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Snapshot of the Week Past |
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King
Abdullah Assumes Saudi Throne
"King Abdullah quickly assumed the Saudi
throne Monday after the death of his long-ailing
half brother, giving a smooth transition to the
leadership of this key U.S. ally and oil giant
already grappling with extremists and debating the
need for reform. After a decade as de facto ruler
and the prime mover of recent reforms, the popular
81-year-old Abdullah is expected to seek to
consolidate his power by bringing more allies into
government and perhaps open the door for younger,
more modern princes to play a role.."
Saudi
Arabia: King Abdullah Receives Oaths Of Loyalty
"King Abdullah received oaths of loyalty from
hundreds of top Muslim clerics, tribal chiefs and
other prominent Saudis on [Aug 3] in a traditional
ceremony that bestows his legitimacy.. ..In the
ceremony, known as 'bayah,' each one shakes
Abdullah's hand and pronounces, 'I express my
allegiance to you. I hear and obey, except in what
would disobey God'.."
Presidential
Delegation to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
"President George W. Bush [Aug 2] announced
the designation of a Presidential Delegation to
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to express condolences on the
passing of The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques,
King Fahd bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and the accession
of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, on
assuming the Saudi throne and the position of
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. The Honorable
Richard B. Cheney, Vice President of the United
States, will lead the delegation.."
Saudi
Arabia Moves Toward Women Suffrage
"Saudi Arabia might be following in Kuwait's
footsteps after the country's Municipal Electoral
Commission promised citizens that women could take
part in the next elections - one small step for
Saudi policy, but one large step for women's
social rights in the Middle East, said Rachel
Bronson, director of Middle East studies at the
Council of Foreign Relations.. ..The Municipal
Electoral Commission, the committee created to
handle voting in Saudi Arabia for the country's
first in a series of national municipal elections
that began last February, recently confirmed that
women should be allowed to vote in the next
election period.."
Oil
Prices Cross $61 Pb Mark After Saudi Arabia's King
Dies
"Crude oil prices [Aug 1] rose above $61 a
barrel in New York, following the death of Saudi
Arabia's King Fahd. King Fahd, who ruled the
world's largest oil exporter for 23 years, would
be succeeded by his half-brother, Abdullah bin
Abdulaziz al-Saud, according to the Saudi State
Television. The news fueled supply concerns on
account of Abdullah's Arab nationalist
views.."
Saudis
Urged to Pledge Allegiance to New King
"Prominent Islamic scholars of Saudi Arabia
including Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh, grand
mufti, and Dr. Saleh Al-Wohaibi, secretary-general
of the World Assembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY), have
called on Saudi citizens to pledge allegiance to
newly proclaimed King Abdullah and Crown Prince
Sultan.. ..The grand mufti urged Saudis, in a
statement, to follow in the footsteps of the
Al-Saud ruling family, which on Monday proclaimed
Abdullah as king. 'We call on Muslims to pledge
allegiance to them'.."
Eradicating
Poverty & Unemployment Will Be New King's Top
Priority
"After his visit to a slum area in a Riyadh
neighborhood three years ago, King Abdullah, crown
prince at the time, made it his goal to eradicate
poverty and unemployment in Saudi Arabia.. ..On
Sunday, King Abdullah was presented with the
national strategy for eliminating poverty, which
has been under preparation for three years since
the king first requested it.. ..This strategy is
considered to be the launching stage for
addressing the problem of poverty and the start of
direct and immediate steps toward solving
it.."
Ready
to Make a Mark?
"Royal tradition, a strong constitution honed
in the deserts he loves and a stealthy cunning
cloaked in rustic behavior are traits that enabled
Abdullah ibn Abdulaziz to beat the odds and
finally become head of the family business known
as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The immediate
conventional wisdom is that there will be little
change in Saudi policy on oil, Middle East peace,
Gulf security and the rest. That view is probably
right, as far as it goes. But do not think of the
new king of Saudi Arabia as a totally predictable
entity, or as someone not prepared to put his own
stamp on things.."
Saudi
Frustrated at U.S. Doubts on Militant Policy
"Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Saud
al-Faisal said [Aug 3] he was frustrated some U.S.
politicians refused to accept the kingdom was
doing its utmost to combat Islamic militancy. ``We
are more successful in fighting terrorism than in
convincing some American politicians that we are
doing what is necessary to combat terrorism,'' he
told reporters. Saudi Arabia is still attempting
to rebuild bridges with the United States
following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, which were
carried out mainly by Saudis. Stuart Levey, the
U.S. Treasury's undersecretary for terrorism and
financial intelligence, said last month that some
private Saudi donors may still be funding Islamic
extremists, including insurgents in Iraq.."
