Hajj
Begins In Saudi Arabia [RFE/RL,
Jan 18]
Muslims
from all over the world
started the annual pilgrimage,
or Hajj, to Mecca today to
perform one of Islam's
rituals, which is mandatory
for every Muslim who can
afford it. Authorities
are expecting up to 3 million
Muslims to arrive in the
birthplace of the Prophet
Muhammad. [more]
Hundreds
of thousands of Muslim
pilgrims in Saudi tent city
prepare for central rite of
hajj [AP, Jan 18]
Chanting, "Oh Allah
I'm here," hundreds of
thousands of pilgrims draped
in white streamed into this
mammoth tent city for the
night to prepare their minds
and spirits for Wednesday's
prayers at Mount Arafat, the
central rite of the annual
hajj. As the pilgrimage
rituals began Tuesday, Saudi
authorities took elaborate
precautions, deploying 50,000
security forces to prevent the
catastrophes of past years
when hundreds have been killed
in fires and stampedes. [more]
Saudi
Arabia Wins Dismissal From
Sept. 11 Lawsuits [Bloomberg,
Jan 18]
The judge
overseeing lawsuits by victims
of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror
attacks dismissed some claims
that Saudi Arabia provided
``massive'' financial and
logistical support to Osama
bin Laden's al-Qaeda network.
Multibillion dollar lawsuits
filed on behalf of thousands
of survivors, victims, and
insurers assert that more than
200 defendants aided al-Qaeda.
Ruling in eight the cases
today, U.S. District Judge
Richard Casey dismissed claims
against Saudi Arabia, Saudi
princes, and some banks. Saudi
Arabia still faces similar
claims in other cases overseen
by Casey. [more]
Saudi
Arabia Posts Record Oil Sales
on Higher Prices [Bloomberg,
Jan 18]
Saudi
Arabia, the world's largest
oil producer, sold a record
$106 billion of the fuel last
year as prices and output
rose, giving the kingdom its
second-highest budget surplus,
Samba Financial Group said.
Saudi oil output averaged 9
million barrels a day at $35 a
barrel, up from $27 a barrel
in 2003, Samba Financial, the
country's second-largest bank,
said in a report e-mailed to
Bloomberg yesterday. The
government, which gets
three-quarters its revenue
from oil, had a $26.1 billion
budget surplus after
projecting a deficit of $8
billion a year ago, the bank
said. [more]
Moderate
Saudi Islamists condemn
violence, call for reform [AFP,
Jan 16]
Some
40 moderate Islamists in Saudi
Arabia have condemned those
who incite the violence, which
has plagued their country over
the past 20 months, while
urging leaders of the oil-rich
kingdom to introduce 'serious'
reforms. 'Incitement
and praise of acts of bombings
and destruction in the name of
religion - and the resulting
events - have tarnished the
image of Islam..' [more]
Saudi
Court Orders Lashings for 15
Demonstrators [NYT, Jan 13]
In a rare public display,
the Saudi government announced
on [Jan. 11] that a religious
court had sentenced 15
demonstrators, including one
woman, to public lashings and
prison terms for taking part
in demonstrations against the
government. The
punishments were announced in
the newspaper Okaz. Normally,
such floggings are carried out
in public but without prior
notice. The fact that these
floggings were announced was
taken as an indication that
the government wanted to make
an example of the
demonstrators. The
demonstrators, members of the
Movement for Islamic Reform in
Arabia, were among a small
crowd that took part in
protests in Jidda in
mid-December. Another
demonstration took place in
Riyadh at the same time.
[more]
Chinese
Reach Into Gulf [IHT, Jan 13]
Lured by the world's oil
reserves and markets
considered too risky by some
Western companies, China is
quickly becoming a major
economic player in the Gulf,
making deals in transportation
and technology, showcasing its
consumer goods and shoring up
agreements to meet its
colossal energy needs. [more]
Family
Of Saudis' Detainee Set Back [WPost,
Jan 12]
A
federal judge in Washington
agreed with Justice Department
lawyers yesterday that federal
privacy restrictions bar the
public release of government
documents concerning a Falls
Church man held without
charges in Saudi Arabia since
June 2003. [more]
Back
to top
|
