raid led by helicopter gunships late Wednesday in the remote North Waziristan village of Naghar Kalai, near the Afghan border, the minister said on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation. Another senior Pakistani intelligence official said military reports from the field indicated that Atwah had been killed in the attack, along with the militants and two children. The intelligence official also declined to be identified because of the sensitive nature of the case. Neither official specified how they knew Atwah had been killed. Officials and village residents said that armed men took bodies away after the attack. U.S. authorities had posted a $5 million bounty for Atwah, who was accused of involvement in the Aug. 7, 1998, bombings of the U.S. embassies in Tanzania and Kenya that killed more than 200 people, including 12 Americans. The Third international conference for Al-Quds and the support of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people ended its deliberations. The conference reiterated the importance of supporting the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people and called for finding a suitable machinery for extending official and popular support to the Palestinian people. The conference announced its solidarity with the Palestinian resistance and said the Palestinian issue is the major issue of the Arabs and Muslims. It made it clear that the Zionist entity is an usurping and foreign entity in the Arab and Islamic region. The conference deplored the project of Israeli Prime Minister (Acting) Ehud Olmert which aims at confiscation of 60 percent of the lands of the west bank. The conference underscored the importance of implementing the resolutions adopted by the organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) and the Arab league pertaining to the support of the Palestinians. On the other hand, the conference condemned the measures undertaken by the Zionist entity to make a demographic change and judaize Al-Quds. The conference was organized at the invitation of the Iranian Shoura Council with the participation of a number of speakers of parliaments and delegations from the Muslim countries in addition to Muslim scholars and, intellectuals and politicians from various countries of the world. |