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UNITED
STATES NEWS:
ELECTION
2004
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SAUDI ARABIA News:
20080517
-
 John
McCain
-  Thomas
Loeffler -  Foreign
-  Politics
- Saudi
Arabia -  French
-  Aerospace
-  Military
-  Manufacturing
-  Texas
-  US
- 2008
Election - "Mccain
vs. Lobbyists." ... "Stung by the news that two aides
once lobbied for the Burmese junta, [2008 Election Republican Presidential
Candidate] John McCain last week rolled out a sweeping new conflict-of-interest
policy for his campaign, requiring all staffers to fill out questionnaires
identifying past or current clients that "could be embarrassing for the
senator."" ... "One top campaign official affected by the new policy is
national finance co-chair Tom
Loeffler, a former Texas congressman whose lobbying firm has collected
nearly $15 million from Saudi Arabia since 2002 and millions more from
other foreign and corporate interests, including a French aerospace firm
[EADS] seeking Pentagon contracts. Loeffler last month told a reporter
"at no time have I discussed my clients with John McCain." But lobbying
disclosure records reviewed by NEWSWEEK show that on May 17, 2006, Loeffler
listed meeting McCain along with the Saudi ambassador to "discuss US-Kingdom
of Saudi Arabia relations."" ... "Another potential problem: Loeffler's
firm started paying $15,000 a month last summer to one of its lobbyists,
Susan Nelson, after she left to become McCain's full-time finance director,
said a source familiar with the arrangement (who asked not to be identified
talking about sensitive matters)." -By Michael Isikoff
-Newsweek
20071203
-
United
States - Debt
-
 Government
-  Fiscal
- Politics
-  People
-  Parents
-  Accounting
-  History
-  Homeowners
-  Japan
-  China
-  Britain
- Saudi
Arabia -  Oil
- Countries
- "National
Debt Grows $1 Million a Minute." ... "Like a ticking
time bomb, the national debt is an explosion waiting to happen. It's expanding
by about $1.4 billion a day -- or nearly $1 million a minute." ... "What's
that mean to you?" ... "It means almost $30,000 in debt for each man, woman,
child and infant in the United States." ... "Even if you've escaped the
recent housing and credit crunches and are coping with rising fuel prices,
you may still be headed for economic misery, along with the rest of the
country. That's because the government is fast straining resources needed
to meet interest payments on the national debt, which stands at a mind-numbing
$9.13 trillion." ... "And like homeowners who took out adjustable-rate
mortgages, the government faces the prospect of seeing this debt -- now
at relatively low interest rates -- rolling over to higher rates, multiplying
the financial pain." ... "The national debt -- the total accumulation of
annual budget deficits -- is up from $5.7 trillion when [Republican] President
Bush took office in January 2001 and it will top $10 trillion [$10,000,000,000,000.00]
sometime right before or right after he leaves in January 2009." ... "Foreign
governments and investors now hold some $2.23 trillion -- or about 44 percent
-- of all publicly held U.S. debt. That's up 9.5 percent from a year earlier."
... "Japan is first with $586 billion, followed by China ($400 billion)
and Britain ($244 billion). Saudi Arabia and other oil-exporting countries
account for $123 billion, according to the Treasury." ... "Democrats are
blaming the runup in deficit spending on [Republican President] Bush and
his Republican allies who controlled Congress for the first six years of
his presidency." (1, 2,
3)
-By Tom Raum -AP
via -ChicagoTribune
20071127
-
 United
Arab Emirates - US
- Saudi
Arabia - Politics
- "Abu
Dhabi to Bolster Citigroup With $7.5 Billion Capital Infusion:
Government Investment Arm To Become a Top Holder, With Up to a 4.9% Stake."
... "Citigroup Inc., seeking to restore investor confidence amid massive
losses due in credit markets and a lack of permanent leadership, is receiving
a $7.5 billion capital infusion from the investment arm of the Abu Dhabi
government [United Arab Emirates' capital]." ... "The investment by the
Abu Dhabi Investment Authority [ADIA] will help rebuild Citigroup's capital
levels, which have been eroded by a credit crunch that began in the summer.
Citigroup Chief Executive Officer and Chairman Charles Prince resigned
earlier this month after the bank, which had already written off billions
of dollars, said it was facing as much as $11 billion more in losses."
