05 jun 12 osint arabian peninsula tracker

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TheCENTCOM This OSINT publication contains foreign mediaderived entirely from open sources in andaround the CENTCOM AOR.

05 Jun 201

BAHRAIN

Bahrain Sees New Dialogue with Opposition: TradeArabiaOpposition groups in Bahrain have shown genuine interest in taking part in a new national dialogue that wouldinclude participants from across the political spectrum, government officials said. (Source: Bahrain; Financial; Neutral)

Bahrain Sets Up New Rights Panel: Khaleej TimesBahrain on Sunday formed a supreme committee to follow up on the recommendations of the UN Human RightsCouncil. (Source: Dubai, UAE; Daily; Neutral)

Bahrain Plans Solar Smart Grid Project: TradeArabiaBahrain has announced plans to implement the first-of-its-kind solar smart grid in the Middle East region thus

paving the way for future smart cities in Gulf. (Source: Bahrain; Financial; Neutral)

Bahrain Press Review: BNABahraini daily newspapers carried numerous headlines on most significant local news, activities and functions aswell as latest Arab and international developments. (Source: Manama, Bahrain; Official Govt site)

Bahrain Says Group Follows Violent Shi'ite Cleric: ReutersBahrain justified moves to ban a small Islamist group on Monday by saying a radical Shi'ite cleric based abroadwas its spiritual leader, while the move was seen by some as a renewed warning to leading Shi'ite opposition partyWefaq. (Source: International; HQ New York; Independent; Neutral)

Bahrain Coordinating Committee Supports UN Human Rights Council Recommendations for Bahrain: PRNNewsThe DC-based Bahrain Coordinating Committee announces its support of the recommendations proposed to theKingdom of Bahrain by the United Nations Human Rights Council. (Source: International; HQ NY; Wire service)

Bahrain Moves against Illegal Labor Camps: TradeArabiaBahrain has launched a nationwide crackdown on illegal labor camps to combat growing safety violations that putthe lives of workers at risk. (Source: Bahrain; Financial; Neutral)

KUWAIT

MP Files Motion to Grill Kuwait Labor Minister: Gulf NewsA second lawmaker has filed a motion to grill Kuwait’s social affairs and labor minister in a new indication of thedifficult relations between the parliament and the cabinet.(Source: UAE; Independent; Pro-West)

Cabinet to Issue Decision on Reducing Number of Expats ‘Stay in the Country for Employment Only’: ArabTimesThe Council of Ministers will soon issue a decision to reduce the number of expatriates in Kuwait so that they donot exceed 45 percent of the total population in Kuwait, reports Al-Rai daily quoting informed sources. (Source: Safat, Kuwait; Daily; Undetermined)

Cabinet Says Al-Rujaib Grilling Undermines National Unity: Al Watan Daily

OSINT Phone #: 813.827.1441 - Email: [email protected]

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While the Cabinet on Monday discussed the options on the table to handle the current political situation in thecountry, reports have alluded to a possible mass Cabinet resignation in reaction to the cascade of motions toquestion ministers. (Source: Doha, Qatar; Daily; Undetermined)

OMAN

Gulf Countries to Save Up to $1b per Year with Smart Grid: Oman Daily ObserverThe Middle East & North Africa (Mena) region is in the early stages of its smart grid development but stands torealize strong benefits, including minimum savings of $300 million to $1 billion per year for Gulf countries, says anew study released yesterday by Northeast Group. (Source: Muscat, Oman; Undetermined; Daily)

Oman Going Solar: Times of OmanFrom well-established companies and smaller trading houses to international investors, more and more people andcompanies are making solar energy systems available in Oman. (Source: Ruwi, Oman, Daily)

QATAR

Qatar Signs Pact to Host UN Climate Change Conference: Gulf TimesQatar and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) formally agreed yesterday tohost the 2012 sessions of the UN Climate Change Conference in Doha from November 26 to December 7. (Source: Doha, Qatar; Independent; Neutral)

Qatar Most Competitive in Gulf: IMD: ZawyaQatar has been named the most competitive country in the Gulf in new rankings published by the InternationalInstitute for Management Development (IMD). (Source: Dubai, UAE; Business focus; Neutral)

SAUDI ARABIA

KSA Demands UN Act to End Syria Carnage: Arab NewsThe Council of Ministers yesterday expressed deep concern over the worsening security situation in Syria andcalled for an immediate UN Security Council intervention to stop the bloodbath, violence and crimes in the war-torncountry. It also endorsed an agreement with the United Kingdom on the transfer of sentenced convicts. (Source: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; Daily; Undetermined)

Saudi Arabia among ME Countries Targeted by New 'Flame' Cyber Virus: ZawyaSaudi Arabia has been named as one of a number of Middle Eastern countries that has been targeted by a newlydiscovered, highly sophisticated virus that has affected as many as 10 computer systems in the Kingdom,according to experts at Russian-based Internet security firm Kaspersky Labs. (Source: Dubai, UAE; Business focus; Neutral)

FM Leaves for Saudi to Attend GCC Ministerial Meeting: KUNADeputy Prime Minister, Foreign Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Sheikh Sabah Khalid Al-Hamad Al-Sabah due to leave for Saudi Arabia to attend the 123rd ministerial meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)states in Jeddah on Tuesday. (Source: Safat, Kuwait; Govt News Agency)

Grand Mosque Will Hold 1.5m Pilgrims after Expansion: Arabian BusinessSaudi Arabia says its ongoing SAR80bn (US$21.33bn) expansion of Makkah's Grand Mosque will eventually allowthe Islamic holy site to accommodate 1.5m worshippers, it was reported. (Source: Dubai, UAE; Weekly Magazine)


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Saudi Religious Cops Wrong over Mall Woman, Chief Admits: Arabian BusinessThe chief of Saudi Arabia's religious police has strongly criticized one of the force's volunteers for ordering awoman to leave a shopping mall as she was wearing nail polish, it was reported. (Source: Dubai, UAE; Weekly Magazine)

Keep Your Door Open to Saudis Abroad: King Tells Envoys: Emirates 24/7King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, receiving new ambassadors to some other countries, told them to keep their dooropen to Saudis abroad and warned them that he would know who will not heed his advice. (Source: UAE; Awraq Publishing, an Arab Media Group Subsidiary; Undetermined; Business Daily)

Sharpest Rise in New Orders for 11 Months: Arab NewsSaudi Arabia’s nonoil private sector economy continued to expand at a robust pace last month, says new reportfrom the Saudi British Bank (SABB) and HSBC. (Source: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; Daily; Undetermined)

Saudi-German Joint Commission to Review Key Projects: Arab NewsFinance Minister Ibrahim Al-Assaf and German Minister of Economics and Technology Philipp Rosler will co-chairthe joint economic commission (JEC) meeting tomorrow. (Source: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; Daily; Undetermined)

UAE

UAE Tops in Efficiency of Govt Fiscal Policy: Khaleej TimesThe UAE has been named the world’s most efficient country in terms of governmental fiscal policy. The GlobalCompetitiveness Report 2012 also ranks the nation seventh globally in public sector financial managementefficiency. (Source: Dubai, UAE; Daily; Neutral)

UAE Keen to Build Bridges of Friendship, Says Khalifa: Khaleej Timesforging balanced relations and in furthering economic, cultural and tourist exchange with brotherly and friendly

countries, the President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, affirmed on Monday. (Source: Dubai,UAE; Daily; Neutral)

YEMEN

Yemen Troops, Tanks Push Towards Qaeda-Held Town: Gulf Times, ReutersHundreds of Yemeni troops backed by tanks advanced in a bid to retake a coastal town from Al Qaeda-linkedfighters yesterday, residents said, part of a US-backed offensive in a country Washington sees as a frontlineagainst Islamist militants. (Source: Doha, Qatar; Independent; Neutral)

The Battle for Southern Yemen: AljazeeraThe phone rang; it was the army public affairs officer who said "You can go with an escort to safer areas inZinjibar".(Source: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Undetermined; Anti-West; Daily)

Yemeni Journalist, Nobel Laureate to Visit Harvard: APH.E. Tawakkol Karman, a journalist and activist who galvanized Yemeni support for the Arab Spring uprisings lastyear, will speak at a Harvard Kennedy school forum. (Source: International; Independent; Neutral)

US Warns of 'Overlooked' Food Crisis in Yemen: Times of OmanUS government aid agency on Tuesday warned that a humanitarian crisis in conflict-ridden Yemen was being"overlooked" despite escalating to levels seen in the Horn of Africa and the Sahel. (Source: Ruwi, Oman, Daily)

Clashes in South Kill 23 Al-Qaeda Militants: Yemen: Daily Star


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Yemen's Defense Ministry says fierce clashes in the south have killed at least 23 Al-Qaeda militants. (Source: Beirut, Lebanon; Independent; Daily, Except Sunday; Neutral)

UN Draft Resolution Threatens Sanctions against Opponents of Yemen’s Move to Democracy: APA proposed U.N. Security Council resolution that circulated Monday supports efforts by Yemen’s president toadvance the country’s transition to democracy and threatens non-military sanctions against those trying toundermine the country’s national unity government. (Source: International; Independent; Neutral)

Military Committee Discusses Strategy to End Division of Armed, Security Forces: Yemen PostThe military committee on Monday started discussing a comprehensive strategy to restructure the Yemeni armedand security forces, which divided during the 2011 popular uprising, Saba reported. (Source: Sana'a, Yemen; Undetermined)

Army Foils Al-Qaeda Attempt to Capture Town: Yemen PostThe Yemeni army has foiled an Al-Qaeda attempt to take control on Attaq, the capital of Shabwa governorate, afterthe army imposed a siege on Al-Qaeda militants in the neighboring governorate of Abyan, security sources affirmedon Monday. (Source: Sana'a, Yemen; Undetermined)

Curfew Imposed As Yemen Army Prepares to Retake Militant Strongholds: Yemen PostThe Yemeni army imposed a curfew in several areas in Abyan province coinciding with further intensified battles toretake key strongholds of Al-Qaida militants, the defense ministry reported on Monday. (Source: Sana'a, Yemen; Undetermined)

Abyan Governor: Al-Qaeda Will Be Defeated Soon: Yemen PostGovernor of Abyan Jamal Al-Aqel has said that Ansar Alshari, an al-Qaeda-linked group, faces a very difficultsituation, stressing that the Yemeni army makes remarkable progress against the militants who are pursued in theirhideouts, as the governor said. (Source: Sana'a, Yemen; Undetermined)

Gunmen Disappeared from Streets But Victims Increase Daily: Yemen ObserverAfter signing the GCC initiative which stipulates that gunmen and militant barracks should evacuate the streets; andafter the continuous statements of the Military Committee reporting cleaning the streets of Sana’a from gunmen asa whole, people believed that Sana’a would become safe. (Source: Yemen; Independent Twice-weekly Newspaper; Anti-Semitic)

Houthis Take Control of Three Positions in North Yemen, Claim Confiscating Saudi Weapons: YemenObserverThe Houthi rebels of the Shiite group said they took over Saudi weapons in renewed battles with armed Salafis inthe area of Kittaf area in the province of Sa’ada. (Source: Yemen; Independent Twice-weekly Newspaper; Anti- Semitic)