No
Change in Foreign Policy, Says Saud
"Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal [Aug
3] said the smooth transfer of power following the
death of King Fahd had confounded those who cast
doubts on the stability of the Kingdom. 'The
smooth transfer of the leadership to King Abdullah
attests to the soundness and firmness of the state
institutions, providing a definite answer to those
who are skeptical and pessimistic about the
Kingdom's integrity and stability,'.. ..The
foreign minister said there would be no basic
changes in the country's policy under King
Abdullah. Both King Abdullah and Crown Prince
Sultan had worked closely with Fahd and 'the
policies will remain the same'.."
US-Saudi
Bond Grew Under Fahd
"..As US ambassador to Saudi Arabia from l996
until March 2001, I had a unique opportunity to
observe firsthand and appreciate Fahd's leadership
before his declining health incapacitated him. The
sad occasion of his death allows us to reflect
anew on how much the strong US-Saudi relationship
and Saudi political stability grew out of his
initiatives and policies. From the US perspective,
the late king should be remembered gratefully as a
steadfast ally who played an important role
against communism, for Arab-Israeli peace and for
stability in the Gulf.."
Saudi
King's Choices May Affect Succession
"The decisions King Abdullah makes - or
avoids - now will affect the crucial question of
succession years in the future, when the next
generation of Saudi princes gets in sight of the
throne. The men Abdullah names to key posts may
give a glimpse into internal struggles the House
of Saud keeps deeply under wraps, well aware that
a unified face is the key to their seven decades
in power.."
Threat
Closes US Embassy In Saudi
"The U.S. Embassy and consulates in Saudi
Arabia will be closed on [Aug 8] and [Aug 9] owing
to a threat against U.S. government buildings, the
embassy said [Aug 7]. In a statement, the embassy
said mission personnel will limit their
non-official travel during the next two days and
urged Americans to keep 'a high level of
vigilance'.. . 'American citizens are.. ..advised
to exercise caution and maintain good situational
awareness when visiting commercial establishments
frequented by Westerners or in primarily Western
environments,' the statement added.."
UK
Terrorists Got Cash From Saudi Arabia Before 7/7
"Two senior al-Qaeda operatives in Saudi
Arabia made money transfers and used coded text
messages to communicate with suspected terrorists
in Britain before last month's attacks in London,
according to officials in the kingdom. The two
men, of Moroccan descent, have since been shot
dead.. ..Saudi security officials suspect both men
of involvement in the attacks in London on July 7
and 21 and say that al-Qaeda is definitely
operating in Britain.."
Why
America Is More Dependent Than Ever On Saudi
Arabia
"President Bush might not have turned up
personally in Riyadh yesterday but he certainly
sent a high-powered delegation to pay his respects
to the new leader of Saudi Arabia, King Abdullah..
.. 'The Saudis are in a great position today,'
said Jean-François Seznec, a professor at
Columbia University's Middle East Institute. 'We
cannot be enemies with everybody. We need their
oil desperately'.."
Abdullah,
Cheney Review Ties
"Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King
Abdullah has been invited to visit the US by Vice
President Dick Cheney. King Abdullah also held a
meeting with Cheney at his farm in Janadriyadh,
near Riyadh.. ..Cheney's meeting capped the visit
of the high-level delegation he led to the Saudi
capital, where he extended condolences to King
Abdullah on the demise of Custodian of the Two
Holy Mosques King Fahd and to congratulate King
Abdullah on his accession to the throne. The US
delegation also included former President George
Bush, former Secretary of State Colin Powell and
Gen. Peter Pace, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs
of Staff.."
Saudi
Aramco, Sumitomo Chemical Sign Accord
"The Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco)
and Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd. (Sumitomo
Chemical) yesterday signed an agreement to become
joint venture partners in the development of a
large, integrated refining and petrochemical
complex in the Red Sea town of Rabigh, on the
Kingdom's west coast.. ..For Saudi Aramco and
Sumitomo Chemical, the project represents an
opportunity for the world's largest producer of
hydrocarbons to partner with a leading world-class
petrochemical producer.."
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