... "As a result of the deal, the investment authority known as ADIA will
become one of Citigroup's largest shareholders, with a stake of no more
than 4.9%. The stake will exceed that of Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal,
long known as one of Citigroup's largest shareholders, according to a person
familiar with the situation." ... "The investment underscores the growing
role that Middle Eastern investors are taking outside their home turf.
Separately yesterday, an investment company owned by Dubai's ruler [Dubai
is one of the seven emirate if the United Arab Emirates federation], Sheikh
Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, bought a stake in Sony Corp. ADIA, which
has almost $1 trillion under management, this summer bought a small stake
in Apollo Management LP." -By Robin Sidel with contributions
by David Enrich -WSJ.com
20071122
-
 Iraq
- United
States - Saudi
Arabia -  Libya
-  Syria
- Military
-  Terrorism
-  Computer
-  Intelligence
- Religious
- Politics
- "Foreign
Fighters in Iraq Are Tied to Allies of U.S.." ...
"Saudi Arabia and Libya, both considered allies by the United States in
its fight against terrorism, were the source of about 60 percent of the
foreign fighters who came to Iraq in the past year to serve as suicide
bombers or to facilitate other attacks, according to senior American military
officials." ... "The data come largely from a trove of documents and computers
discovered in September, when American forces raided a tent camp in the
desert near Sinjar, close to the Syrian border. The raid’s target was an
insurgent cell believed to be responsible for smuggling the vast majority
of foreign fighters into Iraq." ... "The most significant discovery was
a collection of biographical sketches that listed hometowns and other details
for more than 700 fighters brought into Iraq since August 2006." ... "The
records also underscore how the insurgency in Iraq remains both overwhelmingly
Iraqi and Sunni. American officials now estimate that the flow of foreign
fighters was 80 to 110 per month during the first half of this year and
about 60 per month during the summer. The numbers fell sharply in October
to no more than 40, partly as a result of the Sinjar raid, the American
officials say." ... "In contrast to the comparatively small number of foreigners,
more than 25,000 inmates are in American detention centers in Iraq. Of
those, only about 290, or some 1.2 percent, are foreigners, military officials
say." ... "About four out of every five detainees in American detention
centers are Sunni Arab, even though Sunni Arabs make up just one-fifth
of Iraq’s population." (1, 2)
-By Richard A. Oppel Jr.
-NYTimes
20071116
-
Saudi
Arabia - Oil
- Industry
- Terrorism
- Osama
bin Laden
- US
- Politics
- "Saudi
builds security force of 35,000 to guard oil." ...
"Saudi Arabia is building up a special 35,000-strong rapid reaction force
to protect its energy installations from attacks by militants targeting
the world's largest oil exporter." ... "The kingdom started recruiting
and training the industrial security force a year ago, after a failed al
Qaeda attack on the world's largest oil processing plant at Abqaiq in February
2006." ... "The network's Saudi branch vowed more strikes on oil facilities
after the attack, the first to directly target the kingdom's oil sector
since militants began a campaign against the U.S.-allied Saudi royals in
May 2003." ... "Al Qaeda's Saudi-born leader, Osama bin Laden, has called
for it to take aim specifically at oil." ... "The new force already has
around 9,000 personnel either in training or already active, and will reach
full strength of up to 35,000 in three to four years, Mansour said." (1,
2,
3)
-By Simon Webb with contributions by Samira Kawar
-Reuters
20071027
-
 Mitch
McConnell -  Criminal
- Money
- Politics
- Military
-  KY
- US
- Britain
- Saudi
Arabia - "McConnell
marks funds for contractor: Firm Under Investigation
for Bribery." ... "[Kentucky Reputlican Senator] Sen. Mitch McConnell,
R-Ky., is pushing $25 million in earmarked federal funds for a British
defense contractor that is under criminal investigation by the U.S. Justice
Department and suspected by American diplomats of a "longstanding, widespread
pattern of bribery allegations."" ... "McConnell tucked money for three
weapons projects for BAE Systems into the defense appropriations bill,
which the Senate approved Oct. 3. The Defense Department failed to include