Military Colonel: Dozens of Somalis Arrive in Yemen to Back Al-Qaeda: Yemen ObserverSome 50 Somalis arrived in the al-Qaeda stronghold district of Ja’ar to back the militants against military troopssurrounding the area. (Source: Yemen; Independent Twice-weekly Newspaper; Anti-Semitic)

At Least 16 Killed in Yemen Sunni-Shiite Clashes: ZawyaYemen and Sunni Salafist extremists, according to claims by both sides on Tuesday. (Source: Dubai, UAE; Business focus; Neutral)

Yemen, U.S. Discuss Preparations for Donors' Conference: SABA


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Foreign Minister Abu Bakr al-Qirbi discussed on Tuesday with U.S. ambassador to Yemen Gerald Firestein theongoing preparations for the donors' conference to be held in Riyadh on June 26 and the role of Yemen Friends init. (Source: Sana'a, Yemen; Official; State-run)

Northern Rebels Agree to Join Talks on Yemen's Future: ReutersShi'ite Muslim rebels who control much of northern Yemen will take part in talks aimed at resolving the country'smultiple political conflicts, a Yemeni official involved in preparing for the negotiations said on Tuesday. (Source: International; HQ New York; Independent; Neutral)

EDITORIALS

GCC Must React to Pentagon’s ‘Total War On Islam’: Arab TimesI used to believe that the Obama administration had a policy of reaching out to the world’s 1.6 billion Muslims in aneffort to mend fences incinerated by George W. Bush’s wars. (Source: Safat, Kuwait; Daily; Undetermined)

Supporting Documentation:

BAHRAIN (Top)

05 Jun 2012TradeArabiaBahrain Sees New Dialogue with OppositionOpposition groups in Bahrain have shown genuine interest in taking part in a new national dialogue that wouldinclude participants from across the political spectrum, government officials said.

The Information Affairs Authority (IAA) noted that the latest efforts to reach a political solution had been met with

the "same spirit in which they are being offered".

It noted a member of Al Wefaq had gone on record echoing that sentiment stating there was a real intention toreach a political solution through dialogue," it said in a statement.

However, the IAA said "no single group or party has the mandate to dictate the terms of reforms in Bahrain".

"Reconciliation and reaching an inclusive resolution is not an option, it is a necessity for all of Bahrain," it said.

"Dialogue, engagement and active participation from across the political spectrum is essential."

During the weekly Cabinet meeting on Sunday, the government announced the doors were open for dialogue aslong as it was inclusive and engages all parties. – TradeArabia News Service

05 Jun 2012Khaleej TimesBahrain Sets Up New Rights Panel Bahrain on Sunday formed a supreme committee to follow up on the recommendations of the UN Human RightsCouncil.

It is said the initiative was discussed during Bahrain’s human rights periodic review in Geneva recently.


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The cabinet announced the formation of the panel which reflected the government’s desire to boost human rightsand ensure that legislations and programs in this respect are in line with international standards.

The state minister for human rights affairs will follow up on the implementation of these recommendations withministries and government bodies and submit report to the supreme committee.

05 Jun 2012TradeArabiaBahrain Plans Solar Smart Grid ProjectBahrain has announced plans to implement the first-of-its-kind solar smart grid in the Middle East region thuspaving the way for future smart cities in Gulf.

Bahrain's National Oil and Gas Authority (NOGA) is implementing five megawatt solar capacity into a wirelesssmart grid network at Awali area in co-operation with Petra Solar, Bahrain Petroleum Company (Bapco) andCaspian Energy Holdings.

On the upcoming project, Marty Youssefiani, the CEO of Caspian Energy Holdings, said, 'Middle East has for sometime evaluated the integration of solar energy for reduction of reliance on non-renewable energy sources. However,Bahrain is among the first in the region to implement a project of this kind, demonstrating a serious commitment tolong term solutions.'

The grid circumvents common interconnection issues and costs of traditional solar systems because of its ability toinstall into the current transmission and distribution infrastructure. Bahrain intends to spread similar sustainabletechnology across the country in the future, he stated.

'The project in Awali represents just the first step in a series of initiatives by Noga to diversify the sources of energy

needed to ensure the sustainable development of the Kingdom,' remarked Minister of Energy Dr Abdul Hussain binAli Mirza.

'Following a successful implementation of this pilot project we expect that other projects will follow in the nearfuture,' he added.

With this project, Bahrain aims to ultimately transform its energy sector into one that is more environmentallyfriendly, said Gordon Smith, the Bapco chief executive officer.

'The landscape of Awali will be changed by this initiative; but more than the landscape, the operating philosophy ofBapco which relied totally on fossil fuels for generating its electricity, will also change as a result of this project,' heremarked.-TradeArabia News Service

05 Jun 2012BNABahrain Press Review Bahraini daily newspapers carried numerous headlines on most significant local news, activities and functions aswell as latest Arab and international developments.

Below are some of these headlines:

-HRH Crown Prince receives Yemen's Ambassador.


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-CP receives visitors to HRH's weekly majlis; as attendees consider HRH's majlis a microcosm of the united familialBahraini community.-Industry Minister as he inaugurates office of international technical services firm: Bahrain's economy stronger thanever before.-Foreign Minister partakes in GCC ministerial meeting today.-Interior Minister praises coordination between competent bodies in GCC countries.-Bahraini-Thai sides explore boosting of bilateral economic relations.-Bahrain celebrates International Environment Day.-Labor Minister: 6236 citizens provided jobs as unemployment rate stabilizes at 3.8% during 1st Quarter of this year(2012).-GCC Traffic Directors discuss traffic accidents and campaigns.-15 militants killed in US-drone strike in Pakistan.-Defense Ministers in Sudan and South Sudan meet to discuss border security.-Baghdad: Tens killed in car bomb attack in Shiite Endowments Bureau.

05 Jun 2012ReutersBahrain Says Group Follows Violent Shi'ite Cleric By Andrew Hammond

Bahrain justified moves to ban a small Islamist group on Monday by saying a radical Shi'ite cleric based abroadwas its spiritual leader, while the move was seen by some as a renewed warning to leading Shi'ite opposition partyWefaq.

The U.S. ally has been in turmoil as democracy protesters from among the Arab state's Shi'ite Muslim majoritycontinue with protests and civil disobedience while the Sunni ruling Al Khalifa family rejects demands for an elected

government.

The justice ministry said the Islamic Action group, or Amal, committed administrative violations including holdingmeetings inside Shi'ite houses of worship against regulations, as well as "following a religious source of emulationwho calls openly for violence and hatred", state news agency BNA reported.

The Iraq and UK-based cleric in question is Sayed Hadi al-Modarresi, an Iraqi who once lived in Bahrain before hewas accusing of plotting a coup after the 1979 Iranian revolution.

Modarresi belongs to a school of thought within Shi'ism that believes that a group of clerical jurists should rule,rather than the single jurist who rules in Iran.

Amal says the government is trying to put pressure on the party to accept a national dialogue with the government

aimed at ending the political crisis which grew out of protests that erupted 16 months ago.

It was the only one of seven legal opposition groups to overtly reject the overtures, saying talks could not take placewhile protest leaders including from Amal are in prison.

Former Wefaq Member of Parliament Matar Matar said the move to disband Amal presaged a possible attack onWefaq itself.

"It's easy to target Amal because they do not join the other opposition societies in their activities," he said. "Nowgovernment hardliners feel they have more room to maneuver."


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The government threatened to close both Wefaq and Amal last year during a crackdown on the protests when theyinitially erupted in the wake of uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia. But intervention by U.S. officials appeared to shootdown the plan.

The government warned clerics last month against incitement to violence, sectarianism, harming the economy andinsulting state institutions, and an advisor said it was aimed against Sheikh Issa Qassim.

Qassim led a pro-democracy protest of some 100,000 people in March, and in January he said followers should"crush" security personnel who hurt women. Qassim is not connected to any party, but is a spiritual guide to Shi'itesin Bahrain.

The main opposition party Wefaq has led weekly mass protests for reforms.

"The more interesting thing will be whether the dissolution of Amal signals a new, more legal-based tack with whichto go after a much bigger prize in Wefaq," said Justin Gengler, a Bahrain researcher based in Qatar.

The BNA statement asked other parties to take note. The ministry "renews its demand that political groups adhereto the constitution and respect the law," it said.

The ministry was referring to a law governing political associations which opposition parties say are restrictive andshould be reformed.

The opposition wants to remove the upper house of parliament which is appointed by King Hamad and has thepower to neutralize legislation proposed by the elected chamber. Wefaq has come first in previous elections,dominating the Shi'ite vote.

The government released rights campaigners Nabeel Rajab and Zainab al-Khawaja last week - prominent leaders

of attempts to stage protests inside Manama - after criticism of Bahrain at the U.N. Human Rights Council inGeneva, which called on Manama not to harass activists in contact with the United Nations.

05 Jun 2012PRN NewsBahrain Coordinating Committee Supports UN Human Rights Council Recommendations for Bahrain The DC-based Bahrain Coordinating Committee announces its support of the recommendations proposed to theKingdom of Bahrain by the United Nations Human Rights Council.

UN Human Rights Council issues recommendations to Bahrain at Universal Periodic Review.Sixty-six delegations from around the world, including the U.S., made statements and recommendations at theUniversal Periodic Review (UPR) for Bahrain on May 21, 2012. The recommendations were informed by 18 reports

from nonprofit and non-governmental organizations, including Amnesty International, Human Rights First, and FrontLine Defenders, among others. The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner submitted a reportdocumenting numerous human rights violations and transgressions against international law.

Included among the UPR recommendations were that Bahrain

* Restore peace and ensure the respect of all human rights in view of recent events (protests and security forcecrackdowns), and events associated with protests in February and March 2011.

* Respect the rights of all citizens to freedom of expression and assembly.* Release prison detainees imprisoned in connection with the freedom of expression.


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* Conduct new trials of all defendants convicted in military courts as soon as possible.* Prosecute security agents who tortured protesters and create new laws ensuring the accountability of securityforces for human rights violations.

* Establish a standing body to investigate all acts of torture.* Accept the visit of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on torture, Juan Mendez, who was scheduled to

observe in March 2012 (his inspection was postponed by the government).

U.S. calls for release of peaceful protestersThe statement from the U.S. mentioned concern about "ongoing detention and trials of hundreds who participatedin peaceful anti-government protests." The statement also referred to the prosecutions of twenty medicalprofessionals and the human rights activist Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja.

Bahrain refutes human rights abuses, despite evidenceThe Bahrain delegation refuted many of the well-documented human rights abuse claims. They maintained that thegovernment had not used excessive force against protesters, and that there were no detainees for freedom ofexpression.

Bahrain delegation claims freedom of the press in Bahrain, contrary to reportsThe delegation claimed there were no restrictions on journalists. However, restrictions have been legion, includingthe instance reported by the Committee to Protect Journalists when journalists from the Wall Street Journal, NewYork Times, Al Jazeera, BBC, and Christian Science Monitor were denied entry to the country. The delegation alsoclaimed that no journalist had been detained since 2002. However, several journalists have been arrested anddetained, including a U.S. reporter for the Wall Street Journal. A U.K. Channel 4 news crew was arrested anddeported in April 2012, and a Bahraini policewoman is facing criminal charges for arresting, detaining, and torturinga France 24 reporter.

