Ain-Al-Yaqeen - December 8, 2006

		December 8, 2006

THE CUSTODIAN OF THE TWO HOLY MOSQUES CALLS UPON THE IRAQI PEOPLE TO REJECT VIOLENCE AND DIFFERENCES.
A SECOND MESSAGE FROM KING ABDULLAH TO MUBARAK DEALING WITH THE LEBANESE SITUATION.
FOREIGN MINISTERS OF NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES CALL FOR DISSOLVING THE MILITIAS IN IRAQ AND FOR RESPECTING THE UNITY OF THE COUNTRY.
THE MOST IMPORTANT ITEMS IN THE ISG REPORT TO SOLVE THE MIDDLE EAST CRISIS.
THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS ON THE LEBANESE AND PALESTINIAN ARENAS.

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz visited the Iraqi conjoined twins, hospitalized in King Abdul Aziz Medical City of the national guard since last Saturday after having undergone a successful operation to separate them, to get reassured of their health.

The King was received at the hospital by Director General for Health Affairs of the National Guard, Dr. Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Rabeea, who is also leader of the medical team who performed the critical operation, and a number of officials.

Doctors briefed the monarch on the stable situation of Fatima and Zahra who, in the presence of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, drank drops of water for the first time in the aftermath of the operation.

The King also congratulated their parents on the success of the operation, wishing the twin girls quick recovery.

On their part, the doctors and parents of the twins thanked the monarch for his noble feelings, wishing him good health and continuous happiness.

Speaking to reporters after the visit, King Abdullah expressed readiness to order for the treatment of such cases from anywhere and at any time.

He called on all mankind to reject violence and differences, wishing the entire world good days in the years to come.

On the other hand after receiving the report from the Iraq Study Group President George W. Bush said: I just received the Iraq Study Group report, prepared by a distinguished panel of our fellow citizens. I want to thank James Baker and Lee Hamilton and the panel members for spending a lot of time on this really difficult issue. And I thank you for coming into the White House today to give me a copy of this report.

I told the members that this report, called "The Way Forward," will be taken very seriously by this administration. This report gives a very tough assessment of the situation in Iraq. It is a report that brings some really very interesting proposals, and we will take every proposal seriously and we will act in a timely fashion.

The commission is headed up to Congress, and I urge the members of Congress to take this report seriously. While they won't agree with every proposal -- and we probably won't agree with every proposal -- it, nevertheless, is an opportunity to come together and to work together on this important issue.

The country, in my judgment, is tired of pure political bickering that happens in Washington, and they understand that on this important issue of war and peace, it is best for our country to work together. And I understand how difficult that is, but this report will give us all an opportunity to find common ground, for the good of the country -- not for the good of the Republican Party or the Democratic Party, but for the good of the country.

We can achieve long-lasting peace for this country, and it requires tough work. It also requires a strategy that will be effective. And we've got men and women of both political parties around this table who spent a lot of time thinking about the way forward in Iraq, and the way forward in the Middle East, and I can't thank them enough for your time. You could be doing a lot of other things, you could have had a lot more simple life than to allow your government to call you back into service. But you did allow us to call you back into service, and you made a vital contribution to the country. Our fellow citizens have got to know that it is possible for people of goodwill to come together to help make recommendations on how to deal with a very serious situation.

And we applaud your work. We take it very seriously, and we'll act on it in a timely fashion. Thank you very much.

The United States faces a "grave and deteriorating" situation in Iraq, almost four years after US forces toppled Saddam Hussein, the high-level commission warned in Washington.

The blunt and bleak report recommended improved diplomacy to stabilize the country and permit the withdrawal of most US troops by early 2008.

"Violence is increasing in scope and lethality," the Iraq Study Group (ISG) warned. "It is fed by a Sunni Arab insurgency, Shiite militias, death squads, Al-Qaeda and widespread criminality." The elite bipartisan panel of Washington insiders painted a grim picture and laid down a formidable challenge to US and Iraqi political leaders.

The commission warned that if the situation continues to deteriorate, there is a risk of a "slide toward chaos (that) could trigger the collapse of Iraq's government and a humanitarian catastrophe...Neighboring countries could intervene...The global standing of the United States could be diminished. Americans could become more polarized."