the money in its own budget request, which required McConnell to intercede,
said BAE spokeswoman Susan Lenover." ... "BAE is based in Great Britain
but has worldwide operations, including a Louisville [Kentucky] facility
that makes naval guns and employs 322. McConnell has taken at least $53,000
in campaign donations from BAE's political action committees and employees
since his 2002 re-election. United Defense Industries, which BAE purchased
two years ago, pledged $500,000 to a political-science foundation the senator
created, the McConnell Center at the University of Louisville." ... "In
June, BAE confirmed that the Justice Department is investigating possible
corruption in its Saudi Arabian deals. According to British media reports,
BAE set up a slush fund with hundreds of millions of dollars in a Washington,
D.C., bank to bribe Saudi Prince Bandar bin Sultan in order to win weapons
contracts. Bandar, who heads the Saudi National Security Council, has denied
the allegation." -By John Cheves
-Kentucky.com
20070826
-
US
-
 Afghanistan
- Saudi
Arabia - Political
- Sports
- Military
- "'Blasphemous'
U.S. Soccer Balls Anger Afghans: U.S. Official Claims
Misunderstanding, Saying, 'We Do Not Want to Offend'." ... "A demonstration
has been held in south-east Afghanistan accusing U.S. troops of insulting
Islam after they distributed soccer balls bearing the name of Allah." ...
"The balls showed the Saudi Arabian flag, which features the Koranic declaration
of faith." ... "The U.S. military said the idea had been to give something
for Afghan children to enjoy and they did not realise it would cause offense."
... "Afghan MP Mirwais Yasini said: "To have a verse of the Koran on something
you kick with your foot would be an insult in any Muslim country around
the world."" -By Alastair Leithead -BBCNews
via -ABCNEWS.com
20070805
-
US
- Saudi
Arabia - Secret
- Government
- Terrorism
-
 Phone
-  Wiretap
- Civil
Liberties -  Law
- Politics
- "Secret
call log at heart of wiretap challenge." ... "In
open court and legal filings it's referred to simply as "the Document.""
... "Federal officials claim its contents are so sensitive to national
security that it is stored in a bombproof safe in Washington [D.C.] and
viewed only by prosecutors with top secret security clearances and a few
select federal judges." ... "The Document, described by those who have
seen it as a National Security Administration log of calls intercepted
between an Islamic charity [in Saudi Arabia] and its American lawyers,
is at the heart of what legal experts say may be the strongest case against
the [Republican President] Bush administration's warrantless eavesdropping
program." ... "Unlike dozens of other lawyers who have sued alleging similar
violations of civil liberties stemming from the Bush administration's secret
terrorism surveillance program, Eisenberg's team had what it claimed to
be unequivocal proof: the Document." ... "In 2004, as the Treasury Department
was considering whether to include the group on its list of terrorist organizations,
Al-Haramain's Washington lawyer, Lynne Bernabei, asked to see the evidence."
... "That's when, in a case of bureaucratic bungling, Treasury officials
mistakenly handed over the call log — which has the words "top secret"
stamped on every page — along with press clippings and other unclassified
documents deemed relevant to the case." ... "Still, the lawyers were unsure
what they'd been given until December 2005, when The New York Times published
a story exposing the Bush administration's warrantless wiretapping program.
The attorneys involved in the Al-Haramain case suddenly realized that the
call log was proof their clients had been eavesdropped on, and they sued."
... "Belew and Ghafoor, the two lawyers whose calls were allegedly intercepted
by NSA, appear to be the only U.S. citizens with actual proof that the
government eavesdropped on them." -By Paul Elias
-AP via -USATODAY
20070803
-
US
- Saudi
Arabia - Military
- Terrorism
- Oil
- Politics
- Japan
-
 Italy
-  Germany
-  Georgia
- History
- "Gingrich
says war on terror 'phony': Former speaker says energy
independence is key." ... "Former House Speaker [Republican] Newt Gingrich
said Thursday the [Republican President] Bush administration is waging
a "phony war" on terrorism, warning that the country is losing ground against
the kind of Islamic radicals who attacked the country on Sept. 11, 2001."
