March 2, 2007

THE LEBANESE GOVERNMENT RECEIVES A GIFT FROM SAUDI ARABIA TO THE ARMY AND DECIDES TO ASK FOR THE EXTENSION OF BRAMMERTZ MISSION FOR ANOTHER YEAR. AL SINIORA LAUDS THE SAUDI STANDS BY LEBANON. THE UN SECRETARY GENERAL VISITS LEBANON. THE WORLD FOOD PROGRAMMES PRAISES THE $ ONE MILLION SAUDI DONATION. THE YEMENI PRESIDENT ACCUSES AL HOUTHIS REBELS OF IMPLEMENTING FOREIGN PLOTS AGAINST YEMEN. BRITAIN DECIDES TO CUT DOWN THE NUMBER OF ITS TROOPS IN IRAQ. Lebanese Premier Fouad Al-Siniora has highlighted the support extended by Saudi Arabia to Lebanon. In a statement to Jeddah-based Okaz newspaper, Al-Siniora said the kingdom, under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, firmly stood behind Lebanon during the vicious Israeli aggression against the country last summer. Meanwhile the head of the Future Bloc in Lebanon's House of Representatives Saad Hariri received Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Dr. Abdul Aziz Ibn Mohyeddin Khoja. During the meeting, they reviewed relations between the two countries as well as the current developments at the Lebanese arena. Meanwhile Defense Minister Elias Murr denied claims reported in some newspapers that he intends to boycott cabinet sessions in case the government does not respond to his plan aimed at reforming the security apparatus. Murr renewed his support for Siniora's government and said he would keep up his duties as minister of defense especially in these critical times. On the other hand the Lebanese government decided to ask the United Nations to extend an ongoing inquiry into the killing of former Prime Minister Rafiq Al-Hariri, official sources said. The mandate of the 20-month inquiry expires in June but the cabinet passed the decision to ask for a one-year extension while in session, the officials said. The extension, once approved by the United Nations, would come into effect from June 15, 2007, when the current mandate expires. The 15-member Security Council has already extended the mandate of the inquiry twice following earlier requests from the Lebanese government. Despite misgivings that the commission, led by Belgian prosecutor Serge Brammertz, had its hands full, the Security Council last week decided to assist Lebanon in probing recent bus bombings in a Christian town. Lebanon has witnessed 15 attacks on politicians, journalists and public places since Hariri's truck bomb assassination in central Beirut two years ago. A preliminary U.N. inquiry has implicated Syrian and Lebanese security officials in Hariri's killing. In an interim report in December Brammertz said the inquiry was turning up significant links between Hariri's death and 14 other later attacks in Lebanon. He said his probe continued to make numerous demands for interviews and evidence on Syria, which was cooperating in a "generally satisfactory" manner. Prime Minister Fouad Siniora held an ordinary cabinet session this afternoon at the Economic and Social Council to discuss a schedule of 201 items, including a demand by Justice Minister Charles Rizk to approve the mandate extension of the committee charged with investigating the assassination of Rafiq Hariri, which is to expire in mid June this year, and refer the request to the UN Security Council. Meanwhile Defense Minister Elias Murr denied claims reported in some newspapers today that he intends to boycott cabinet sessions in case the government does not respond to his plan aimed at reforming the security apparatus. Murr renewed his support for Siniora's government and said he would keep up his duties as minister of defense especially in these critical times. On the other hand Former Premier Salim AL-Hoss was in Syria for talks with Syrian President Bashar Assad. According to the Syrian official News Agency SANA, Hoss and Assad discussed the effect of the conflicts in Iraq and Palestine on the political and security situations in Syria and Lebanon. They also discussed rising tensions in Lebanon and means by which the political deadlock could be resolved. Sources say that Assad told Hoss that he was for the creation of an international court. Hoss flew to Syria from Saudi Arabia after he received an invitation from King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz. Sources close to Hoss denied the visit was made to mediate between the conflicting Lebanese camps. Former Lebanese Prime Minister Salim Hoss is due to visit Iran next week to seek help in resolving his country's acute political crisis. The February 26 visit by Hoss follows trips he made this week to Syria for talks with President Bashar al-Assad and to Riyadh where he met with Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah. "I believe Saudi Arabia will launch an initiative to resolve the Lebanese crisis, just as it did when it gathered Lebanese feuding parties in Taif in 1989 when it stopped the civil war," he said, referring to the accord named after the Saudi city that ended the 15-year war in Lebanon in 1990. He held talks with Siniora as well as the pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud and parliament speaker Nabih Berri. Hoss warned that "threats to resort to civil