July 16-22, 2006

• What's New on SUSRIS this week:

  • Region in Crisis: Responses

  • Region in Crisis: Responsibility

• In the News - Bush, Rice to Meet with Saudis on Mideast

• In the News - Saudi sheik issues fatwa against Hezbollah

• On the Web - Carnegie Middle East Experts Analyze Middle East Crisis, Highlight Regional Realities the United States Cannot Ignore

• In the News - Religious rights and reform

• In the News - Women consulting in the Consultative Council

• In the News - Defense news

• Keeping Track - Recent SUSRIS Items

• This Week's News - July 16-22, 2006

• About SUSRIS

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Saudi Arabia Gets Off to a Quick Start in Little League Tournament [Jul 22]
"Saudi Arabia launched its quest for a seventh straight Little League European Region postseason tournament title with a four-inning, 13-0 mercy-rule victory Friday over Belgium.. ..Friday’s game, played at the Little League Baseball’s European Regional headquarters here, preceded the Transatlantic tournament’s official opening ceremony. Six teams are vying for this year’s Transatlantic berth in next month’s the Little League World Series at Williamsport, Pa.: Saudi Arabia, Brussels, Dubai, London, Naples and Ramstein, which in 1999 was the last team other than Saudi Arabia to win this event.." [more]

Makkah's Imam Questions World Response to ME Crisis [Jul 22]
"Imam and Khatib at the Holy Mosque in Makkah Sheikh Abdul Rahman ibn Abdul Aziz Al-Sudais exhorted believers to unite and hold to the Holy Qur'an and the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him, at these trying times, referring to the current crisis in the Middle East. Sheikh Al-Sudais made this call while delivering his Friday sermon at the Haram Mosque yesterday. Al-Sudais questioned the silence of the international community as the bombardment of Lebanon and Gaza continues.." [more]

Mideast Tensions Send Saudi Stocks Reeling [Jul 22]
"The Saudi stock market continued its sharp decline last week with the current political tensions in the region leaving a negative impact on investors’ sentiments. The Tadawul All-Share Index (TASI) plummeted 11.66 percent to close the week at 10,485.06 points from 11,868.42 points the previous week. The TASI is currently 37.3 percent lower than the year’s start. The stock market turnover also declined to SR84.95 billion last week compared to SR109.69 billion in the previous week.." [more]

King Abdullah Marks First Anniversary of His Reign Tomorrow [Jul 21]
"Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz marks the first anniversary of his ascension to the throne tomorrow. In the first year of his reign, King Abdullah has demonstrated a particular concern with meeting the citizens’ needs, improving their standard of living and growing the economy. King Abdullah ascended the throne on 26 Jumada II 1426 H upon the death of King Fahd bin Abdulaziz.." [more]

Kingdom Will Raise Funds Thru Telethon [Jul 21]
"Saudi Television Channel One will organize a telethon on Wednesday to raise funds as part of the Kingdom’s efforts to help the Lebanese people suffering under Israeli attacks. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah issued an order yesterday to organize public charity campaigns to help the Lebanese people.." [more]

Disaster Has No Parallel, Warns Al Sudais [Jul 21]
"Shaikh Abdul Rahman Al Sudais, Imam and Khateeb of the Holy Mosque, has warned of a dangerous human disaster, 'which has no parallel in the world's recent history, resulting from the savage and barbaric Israeli bombardment and hostilities against the Lebanese and Palestinian people.' In his Friday sermon, Shaikh Al Sudais warned the international community about the consequences of the Israeli brinkmanship policy.." [more]

DoD OKs Weapons Deal with Saudi Arabia Worth Over $6 bln [Jul 21]
"The Pentagon on Thursday told Congress it will support a pair of Saudi Arabian arms deals worth more than $6 billion, as Saudia Arabia upgrades equipment for its National Guard. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced its approval of a $5.8 billion package of light armored vehicles, radios and weapons. The deal, which is not yet final, will add to ongoing work in Saudi Arabia - the U.S. has about 250 government personnel and 630 personnel in that country to assist with the modernization project.." [more]