The report stressed that Iraqis need to take on a larger share of the military role and suggested the United States should begin to withdraw support if Iraq's government does not make major progress toward national reconciliation, improved security and better governance. The recommendations come at a crucial time, with Bush under domestic pressure to change course and with the new, Democratic-controlled Congress certain to cast a skeptical look at White House policy.

Acknowledging Washington's polarized political atmosphere, former Secretary of State James Baker and former Rep. Lee Hamilton, ISG co-chairmen, said in the report: "Our political leaders must build a bipartisan approach to bring a responsible conclusion to what is now a lengthy and costly war."

The report also recommended that the US "engage directly with Iran and Syria," and that Washington should "consider incentives and disincentives" for the two nations, even though Bush has said previously he would not negotiate with either country.

"Given the ability of Iran and Syria to influence events within Iraq and their interest in avoiding chaos in Iraq, the US should try to engage (Iran and Syria) constructively," the recommendation says. Speaking ahead of the report, the Syria government repeated its willingness to cooperate with the US, and said it was in Syria's interest to help Iraq.

Baker set the tone at a press conference yesterday by saying: "We do not recommend a stay-the-course solution; in our opinion, that approach is no longer viable."

Hamilton added: "The current approach is not working, and the ability of the United States to influence events is diminishing."

Predictably, resistance from both ends of the political spectrum has arisen over some of the ISG's major recommendations, including its heavy emphasis on reviving Arab-Israeli peace efforts as an integral component of stabilizing Iraq and the region.

Reaction to the recommendations by the ISG has been swift.

Speaking to reporters after the ISG's press briefing, the Senate's Democratic leader, Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said: "We acknowledge that this is a tremendous step forward, and it will change course in Iraq. It's up to the president to fulfill his obligation, in my opinion, to the country, and follow the recommendations of this study group."

Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.), incoming chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said: "The report represents another blow at the policy of 'stay the course' that this administration has followed...(the ISG) is clearly strongly supporting changing the course in a number of ways."

But Kevin Martin, executive director of the Washington-based group Peace Action, added another dimension, saying: "The civil war in Iraq is spiraling out of control and it's unclear whether the government of Prime Minister (Nuri) Al-Maliki can survive, yet the report will call for 'gradual' withdrawal of troops. It's no time for gradual anything. We need bold and creative actions to dramatically change the dynamics in Iraq, not tepid recommendations for political consumption at home."

In amassing the report, the ISG met or spoke to more than 170 individuals, including Iraq's leaders, US President George W. Bush, UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, ambassadors and other senior officials from among Iraq's neighbors and the US.

With diplomacy under way, the report said, the US should increase the number of combat and other troops that are embedded with and supporting Iraqi Army units.

"By the first quarter of 2008, subject to unexpected developments in the security situation on the ground, all combat brigades not necessary for force protection could be out of Iraq."

White House spokesman Tony Snow emphasized there was "no timetable" and "no recommendation for immediate withdrawal."

Meanwhile Saudi Ambassador to the United States Prince Turki Al-Faisal noted the findings of the Iraq Study Group and commended its co-chairs, James Baker III and Lee Hamilton, on their exhaustive work producing the report issued yesterday. Prince Turki added that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been monitoring the situation in Iraq, and restated the importance of maintaining Iraq's stability and independence. The Kingdom has provided economic and humanitarian aid to the Iraqi people and continues to urge all parties in Iraq to overcome their differences.

Prince Turki welcomed the report's recommendation for a comprehensive settlement for all Middle East conflicts, which the Kingdom has always maintained are interconnected and affect global security and stability. The Kingdom has specifically stressed the importance of settling the Palestinian-Israeli conflict towards achieving these goals.

The Ambassador expressed the hope that international cooperation will result in achieving security, stability and territorial integrity of Iraq.

A day after the leaders of the Iraq Study Group handed him its report, President George W. Bush met with British Prime Minister Tony Blair. They met at the White House to discuss the war and the recommendations of the group, which bluntly states that the situation in Iraq is "grave and deteriorating and dire," and warned that even a sharp change of policy on Iraq may not avert a regional conflagration.

The two men had an unscheduled breakfast together and held rounds of meetings at the Oval Office in the White House before holding a joint question-and-answer session that lasted almost an hour.

Bush said that neither his administration nor Congress is going to "accept every recommendation" in the Iraq Study Group report, but admitted a "new approach" is needed, and said the report "discussed the way forward."

