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May 12, 2006 |
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***** The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz received at his palace U.S. former National Security Advisor Scowcroft. The audience was attended by Dr. Abdul Rahman Al-Saeed, Advisor at the Royal Court. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz sent a message to Egyptian President Mohammed Hosni Mubarak pertaining bilateral relations between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Egypt and the latest developments in the Middle East. The message was delivered to President Mubarak during his meeting with Saudi Ambassador to Egypt Hisham Mohieddin Nazir. In a statement following the meeting, Nazir said that there is a continual consultation between the two countries about the developments in the Middle East and enhancement of bilateral relations in all fields. Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Minister of the Interior will patronize the second voluntary work conference which will be held on Shawal 1427H. The conference emphasises the pioneering role the Kingdom plays on the domestic, regional and international levels in the field of voluntary works. The conference will discuss many subjects amongst which health, relief, care for the old people and people with special needs. Many representative form all over the world will take part in the conference. The Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry will also participate in the conference along with the civil defence and the Saudi Red Cross. The First Saudi-Spanish forum will be held in Madrid on May 17, 2006. A large delegation of Saudi businessmen and governmental organizations will take part in the workshops of the forum. Prince Saudi Ibn Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz, Saudi Ambassador to Spain said King Juan Carlos will receive Prince Saud Al-Faisal the Foreign Minister who will pay a visit to Madrid. The Saudi Arabian Media and Culture Ministry called for laying down a streamlined code governing the standards of satellite and electronic TV and radio broadcast and reception in the Arab world. A working paper detailing the Saudi position on this issue was presented to a team of media and legal experts, who met in the Saudi capital Saturday. The paper underlined the "importance of laying down professional standards for Arab media to observe." The Saudi ministry's undersecretary Abdallah Al-Jasser read the paper and underlined the "absence of such professional standards governing satellite and conventional radio and TV broadcasting systems in the Arab world." He added that the blueprint of the working paper was based on ideas put forward at a recent meeting of Arab information ministers. He called for producing the largest possible number of radio and TV program "reflecting the Arab identity and serving the Arab culture and civilization." Ministers of Tourism from the EU Maghreb group agreed to set up a mechanism for the exchange of expertise and establish a working group to draw a project to improve tourism in the west Mediterranean. At the end of their meeting in Tunisia the ministers stressed the necessity of improving investments opportunities and joint partnership. Both sides agreed to set up a mechanism regarding the civilizations in the west Mediterranean, and holding up a forum in the tourism sector. They also agreed to meet on a regular basis. The group includes European countries overlooking the Mediterranean and countries of the Arab Maghreb. In an interview published by the official Russian news agency General Mansour Al-Turki official spokesman for the Interior Ministry of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia said the Kingdom has made real progress in uprooting al-Qaeda inside Saudi Arabia and that part of the reason is their efforts with the young people. The Saudi government established the re-education program in 2004 he said and with efforts between the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Endowment, Call and Guidance they are succeeding in preventing Mosques from being the sources of extremists ideas. The re-education program involves teams, made up of three clerics and one psychiatrist or psychologist, to see individual prisoners. Visiting almost daily for months, the team engages the prisoner in religious discussions that last for hours at a time. Lebanon prevented the Taiwanese president's plane from making a refuelling stop in Beirut after China's ambassador complained to authorities, a Lebanese official said. China's envoy to Lebanon called an urgent meeting with Prime Minister Fouad Siniora and asked him not to allow President Chen Shui-bian's plane to land, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak with the press. . "Lebanon in this case had to respond positively to the Chinese demand because of the good relations and agreements signed between the two countries," the official said. Lebanon does not have diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Officials at Rafik Hariri International Airport said "concerned security authorities" told air traffic controllers to "inform the plane's captain...that the plane is not allowed to land in Beirut for refuelling." Chen, on his way to Latin America, landed in the United Arab Emirates. It was not clear if that decision was made after the Lebanese ban. The Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Iran Osama al-Sanousi visited the Saudi pavilion at the 19th international book exhibition, currently in progress here. Al-Sanousi hoped that the Saudi pavilion will be further developed and said he had discussed this issue with the officials of the pavilion. Meanwhile, Fahd al-Rasheed, the director of international pavilions at the higher education ministry, said the area of the Saudi pavilion amounts to 60 square meters. He noted that 11 governmental authorities are participating in the pavilion. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Oman signed an agreement which will enable citizens of each country to move to the other country with their personal identity cards. The agreement was signed by director general of passports department Major General Salih al-Buleihid and his Omani counterpart Colonel Amir al-Hijri. Speaking on the occasion, GCC Secretary General Abdul Rahman Al-Atiyyah expressed happiness for signing the agreement, and said this development comes as a culmination to the existing fraternal relations between Saudi Arabia and Oman. 'This agreement embodies the keenness of the GCC leaders on implementing the resolutions adopted at the GCC summits which stipulate facilitation of the movement and travel of the GCC citizens', he said. He pointed out that the agreement will give an impetus to the GCC joint work in a manner that meets the aspiration of GCC citizens. Syrian President Bashar Assad met Lebanese Parliamentary Speaker Nabih Berri. The meeting was also attended by Lebanese parliamentarian Ali Hassan Khalil. Barri's visit is his first to the Syrian capital since the withdrawal of the Syrian Army from Lebanon in April 26, 2005. He last visited Syria in early March 2005 with Lebanese President Emile Lahoud. Barri also met with Syrian Vice President Farouk al-Sharaa as well as Syrian speaker and Assistant Vice President General Mohammad Nasif, and the ministers of information, higher education and culture. The national reconciliation conference may be held in Baghdad in June in a bid to stem the violence gripping Iraq. "The Arab League Secretary-General asked the president whether it would be OK for the national reconciliation conference to be held in June," Kamaran Qaradaghi said. A first such conference under the auspices of the Arab League was held in Cairo last November. The Arab League (AL) mission to Iraq had been functioning outside the green zone and under the protection of the Iraqi National Police, said AL's Envoy to Iraq, Ambassador Mokhtar Lamani. In a statement Lamani said that the US Army has not been involved in the security of AL headquarters in Baghdad, noting that Iraqi parties have been supporting the league since it held the preparatory meeting for the Iraqi Reconciliation Conference. He said that the conference should be viewed as a mean to approximate the view-points of Iraqi parties to ensure a solution for the political and security situation. Lamani said that forming an Iraqi government and the Prime Minister-designate Nori Al-Maleky intentions to neutralize the state's security bodies were positive signs in the Iraqi arena. Lamani said that he sensed determination among Iraqis to preserve the country's unity, noting that the league recognizes the interests of Iraq's neighbouring countries. The objective of the Arab League's envoy in Iraq is to hold talks with various Iraqi blocs in an attempt to provide Arab support for the Iraqi political process. Palesitnian President Mahmoud Abbas received, in the Presidential headquarters in Gaza, Prime Minister Ismael Haniyya. Following the meeting, Presidency Spokesperson, Nabil Abu Rdaina told reporters that the discussions were serious and frank. He added that the discussions focused on the best ways to find a rapid mechanism to alleviate the economic sufferings of the Palestinian people. "The aim of the President's recent Arab and European tour was to find a solution of the financial crisis due to the suspension of the international aid." Abu Rdaina said that the President will personally sponsor the Palestinian national dialogue. For his part, PM told reporters that there will be another meeting with the President, revealing that they agreed upon forming a joint committee of the Presidency and the Cabinet to meet. The Saudi Committee for the Relief of the Palestinian people has offered SR 481, 935 to a unique project which will take care of Palestinian camps and refugees all over the world. The project is under the supervision of Dr Karma Nabulsi from Oxford university. The project has been developed with the cooperation of the European Commission and the Embassy of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques in London. The executive director of the Saudi Committee for the Relief of the Palestinian people Mubarak Ibn Said Al Bakr said the participation is a continuation of the efforts exerted under the supervision of Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz Chairman of the Committee. He added that the project is the fruit of coordination and cooperation between the committee and various international organizations concerned with the affairs of the Palestinian people. European diplomats say the US is blocking a plan to resume direct financial aid to the Palestinians. The European Commission is considering plans to send funds to the office of the president, bypassing the Hamas-led Palestinian government. Under the proposal, money for basic services such as health and education, could go to Mahmoud Abbas' office. The commission's report said the plan might "avert or delay" a collapse of the Palestinian Authority (PA). Direct aid to the authority was cut off following Hamas' election victory. The United Nations estimates that a quarter of the Palestinian population depends on government salaries. The PA employs some 165,000 people. But the severance of donor funding has meant that the government has been unable to pay wages for March and April. BBC Middle East analyst Roger hardy says the Bush administration wants to maintain the economic pressure on the Hamas-led government. The official view in Washington is that if Hamas refuses to recognise Israel, and eventually collapses, it will have no-one to blame but itself. But, Hardy says, many in Europe feel that wielding the big stick against Hamas will be counter-productive, and that it is in no-one's interests for Gaza and the West Bank to descend ever deeper into poverty and lawlessness. EU commissioner for external relations Benita Ferrero-Waldner said the European Union (EU) did not stop nor suspend assistance for the Palestinian people, but halted aid to the Hamas-led government. Speaking to reporters after a meeting with Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa. She added that the EU was keen to continue helping the Palestinian people. "No one can say we stopped assistance for the Palestinian people," said the commissioner. On the position of the Quartet vis-a-vis the assistance for the Palestinian people, Ferrero-Waldner said the EU was about to create a mechanism with an international nature to help the Palestinians. Members of the Quartet will discuss this mechanism in their upcoming meeting in New York. The commissioner said the Palestinians and Israelis shared the responsibility of helping the Palestinian people. She added the Hamas-led government should comply with the three EU principles and that the Israelis should transfer the tax money for the Palestinians. Ferrero-Waldner said the 25-member EU was committed to the roadmap, which was drawn by the international diplomatic Quartet a few years ago. She said the Palestinian Authority (PA) president Mahmoud Abbas to ready to comply with the roadmap. She hoped the new Israeli government would do the same. A spokesman for the radical cleric Omar Bakri Mohammed is in police custody after his arrest at Stansted airport. Anjem Choudary was arrested with another man, Abdul Muhid, as they waited to board a flight to Ireland, reports said. Formerly the UK head of the radical Islamist group al-Muhajiroun, Mr Choudary is Mr Bakri's right-hand man and acted as his spokesman when the Syrian-born cleric unexpectedly left Britain last summer. Both Mr Choudary and Mr Muhid were originally arrested in March on suspicion of soliciting murder and inciting racial hatred. A Scotland Yard spokeswoman said Mr Choudary was being held at a London police station, but has not been charged. After only a little more than a year in office, Porter Goss resigned as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), DPA reported. President George W. Bush said in a White House news conference that he accepted the resignation. No replacement has been named. Goss, who was an undercover CIA agent, became the agency's director in April of last year. The appointment followed a 16-year career in the us house of representatives, where he chaired the intelligence committee for several years. "he honors the proud history of the CIA, an organization that is known for its secrecy and accountability," Bush said. Bush touted his close personal relationship to Goss and thanked him for his service, integrity and "candid advice." The President also praised Goss' five-year plan to increase the number of CIA operatives and analysts. This, Bush said, "is going to help make this country a safer place and help us win the war on terror." President George W. Bush, battling a slump in his poll ratings, expressed frustration that bad news from Iraq is drowning out what he called good news on the US economy. In an interview with the financial news network CNBC, Bush said he had "been spending a lot of time on the economy" in his public pronouncements, to little avail. "The problem is that we're in war, and sometimes it's hard for people to get a positive message about the economy when they're troubled by scenes of violence on the TV screens," the president said. British Prime Minister Tony Blair fired his home secretary and chose a new foreign secretary in a wide-ranging Cabinet shuffle after his party suffered a heavy defeat in local authority elections. Blair initiated the shake-up after his Labour Party ran an embarrassing third in English elections last Thursday a result that prompted renewed calls from some quarters for the prime minister to step down. Home Secretary Charles Clarke, embroiled in a politically damaging furore over the failure to deport foreign criminals, confirmed Blair had removed him from office. Blair removed Jack Straw as foreign secretary, replacing him with Margaret Beckett, who had headed the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Beckett becomes the first woman to hold the job. Geoff Hoon, a former defense secretary, was made minister for European affairs within the Foreign Office. Defense Secretary John Reid replaced Clarke, and Des Browne was promoted from chief secretary at the treasury to secretary of defense. Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott keeps his title but was stripped of the responsibilities of his department, which include housing and planning. Blair's office said the deputy was not demoted, but would chair several important government committees. A Yemeni court sentenced the suspected second-in-command of the Al-Qaeda network in Yemen to three years and one month in jail. In a brief session, the state security court found Mohammad Hamdi Al-Ahdal, 35, guilty of funneling funds for militants fighting in Afghanistan and Chechnya. Initially, he had been charged with financing attacks against Western targets in Yemen, but the court dropped that charge. The court's presiding judge, Najeeb Al-Qadri, said prosecutors failed to link Al-Ahdal to certain attacks in the country. But he said the defendant confessed during the trial that he had raised funds for Mujahedeen (holy warriors) fighting in Afghanistan and Chechnya. As the judge pronounced the verdict, Al-Ahdal shouted cheerfully "Praise God." Asked by reporters whether he would appeal the verdict, he said, "This is an unjust trial, I'll not appeal." Court officials said the prosecution would not appeal. A Justice Ministry official said Al-Ahdal, who was arrested in November 2003, would be released by the end of this year if no appeal against the verdict was filed by the prosecution within the next 15 days. "He has already spent more than two years in detention, and he has to spend only one-third of the sentence period," said the official. During the trial, Al-Ahdal rejected the charge of financing attacks in Yemen. But he admitted to providing financial aid to families of militants held in custody of US or Yemeni authorities. "Yes, I have been giving financial aid to families of Mujahedeen, and I'm happy for doing that," Al-Ahdal said at an April 18 hearing. |