Bush, Rice to Meet with Saudis on Mideast [Jul 21]
"President George W. Bush and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will meet with Saudi officials on Sunday at the White House to discuss the Israel-Lebanon crisis, the White House said on Friday. White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said the meeting was requested by Saudi officials.. ..Rice and Bush will meet at 3 p.m. EDT with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal and Prince Bandar bin Sultan, head of Saudi Arabia's national security council.." [more]

Saudi Protest Bombing of Lebanon [Jul 21]
"Israel cannot be allowed to carry on bombing Lebanon, Saudi Arabia said yesterday. 'We cannot let Israel pursue its actions. We cannot tolerate that Israel plays with the lives of citizens, civilians, women, old people and children,' Saudi Defence Minister Prince Sultan bin Abdul-Aziz told reporters after a meeting with French President Jacques Chirac.." [more]

Saudi Tabloid Survives Closure and Arrest [Jul 21]
"The fact that he still has a newspaper to edit is proof enough to Khalaf Al Harbi that the ceiling of freedom in Saudi Arabia is rising.. ..But with a daily print-run of nearly 70,000, and recent permission to print inside the kingdom instead of in neighbouring Bahrain, Al Harbi says the paper for young people aims to set a new standard following a turbulent first six months.." [more]

Saudi Avoids Religious Rights Sanctions [Jul 20]
"The United States has decided that Saudi Arabia will not face sanctions because it has made efforts to improve religious tolerance in the kingdom. The United States put Saudi Arabia on a watch list in 2004, warning that it could enforce sanctions if the kingdom did not extend religious freedoms.. ..the state department told the US congress that it decided to leave the waiver in place due to Saudi co-operation in promoting more tolerance and creating a rights commission to review complaints.." [more]

Saudi’s Tadawul Index Leads Decline in Arab Markets [Jul 20]
"Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All Share Index fell, extending this month’s slide, as the conflict between Israel and Hizbollah continued for an eighth day. Saudi Basic Industries Corp and Saudi Electricity Co paced the decline.. ..The Tadawul dropped 4.8% to 10,659.68 in Riyadh, bringing its loss this month to 19%. The index reached a low for the year on May 11 amid concern stock prices had overstated prospects for profit. It had risen as much as 34% since, before sliding again.." [more]

Leading Saudi Sheik Pronounces Fatwa Against Hezbollah [Jul 20]
"One of Saudi Arabia's leading Wahhabi sheiks, Abdullah bin Jabreen has issued a strongly worded religious edict, or fatwa, declaring it unlawful to support, join or pray for Hezbollah, the Shiite militias lobbing missiles into northern Israel.. ..The surprising move demonstrates that Sunni Muslim fundamentalists in the Middle East are deeply divided over whether Moslems should support Hezbollah.." [more]

Saudi Cleansing Textbooks of Bigotry [Jul 20]
"Saudi Arabia is making sincere progress in removing bigoted references to religious minorities in school textbooks and any US trade sanctions will continue to be withheld, the US State Department said. 'We are very pleased with the reforms that King Abdullah and his government have been making," John Hanford, the US ambassador at large for international religious freedom.." [more]

Shoura Consultant Allays Fears About Women’s Role [Jul 20]
"..Issues relating to the extent of women’s participation in the council and the criteria used in selecting the six women have been under intense scrutiny in recent days. The vice president of the Shoura Council also expressed similar views saying that the appointment of the six women is a positive one that would pave the way for women being given major roles in the future. Many Saudis agree, but the question remains — how long will it be before women gain full membership of the Shoura Council?.." [more]

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Says his Country Supports International Force for Lebanon [Jul 20]
"Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz came out in support Thursday of an international force to stop the violence between Israel and Hizbullah in south Lebanon. After talks with President Jacques Chirac of France, he said that Saudi Arabia 'backs and supports any sensible policy to find a solution to the present problems.' Asked if that meant an international force, he said: 'We think that would be the best solution'.." [more]