disobedience are very serious...and we should try to find a solution in order not to reach such extremes". Hoss said after a visit to Damascus that Syrian President Bashar Assad supports the creation of an international tribunal to prosecute suspects in the murder of ex-Premier Rafiq Hariri. Hoss told state-run TeleLiban channel (TL) after winding a one-day visit to Damascus that Assad "informed me he is not against the international tribunal and that he is with everything the Lebanese agree upon." The Syrian Arab News Agency, SANA, said Hoss and Assad discussed the repercussions of tensions in both Iraq and the Palestinian territories as well as security situations in Lebanon and Syria. Former Lebanese Prime Minister Salim Al-Hoss described as positive his talks with Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad in Damascus. In a statement issued by his office, Hoss said the talks focused on "the latest political developments in the area." He also said the talks "provided an opportunity for consultation on a wide range of issues of bilateral interest against the backdrop of the grave dangers looming over the area, specifically in Iraq and Palestine." The statement pointed out that discussions between Hoss and Assad also focused on "the current political crisis in Lebanon and ways of dealing with it." The two men also discussed bilateral relations between Lebanon and Syria. Hoss, who paid an official visit to Syria at the invitation of the Syria's president, had paid a similar visit to Saudi Arabia the day before during which he conferred with the Custodian of the two Holy Mosques, Saudi King Abdallah Ibn Abdul Aziz over the latest regional political developments specifically those of them with direct impact on the Lebanese domestic scene. Hoss is to fly to Tehran next Monday to confer with Iranian officials on the Lebanese crisis, the statement said. In Saudi Arabia the Minister of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Call and Guidance Sheikh Salih Al Alsheikh received Dr Mohammed Bin Ali Al-Jozo, the Mufti of Jabal Lebanon, who is currently visiting the kingdom. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Al-Jozo highlighted the support extended by the kingdom to Lebanon and the kingdom's role in realizing national reconciliation in Lebanon. Lebanese Foreign Minister Fouad Al-Siniora met with the ambassador of the European Union (EU) Patrick Laurent. They reviewed issues pertaining to relations between Lebanon and the EU. The UN's Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon will visit Lebanon next march, if political and security circumstances allow, to explore the possibility of solving the Lebanese problem. Beirut-based Al-Nahar newspaper quoted informed diplomatic sources as saying that Ban Ki-Moon will discuss with the concerned authorities in Lebanon issues pertaining to the international forces stationing in south Lebanon and other related topics. Meanwhile Lebanon's Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said that unless a settlement to the political impasse was reached soon, he will expose those obstructing the creation of an international tribunal to try suspects in the 2005 assassination of former Premier Rafiq Hariri. "If the situation remains like this, and things were not worked out, and we failed to find compromises, I will hold a news conference before the end of February to explain to the Lebanese everything from a to z," Berri said. "In short, I will expose those who are hampering the creation of the international tribunal and the formation of a national unity government because it is my duty to enlighten the Lebanese about these details," Berri said in an interview with the daily An Nahar published last Tuesday. In keeping with a pledge made at the January Paris III donor conference, the United Arab Emirates issued $300 million in soft loans to help Lebanon reduce its debt-servicing burden. The loan package, underwritten by the state-owned Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, represented the first aid to be received from the conference. Finance Minister Jihad Azour, who signed the loan agreement on behalf of the government, told reporters that the 20-year loan will accrue interest at 2.5 percent plus 0.5 percent commission. The agreement provides Lebanon with a five-year grace period in making payments, Azour said. "This loan will save the government $300 million in the cost of debt servicing this year," the minister said. Azour said that the money will be spent in a transparent manner. The UAE loan will be placed in a special account to be audited by an international firm, he said. The government is expected to get grants of $1.3 billion from donor states and institutions to be earmarked for the private sector, Azour said. He added that part of the financial assistance from donor states will be allocated to Electricite du Liban to allow the utility to implement long-awaited reforms and reduce waste. The government spends close to $1 billion to cover losses at cash-strapped EDL each year and to pay for fuel to fire electricity plants. The government intends to expand social benefits to all Lebanese