... "A more effective approach, said Gingrich, would begin with a national
energy strategy aimed at weaning the country from its reliance on imported
oil and some of the regimes that petro-dollars support." ... ""None of
you should believe we are winning this war. There is no evidence that we
are winning this war," the ex-Georgian told a group of about 300 students
attending a conference for collegiate conservatives." ... "He was unstinting
in his criticism of his fellow Republicans, in the White House and on Capitol
Hill." ... ""We were in charge for six years," he said, referring to the
period between 2001 and early 2007, when the GOP controlled the White House
and both houses of Congress. "I don't think you can look and say that was
a great success."" ... "He reserved his most pointed criticism for the
administration's handling of the global campaign against terrorist groups."
... ""We've been engaged in a phony war," said Gingrich. "The only people
who have been taking this seriously are the combat military."" ... ""We
used to be a serious country. When we got attacked at Pearl Harbor, we
took on Imperial Japan, Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany," he said, referring
to World War II." ... ""We beat all three in less than four years. We're
about to enter the seventh year of this phony war against ... [terrorist
groups], and we're losing."" ... ""First of all, we have to have a national
energy strategy, which basically says to the Saudis, 'We're not going to
rely on you,' " he said." ... "The United States imports about 14 million
barrels of oil a day, making up two-thirds of its total consumption." -By
Bob Deans -AJC
20070729
-
Iraq
- Saudi
Arabia - US
- Military
- "Inspired
Iraq claims Asian Cup crown." ... "Iraq won the Asian
Cup for the first time Sunday, a beacon of hope for a nation divided by
war." ... "Iraq's 1-0 victory over Saudi Arabia on a 71st-minute header
by captain Younis Mahmoud was an inspirational triumph for a team whose
players straddle bitter and violent ethnic divides. After the game, Mahmoud
called for the United States to withdraw its troops from his nation." ...
""I want America to go out," he said. "Today, tomorrow, or the day after
tomorrow, but out. I wish the American people didn't invade Iraq and, hopefully,
it will be over soon."" -By Chris Lines
-AP via -Yahoo
20070727
-
US
- Saudi
Arabia - Iraq
-
 Iran
- Military
- Financial
- Intelligence
- "U.S.
Officials Voice Frustrations With Saudis’ Role in Iraq."
... "During a high-level meeting in Riyadh [Saudi Arabia's capital] in
January, Saudi officials confronted a top American envoy with documents
that seemed to suggest that Iraq’s prime minister could not be trusted."
... "One purported to be an early alert from the prime minister, Nuri Kamal
al-Maliki, to the radical Shiite cleric Moktada al-Sadr warning him to
lie low during the coming American troop increase, which was aimed in part
at Mr. Sadr’s militia. Another document purported to offer proof that Mr.
Maliki was an agent of Iran." ... "The American envoy, Zalmay Khalilzad,
immediately protested to King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, contending that
the documents were forged. But, said administration officials who provided
an account of the exchange, the Saudis remained skeptical, adding to the
deep rift between America’s most powerful Sunni Arab ally, Saudi Arabia,
and its Shiite-run neighbor, Iraq." ... "Now, [Republican] Bush administration
officials are voicing increasing anger at what they say has been Saudi
Arabia’s counterproductive role in the Iraq war. They say that beyond regarding
Mr. Maliki as an Iranian agent, the Saudis have offered financial support
to Sunni groups in Iraq. Of an estimated 60 to 80 foreign fighters who
enter Iraq each month, American military and intelligence officials say
that nearly half are coming from Saudi Arabia and that the Saudis have
not done enough to stem the flow." ... "The American officials in Iraq
also say that the majority of suicide bombers in Iraq are from Saudi Arabia
and that about 40 percent of all foreign fighters are Saudi. Officials
said that while most of the foreign fighters came to Iraq to become suicide
bombers, others arrived as bomb makers, snipers, logisticians and financiers."
(1, 2)
-By Helene Cooper with contributions by Mark Mazzetti,
Jim Rutenberg, and Richard A. Oppel Jr. -NYTimes
20070715
-
Saudi
Arabia - Iraq
- US
- Syria
- Iran
-
 Lebanon
- Afghan
- Foreign
- Military
- Intelligence
- Politics
- Religious
- Terrorism
- History
- Osama
bin Laden
- "Saudis'
role in Iraq insurgency outlined: Sunni extremists
from Saudi Arabia make up half the foreign fighters in Iraq, many suicide
bombers, a U.S. official says." ... "Although [Republican President] Bush
administration officials have frequently lashed out at Syria and Iran,
accusing it of helping insurgents and militias here, the largest number
of foreign fighters and suicide bombers in Iraq come from a third neighbor,
Saudi Arabia, according to a senior U.S. military officer and Iraqi lawmakers."