Maaden, Litwin Sign SR1.2bn Contract [Jul 20]
"The Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Maaden) and Litwin Europe Middle East BV of the Netherlands signed a contract yesterday for the construction of three phosphoric acid plants with a total cost of approximately SR1.2 billion.. ..The construction of the phosphoric plants will help the Maaden phosphate project to accelerate its progress in advancing Maaden’s vision of becoming a dominant force in the world phosphate fertilizer market and a major part of the diversified economy of the Kingdom, leading to create new job opportunities for young Saudi adults.." [more]

Bush, Abdullah Agree to Assist Displaced Citizens [Jul 19]
"President George W. Bush spoke to Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz about the Lebanon crisis on Tuesday, a White House official said.. ..The call came hours after Saudi Arabia said on Tuesday it backed the deployment of a proposed international force in Lebanon but the priority was to halt Israel's onslaught on its neighbour. 'It is up to the Lebanese government to decide but a halt to the fighting anywhere requires the presence of forces to oversee the end of hostilities,' Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al Faisal told a news conference.." [more]

Riyadh to Host First International Conference on CDM [Jul 19]
"The first International Conference on Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) will take place in Riyadh from September 19-21, 2006.. ..The conference will address various aspects of CDM, including background, overview, perspectives and principles, legal, financial and methodological. It also aims to be a forum for an exchange of ideas on CDM projects.." [more]

Saudi Firms Urged to Raise International Profile [Jul 19]
"Companies operating within Saudi Arabia’s expanding aerospace sector have been urged to seek greater overseas exposure through international air shows. The call came from Maj Gen Ahmed Al-Qahtani, aviation commander of the Royal Saudi Naval Force, who heads an official delegation from the kingdom to Farnborough.." [more]

Saudi Arabia to Back UN Force in Lebanon [Jul 19]
"Saudi Arabia would support a UN-backed stabilization force in Lebanon if approved by the Lebanese government, Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal said yesterday.. ..The minister warned the international community of the critical situation in the Middle East, saying that inaction in dealing with Israel's attack on Lebanon would result in new cycles of violence and a war with an unpredictable outcome.." [more]

Opec President to Tour Gulf [Jul 19]
"Opec's president will travel to the Middle East to sort out a long-running dispute over the producer group's top job, an aide to Edmund Daukoru said.. ..The Opec chief wants to resolve a row between Iran and Kuwait over which country's candidate should be appointed secretary-general, the administrative head who represents the organisation and helps coordinate policy talks among members.." [more]

Landmark Pact Between Unicorn, Standard Bank - KSA [Jul 16]
"A landmark new Sukuk deal sealed by Unicorn Investment Bank (UIB) and Standard Bank on behalf of a Saudi firm has been hailed as a "quantam leap" for the Islamic finance industry. UIB and Standard announced the securitisation agreement for Kingdom Installment Company (KIC), a pioneer of housing finance in Saudi Arabia. Both banks played a key role in the deal with UIB acting as lead manager, Shari'ah advisor and joint bookrunner and Standard Bank acting as joint bookrunner.." [more]

Saudi Prince Criticizes Rising Costs at Citigroup [Jul 19]
"Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, the largest shareholder in Citigroup Inc., said shareholder patience is wearing thin over rising costs at the largest U.S. bank.. ..Prince Alwaleed, the nephew of King Abdullah, has been ranked by Forbes magazine as the world's fifth-richest person. His estimated fortune of $23.7 billion makes him the wealthiest Muslim businessman. His activities as an investor came to prominence when he bought a large stake in Citigroup when it faced choppy waters.." [more]

Saudi Family Courts Will Look Into Cases of Abuse [Jul 19]
"King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia has given instructions for family courts to be set up to look into cases of domestic abuse. Dr Abdullah Al Hedaithi, Undersecretary for the Ministry of Justice for Judiciary Affairs, spoke to Gulf News about his ministry's plans to open courts to deal with family issues and abuse cases. He added the structure of the courts would be decided in the next few days.." [more]