UNHRC President Lasserre angered by reports of threats against delegates

Controversy arose during the UPR session when United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) President LauraDupuy Lasserre called on the Bahrain delegation to ensure reprisals were not taken against 14 Bahraini humanrights defenders attending the UPR session. "I wish to remind you that we are all duty bound to ensure that nobodyis persecuted on his return to his country for having participated in meetings of the human rights council or otherbodies," stated Lasserre. The Bahrain delegation denied any involvement.

About the Universal Periodic ReviewThe 13th session of the Universal Periodic Review took place in Geneva, Switzerland. Information about thesession may be obtained at the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

About the Bahrain Coordinating CommitteeThe Bahrain Coordinating Committee is a Washington, DC-based grassroots movement that works to obtain U.S.support for democracy and human rights reforms in Bahrain. For more information, please visit

http://www.BahrainCoordinatingCommittee.org. Media Contact: Mary Fletcher Jones Bahrain CoordinatingCommittee, (571) 269-7559, [email protected]

05 Jun 2012TradeArabiaBahrain Moves against Illegal Labor Camps Bahrain has launched a nationwide crackdown on illegal labor camps to combat growing safety violations that putthe lives of workers at risk.


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Landlords who illegally rent out houses as accommodations could be prosecuted as authorities increase efforts tolaunch inspections of unregistered camps and the 3,690 places listed with the Labor Ministry.

Laborers are also being urged to file complaints against employers who flout safety measures and put them up inunregistered accommodations.

It follows the tragic death of 10 Bangladeshi workers who suffocated from carbon monoxide poisoning after a firebroke out on May 27 in their unregistered East Riffa accommodation, where six slept in one room and four inanother.

"More than 3,000 camps are registered with the ministry and we have started strict action against companiesflouting labor laws and allowing their workers to live in poor conditions," said ministry inspection and labor unionsdirector Ahmed Al Haiki.

"Some accommodations are not registered with the ministry and we are not authorized to inspect residentialbuildings. We have started a campaign to crack down on illegal camps and ask companies to register with theministry.

"If the camps are in really bad condition, we will give three warnings to change the location. If the companies ignorethese warnings then we will take action and send the case to the court.

"Our inspectors are visiting camps twice a year but we are going to increase the number of visits, even during theweekends. Last week's tragedy was an eye-opener for all the authorities.

"We need workers also to call us and file complaints against their employers if they are living in unhygienic campsor old and dilapidated buildings,” he said.

KUWAIT (Top)

05 Jun 2012Gulf NewsMP Files Motion to Grill Kuwait Labor MinisterA second lawmaker has filed a motion to grill Kuwait’s social affairs and labor minister in a new indication of thedifficult relations between the parliament and the cabinet.

Parliament member Riyadh Al Adsani said that the quizzing motion against Ahmad Al Rujaib revolved around fivetopics that included alleged irregularities at the Orphans Care, deterioration of the sports situation in the country,bogus companies, weak oversight and malpractices involving the operations of cooperative societies.

Last month, MP Al Saifi Mubarak Al Saifi filed a motion to grill Al Rujaib. However, he said that his topics differedfrom those by Al Adsani and refused to accept a possible merger of the motions.

The existence of two grilling motions against the same minister is reminiscent of the case of Al Shamali, the formerfinance minister who had to face two motions before one of the MPs withdrew his move. The minister faced thegrilling, but resigned afterwards.

Backed by solid evidence


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Al Adsani on Monday told reporters that his motion was backed by solid evidence and that it would be taken up bythe parliament at its session on June 19.

Sources said that the parliament would announce Al Adsani’s grilling motion at its session tomorrow as part ofroutine procedures.

The flurry of questioning cabinet members could produce new drama after MP Obaid Al Wasmi hinted at a possiblemotion to quiz Prime Minister Shaikh Jaber Al Mubarak Al Sabah over press reports suggesting that thegovernment was likely to rebuff the Jaber University and anti-blasphemy draft laws.

The draft for the anti-blasphemy law that stipulated the death penalty for insulting God, or Prophet Mohammad(PBUH) or companions or wife, was last month supported by 41 members of the parliament dominated by Islamistand tribal lawmakers.

However, the draft needs to be endorsed by the Emir.

05 Jun 2012Arab TimesCabinet To Issue Decision On Reducing Number Of Expats ‘Stay In The Country For Employment Only’ The Council of Ministers will soon issue a decision to reduce the number of expatriates in Kuwait so that they donot exceed 45 percent of the total population in Kuwait, reports Al-Rai daily quoting informed sources.

They said the decision will be issued to establish a balance between the number of expatriates and the number ofKuwaitis in the country. Expatriates can stay in the country for employment only within the period specified in theirresidential permit depending on the category they belong.

They pointed out that by limiting the duration of the residential permit, the problem of citizenship claims andaccumulation of redundant expatriate workforce can be prevented.

They revealed that the Ministry of Interior, in collaboration with the Council of Ministers, have already startedworking on eliminating the problem of redundant expatriate workforce in Kuwait through security campaigns duringwhich approximately 3,000 illegal residents were arrested.

The ministry is also carrying out other required procedures to deport the arrested expatriates in order to reducetheir numbers in the country.

They also said the ministry, in coordination with security agencies, is taking other serious measures to eliminatethis problem such as establishing labor accommodations, which will facilitate security operations when required.

They also added that the companies or individuals who are responsible for the spread of illegal residents in thecountry will be severely punished with imprisonment for one to three months and fine of KD 10,000 to KD 100,000.

05 Jun 2012Al Watan DailyCabinet Says Al-Rujaib Grilling Undermines National Unity While the Cabinet on Monday discussed the options on the table to handle the current political situation in thecountry, reports have alluded to a possible mass Cabinet resignation in reaction to the cascade of motions toquestion ministers.


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Reportedly, the Cabinet affirmed that the interpellation against the Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Ahmad Al-Rujaib undermines national unity.

In this context, MP Osama Al-Menawer announced plans to question the Oil Minister Hani Hussein for what hedescribed as "oil related violations".

The lawmaker announced that he possesses documents containing gross finical irregularities and unlawfultransactions involving the oil sector, pointing out that he will make his interpellation motion available to the MajorityBloc within a week or so in order to obtain its approval in preparation for its submission.

Speaking to reporters, the MP stated that the documents in his domain warrant not only a political interpellation;rather they necessitate criminal investigation.

Moreover, Al-Menawer addressed a barrage of parliamentary queries to the oil minister demanding answers aboutthe owners of EQUATE with the details of the shares of each. He additionally asked the minister to shed light onthe nature of ties between EQUATE Company and EQUATE Marketing.

This comes at a time that reports have emerged suggesting that the Minister of Justice and the Minister of Awaqafand Islamic Affairs Jamal Al-Shehab had informed the Cabinet of his desire to resign if the blasphemy law isrejected.

According to sources, the political atmosphere is highly charged, hence a careful reassessment is needed, or elsethe current assembly will not serve out its mandate, amid reports that MP Obeid Al-Wasmi is drafting two motionsto question His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah and the Interior Minister SheikhAhmad Al-Humoud Al-Sabah.

With regard to the interpellation Al-Rujaib, an MP, who spoke to Al Watan on the condition of anonymity, stated that

the lawmakers were informed that the minister will ask for the deferral of his interpellation's discussion for twoweeks.

Sources have reported that the Majority Bloc has discussed MP Al-Saifi Al-Saifi's interpellation against Minister Al-Rujaib during their latest meeting. Although Al-Saifi was reportedly asked to be patient, he was adamant aboutproceeding ahead with the interpellation.

"I don't want prejudgment. Review the items in the motion and decide after hearing the two sides," the MP wasquoted as telling his colleagues.

In other news, the Cabinet has extended the tenure of three assistant undersecretaries in the Ministries ofCommerce, Communications and Public Works, including Sheikh Dr. Mishal Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, AbdulMohsen Al-Mutairi and Awatef Al-Ghunaim.

OMAN (Top)

05 Jun 2012Oman Daily ObserverGulf Countries to Save Up to $1b per Year with Smart GridThe Middle East & North Africa (Mena) region is in the early stages of its smart grid development but stands torealize strong benefits, including minimum savings of $300 million to $1 billion per year for Gulf countries, says anew study released yesterday by Northeast Group. According to the study, smart grid is an opportunity for Mena


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countries to incorporate their vast solar and renewable resources, manage growing demand, reduce carbonemissions and cut down on electricity system losses,

The new study 'iddle East & North Africa Smart Grid: Market Forecast (2012-2022)' projects the smart meteringmarket will reach 16.1 million units by 2022 with cumulative capital expenditure of $3.9 billion. The majority of near-term activity will be in the Gulf region, where Saudi Arabia and the UAE are currently leading the way. By 2022, 86per cent of homes and businesses in the Gulf countries will have smart meters.

Other Mena countries outside the Gulf will develop at a slower pace — due largely to political risk — but representlarger market sizes and also stand to realize strong benefits from smart grid technologies. "All countries in theMena region are facing high rates of electricity demand growth, and the Gulf countries have some of the highestlevels of per capita electricity consumption and carbon emissions in the world.

Demand side management is becoming increasingly important in these countries and smart meters will be animportant tool in these efforts. By implementing smart metering, a conservative estimate is that Gulf countries couldsave a minimum of between $300 million to $1 billion per year on oil and natural gas used for electric generation.

“The actual savings could be much higher. Countries could then turn these savings into increased oil and gasexports," according to Northeast Group.

"Mena countries are also aggressively pursuing renewable sources of energy, highlighted by Saudi Arabia's recentannouncement that it is aiming to spend $109 billion to develop 41 GW of solar capacity over the next 20 years.Smart grid technologies will be instrumental in helping these countries incorporate intermittent renewableresources," according to Northeast Group.

Governments of several Mena countries are experimenting with a number of policies to help curb domesticconsumption of fossil fuels, including feed-in tariffs for renewables, conservation outreach campaigns, and

electricity pricing mechanisms that more closely reflect the costs of electric service (regional electricity prices arecurrently among the lowest in the world).

Several high profile transmission interconnection initiatives are also helping these countries to use their systemsmore efficiently.

"Smart grid regulatory frameworks are in the early stages of development but progress is being made," NortheastGroup added. "Governments are realizing they must incentivize energy conservation and are beginning to invest inthe technologies necessary to make their grids smarter. Smart city concepts such as Masdar City in the UAE andthe Pearl-Qatar in Qatar show that smart grid technologies will be a feature of Gulf infrastructure investments overthe next decade."

Northeast Group forecasts 5 segments of the smart meter — or advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) — market,

including meter hardware, communications, IT, professional services, and installation services for 12 countriesacross the Mena region.

In addition to smart metre market forecasts, the report covers distribution automation activity, wide areameasurement initiatives and home energy management.

05 Jun 2012Times of OmanOman Going Solar


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By Sarah MacDonald

From well-established companies and smaller trading houses to international investors, more and more people andcompanies are making solar energy systems available in Oman.

One of the first providers of solar energy equipment in the Sultanate is Oman Solar Systems.

Since 1991 it has been providing solar panels which convert light to energy and a variety of other systems. OmanSolar Systems has worked with several companies in Oman, both large and small, installing solar panels for them.It has projects for PDO, Omantel and OmanMobile, Occidental of Oman, the Ministry of Information, the Ministry ofRegional Municipalities, the Ministry of Water Resources and many other companies and government departments.