As for the panel's recommendation that the United States talk to Iran and Syria, both leaders said they have concerns. Blair called it a question of standing up for "the right principles," like not funding terrorists.

"Countries that participate in talks must not fund terrorism, must help the young democracy survive, must help with the economics of the country," Bush said. "If people are not committed, if Syria and Iran are not committed to that concept, then they shouldn't bother to show up."

Blair will launch a Middle East mission to show US and British commitment to ending the Israel-Palestinian conflict.

The Iraq Study Group said that Bush had to launch a new Middle East peace effort to give the United States renewed credibility in the region.

"Prime Minister Blair informed me that he will be heading to the Middle East soon, to talk to both the Israelis and the Palestinians," Bush said.

"I support the mission, because it's important for us to advance the cause of two states living side by side in peace and helping both parties eliminate the obstacles that prevent an agreement from being reached," Bush said.

Middle Eastern countries reacted differently to the report of the Iraq Study Group.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said there was no connection between Israel's conflict with its neighbors and the situation in Iraq. Olmert also rebuffed the group's recommendation that Israel open negotiations with Syria, but said Israelis want "with all our might" to restart peace talks with the Palestinians.

The Iraq Study Group report, released Wednesday in Washington, calls for direct talks between Israel and its neighbors, Syria, Lebanon and the Palestinians and says resolving the Israeli-Arab conflict would improve conditions in Iraq.

Olmert rejected that finding. "The attempt to create a linkage between the Iraqi issue and the Mideast issue; we have a different view," Olmert said during the prime minister's annual meeting with Israeli journalists.

On the other hand Robert Gates, the White House choice to be the next defense secretary, conceded yesterday that the United States is not winning the war in Iraq and warned that if that country is not stabilized in the next year or two it could lead to a "regional conflagration."

At the outset of his Senate confirmation hearing to replace Donald H. Rumsfeld, Gates said he is open to new ideas about correcting the US course in Iraq, which he said would be his highest priority if confirmed as expected.

Gates, 63, said he believes President George W. Bush wants to see Iraq improve to the point where it can govern and defend itself, while seeking a new approach. "What we are now doing is not satisfactory," Gates said.

"In my view, all options are on the table, in terms of how we address this problem in Iraq," he added.

Asked point-blank by Sen. Carl Levin, a Democrat, whether the US is winning in Iraq, Gates replied, "No, sir."

Much of the hearing's questioning focused on whether Gates would provide independent advice to Bush, and the former CIA director assured the committee that he would not shirk from that duty.

Sen. John McCain, a Republican and a likely 2008 presidential candidate and an advocate of increasing US troop strength in Iraq, asked whether Gates believes the US had too few troops at the outset of the war in 2003.

"I suspect in hindsight some of the folks in the administration would not make the same decisions they made," including the number of troops in Iraq to establish control after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein's regime, Gates said.

He also told Levin he believes a political solution in Iraq is required to end the violence.

"Our course over the next year or two will determine whether the American and Iraqi people and the next president of the United States will face a slowly but steadily improving situation in Iraq and in the region or will face the very real risk, and possible reality, of a regional conflagration," Gates told the Senate Armed Services Committee.

"It seems to me that the United States is going to have to have some kind of presence in Iraq for a long time... but it could be with a dramatically smaller number of US forces than are there today," Gates said.

He said his biggest worry on Iraq is that if US forces departed while the country was in chaos, then predominantly Sunni Arab countries in the region would intervene, further complicating the sectarian strife there.

"The Turks would not sit idly by if they saw Iraq beginning to fall apart," Gates said. Referring to the likelihood of Iran and other countries stepping into the chaos, he added, "All of that could spread rather dramatically."

On the Lebanese arena Prince Saud Al-Faisal, the Saudi Foreign Minister, described Arab foreign ministers meeting held in Cairo as good.

In a statement to reporters following the meeting, he said the meeting was briefed on the outcome of the Arab League Secretary General recent visit to Lebanon, noting that a base of agreement started to crystallize among the parties.

Prince Saud said we are waiting the response of the parties in Lebanon on the ideas of the secretary general to end this "confrontation which really harms all of them". On Iraq, Prince Saud said that the committee voiced support for the Iraqi government in its endeavor to forge a national alliance and hold a national reconciliation conference.