... "About 45% of all foreign militants targeting U.S. troops and Iraqi
civilians and security forces are from Saudi Arabia; 15% are from Syria
and Lebanon; and 10% are from North Africa, according to official U.S.
military figures made available to The Times by the senior officer. Nearly
half of the 135 foreigners in U.S. detention facilities in Iraq are Saudis,
he said." ... "Fighters from Saudi Arabia are thought to have carried out
more suicide bombings than those of any other nationality, said the senior
U.S. officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the subject's
sensitivity. It is apparently the first time a U.S. official has given
such a breakdown on the role played by Saudi nationals in Iraq's Sunni
Arab insurgency." ... "He said 50% of all Saudi fighters in Iraq come here
as suicide bombers. In the last six months, such bombings have killed or
injured 4,000 Iraqis." ... "The situation has left the U.S. military in
the awkward position of battling an enemy whose top source of foreign fighters
is a key ally that at best has not been able to prevent its citizens from
undertaking bloody attacks in Iraq, and at worst shares complicity in sending
extremists to commit attacks against U.S. forces, Iraqi civilians and the
Shiite-led government in Baghdad [Iraq's capital]." ... "In the 1980s,
the Saudi intelligence service sponsored Sunni Muslim fighters for the
U.S.-backed Afghan mujahedin battling Soviet troops in Afghanistan. At
the time, Saudi intelligence cultivated another man helping the Afghan
fighters, Osama bin Laden, the future leader of Al Qaeda who would one
day turn against the Saudi royal family and mastermind the Sept. 11 attacks
on New York and the Pentagon. Indeed, Saudi Arabia has long been a source
of a good portion of the money and manpower for Al Qaeda: 15 of the 19
hijackers in the Sept. 11 attacks were Saudi." (1,
2)
-By Ned Parker with contributions by Paul Richter
and Greg Miller -LAtimes
20070328
-
Saudi
Arabia - US
- Iraq
- Military
- "Saudi
king slams 'illegitimate occupation' of Iraq." ...
"Saudi King Abdullah, whose country is a close US ally, on Wednesday slammed
the "illegitimate foreign occupation" of Iraq in an opening speech to the
annual Arab summit in Riyadh." ... ""In beloved Iraq, blood is being shed
among brothers in the shadow of an illegitimate foreign occupation, and
ugly sectarianism threatens civil war," Abdullah said." -By
Lydia Georgi -AFP.com
via -Yahoo
20060516
-
Saudi
Arabia - Religious
-
 Media
- Free
Speech -  Women
- Law
- Politics
-  Drive
- "Saudis
nix pictures of women in newspapers." ... "King Abdullah
has told Saudi editors to stop publishing pictures of women as they could
make young men go astray, newspapers reported Tuesday." ... "In recent
months, newspapers have published pictures of women - always wearing the
traditional Muslim headscarf - to illustrate stories with increasing regularity.
Usually the stories have had to do with women's issues. The papers have
also started publishing a range of views on causes that are not generally
accepted in Saudi Arabia - such as women having the right to drive and
vote." ... "The country adheres to a strict interpretation of Islamic law.
Women are not allowed to vote and stand in municipal elections - the only
type of election permitted in the kingdom." ... "The king also called on
editors to stop printing stories that portray the country in a negative
light." ... "All media in Saudi Arabia are either state owned or state
guided." -AP
via -SeattlePI.NWsource
20060510
-
Human
Rights - Politics
- China
-
 Cuba
-  Pakistan
-  Russia
- Saudi
Arabia -  Azerbaijan
- Iran
-  Venezuela
- "New
U.N. Rights Group Includes Six Nations With Poor Records."
... "Six nations with poor human rights records were among those elected
to the new Human Rights Council on Tuesday, although notorious violators
that had belonged to the predecessor Human Rights Commission did not succeed
in winning places in the new group." ... "China, Cuba, Pakistan, Russia,
Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan, countries cited by human rights groups as
not deserving membership, were among the 47 nations elected to the council.