Local businessman Hussain Al Lawati, general manager of Al-Farahidy Technology Information, imports machineryand industrial products, including solar technology. “We are a trade house so we buy them and sell them tocustomers here. It is business but we also want to do something useful for the country,” he says.

Al Lawati says many Omanis still think solar energy is too expensive. “But there are solar systems that areaffordable and compact,” he says.

He also plans to promote solar energy products in Oman by having an exhibition to show people the different typesof panels and water heaters that are available and how much they cost. He’s optimistic about the future of solarenergy in Oman. “I can imagine that soon all the rooftops will have solar panels,” Al Lawati says.

Al Lawati says his company is interested in exploring other environmentally-friendly projects, such as greenbuildings that have natural light, better insulation to keep them cool, are built from recycled products, and of course,use solar energy.

He says if European countries that don’t have much sun can invest in solar energy, then Oman can, too. “We haveso much solar light and open spaces. And we have the materials to make solar panels, like aluminum,” Al Lawatisays.

In fact, more and more foreign investors, especially Europeans, are looking at Oman because of its huge solarenergy potential, too. Recently German and Swiss businesspeople visited Oman with plans of developing an entiresolar energy system here, from making a plant to produce the panels to installing them and generating energy.

Not only is Oman blessed with sunshine, but it also has silicon in the sand, and aluminum, both of which are usedin the production of solar panels.

“This project is a comprehensive one. We are developing the entire value chain in the renewable energy sector,starting from production of silicon, setting up a factory to produce solar panels, aluminum frames for solar panels, a

company to manage a university in collaboration with the University of Zurich to educate people on renewableenergy, and a power plant,” said David Heimhofer, chairman of the Swiss company Terra Nex.

Another local company, National Heaters Industries Co., which makes Hotex water heaters, has solar waterheaters available. They manufacture the tanks here and import the tubes that use solar thermal energy to heat thewater and assemble the heaters here.

The solar water heaters have many benefits because they don’t scale or corrode, don’t require electricity, aresimple and safe, and have seven-year warranties.


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“They work very well here. Particularly in Oman they should work well because we have sunshine all year,” saidRavi Shankar, CEO of National Heaters Industries Co. Shankar says there isn’t too much business in Oman for thesolar water heaters yet, but some organizations and schools, including The American International School ofMuscat have begun using them.

The solar water heaters have yet to spread to the general population, which Shankar says probably won’t happenwithout government legislation. He worries that locals aren’t willing to try something new and because most Hotexsolar water heaters have 200l tanks, people find them too big and would prefer to have several small, 50l tanks.“They want something which is traditional, which is electric. They’re not conscious or interested in alternativeenergy,” Shankar says.

Shankar says it will take more pressure and legislation from the government before solar water heaters become thenorm here. In the meantime, National Heaters Industries Co. exports the solar water heaters to Africa, where thereis more demand since they don’t require electricity.The 200l solar water heaters costs a bit less than buying four small electric ones, Shankar said, so prices shouldn’tbe a deterrent. They also pay for themselves in a few years, he added.Solar energy panels and water heaters may not yet be in great demand among the general population of Oman, butthere is no doubt that for those interested, there are local sources. The future is also looking bright as companiesconsider producing solar energy panels locally. By then, perhaps there will be a larger market as solar energybecomes the norm in Oman.

QATAR (Top)

05 Jun 2012Gulf TimesQatar Signs Pact to Host UN Climate Change Conference

(U) HE al-Attiyah and Figueres with al-Naser, al-Malki and al-Muhannadi. PICTURE: Shemeer Rasheed

Qatar and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) formally agreed yesterday tohost the 2012 sessions of the UN Climate Change Conference in Doha from November 26 to December 7.

Commonly referred to as COP18/CMP8, the 2012 sessions will mark the 18th Conference of the Parties to theUNFCCC and the 8th session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the parties to the KyotoProtocol.


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In a ceremony at the Qatar National Convention Centre, the venue of COP18/CMP8, the Host Country Agreementwas signed by incoming COP18/CMP8 president and chairman of Qatar Administrative Control and TransparencyAuthority, HE Abdullah bin Hamad al-Attiyah and the UNFCCC executive secretary Christiana Figueres.

Speaking on the occasion, HE al-Attiyah stated that under the leadership of HH the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifaal-Thani, Qatar has a proud history of hosting credible negotiations on tough issues.

“We look forward to welcoming the world to Doha in November to continue the ongoing work on global climatechange policy,” he said.

Describing QNCC as the greenest building ever to host COP, HE al-Attiyah explained that the event will beattended by more than 17,000 participants from 195 nations, over 5,000 observers from civil society organizationsand 1,500 media persons.

“Doha’s largest event to date, it deals with one of the most serious issues of all time. The conference is being heldfor the first time in the GCC region, hosted for the first time by a major energy producing country and second timeby an Arab nation.

“We can assure world class facilities, warmest hospitality, and transparency and inclusiveness to give every voicean opportunity,” HE al-Attiyah said.

Figueres observed that Qatar is rapidly becoming known throughout the world as a small nation with a big visionand a deep commitment to shaping an even brighter future.

“Climate change is one of the single most critical issues facing our world today and I congratulate Qatar on itscommitment to hosting a transparent and open negotiation among the countries gathering in Doha this fall,” shesaid.

Preparations for the conference began earlier this year when HH the Heir Apparent Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani issued Emiri Decree number 37 of 2012 establishing the Higher Organizing Committee to negotiaterequirements for the upcoming conference with the UNFCCC and lead preparations for hosting the event.

Chaired by HE al-Attiyah, the Higher Organizing Committee includes Minister of State for Foreign Affairs HE DrKhalid bin Mohamed al-Attiya, Minister of Energy and Industry HE Dr Mohamed bin Saleh al-Sada, Minister ofEnvironment HE Abdullah bin Mubarak bin Aaboud al-Midhadhi, COP18/CMP8 general co-coordinator HEAbdulaziz bin Ahmed al-Malki and Qatar National Food Security Program executive chairman HE Fahad binMohamed al-Attiya.

Immediately following the Host Country Agreement signing, Qatar signed an agreement with Qatar Foundationnaming the QNCC as the official venue for the event. HE al-Malki and QF’s vice-president for capital projects and

facilities management Saad al-Muhannadi were the signatories.

Qatar also signed an agreement with QMDI for conference services and support. HE al-Malki and QMDI chairmanHamad al-Naser were the signatories.

In a message, HE al-Malki said that the QNCC, in addition to being a world class facility, sets the standard forinnovative use of sustainable design and technologies, even generating one-eighth of its own energy from solarpanels.


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While COP18/CMP8 sessions are only open to official delegates of participating states and observer organizations,a wide variety of public events are planned around the conference.

Details on the 2012 UN Climate Conference and related events will be made available over the next months on theofficial host country website, www.cop18.qa

04 Jun 2012ZawyaQatar Most Competitive In Gulf: IMDQatar has been named the most competitive country in the Gulf in new rankings published by the InternationalInstitute for Management Development (IMD).

The Swiss-based organization placed Qatar 10th out of a total of 59 economies covered in its WorldCompetitiveness Yearbook.

Although the Gulf state fell two places compared to last year, it still retained its place as the top Gulf country. TheUAE was placed 16th in this year's list and was one of the biggest climbers, up 12 places compared to the 2011 list.

The global rankings were headed by Hong Kong, with the US, Switzerland, Singapore, Sweden completing the topfive.

The least competitive economies were named as Venezuela, Greece, which is currently at the centre of the eurozone crisis, and Croatia.

IMD said the rankings measured how well countries manage their economic and human resources to increase theirprosperity.

Despite all its setbacks, the US remains at the centre of world competitiveness because of its unique economicpower, the dynamism of its enterprises and its capacity for innovation, IMD added.

Professor Stephane Garelli, director of IMD's World Competitiveness Centre, said: "US competitiveness has a deepimpact on the rest of the world because it is uniquely interacting with every economy, advanced or emerging. Noother nation can exercise such a strong pull effect on the world.

"Europe is burdened with austerity and fragmented political leadership and is hardly a credible substitute, while aSouth-South bloc of emerging markets is still a work in progress. In the end, if the US competes, the worldsucceeds."

IMD said emerging economies were not yet immune to turmoil elsewhere. China (23), India (35) and Brazil (46) all

slipped in the rankings, while Russia (48) climbed only one place. Globalization is still seen as a positivedevelopment in Ireland, Scandinavia, Chile, the UAE and many Asian economies.

But attitudes are much more negative in Greece, Russia, most of Eastern Europe, a growing part of Latin America,and, last of all, in France, the IMD added.

It said attitudes toward reforms were more positive in Ireland, emerging Asia, Qatar and the UAE, Switzerland andSweden.


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But the impetus for reform is much weaker in Argentina, the Czech Republic, Spain, and France, where austerity isseen as a cure worse than the disease.

"The recession has made the world economy more fragmented and diverse than ever, forcing companies tooperate several parallel business models," said Garelli.

"Emerging economies are relying on domestic demand and national champion companies to insulate themselvesfrom economic turmoil, while the 'submerging' developed economies are turning to re-industrialization. In bothcases, economic nationalism is back and protectionism is tempting."

SAUDI ARABIA (Top)

05 Jun 2012Arab NewsKSA Demands UN Act to End Syria Carnage The Council of Ministers yesterday expressed deep concern over the worsening security situation in Syria andcalled for an immediate UN Security Council intervention to stop the bloodbath, violence and crimes in the war-torncountry. It also endorsed an agreement with the United Kingdom on the transfer of sentenced convicts.

The Cabinet, chaired by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, backed a resolution taken by anemergency Arab League meeting in Doha “urging the Security Council to take all necessary measures immediatelyto protect civilians and stop the bloodbath, violence and crimes in Syria.”

The Arab League chief will travel to New York this week to discuss the Syria crisis with the UN Secretary-Generaland Security Council ambassadors, Cairo-based League officials said yesterday.

Syrian rebels killed at least 80 army soldiers in a surge of attacks at the weekend, an opposition watchdog said.

The European Union pushed for an end to a split with Russia over how to end the 15-month bloodshed.

In talks in Saint Petersburg with Russian President Vladimir Putin, EU President Herman Van Rompuy said the EUand Russia “might have some divergent assessments” of the situation in Syria.

But he said they agreed that implementing the troubled peace plan brokered by UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annanwas the only way forward in a situation that risks developing into full-scale civil war.

05 Jun 2012Zawya

Saudi Arabia Among ME Countries Targeted By New 'Flame' Cyber Virus Saudi Arabia has been named as one of a number of Middle Eastern countries that has been targeted by a newlydiscovered, highly sophisticated virus that has affected as many as 10 computer systems in the Kingdom,according to experts at Russian-based Internet security firm Kaspersky Labs.

The virus, which has become known as "Flame," was detected on Sunday by malware experts at Kaspersky Labsduring an investigation prompted by the UN's International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and while researchinganother unknown destructive virus code named Wiper, which has deleted data on a number of computers inWestern Asia.


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Flame was reportedly designed to carry out espionage and sabotage and is able to use Bluetooth in devices toretrieve information and record keystrokes from computers, smartphones and tablets as well as connect itself tomicrophones and eavesdrop on audio conversations.