and will use the international support to alleviate the sufferings of the poor, Azour said. "We are beginning to see some positive signs in the finances of the government despite the delicate situation in the country," the minister said, noting that interest rates have started to fall. Israeli warplanes violated Lebanese airspace on Wednesday, flying over the south of the country, police said, despite harsh international criticism of such incursions. The jets zoomed at low altitude over various areas, including the region of the port city of Tyre, police said. Israel has drawn intense international criticism by continuing overflights after the August 14 ceasefire that ended its 34-day war on Lebanon's. The United Nations has warned that the overflights undermine the credibility of its peacekeepers in southern Lebanon and compromise efforts to stabilise the region. Israeli Defence Minister Amir Peretz has said the overflights are necessary to monitor what he charges are continuing arms smuggling by Hezbollah. In Riyadh Prince Khalid Bin Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Assistant Defense and Aviation Minister for Military Affairs, received the Director of International Development at the general armament commission in France Jacques Lajoji. They reviewed issues of mutual interest. On the other hand the World Food Program Chief Praised Saudi Generosity The United Nations said Saudi Arabia was one of the strongest partners of the U.N. World Food Program (WFP) in 2006, WFP director James Morris said in an interview with S.P.A., adding that he hoped Saudi generosity would prompt other Gulf nations to contribute more to the world s hungry. The Saudi royal family has been very good to us, and we are profoundly grateful. And more importantly, the generosity of Saudi Arabia has touched millions of lives, said Morris. Saudi Arabia made a great difference in the world last year, and an even stronger relationship with them is really important to us. The $34 million in contributions from the kingdom helped feed 830,000 people in Lebanon during the war last summer, and has fed more than a million people in Cambodia, according to Morris. Saudi assistance to WFP increased tenfold between 2005 and 2006, something that Morris hoped will inspire other countries of the Gulf region to contribute more. Dubai also was a major contributor to WFP, and Morris believed that others in the Emirates will be generous. My hope is, some day 10 percent of our overall support will come from the Gulf region, he said. WFP is responsible for feeding those in crisis through donations from countries and organizations around the world. There are 854 million people globally who suffer from hunger, and WFP has programs to provide for those in need, particularly women and children. Well over half our work is in countries that belong to the Organization of the Islamic Conference, said Morris. Half our work is in Africa, and our largest program is in the Sudan. The agency also makes it possible for children to attend school by providing meals for 22 million students, and 58 million people overall. There is still 150 million children around the world that need help. Many of them live in Islamic countries, and we want to be sure that we do everything that needs to be done, said Morris. On another development a delegation from the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) were impressed by the King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) development progress and even expressed interests in its Industrial Zone, among others. Emaar, The Economic City (Emaar.E.C) welcomed the chamber delegation composed of entrepreneurs, industrialists and business professionals who visited the KAEC project site. The group expressed special interest in the Industrial Zone, which recently commenced online registration for potential investors. Emaar.E.C officials also briefed them about the other components of KAEC including the Sea Port, Central Business District, Educational Zone, Resort District and Residential Zone. "KAEC offers diverse investment opportunities in sectors such as industries, retail, hospitality, finance, education and property, and the visiting delegation from the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce were impressed by the facilities we offer and the progress on work," Ahmed Linjawy, executive director, External Relations and Human Resources, Emaar.E.C, said. KAEC is the single largest private sector project in the Kingdom and sprawls over 168 million sqm of land on the Red Sea coast. "One of the key strengths of KAEC is its central location on the Red Sea coast," Linjawy added. "Investors can enjoy an efficient logistics infrastructure, which is crucial to the growth of businesses." The visit of the delegation comes ahead of the JCCI-organized Jeddah Economic Forum (JEF) to be held on Feb. 24-27. King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC), the path-breaking development by Emaar the Economic City (Emaar.E.C), has opened investor registration for its Industrial Zone. The first phase of the 63-million-sqm zone dedicated to industries will be launched soon