But in a move hailed by the same groups, both Iran and Venezuela failed
to attract the needed votes." -By Warren Hoge
-NYTimes
20060223
-
US
- United
Arab Emirates - Political
- Business
- Texas
-
 Kuwait
- Saudi
Arabia -  Qatar
- "UAE
gave $1 million to Bush library." ... "A sheik from
the United Arab Emirates contributed at least $1 million to the Bush Library
Foundation, which established the George Bush Presidential Library at Texas
A&M University in College Station." ... "The UAE owns Dubai Port Co.,
which is taking operations from London-based Peninsular and Oriental Steam
Navigation Co., which operates six U.S. ports. A political uproar has ensued
over the deal, which the White House approved without congressional oversight."
... "Other Arab donors include the state of Kuwait, the Bandar bin Sultan
family [of Saudi Arabia], the Sultanate of Oman, King Hassan II of Morocco
and the amir of Qatar." -By Wendy Benjaminson
-AP via -HoustonChronicle.com
20051208
-
Iran
-
 Israel
- Saudi
Arabia - Britain
- Germany
- History
- "Iran's
Ahmadinejad casts doubt on Holocaust." ... "Iranian
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Thursday expressed doubt the Holocaust
took place and suggested the Jewish state of Israel be moved to Europe."
... "His comments, reported by Iran's official IRNA news agency from a
news conference he gave in the Saudi Arabian city of Mecca, follow his
call in October for Israel to be "wiped off the map", which sparked widespread
international outrage." ... "The latest comments also provoked quick condemnation.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel called them "totally unacceptable" and
British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said "I condemn them unreservedly.
They have no place in civilised political debate."" -By
Paul Hughes with contributions by Jeffrey Heller -Reuters.co.uk
-
Iran
- Israel
- Saudi
Arabia - Palestine
- Germany
-
 Austria
- Military
- History
- "Update
2: Iranian President: Move Israel to Europe." ...
"Iran's hard-liner president, who has called for Israel's destruction,
said Thursday that the Jewish state should be moved to Europe if the West
wants to make up for the Holocaust." ... "Speaking to reporters at an Islamic
summit in the Muslim holy city of Mecca [Saudi Arabia], Iranian President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad implied that European countries backed the founding
of Israel in the Middle East in 1948 out of guilt over the Holocaust."
... ""Some European countries insist on saying that during World War II,
Hitler burned millions of Jews and put them in concentration camps," Ahmadinejad
said. "Any historian, commentator or scientist who doubts that is taken
to prison or gets condemned."" ... ""Let's give some land to the Zionists
in Europe or in Germany or Austria, so they can have their government there,"
he said. "They faced injustice in Europe, so why do the repercussions fall
on the Palestinians? Offer a piece of land from Europe, and we will back
this decision and will not attack this government.""
-AP via -Forbes
20051122
-
US
-
 Virginia
- Saudi
Arabia - Terrorism
- "Student
Convicted of Plotting With Al Qaeda to Kill Bush."
... "An Arab-American student from Virginia was convicted today, in one
of the most important terrorism trials since the Sept. 11 attacks, of plotting
with Al Qaeda operatives to assassinate President Bush and hijack airplanes."
... "A federal jury in Alexandria, Va. [Virginia], found Ahmed Omar Abu
Ali, 24, guilty on numerous charges of conspiracy to commit acts of terrorism.
The jury rejected the defendant's accounts that his Saudi captors beat
and tortured him into confessing." -By David Stout
-NYTimes
20050808
-
-
-
- "'Credible'
threats led to U.S. closures in Saudi Arabia." ...
"The U.S. State Department closed its embassy and consulates in Saudi Arabia
for two days after receiving "specific and credible" threats against its
facilities in the kingdom, State Department officials told CNN." ... "The
information did not specify which of the U.S. missions was targeted, so
the State Department closed its embassy in Riyadh and consulates in Jeddah
and Dhahran. They are scheduled to be closed on Monday and Tuesday." -By
Elise Labott -CNN
-
-
-
- New
York
- "Oil
Rises to a Record, Approaches $64, on Saudi Supply Concern."