The malware has been confirmed to be among the same type of malicious software as Stuxnet, which wasdiscovered in July 2010 and targeted control systems of infrastructure projects made by German industrial firmSiemens.

So far, the virus has been detected in computer systems predominately in Iran, with the highest number of systemsinfected on the globe at 189. Flame has also been detected in systems in the Palestinian West Bank, Egypt, Syria,the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon and some African nations.

"While checking the systems in general, we have found that among the 10 systems affected in Saudi Arabia, thevirus is not selecting a specific group to target. We have noticed that mainly private companies, individuals andacademic institutions such as colleges and universities are among the infected," Vitaly Kamluk, chief malwareexpert at Kaspersky Labs in Moscow, said in a telephone interview. Arab News contacted a number of Saudiuniversities to find out if they were among the affected institutions. However, none of the Computer and InformationScience (CIS) or IT departments in the universities contacted had any knowledge of the new virus.

"This is the first thing we heard concerning the outbreak of a new cyber virus," said Manal Al-Farrag, chair of theCIS department at Prince Sultan University College for Women, adding that to her knowledge the college had notbeen affected but that she would immediately alert the IT department of the threat.

She maintained that the Internet was vastly becoming a major tool in cyber warfare because it had become themost accessible way to gather information and added that Saudi universities might have been targeted becausethey contain a wealth of information on various research projects in the Kingdom.

"Of course, if you look around you will see virtually everyone with their mobiles, tablets or other electronic devicesin hand on a daily basis. Information is usually obtained through subscriptions to new services and through socialnetworking sites, where you will be asked for your email and other personal data. Due to the creation of such amassive databank of information and the openness of the Internet, it has become the easiest means of attackingnetworks and stealing information," Al-Farrag explained. Experts are yet to be able to pinpoint where the virusoriginated from. According to Kamluk, his team has so far found that there is not only one source for the virus, butas many as 10 different control centers spread across the globe.

He added that other techniques of finding Flame's creator had been used, such as paying close attention tolanguage modules.

"We have extracted some streaming text in order to look for language traces that could point to its origin. In thiscase, we found English language being used at a high level, meaning that the virus is coming from an origin with an

advanced level of English, as we also found traces of slang being used," he said.

Kamluk also said that upon learning of the Flame virus on Sunday, his team immediately added new signatureupdates to its security solutions center to protect the international community.

"In efforts of eliminating the spread of this new type of malware, we are also sharing antivirus files and softwarewith other companies and advising governmental agencies, individuals and companies to update their securitysolutions," Kamluk advised.


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He said that based on his team's analysis, the Flame malware had shown to be apprehensive and fearful ofantivirus software and other security solutions.

"As the creator does not want to attract attention, we have found that the malware itself actually ejects whenconfronted with security solutions," Kamluk said, adding that updated antivirus software could scare hackers away.

05 Jun 2012KUNAFM Leaves for Saudi to Attend GCC Ministerial MeetingDeputy Prime Minister, Foreign Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Sheikh Sabah Khalid Al-Hamad Al-Sabah due to leave for Saudi Arabia to attend the 123rd ministerial meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)states in Jeddah on Tuesday.

Sheikh Sabah is heading a high ranking delegation that includes Director of the Deputy Premier's officeAmbassador Sheikh Dr. Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah, Director of the GCC Affairs DepartmentAmbassador Humoud Yousef Al-Roudan as well as other senior figures of the Foreign Ministry.

05 Jun 2012Arabian BusinessGrand Mosque Will Hold 1.5m Pilgrims After ExpansionSaudi Arabia says its ongoing SAR80bn (US$21.33bn) expansion of Makkah's Grand Mosque will eventually allowthe Islamic holy site to accommodate 1.5m worshippers, it was reported.

Saudi ruler King Abdullah approved the upgrade, the largest in the mosque’s history, as part of the government'sbid to improve facilities for the millions of pilgrims who perform Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages each year.

“A number of new projects have been implemented inside the mosque and in the masaa (the running areabetween Safa and Marwa mountains), helping pilgrims perform their religious rituals easily,” Dr Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais, head of the Presidency of the Two Holy Mosques, was quoted as saying by Arab News.

Some of the upgrades to the site include new security monitoring, garbage disposal systems, air conditioning andsunshades in courtyards around the mosque.Click here to find out more!

The kingdom’s government has spent around SAR40bn on acquiring properties where the expansion will takeplace, reported the newspaper.

Islamic tourism is a huge earner for the oil-rich Gulf kingdom. According to a report by the Saudi Commission for

Tourism and Antiquities, domestic tourism alone in the country increased 13.5 percent last year, generatingUS$22bn.

Tourism accounts for about 3.1 percent of the kingdom's gross domestic product and for about 7.2 percent in thekingdom's non-oil sector.

05 Jun 2012Arabian BusinessSaudi Religious Cops Wrong over Mall Woman, Chief Admits


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The chief of Saudi Arabia's religious police has strongly criticized one of the force's volunteers for ordering awoman to leave a shopping mall as she was wearing nail polish, it was reported.

The incident, which was widely broadcast in a YouTube video online, saw a member of the Commission for thePromotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice reprimand the unnamed female in a Riyadh shopping centre.

"The world is manufacturing airplanes and we are still telling a woman 'leave the mall because you've got nail polishon your fingers'," Sheikh Abdullatif Abdel Aziz Al Sheikh told Arabic daily Al Watan, according to AFP.

The video attracted more than 1m views online. Click here to view the video.Click here to find out more!

"I was very disappointed by what I have seen. The matter has been exaggerated and negatively exploited," AlSheikh added. “The way the member of the commission behaved was not right, even if the girl had gone too far. Heshould have offered her advice and left instead of arguing with her and escalating."

In the video, posted May 23, the woman can be heard telling the men in Arabic “you’re not the boss of me” and thather manicured nails are “none of [their] business”, before security guards attempt to diffuse the situation.

Saudi religious police have a fearsome reputation in the ultra conservative Gulf kingdom. Its officers patrol Saudi’sstreets making sure shops are closed at prayer times, people are modestly dressed and strict gender segregation isadhered to.

In March 2012, the head of the commission said that the force, which is responsible for upholding Islamic valuesamong the population, was seeking to soften its image following lurid reports of car chases and harassment.

Two months earlier, King Abdullah himself had replaced the chief of the commission, although no official reason

was given.

05 Jun 2012Emirates 24/7Keep Your Door Open to Saudis Abroad: King Tells Envoys King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, receiving new ambassadors to some other countries, told them to keep their dooropen to Saudis abroad and warned them that he would know who will not heed his advice.

The King told the envoy that they must first “feel that they represent the Kingdom and its people abroad” beforeembarking on their assignment.

“I advise you to serve the Saudi people…you and I should consider ourselves as servants to the Saudi people,” he

told the envoys at his Riyadh palace.

“Keep your doors open to the people…we will always receive reports and will know who will shut his doors and whowill open his doors to the people…what matters is that you have been appointed to serve your people, religion andnation…God bless you,” he said, according to the official media.

04 Jun 2012Arab NewsSharpest Rise in New Orders for 11 Months


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Saudi Arabia’s nonoil private sector economy continued to expand at a robust pace last month, says new reportfrom the Saudi British Bank (SABB) and HSBC.

May saw new business placed at Saudi Arabian nonoil private sector firms increase at a marked and acceleratedrate — the fastest in 11 months, according to the monthly report.

Data showed that, while international sales continued to increase, the domestic market remained the predominantfactor driving growth.

SABB has published the results of the headline SABB HSBC Saudi Arabia Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) forMay 2012.

It reflects the economic performance of Saudi Arabian nonoil producing private sector companies through themonitoring of a number of variables, including output, orders, prices, stocks and employment.

Demand for Saudi Arabian private sector goods and services remained strong in May, with new orders rising at thefastest rate for almost a year.

Output and employment levels were increased over the month as a result, though rates of growth in each casewere slightly slower than in April.

Inevitably, the report said cost pressures remained strong as demand pressures filtered through into both thematerials and labor markets.

The nonoil private sector economy continued to expand at a robust pace during May. This was highlighted by theheadline PMI posting at 60.4, unchanged since April’s nine-month high and above the historical series trend.

In line with a rise in new orders, KSA nonoil private sector companies expanded production levels and recruitedadditional staff during May. In both cases, however, growth was slightly weaker than during the previous surveyperiod.

Anecdotal evidence suggested that job creation, in number cases, also reflected expectations of increasingworkloads in the coming months.

Despite a rise in staffing capacities, backlogs of work increased for the eighth month in a row during May.

The rate of growth was broadly unchanged since April, and faster than the series average.Slowing only slightly on April’s series-record high, cost inflation facing Saudi Arabian nonoil private sector firmsremained sharp in May.

Both purchase prices and staff costs increased over the month, the former again at the faster rate. Inputs reportedto be up in price included food, oil and steel.

With demand remaining strong, the Kingdom’s nonoil private sector firms were able to pass on at least part of theburden of higher costs to clients. Charge inflation rose to the strongest for 11 months.

Further highlighting expectations for growth in the near term, businesses stepped up their purchasing activity andaccumulated stocks of inputs at the sharpest rate for a year. Despite this, competition among vendors ensured thattheir delivery performance improved, with lead times shortening for a tenth successive month in May.


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04 Jun 2012Arab NewsSaudi-German Joint Commission to Review Key ProjectsFinance Minister Ibrahim Al-Assaf and German Minister of Economics and Technology Philipp Rosler will co-chairthe joint economic commission (JEC) meeting tomorrow.

“This will be the 18th meeting of the Saudi-German Joint Commission, which will primarily focus on ways andmeans to boost cooperation in various sectors,” said German Ambassador Dieter W. Haller.

Haller said high-level officials and top business leaders from the two countries would attend the meeting.

The two sides will discuss cooperation in all major areas of the economy, including health care, fossil fuel andrenewable energy, transportation, education and training, waste management and agriculture, the envoy added.

Rosler is also scheduled to meet other Saudi officials during his stay in Riyadh.

In addition, Rosler will visit some German investment and cooperation projects in the Saudi capital, said Haller,while giving details of the visit of the German minister.

He said: “Saudi Arabia is a very important partner for Germany and the ministerial visit is intended to develop,strengthen and intensify relations between the two countries.” Saudi Arabia, which is a leading player in regionaland global affairs, is also a member of the G20, he noted.

Referring to the progressively growing relations between Riyadh and Berlin, Haller said: “Clearly, Germancompanies are increasingly becoming aware of the enormous potential offered by the booming and rapidly growingSaudi market.”

There has been a 21 percent increase in bilateral trade last year, and there is definitely room for further growth.Moreover, the current year has already seen some major new German investment projects in Saudi Arabia, notablySiemens’ new gas turbine plant in Dammam, the envoy noted while referring to the direct and indirect presence ofGerman companies in the Kingdom.

The ambassador said: “The German companies have a lot to offer in the areas prioritized by the Saudigovernment’s development strategy, like broadening the industrial base of the economy or achieving a new energymix with a greater focus on renewable energy.” To this end, he pointed out that the two sides have evinced keeninterest to boost trade and investment relations further. Exports from Germany to Saudi Arabia amounted to SR 34billion in 2011 compared to SR 29 billion last year, he added.