Chirac Highlights Importance of Visit of Crown Prince Sultan to France [Jul 19]
"French President Jacques Chirac has highlighted the significance of the visit of Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz, the Deputy Premier, Defense and Aviation Minister and Inspector General, to France, and said it will positively contribute to further enhancing Saudi-French relations.. ..'The Kingdom has been playing an important role in the region, and has been adopting a moderate policy', he said.." [more]

Turkey Eases Entry Visa Regulations [Jul 19]
"The Turkish government has prolonged until October 31 the simplified visa procedure for Saudi citizens, a press release of the Turkish Embassy in Riyadh said Monday. Saudi citizens holding ordinary passports can either obtain entry visas to Turkey on their arrival at the Turkish border points or from Turkish diplomatic missions in Saudi Arabia. The visas will be multiple entry with a 90-day duration of stay and validity. The visa fee has been at $20 to be paid at the entry points.." [more]

Cases of Child Abuse on the Rise [Jul 19]
"According to officials at the National Guard Hospital, three children have so far died at the hospital’s emergency room as a result of child abuse suffered at home. One of the three children had multiple fractures after being abused by the family maid. Dr. Maha Al-Muneef of the newly established National Family Safety Program (NFSP), said the National Guard Hospital received a disproportionate 12 cases in the past six months, in comparison to an average of 10 to 12 cases last year.." [more]

Half-Yearly Results Fail to Lift Saudi Stocks [Jul 19]
"Despite announcements of half-yearly results by some blue chip companies, the Saudi stock market dropped yesterday after rising 8.66 percent on Monday. The Tadawul All-Share Index fell 155.13 points or 1.37 percent to 11,192.36. Only the Services and Electricity indexes were higher while all other indexes declined yesterday. The stock market turnover, however, increased to SR25 billion as shares of 31 companies rose yesterday.." [More] 

Benchmarks in Saudi, Egypt Marts Rebound [Jul 18]
"Stocks in Saudi Arabia and Egypt rebounded as investors bet a slide caused by fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon may have been overdone.. ..The Tadawul All Share Index in Riyadh climbed 8.7% to 11,347.49, its biggest one-day gain since May 13.."[More]

Private Sector 'Is the Golden Goose' : Saudi Minister of Labor [Jul 18]
"Minister of Labor Ghazi Al-Gosaibi has announced that the Saudization process in the government sector is almost complete and that the ministry is now fully dependent on the private sector in finding jobs for nationals.. ..Regarding the issue of Saudis leaving work and the research done by the Human Resource Fund that highlighted that 45 percent of Saudi youths refuse to work in the private sector due to low salaries, long working hours and a lack of job security.." [more]

Opec Producers Powerless to Stop Relentless Rise of Oil [Jul 18]
"Opec producers can do nothing to help lower oil prices that are being driven to record highs by Middle East violence and not by any shortage in crude oil supplies, a senior Opec delegate said yesterday. The delegate said there was no point in talking about countries like Saudi Arabia cutting the price of their crude because prices were linked to international markets and there were also no buyers for heavy crude oil.." [more]

Wider War in Middle East? Not Likely [Jul 18]
"Of the dangers presented by the conflict between Israel and Hizbullah in southern Lebanon, the possibility of a broader Middle East war is among the less likely.. ..There is no coalition of Arab governments willing to unite militarily against Israel. Syria's military prowess has crumbled since the fall of the Soviet Union - its greatest benefactor - while Iran remains too geographically remote to strike effectively.." [more]

Saudi Arabia: Absolute Support to Israel Obstructs Security Council [Jul 18]
"The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia reminded the international community, particularly the influential big countries with economic interests in the region, that they are responsible to end the massively destructive war launched by Israel against Lebanon and lift the siege around the Palestine people and their legitimate institutions.. ..The council also stressed the absolute support given by some countries to the Israeli policies led to 'obstruct the (UN) Security Council taking decision in this matter'.." [more]

Saudi Arabia Sends 50 Million Dollars to Lebanon [Jul 17]
"Saudi Arabia has reportedly pledged 50 million dollars in immediate aid to Lebanon, after Lebanon's government appealed for international help. 'In response to the appeal of Lebanon's Prime Minister Fuad Siniora, King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz has ordered an immediate transfer of 50 million dollars to be at the PM's disposal,' the official SPA news agency reported. SPA said the aid package is aimed at helping the Lebanese government provide relief and needed services.." [more]