... "Crude oil in New York jumped to a record, a cent short of $64 a barrel,
as a threat to the U.S. embassy in Saudi Arabia heightened concern that
supplies from the country, the world's largest exporter, could be jeopardized."
... "Oil for September delivery surged $1.44, or 2.3 percent, to $63.75
a barrel at 12:29 p.m. on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The futures
earlier touched $63.99 a barrel, the highest intraday price since the contract
debuted in 1983, and surpassing the previous record of $62.50 on Aug. 3."
... "Adjusted for inflation, oil was still more expensive during the 1970s."
... "Prices rose in 1974 after an oil embargo that followed the Arab-Israeli
war and from 1979 through 1981 after Iran cut oil exports. The average
cost of oil used by U.S. refiners was $35.24 a barrel in 1981, according
to the Energy Department, or $75.44 in today's dollars." -By
Heesun Wee -Bloomberg
20050803
-
Mauritania
-
-
-
- "Soldiers
in Mauritania stage coup." ... "The Mauritanian armed
forces have taken advantage of the absence of the country's president to
seize power, announcing that Colonel Ely Ould Mohamed Vall would be the
nation's new leader, according to a statement released by the state new
agency." ... "The coup occurred when President Maaouya Taya was out of
the country attending the funeral of Saudi Arabia's King Fahd. The president
is reportedly now in Niger's capital, Niamey, on his way back from Riyadh."
... "There was no immediate word from Taya, who came to power in a 1984
coup that toppled President Mohamed Khouna Ould Haidallah." -Contributions
by Elise Labott -CNN
20050801
-
-
- "Saudi
King Fahd dead." ... "Saudi Arabia's King Fahd --
whose reign was marked by unprecedented prosperity, but whose close ties
with the United States stirred the passions of Islamic militants -- has
died, Saudi Arabia's information minister announced Monday." ... "His exact
age remains uncertain -- believed to be between 82 and 84." ... "The former
Crown Prince Abdullah, Fahd's half brother, has been named the new Saudi
king and Defense Minister Prince Sultan has replaced Abdullah as crown
prince." ... "Fahd yielded day-to-day control of the kingdom a decade ago
after suffering a stroke, with Abdullah serving as the de facto ruler since
then." -CNN
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-
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-
- Religion
- "Saudi
Arabia's King Fahd Dies: The long-time ruler leaves
behind a number of challenges for his country, as well as jockeying for
new positions in the kingdom." ... "The terrorist attacks on September
11, 2001, orchestrated by Saudi native Osama bin Laden and carried out
by 15 Saudi militants, ensured that Fahd would go down in history as the
Saudi ruler who turned a blind eye to growing Islamic extremism. To protect
the regime from spreading Islamic revolution following Ayatullah Khomeini's
overthrow of the Shah of Iran, Fahd gave the Kingdom's ultra conservative
Islamic establishment the green light to promote an ever rigid Wahhabi
form of Islam so long as it continued to recognize the legitimacy of the
House of Saud as Saudi Arabia's political leadership. After the Soviet
invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, he worked with the U.S. government to
encourage a jihad against the Red Army. During Fahd's reign, the country
imposed a stricter dress code for women, continued to ban women from driving
and spent billions exporting Wahhabi teachings and building mosques throughout
the Islamic world. The policy backfired not only with the September 11
attacks in the U.S. but two years later inside the Kingdom itself, when
Bin Laden's organization started a jihad against Al Saud rule with a series
of terrorist attacks." -By Scott Macleod
-TIME.com
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- Religion
- "New
Saudi king unlikely to change foreign policy." ...
"Saudi Arabia's new king, Abdullah, is unlikely to steer the world's largest
oil exporter away from its longtime alliances, despite his Arab nationalist
views." ... "Aged over 80, Abdullah has sometimes appeared pricklier and
less pro-Western than the late King Fahd, who died on Monday, but officials
say the two men varied more in style than policy." ... "The Sunni Muslim
royals fear that the rising power of Shi'ite Muslims in Iraq since the
overthrow of Saddam Hussein's Sunni-based regime will shift the regional
balance of power." -Reuters
via -AlertNet.org/Newsdesk
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Guardian.co.uk
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