German imports from Saudi Arabia totaled SR 4.5 billion in 2011 compared to SR 3.1 billion a year before.

The first months of 2012 have seen an upswing in the trade figures.

Along with this, there has also been a sharp rise in the number of Saudi businessmen and tourists visiting Germanyof late.

This is evident from the 100 percent increase in the number of visa applications processed by the Germanembassy in the first five months of the current year compared to the first five months a year before.

UAE (Top)


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05 Jun 2012Khaleej TimesUAE Tops in Efficiency of Govt Fiscal PolicyThe UAE has been named the world’s most efficient country in terms of governmental fiscal policy. The GlobalCompetitiveness Report 2012 also ranks the nation seventh globally in public sector financial managementefficiency.

The report, issued by the International Institute of Management Development in Switzerland, cited the UAE’s no-taxregime, efficient social security policy and pension scheme as well as the efficiency of the governmental budget inmanaging surpluses and spending as key reasons for its excellence over the United Kingdom, Japan, France andChina.

Shaikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE Minister of Finance, has attributed thelatest accomplishment to the President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and His HighnessShaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

Shaikh Hamdan said the achievement underscores the vision and guidance of the UAE leadership and theadoption of effective fiscal policies that take into account the development and prosperity of citizens.

“The result clearly reflects the global recognition for the UAE government’s efforts and is an acknowledgement ofthe country’s administrative and financial capability,” Shaikh Hamdan said.

He said by following the best practices, the UAE has been able to work more efficiently at less cost while sustainingits commitment with the guidance of the nation’s wise and visionary leadership to achieve social development.

Shaikh Hamdan said the rapid growth and successful transition achieved by the UAE made it imperative to

introduce necessary changes to the system of preparing the general budget, social security and other financialmatters at the federal level.

The Competitiveness Report said the government’s efficiency in fiscal policy and financial management is a keyfactor in determining the level of competitiveness of countries. “This is what reflected positively on the performanceof the UAE which has taken a series of initiatives and legislation in this area.”

The report showed that the most prominent among the various efficient fiscal policy initiatives was the zero-basedbudgeting adopted by the UAE for the years 2011-2013. It has contributed in enhancing the efficiency ofgovernment spending and the preservation of public money.

The UAE also had achieved the seventh place globally among 139 countries in the category of the least wastefulgovernment spending in the world in 2010 in the Global Competitiveness Report issued by the World Economic

Forum.

In 2011, the UAE also ranked fifth among the world countries in the ‘Level of Financial Stability’ in the index of theWorld Economic Forum for Financial Development. The country also received high marks in all areas of financialassessment for the current year.

05 Jun 2012Khaleej TimesUAE Keen to Build Bridges of Friendship, Says Khalifa


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forging balanced relations and in furthering economic, cultural and tourist exchange with brotherly and friendlycountries, the President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, affirmed on Monday.

The President highlighted the vital role the UAE diplomatic missions play in assisting UAE citizens abroad andtaking care of their affairs.

Shaikh Khalifa received credentials of 12 new ambassadors of various nations on Monday at Al Dhiafa Palace inAbu Dhabi. —Wam

“The UAE places its citizen at the top of its priorities and puts all its potentials at the disposal of serving the nationand its citizens,” Shaikh Khalifa said when the new UAE ambassadors to Canada and Netherlands took the oath ofoffice before him at Al Dhiafa Palace in Mushrif. Shaikh Khalifa also received credentials of 12 new ambassadors ofsisterly and friendly countries in the presence of General Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Princeof Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and Shaikh Hamdan bin Zayed AlNahyan, Ruler’s Representative in the Western Region.

The President instructed the two envoys to make every effort to promote the UAE standing at the internationalcommunity.

“We see you trustworthy of this mission and we hope you would dedicate yourself to the service of the homelandand its citizens,” Shaikh Khalifa said while addressing Mohammed Saif Al Shehi, UAE Ambassador to Canada, andAbdullah Hamdan Al Naqbi, UAE Ambassador to Netherlands. He also wished them success in their new role in away that bolsters and furthers mutual interests.

The two new ambassadors pledged before the President to work diligently and faithfully for energizing bonds offriendship and cooperation between the UAE and different countries of the world, reflecting the UAE’s prominentstatus and its wise policy under the stewardship of President Khalifa. They also thanked the President for the

valuable confidence he vested in them.

Later, the President accepted letters of credence of five ambassadors of Maldives, Indonesia, Guinea, Bosnia andHerzegovina and Federal Republic of Somalia and seven non-resident ambassadors of Namibia, Ghana, Estonia,Nicaragua, Malawi, Burkina Faso and Cote d’Ivoire.

Shaikh Khalifa welcomed the new ambassadors, wishing them success in their assignment of taking their countries’relations with the UAE to new heights.

The President also pledged the State would provide all assistance and help in the UAE to facilitate their job andelevate relations of cooperation between their countries and the UAE to better levels.

Shaikh Khalifa asked the ambassadors to pass his best wishes to their respective heads of state for good health

and happiness and more progress to their friendly countries and peoples.

For their part, the ambassadors conveyed similar greetings and wishes to the President and people of UAE. Theyalso expressed their delight at representing their countries in the UAE and admiration at the prudent policy the UAEis adopting under the leadership of Shaikh Khalifa, which they said had led the UAE to make remarkableachievements in all walks of life and earn reputable place worldwide.

The two ceremonies were attended by a number of Shaikhs, ministers and top officials.


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05 Jun 2012Gulf Times, ReutersYemen Troops, Tanks Push Towards Qaeda-Held Town

(U) Yemeni Defense Minister General Mohamed Nasser Ahmed (second left), who escaped an assassination attempt last month claimed by Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, oversees military operations against Al Qaeda in Loder, in southern Abyan province, on Sunday

Hundreds of Yemeni troops backed by tanks advanced in a bid to retake a coastal town from Al Qaeda-linkedfighters yesterday, residents said, part of a US-backed offensive in a country Washington sees as a frontlineagainst Islamist militants.

“They are getting ready to fight,” one resident, who declined to be named, said by telephone. Via text message, thehead of the southern military zone asked people living in the area not to use the roads around Shaqra and two

other towns controlled by militants.

Shaqra lies on Yemen’s southern coast, along a major shipping route that is also the gateway for Somalis enteringthe country to fight alongside militants.

The US and its Gulf allies are alarmed by deteriorating security in Yemen, where Al Qaeda-linked militants gained afoothold during a popular uprising against former president Ali Abdullah Saleh.While Saleh grappled with the protests that eventually toppled him, militants went on a rampage in the southernprovince of Abyan, gunning down officials, looting ammunition depots, and for the first time in history, seizingterritory.

The US, which helped engineer Saleh’s replacement by his deputy in February, is backing the offensive in thesouth and has stepped up its campaign of drone strike assassinations of alleged Al Qaeda members who it saysplot attacks from Yemen.

Yemeni troops have moved into the centre of Zinjibar, capital of Abyan province, where they fought militants onSunday. They also clashed with Islamist fighters near the town of Jaar, some 30km to the north.Meanwhile, two suicide bombers targeting an army checkpoint in Loder, another town in Abyan, killed four peopleand wounded another, said the defense ministry. The bombers, one of whom was dressed as a woman, were alsokilled.

“The attack was targeting Colonel Mohamed Batreeh, the head of military intelligence in Abyan province,” a localofficial said. “He survived, but the innocent people were the ones who got killed.”


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A third suicide bomber struck in the same place later on, blowing himself up when volunteer pro-governmentfighters told him to surrender.

Militants retreated last month from Loder after encountering stiff resistance from fighters who have arrangedthemselves into popular committees to defend their land.

“Getting rid of those (Islamist fighters) needs time. They are like a plague,” said Abu Saada, a tribesman fightingalongside the army in Abyan.

While fighting raged in the south, at least 34 people were killed in clashes overnight between Sunni Muslim Salafisand Houthi Shia rebels in northern Yemen.

A spokesman for the Salafis said Houthi fighters attacked them on Sunday night in the Kataf area of the northernSaada province.

“We have regained control of a mountain site in the Al Damaj area after heavy clashes with the Houthis duringwhich 18 of the attackers were killed along with 16 of ours,” the spokesman said yesterday. Dozens were woundedin the clashes, he said.

05 Jun 2012AljazeeraThe Battle for Southern Yemen By Hashem Ahelbarra

The phone rang; it was the army public affairs officer who said "You can go with an escort to safer areas inZinjibar".

It was the culmination of weeks of talks with the army about letting an international media crew to an area that hasalways been off-limits.

The attitude of the army leadership has dramatically changed. While I struggled in the past few years to get accessto conflict zones, like Saada in the north, where a Shia rebellion is pressing up for religious and political rights, orAbyan and Shabwa where al-Qaeda has grown very strong running large swathes of land according to strictinterpretation of Sharia law.

We drove for about 15 minutes towards Zinjibar, at the first military checkpoint, we were told to return, they said thesituation is very dangerous.

Our escort, an army colonel, was very nervous about the trip but upon insisting they took us to a forward command

post on the outskirts of Zinjibar.

There I met with Colonel Amrani. Quite a character!

He commands a unit that is tasked with storming the center of Zinjibar.

"You media people, you like action and fireworks... Let's drive on my armored vehicle I will take you guys to a placewhere you can see my troops. Nobody will die but if you are to die today its fate and we cannot escape our fate."


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We chose to drive our bus which we hired in Aden... Poor old Esmet has never been to a conflict zone, wise andpolite he was always silent. The only time I heard him speak was when we came under attack and he said "pray foryour souls in case we shall die today".

On the frontline, Colonel Amrani was explaining the delicate task his troops face, fighting an al-Qaeda very well-seasoned in street battles and guerilla warfare.

Suddenly artillery and tanks unleashed their inferno... Bang, bang, bang!

Colonel Amrani's soldiers came under sniper fire the rare calm turned into sniper bullets whizzing by and shellsreverberating off an open desert area where the frontline has been blurred, with soldiers taking up positions, and

just a dozens of meters away al-Qaeda fighters firing from their hideouts.

A classic replay of former scenarios where a vastly superior army is trying to cope with fighters movingsurreptitiously in small numbers... Their tactic is hit-and-run.

There are two battles taking place simultaneously: the US and Yemeni army teaming against al-Qaeda and itsaffiliates.

The US's main goal is to "eliminate high value targets" in military parlance it's the core al-Qaeda leadership whichthey consider a serious threat to its interests and national security, their signature weapon in this war is droneattacks.

In the meantime, Yemeni troops are scrambling to show the world that they are more genuine about defeating alQaeda than the regime of the former president Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Our last destination was an army unit tasked with the fight in Jaar a major al-Qaeda stronghold. But the moment we

were entering the gate we came under mortar attack. The commander in charge approached and said in politeterms "this is obviously the worst time for a commander to give an interview when his unit is being shelled".

Off to Aden we drove.... Leaving behind a military campaign under way. From 2009, when al-Qaeda in the ArabianPeninsula or AQAP was formed to 2011, when they gained control of many areas little we know as journalists...How was al-Qaeda able to turn into a major group with affiliates and secure towns, remains an enigma.