Saudi Arabia Object to Revised FIFA Rankings [Jul 17]
""Prince Sultan Bin Fahd, the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) president, has voiced his discontent with the revised FIFA World Ranking system that saw his country drop to 81st spot in July. Bin Fahd issued a statement that was carried out by Saudi media on Monday to inquire about the reasons that led to Saudi Arabia's tremendous 47-spots drop in the rankings.." [more]

Saudi-Bahraini Businesswomen to Hold Joint Projects [Jul 17]
"Eighteen Saudi businesswomen discussed the establishment of a commercial and industrial company with Bahraini businesswomen during the next coming weeks. The proposal was presented by the Saudi businesswomen to the Saudi Chamber of Commerce and Industry. A Saudi local newspaper stated that the Chairwoman of the Businesswomen Committee at the chamber, Dr. Nasreen Al Dosari, said that currently joint coordination between the Saudi and Bahraini businesswomen were underway.." [more]

Yemeni, Saudi Businessmen to Gather on Investments in Taiz [Jul 17]
"Yemeni and Saudi businessmen will meet in the first "investment forum" to be held in Taiz on Monday for three days. Taiz gathering will focus on a group of projects and package of investments in Taiz including industry, trade, development, energy and service projects estimated of millions of dollars, source told NewsYemen.." [more]

Speaking Technically: Saudi Stock Market [Jul 17]
"The boom in the Saudi Stock market that started at the end of 2003 coincided with the birth of two very important twins in the finance and investment community. Today the twins are toddlers and both are walking but with the younger one having some difficulty. The main reasons for this walking difficulty is a lack of support and confidence from the older twin, as well as a lack of appreciation from their own community.." [more]

Gulf Economies Exhibit Signs of Strong Growth Despite Fall in Share Prices [Jul 17]
"The economies of the Gulf region continue to exhibit signs of strong economic growth despite the sizeable drop in share prices in the first half of the year and the recent uptrend in short term interest rates.. ..Saudi Arabia saw its nominal GDP grow from $215 billion in 2003 to $307 billion 2005 and it is forecast to hit $350 billion this year.." [more]

A Divide Deepens in Arab World [Jul 17]
" The rapidly escalating conflict in Lebanon has divided the Arab world, deepening the gulf between rulers and ruled and reinforcing in the public's mind the impotence of leaders who for two generations have been unable to produce a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan, governments with ties to the United States have guardedly denounced Hezbollah for the attack on Israel that triggered the fighting — even as their citizens began tacking up posters of Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, the cleric who heads the Shiite Muslim militant group and has vowed to bring "war on every level" to Israel's door.." [more]

Hasty Decisions Only Escalate Crisis – Saud [Jul 17]
"Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal, who led the Kingdom’s delegation to the emergency meeting of Arab foreign ministers to discuss the Lebanon crisis, criticized Saturday some quarters that have taken impromptu and emotional decisions, resulting in catastrophic results. In a speech during the close-door meeting of Arab foreign ministers in Cairo, he said such misadventure would affect the entire region. Following is the text of the speech." [more]

ME Violence Batters Stock Markets [Jul 17]
"The Saudi stock market continued its plunge yesterday. After falling over nine percent on Saturday, the Tadawul All-Share Index (TASI) dropped another 2.92 percent to close at 10,443.26, down 314.35 points. Out of 81 stocks traded, six were higher while shares of 73 companies declined yesterday. The stock market turnover, however, increased to SR19 billion compared to SR6 billion on Saturday.." [more]

Rising Bank Credit Accelerates Private Consumption [Jul 17]
"..bank credit is an extremely important instrument for economic growth. The rapid pace of credit growth to the Saudi economy has significantly contributed to the creation of wealth in the economy which accelerated private consumption and assets buying activities.." [more]