In response to a question, Prince Saud Al Faisal said the reconciliation conference will be held in Iraq within four months.

Prince Saud Al-Faisal, the Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs arrived in Cairo at the head of the delegation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to attend an urgent meeting of the Arab Ministerial Committee on Iraq.

On arrival at Cairo international airport, he was received by Saudi ambassador to Egypt Hisham Mohyeddin Nazer.

President Mubarak held talks with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal, who was on a brief visit to Egypt.

Prince Saud Al-Faisal conveyed a verbal message from the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz to President Mubarak on the situation in Iraq and efforts to contain the current political tensions in Lebanon.

"Egypt has always been rallying behind Iraq and its people," Abul-Gheit said at a joint press conference on Sunday 3/12/2006 with his Iraqi counterpart Hoshiar Zebari.

"Egypt is trying its best to get Iraq out of its current limbo," Abul Gheit said.

Egypt, he added, is keen on Iraq's territorial integrity and sovereignty.

"Sectarian strife in Iraq must come to an end," Abul-Gheit said.

"The sectarian gap must be bridged; otherwise, it would have grave consequences on Iraq and the Arab nation, in general."

"Iraq is an Arab country and will remain Arab," he added.

For his part, the Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul-Gheit welcomed the outcome of a meeting of the Arab ministerial committee on Iraq.

Speaking after the meeting on Tuesday 5/12/2006, Abul-Gheit said that the meeting reflected the keenness of Arab parties on improving the situation in Iraq.

The meeting recommended a resumption of preparatory meetings for holding Iraq's national reconciliation conference.

Attendees listened to Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiar Zibari's review of developments in Iraq to help draw up an Arab stance on supporting the Iraqi people.

The ministers condemned of all forms of killings and destruction against Iraqis.

They also called for standing up against all attempts to fuel civil strife in the war-torn country.

Discussions tackled the deteriorating situation in Iraq and attempts by some parties to affect the internal situation in the war-torn country. The meeting highlighted the need to respect Iraq's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The ministers also stressed rejection of partition calls under the pretext of defending interests of certain Iraqi sects.

The Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs said members of the committee agreed to pursue efforts to help Iraq get out of its current crisis and to abide by an Arab League initiative to achieve national reconciliation in Iraq.

Abul-Gheit said Egypt is ready to host any meeting on Iraq's national reconciliation and continue efforts to help the Iraqi parties achieve reconciliation in their country.

The opposition has vowed to step up its campaign, setting Sunday as a new ultimatum to bring down Prime Minister Fouad Saniora's government through a mass street protest.

Meanwhile, the Maronite Church on Wednesday called for early presidential elections to help settle the serious crisis which is threatening to split Lebanon.

The council of Maronite Bishops, in a declaration of the church's principles, also urged leaders of the community and other Lebanese spiritual groups to agree on a "code of honor" to settle differences through dialogue, reject violence and armed confrontations and refrain from agitation.

The Maronite declaration of principles called for ratifying an agreement with the United Nations on an International Tribunal to try suspects charged with the 2005 assassination of ex-premier Rafiq Hariri and other related "terrorist" crimes.

It warned against linking Lebanon to regional and international disputes and called for the formation of an "entente government" to contain the explosive situation.

If the entente government could not be formed, the statement noted, efforts should be exerted to form a government of "independent" figures to adopt a new elections law based on the principle of small electoral constituencies that can "truly represent" the various Lebanese communities.

The statement also called for the full implementation of the Taef Accord, which ended the Lebanese civil war in 1990, and stressed on the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homeland.

The Maronite Church stressed on the need for settling the question of armed Palestinian factions in Lebanon.

The statement said weapons in Lebanon should be "strictly controlled by the legitimate security forces."

The council of Maronite Bishops also called for an urgent meeting of the Lebanese parliament to tackle the serious crisis which is splitting the nation.

The council, which held its monthly meeting at suburban Bkirki under Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir, called on Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri to convene the house to deliberate the issue that has paralyzed constitutional institutions.

The statement noted that the "confusing situation through which the Lebanese are going is regrettable. Constitutional institutions have been paralyzed."

It said: "nothing is left except parliament, but it doesn't convene."

"That is why," the statement added, "we plead with its speaker Nabih Berri to convene it so it may find a way out of the crisis."