04 Jun 2012Boston, APYemeni Journalist, Nobel Laureate to Visit Harvard H.E. Tawakkol Karman, a journalist and activist who galvanized Yemeni support for the Arab Spring uprisings lastyear, will speak at a Harvard Kennedy school forum.

Karman will be the featured speaker Thursday in a talk co-sponsored by Harvard Kennedy School's Center forPublic Leadership and Institute of Politics.

She became the first Arab woman to win the Nobel Prize, is a cofounder of the human rights group WomenJournalists Without Chains and a senior member of the opposition political party Al-Islah.

She organized weekly protests in support of broad reforms in Yemen beginning in 2007. In 2011, she called for theouster of Yemen President Ali Abdullah Saleh, and was arrested and detained twice in two months.


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05 Jun 2012Times of OmanUS Warns of 'Overlooked' Food Crisis in YemenUS government aid agency on Tuesday warned that a humanitarian crisis in conflict-ridden Yemen was being"overlooked" despite escalating to levels seen in the Horn of Africa and the Sahel.

"It's often overlooked.... If you look at the global crises right now, Yemen doesn't get on that list and it really needsto be," Nancy Lindborg, a USAID assistant administrator, told AFP in Rome after a visit to the country.

Five million people need urgent aid and five million more are facing food insecurity out of a population of 25 millionpeople, Lindborg said, adding that the crisis had been "exacerbated" by conflict and a political transition.The depletion of water resources is a particularly acute problem, she said.

"This is something the government must absolutely find the political will to organize. Otherwise they will be going offa cliff soon," she added.

Lindborg was taking part in a joint visit with the Organization of Islamic Conference, the Gulf Cooperation Counciland the Arab League.

She said the US would be providing an additional $6.5 million (5.2 million euros) in humanitarian aid to Yemen,bringing its total forecast aid budget for this year to $118 million from $115 million last year.

Deadly anti-regime protests swept Yemen last year, finally forcing president Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down inFebruary after 33 years in power.

The political crisis has left the country's economy in tatters and aggravated the dire security situation, with Al-Qaeda militants launching a wave of attacks in the mostly lawless south since Saleh's departure.

Yemen is the poorest country in the Arabian peninsula, with more than 40 percent of people living below thepoverty line.

05 Jun 2012Daily StarClashes in South Kill 23 Al-Qaeda Militants: Yemen Yemen's Defense Ministry says fierce clashes in the south have killed at least 23 Al-Qaeda militants.

Tuesday's statement from the ministry says fighting between government troops, backed by heavy artillery, and themilitants intensified overnight in the northern part of Zinjibar, the provincial capital of Abyan.

The ministry says Pakistani and Somali nationals were among the slain militants.


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(U) Yemen's Defense Minister Major General Muhammad Nasir Ahmad (4th L) visits the front line during fights between army forces and al Qaeda-linked militants in the southern province of Abyan June 4, 2012.(REUTERS/Yemen's Defense Ministry)

Also, military officials say clashes have erupted in the town of Jaar, another Al-Qaeda stronghold. The officialsspoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak to the media.

On Monday, two suicide bombers tried to hit army barracks and checkpoints to the east of Zinjibar in an attempt tostop the military from advancing in the south.

04 Jun 2012Washington Post, APUN Draft Resolution Threatens Sanctions against Opponents of Yemen’s Move to DemocracyA proposed U.N. Security Council resolution that circulated Monday supports efforts by Yemen’s president toadvance the country’s transition to democracy and threatens non-military sanctions against those trying toundermine the country’s national unity government.

Diplomats said the five veto-wielding council members — the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France —agreed on the text and circulated the draft to the 10 non-permanent members. Experts from the 15 council nationsare expected to discuss the text Wednesday, the diplomats said, speaking on condition of anonymity because thedraft has not been made public.

Personal Post

Last week, the U.N. envoy to Yemen, Jamal Benomar, told the council that despite President Abed Rabbo MansourHadi’s “strong leadership,” the country’s transition is taking place “against a backdrop of serious security concerns,an unprecedented humanitarian crisis and many unresolved conflicts.” Benomar also said al-Qaida in the ArabianPeninsula “continues to pose a major threat.”

Hadi was sworn in on Feb. 25 to replace longtime leader Ali Abdullah Saleh, following an uncontested electionaimed at ending more than a year of political turmoil.


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The draft resolution, obtained by The Associated Press, condemns “all terrorist and other attacks against civilians,oil, gas and electricity infrastructure and against the legitimate authorities.”

It demands “the cessation of all actions aimed at undermining the government of national unity and the politicaltransition.” It singles out continued attacks on oil, gas and electricity infrastructure, interference with decisionsrelating to the restructuring of the armed and security forces, and obstruction of military and civilian appointments.

The draft expresses the Security Council’s “readiness to consider further measures ... if such actions continue,”including under Article 41 of the U.N. Charter which authorizes non-military sanctions such as freezing financialassets or travel bans.

The country’s transition — which envisions the completion of a constitution in late 2013 enabling general electionsto take place in February 2014 — is proving to be bumpy. Hadi is trying to restructure powerful security forcespacked with Saleh loyalists, launch a national dialogue that includes the southern secessionist movement, andappease a restless religious minority in the north as well as disparate opposition groups in the heartland.

The draft resolution expresses “grave concern at the security situation and continuing terrorist attacks, including byal-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula.”

It condemns the May 21 terrorist bombing of a military parade that killed 96 soldiers in the capital.

The draft says the transition should focus on holding “an all-inclusive National Dialogue Conference,” restructuringthe security and armed forces, improving justice, and constitutional and electoral reforms and the holding of generalelections by February 2014.

The National Dialogue must be transparent and include youth and women’s groups and calls on all sectors ofYemeni society “to participate actively and constructively in this process,” the draft said.

It also stresses the need for alleged human rights abuses to be investigated and prosecuted and “reminds theYemeni government and other actors of the need to release immediately those protesters unlawfully detainedduring the crisis.”

05 Jun 2012Yemen PostMilitary Committee Discusses Strategy to End Division of Armed, Security Forces The military committee on Monday started discussing a comprehensive strategy to restructure the Yemeni armedand security forces, which divided during the 2011 popular uprising, Saba reported.

The strategy, suggested by the higher military academy, calls for putting an immediate end to the division of the

armed and security systems, armed conflicts and rebellion movements as well as imposing the rule of law acrossthe country, according to Saba.

When the uprising escalated in early 2011, key military units defected to the mass anti-regime protests includingthe first armored division and since then they have been divided.

At a meeting, the committee, formed under a power-transfer deal reached in November on military affairs andmaintaining security and stability, discussed visions to restructure and modernize the armed and security systemsincluding those for re-stationing units according to a national, integrated strategy in line with the defense policy ofthe republic of Yemen, Saba said.


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The discussion coincided with efforts by President Abdrabu Mansour Hadi to put an end to the rebellion of the thirdrepublican guard brigade. The commander of this brigade, Tariq Saleh, a nephew of ex-leader, has refused to giveup his post under a presidential decree.

The international community, especially the ten countries sponsoring the transition deal, has expressed concernsabout this brigade, which ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh wants to guard him.

Saleh signed the deal, which saw him relinquish power after 33 years in office, in return for immunity fromprosecution and half representation in the current power-sharing government.The UN envoy to Yemen Jamal Benomar has led mediations to convince the commander to give up, but hisattempts went in vein.

In the meantime, the committee plans to remove all security and armed disorders including roaming with guns inthe country, especially in main cities, in five months, as the armed forces is continuing intensified battles against Al-Qaida militants in the south.

05 Jun 2012Yemen PostArmy Foils Al-Qaeda Attempt to Capture Town The Yemeni army has foiled an Al-Qaeda attempt to take control on Attaq, the capital of Shabwa governorate, afterthe army imposed a siege on Al-Qaeda militants in the neighboring governorate of Abyan, security sources affirmedon Monday.

Chief of Attaq district, Abdullah Al-Sumnah, reiterated that security sources in collaboration with local tribesmencould strongly foiled an Al-Qaeda’s plot.

He affirmed that Al-Qaeda operatives were planning to attack security checkpoints or infiltrating to the town throughbyways, asserting that tight security measures were taken to confront any Al-Qaeda potential raids.

He pointed out that officials of the governorate coordinate with tribal leaders and dignitaries of the areassurrounding the district to fight Al-Qaeda and thwart its plans.

Meanwhile, local sources in Abyan revealed that sharp disagreements emerged between the Republican Guardbrigades positioned in Abyan and the governor of Abyan Jamal Al-Aqel regarding the Popular ResistanceCommittees that backed the army in fighting Al-Qaeda.

Fears have been raised by the Republican Guard that these committees will untimely turn to militias that willdemand to separate South Yemen from the north.

The local sources said that forces of the Republican Guard led by son of the former president Ali Abdullah Salehdemanded to demobilize members of the Popular Resistance Committees and hand over the positions retakenagain from Al-Qaeda to the Republican Guard.

Meanwhile, a car bomb exploded, killing four tribesmen and wounding another of what is called the PopularResistance Committees formed of tribesmen to back the army, the Defense Ministry said. Military sources said six

jihadists died in clashes with troops, elsewhere in Abyan.


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The Yemeni army has foiled an Al-Qaeda attempt to take control on Attaq, the capital of Shabwa governorate, afterthe army imposed a siege on Al-Qaeda militants in the neighboring governorate of Abyan, security sources affirmedon Monday.

Chief of Attaq district, Abdullah Al-Sumnah, reiterated that security sources in collaboration with local tribesmencould strongly foiled an Al-Qaeda’s plot.

He affirmed that Al-Qaeda operatives were planning to attack security checkpoints or infiltrating to the town throughbyways, asserting that tight security measures were taken to confront any Al-Qaeda potential raids.

He pointed out that officials of the governorate coordinate with tribal leaders and dignitaries of the areassurrounding the district to fight Al-Qaeda and thwart its plans.

Meanwhile, local sources in Abyan revealed that sharp disagreements emerged between the Republican Guardbrigades positioned in Abyan and the governor of Abyan Jamal Al-Aqel regarding the Popular ResistanceCommittees that backed the army in fighting Al-Qaeda.

Fears have been raised by the Republican Guard that these committees will untimely turn to militias that willdemand to separate South Yemen from the north.

The local sources said that forces of the Republican Guard led by son of the former president Ali Abdullah Salehdemanded to demobilize members of the Popular Resistance Committees and hand over the positions retakenagain from Al-Qaeda to the Republican Guard.

Meanwhile, a car bomb exploded, killing four tribesmen and wounding another of what is called the PopularResistance Committees formed of tribesmen to back the army, the Defense Ministry said. Military sources said six

jihadists died in clashes with troops, elsewhere in Abyan.

05 Jun 2012Yemen PostCurfew Imposed As Yemen Army Prepares to Retake Militant Strongholds The Yemeni army imposed a curfew in several areas in Abyan province coinciding with further intensified battles toretake key strongholds of Al-Qaida militants, the defense ministry reported on Monday.

The areas were Alam-Zinjibar-Shuqra road, Arqoub road, Ahwar road, Jaheen-Amain, Harour-Jaar road, Jaar-Zinjibar road and Khubar-Wadhi road. The curfew, which came into effect at 6:00 pm Monday, has been triggeredby terrorist operations and aims to protect the locals, the ministry said.