Saudi And Gulf Stock Markets Plunge On War Worries [Jul 16]
"The Saudi Arabian and Gulf stock markets plunged yesterday on concerns over escalating tension in the Middle East. After falling over 9 percent last week, the Saudi market continued to plummet yesterday. The Tadawul All-Share Index (TASI) dropped 1,110.81 points or 9.36 percent to close at 10,757.61 points. The TASI is down 34.3 percent since January.." [more]

Saudi, Kuwait Pledge $70m to Help Lebanon [Jul 16]
"Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have pledged $70 million to help Lebanon after its prime minister said Israeli attacks turned the country into a disaster area.. ..The official Saudi Press Agency said King Abdullah ordered the immediate transfer of $50 million 'for the (Lebanese) prime minister to spend on emergency aid and basic services to alleviate the suffering of the Lebanese people'. It said the move was in response to Siniora's call.." [more]

After Donating US$ 18 Billion in 30 years, Saudi Relief Campaign Continues in Africa [Jul 16]
"The Saudi humanitarian relief campaign continues under the slogan "Kingdom of Humanity" in drought-hit horn of Africa and is planned to go on throughout the summer of 2006. The recent Saudi donation of US$10 million in cash to the United Nations World Food Programme's operations in the Horn of Africa covers over six million people in six countries where victims are rapidly running out of food following several seasons of severe drought in Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Somalia.." [more]

Arab Ministers Clash Over Hezbollah's Actions [Jul 16]
"Foreign ministers of 18 Arab countries held an emergency summit in Cairo yesterday over Israel's expanding assault on Lebanon. However, squabbles over the legitimacy of Hezbollah's attacks on Israel.. ..appeared likely to keep participants from reaching a consensus, delegates said. The Saudi foreign minister appeared to be leading a camp of ministers criticising the fighter group's actions, calling them 'unexpected, inappropriate and irresponsible acts'.." [more]

ME Peace Process Is Dead: Moussa [Jul 16]
"Foreign ministers of 18 Arab countries passed a unanimous resolution yesterday calling on the UN Security Council to intervene to stop escalating Mideast fighting. 'The Middle East peace process has failed. The whole process should now be sent back to the Security Council for a complete overhaul,' said Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa.." [more]

Abdullah Gets Message From Ahmadinejad [Jul 16]
"Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah yesterday received a message from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The subject of the communiqué is unknown. Iran’s top national security official Ali Larijani delivered the presidential message to the king during a meeting at Al-Salam Palace in Jeddah, the Saudi Press Agency reported yesterday.." [more]

New Visa Fee Payment Scheme Announced for US-Bound Saudis [Jul 16]
"The US Embassy here introduced a new visa interview payment procedure effective today.. ..Due to the current high volume of visa appointment requests to the embassy, those planning travel to the US have been advised to begin the visa application process well in advance of their desired departure date preferably four months before their date of departure.." [more]

SFD Pledges $133m for Reconstruction [Jul 16]
"Saudi Arabia has pledged to give Pakistan $133 million for the reconstruction of earthquake-affected areas in Azad Kashmir and the North West Frontier Province (NWFP).. ..This grant is being made in addition to what the SFD had pledged in the International Donor Conference held in Islamabad on Nov. 19, 2005. At that time SFD pledged $320 million in concessionary loans for a development program in Pakistan .." [more]

Hino Motors Sees Bright Prospects in Kingdom [Jul 16]
"For the first time ever, the top executive of a major Japanese truck manufacturing company visited Saudi Arabia. The economy of Middle East countries is growing and alongside their truck market is also expanding.. ..In 2007, we expect our Hino truck business to rise considerably as lot of projects are coming up, We are targeting Kingdom’s market with our recently launched new generation heavy duty trucks; our light duty trucks are not yet available here, which could have a major volume share.." [more]

Sabre Travel Network Opens Office in Jeddah [Jul 16]
"Sabre Travel Network Middle East has opened a new office in Jeddah, in the Western Province of Saudi Arabia, enhancing its investment and expansion plans in the Middle East.. ..Sabre Holdings connects people with the world’s greatest travel possibilities by retailing travel products and providing distribution and technology solutions for the travel industry.." [more]

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