and potential investors can register on-line at www.kingabdullahcity.com One of the six components of KAEC, the Industrial Zone is designed solely with the needs of manufacturers in mind. Envisioned as one of the largest industrial parks in the region, the zone offers investors the option of building from the ground up on a fully-serviced site or the choicest premises built to the highest specifications. "As one of the key sectors of diversification, industries have brought about a considerable shift to the Kingdom's economy by generating employment to millions of Saudis," Nidal Jamjoom, Chief Executive Officer, Emaar.E.C., said. "KAEC's Industrial Zone is a perfect fit for the Kingdom's industrial growth and offers several distinctive advantages." The Industrial Zone, in close proximity to Jeddah, enjoys a strategic location advantage. The 13.8-million sqm sea port, which is a key part of KAEC and the largest in the region, will offer the industrial zone logistical advantages of immense value. "The significant advantage of the Industrial Zone at KAEC is the infrastructure support it will offer to industries," Jamjoom added. "Poised to be world's first 'smart city', KAEC will offer advanced information and communications technology support to industrialists." KAEC will feature several firsts in terms of "smart city" management by offering a safe environment that is ideal for sustained growth. A fully integrated transport system will be an added benefit to investors." The Industrial Zone will have specific initiatives to encourage local entrepreneurs through incubator-like modules. International experts have already been consulted and will work hand-in-hand with Emaar.E.C management to ensure that the development is in line with the best environmental practices. With the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA) as the project's prime facilitator, KAEC has the potential to create one million jobs. The mixed-use development integrating commercial, residential, industry and hospitality components is expected to be home to over two million people. The other components of KAEC are the central Business District, which will have office space and mixed-use components; and a central Financial Island with a 125-story tower; the Educational Zone; the Resort District; and the Residential Zone. Work on KAEC is progressing on schedule. The Presentation Center will be officially opened soon, and access roads to the project have been completed. In Sanaa President Ali Abdullah Saleh held a meeting with the members of the Yemen Islamic Scholars Association, talking to them over the latest developments of Sa'ada crisis triggered by some rebels. Addressing the scholars, president Saleh reviewed efforts and endeavours exerted by the government in order to contain and bring this havoc to a halt which first erupted by terrorist accomplices of Badraddin al-Houthi in 2004. He noted that though the general pardon and the release of the involved in the previous rebellion in Sa'ada, those insurgents did not stop targeting the country's stability and security and surrender their heavy weapons to the government. President Saleh said that scholars and the social and political figures have to play a major role in the guidance and awareness of the true facts of this action in order to not to let ambiguity or misunderstanding among some people to follow those rebels or back them. "What is currently taking place in Sa'ada merely bent on the destruction of the Yemeni revolution and unity and aims at redisplaying the unstable history of Yemen," Saleh said. President added that: "We are a united nation that rejects any kind of disorder which some people try to engender under some faint pretexts." He said that those rebel hooligans intended by causing killings and destruction, destabilization of peace and security and impeding development to implement foreign plots against Yemen. "We rejected all that and we will firmly encounter it." said Saleh. Finally, president Saleh pointed out that the legislative and liberal achievements that Yemen reached basically resulted from the Islamic religion. In London Prime Minister Tony Blair announced that the United Kingdom will withdraw around 1,600 troops from Iraq over the coming months and aims to cut its 7,100 troop levels to below 5,000 by late summer if local forces can secure the southern part of the country. British troops will remain in Iraq until at least 2008 and work to secure the Iran-Iraq border and maintain supply routes to U.S. and coalition troops in central Iraq, Blair told the House of Commons. «The actual reduction in forces will be from the present 7,100 _ itself down from over 9,000 two years ago and 40,000 at the time of the conflict _ to roughly 5,500,» Blair said. He told lawmakers that «increasingly our role will be support and training, and our numbers will be able to reduce accordingly.» Blair said Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki had agreed to the plan. Dependent on Iraqi capability Britain would draw down further, «possibly to below 5,000» once a base at Basra Palace is transferred to Iraqi control in late summer, Blair said.