Meanwhile, thousands of protestors camped in a tent city outside the Grand Serail for a seventh straight day Thursday as the opposition asked the Lebanese people to prepare for other forms of peaceful protest to force the formation of a new unity government.

"We call on the Lebanese to participate en masse in a demonstration at 3 p.m. Sunday in downtown Beirut in the hope that this will be a historic day on which our voices are heard," the opposition said in a statement released late Wednesday.

In Beirut Lebanese House of Representatives Speaker Nabih Berri received Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Dr. Abdulaziz bin Mohieddin Khoja.During the meeting, they reviewed the friendly relations between Lebanon and Saudi Arabia as well as the current developments witnessed by the Lebanese internal arena.

Prime Minister Fouad Siniora also received Saudi ambassador to Lebanon Dr. Abdul Aziz bin Mohieddin Khoja. During the meeting, they discussed the latest developments in the Lebanese arena and efforts to bridge the gap in viewpoints between the various parties.

Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Dr. Abdul Aziz Bin Mohieddin Khoja met with Saad Al-Hariri, chairman of Lebanese parliamentary Future Bloc. During the meeting, they discussed the latest developments at the Lebanese arena.

Meanwhile Head of the Future Bloc in Parliament MP Saad Hariri said Lebanon is facing a series of "ugly pre-fabricated crises from abroad" that aim at sparking a sectarian conflict. He told a delegation of Muslim clerics, calls for toppling the government of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora are unjustified, and he vowed to continue supporting the Premier.

Citing the Taif Accord's stipulation of governments that represent national consensus, head of the Future Bloc said the campaign to create a national unity government should not be a conduit to block the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, the creation of an international tribunal to try the suspects in Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri's assassination, and preparations for the Paris III international economic conference. He stressed that the "language of threats" will not intimidate the March 14 coalition and reiterated calls for dialogue, but not to advance the interests of Syria and other countries.

In Jeddah the OIC Secretary-General warned Lebanese leaders of teetering on the brink of inevitable confrontation. The OIC issued the following statement:

Given Lebanon's current political impasse and perilous prospects of internal strife, the Secretary-General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), Prof. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, has appealed to all Lebanese leaders to exercise the highest degree of self-restraint, wisdom, and responsibility in order to save their country from slipping on the inevitable slope of confrontation.

"Just as Lebanon demonstrated exemplary conduct in the national cohesion it showed in the face of the latest Israeli aggression last summer, so it should also be an exemplar in the current situation, which may be much more challenging to deal with than that foreign aggression", the OIC Secretary-General said.

Prof. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu emphasized that the solution should be based on mutual understandings within the framework of the legitimacy of domestic laws and legislation and without any external intervention that would provoke suspicion here and there. The OIC Secretary-General reiterated that the Organization of the Islamic Conference was ready to undertake any initiatives to restore calm in Lebanon and move towards the desired solution.

On the Palestinian arena the Executive Committee of the Palestinian Liberation organization convened on Wednesday, in the West Bank city of Ramallah to discuss the current crisis on forming the national unity government, Palestinian sources revealed.

The meeting was headed by president, Mahmoud Abbas; the Committee updated Abbas on the options to end the current dead block, following the collapse of the unity government talks between Hamas and Fatah.

Meanwhile, Palestinian vice-premiere Nasser ed Deen Al Sha'er, from the Hamas movement, said that talks did not fail and that now talks are on assigning candidates to different government posts.

He added that his movement will not allow the talks to return to ground-zero after reaching advanced stages.

Al Sha'er said that "there is no true Palestinian who will agree to the failure of talks, especially as Israel continues its aggression against the Palestinians, and attempts to partition the Palestinian cause instead of recognizing the Palestinian rights of independence".

He added that the Palestinian people want a unity government that is capable of rebuilding the country and "standing against the Israeli policies of annexation and aggression".

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is not going to dismiss the Hamas-led government, well-informed Palestinian sources said on Thursday.

"President Abbas, at this time, prefers not to take hasty decisions and he wants to study the issues from all points," one of the sources said on condition of anonymity.

They noted that Abbas expressed hope that Hamas would offer a new initiative with clear features to reach a deal on forming the new government.

"Abbas made it clear that his favorite choice was the national coalition in spite of calls by the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) for a technocratic government," a Palestinian official close to Abbas said.