"The move has been taken after militants have started to use car bombs and explosive belts to target civilians and

innocents at roads and populated areas," the ministry said in a statement.

Earlier today, four pro-army fighters were killed when militant suicide bombers detonated their car at a checkpoint inthe Lawder town. The tribal fighters have also thwarted another bombing attempt.

The army has warned any car violates the curfew will be targeted until a further notice.

In the meantime, military reinforcements have been deployed to recapture militant-held towns including Shuqra,which has been used as a sea route for arms supply to the militants.


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In mid-2011, Al-Qaida seized key towns including Zinjibar, the capital of Abyan, and the forces with direct supportfrom locals and the US have recently stepped up the offensive to retake these towns.

The forces have so far cleared militants from some areas including Lawder.

Hundreds of militants including senior leaders have been killed and injured in Abyan and Shabwa in the past fewmonths, amid the determination of the new government to eradicate terrorism from the country.

05 Jun 2012Yemen PostAbyan Governor: Al-Qaeda Will Be Defeated Soon Governor of Abyan Jamal Al-Aqel has said that Ansar Alshari, an al-Qaeda-linked group, faces a very difficultsituation, stressing that the Yemeni army makes remarkable progress against the militants who are pursued in theirhideouts, as the governor said.

In remarks to the military-run 26 September Newspaper, Al-Aqel highly appreciated tribal leaders and locals ofAbyan, asserting that they strongly backed the army and that the battle in Abyan will be resolved soon.

He promised thousands of internally displaced persons to back to their villages and homes soon, stressing that Al-Qaeda militants are defeated in several areas of Abyan.

Local sources said on Monday that the army prepares for raiding Emsara, a southern coastal town from al Qaeda-linked fighters.

Yemeni troops have advanced into the centre the southern town of Zinjibar, the capital of Abyan province, wherethey fought on Sunday. Local sources affirmed that hundreds of troops backed by tanks were closing in on the

militant-held town of Shaqra, some 50 km (30 miles) along the coast east of Zinjibar.

They further indicated that Yemeni warplanes continued strikes against al-Qaeda positions in Zinjibar and Jaar.

Meanwhile, a car bomb exploded, killing four tribesmen and wounding another of what is called the PopularResistance Committees formed of tribesmen to back the army, the Defense Ministry said.

Military sources said six jihadists died in clashes with troops, elsewhere in Abyan.According to an AFP tally compiled from official statements, at least 397 people have been killed, , including 291 Al-Qaeda fighters, 66 military personnel, 22 local militiamen and 18 civilians since the offensive began.

04 Jun 2012

Yemen ObserverGunmen Disappeared from Streets but Victims Increase Daily After signing the GCC initiative which stipulates that gunmen and militant barracks should evacuate the streets ;and after the continuous statements of the Military Committee reporting cleaning the streets of Sana’a from gunmenas a whole, people believed that Sana’a would become safe.

Nevertheless, gunmen are still here and especially concentrated in the north-western areas of Sana’a keepingkilling many Yemeni citizens in the streets with absolute silence from the government.


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Instead of withdrawing from streets implementing the GCC initiative and Security Council Resolution No. 2014,gunmen only moved from streets to the neighboring buildings and houses. Unfortunately, the Military SecurityCommittee lied to the Yemeni population when they continued stating on TV screens that all parties withdrew theirgunmen.

“Yemeni people believed that the situation would be secure again, when they watched the Security Committeecleaning the streets from barracks and mud cases, and reporting that all streets were clean from gunmen, but a fewdays later, we got stunned when we heard that the gunmen had just moved from streets to neighboring buildingsand houses,” said Mohammed Hasan.

When the clashes between the sons of Sheikh Al-Ahmer and the governmental forces broke out in May 2011, manypeople left their homes for safer places. Then, the gunmen occupied their houses and used them as forts whenfighting the governmental forces. Consequently, many houses and buildings were burglarized, burned andcompletely destroyed.

One of the trading buildings’ owner, who asked to remain anonymous, stated that the gunmen in Al-Hasabahoccupied his building once the inhabitants had left their apartments, and used it as forts or barracks, “when I wentto sheikh Hashim Al- Ahmer complaining about his gunmen and asking him to withdraw them from my building, heanswered that the house of Sheikh Abdullah himself had been attacked and that I had to be patient as we were inthe middle of a revolution,” he said, adding ,“I was used to receive about YR one million a month, and now myfamily and I, are renting an apartment.”

Jamal Mohammed, 28, stated that his family left their house to Al-Madinah Al-Sakania Sa’awan during the clashes,and when they returned to their house, they found it occupied by the gunmen of Sheikh Al-Ahmer’s sons, whorefused to leave the house. “ Now, they are occupying our house, and we cannot get it back,” he said.

Many other families still cannot return to their homes either because they are destroyed or occupied by gunmen.

Moreover, the existence of gunmen either in the streets or inside buildings, suggests fear, instability and insecurity.

Tariq Mohammed, 35, ex-inhabitant of Al-Hasabah stated that he cannot bring his family back to Al-Hasabah as hedoesn’t feel comfortable having his children around when he knows the existence of armed gunmen evolving in theneighborhood.

Daily Victims

When people went out to the streets demanding to overthrow the regime, one of their demands was to abolish thepower of tribal leaders who are said to be one of the most corrupt people in the country. However, the revolutionincreased their power and they increased their crimes against the people.

A couple of weeks ago, a sheikh wanted to enter the Military Hospital in Sana’a with his arms. The Military soldiers

stopped him from entering the building, he then left and came back with his gunmen who started shooting theHospital’s gate randomly, killing a motorcyclist and injuring four pedestrians.

Najib Mahdi, 22, stated that he was at the gate of the hospital renting a motorcycle to head to the Change Square,when a car full of gunmen stopped and started shooting randomly before running away.

Moreover, on May 30th, a boy was killed in the north of Sana’a when some gunmen from the Nihm tribe and Al-Ahmer’s sons started shooting each other over a land. Saif Khalid Hatem, 21, who was exiting his house, foundhimself in the middle of the battle and got shot just in front of the building.” Said Al-Ezz Izzaddeen.


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Though people were very optimistic thinking that security would come back, people’s trust in the NationalConsensus Government and security bodies recently started declining dramatically.

04 Jun 2012Yemen ObserverHouthis Take Control of Three Positions in North Yemen, Claim Confiscating Saudi WeaponsThe Houthi rebels of the Shiite group said they took over Saudi weapons in renewed battles with armed Salafis inthe area of Kittaf area in the province of Sa’ada.

A spokesperson in the media office of the Houthi rebels told the Yemen Observer over the phone that their rivalsattacked - on June 2nd - affiliated Houthis in Kittaf, the district boarding the rich oil country, Saudi Arabia. TheHouthis accused the Salafis to be baked by Saudi Arabia.

“Militias of the Saudi regime attacked our brothers in the Kittaf district; we were able to take three key positions andconfiscate food rations as well as Saudi Arabian branded weapons.

In 2009, Saudi Arabia had briefly attacked the Houthis claiming that they entered their borderline areas. TheHouthis fought killed dozens of the Saudi Patrols in that battle.

The source said that the Salafis had planted three landmines that were later detonated at a Salafi convoy, bombingthree cars. The causalities in both parties could not be confirmed.

Saudi ambulances were seen coming from the port of al-Boq’a, which borders the Kingdom, to come rescue theinjured Salafis, said the Houthi spokesperson.

The battles in Kittaf have been raging sporadically in the area for three months now, and have recently intensified.

The Houthi rebels, led by Abdulmalik al-Houthi, agreed last week to engage in the National Dialogue which is partof the GCC brokered deal, aimed at putting an end to the Yemeni political crisis.

04 Jun 2012Yemen ObserverMilitary Colonel: Dozens of Somalis Arrive in Yemen to Back Al-Qaeda Some 50 Somalis arrived in the al-Qaeda stronghold district of Ja’ar to back the militants against military troopssurrounding the area.

A military colonel in Abyan capital, Zinjubar, said on anonymity condition, that the Somalis came by boat to Ja’ardistrict, which is now surrounded by military reinforcements in order to recapture the area.

Linked al-Qaeda militants are battling the government’s troops in three different fronts including Zinjubar, the capitalof the province, which fell to the militants’ hand last year amid the security vacuum.

The military source said that a couple of military brigades have been around Zinjubar since last month in order toretake the area. “But they could not make any progress fearing that they could be shot by al-Qaeda. They are usinga hit-and-run tactic and guerrilla war. The same thing is happening in the neighboring Ja’ar district,” The sourcesaid.

The United States is baking the government troops in the offensive against al-Qaeda, setting up a drone campaignthat has already killed a number of militants including leading al-Qaeda members.


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05 Jun 2012ZawyaAt Least 16 Killed in Yemen Sunni-Shiite Clashes Yemen and Sunni Salafist extremists, according to claims by both sides on Tuesday.

"Four of our men were killed and six others wounded in confrontations on Saturday with Salafist gunmen in Al-Qobaaf," east of the Houthi stronghold of Saada, said Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam.

Sorur al-Wadii, a spokesman for the Salafists said 12 Sunni militants were killed in three days of fighting, butclaimed that his comrades killed 18 Houthi fighters.

He blamed the Houthis for the clashes, saying the killings on "both sides were result of attacks by the Houthis whoare trying to expand (their control) in the province of Hajja, Marib and Jawf."

Abdulsalam accused the Sunni gunmen of receiving support from neighboring Saudi Arabia, a bastion of Salafismwhich is a puritanical approach to Islam.

"We are in total control of the situation," he said, insisting that hostilities were started by a Salafist group "paid bySaudi Arabia."

Dozens of people have been killed in sectarian clashes since last year between the rebels and Salafists trying totighten their grip on the north, where government control has slackened since a political crisis in Sanaa.

Yemen's mountainous north is a stronghold of the Houthis, who from 2004 fought six wars with central governmentforces before signing a truce in February 2010. The rebellion claimed thousands of lives.

05 Jun 2012SABAYemen, U.S. Discuss Preparations for Donors' Conference Foreign Minister Abu Bakr al-Qirbi discussed on Tuesday with U.S. ambassador to Yemen Gerald Firestein theongoing preparations for the donors' conference to be held in Riyadh on June 26 and the role of Yemen Friends init.

They also touched upon a number of topics related to the latest developments at the Yemeni arena, as well asissues of common concern and cooperation aspects between the two friendly countries and ways of enhancingthem.

05 Jun 2012ReutersNorthern Rebels Agree to Join Talks on Yemen's FutureBy Mohammed Ghobari and Mohammed Mukhashaf

Shi'ite Muslim rebels who control much of northern Yemen will take part in talks aimed at resolving the country'smultiple political conflicts, a Yemeni official involved in preparing for the negotiations said on Tuesday.

The Houthi rebels have previously refused to take part in the national dialogue, an element of the Saudi- and U.S.-backed transition deal that removed Yemen's long-time president from office this year in a bid to avert civil war.


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Washington and Riyadh want to see that transition stabilize the impoverished country, whose army is fighting alQaeda-linked Islamists who took over parts of its south during last year's uprising against President Ali AbdullahSaleh.

A member of the committee preparing for the talks, set for August in Cairo, said they will include prominent figuresof a secessionist movement in southern Yemen, formerly a separate state whose 1990 union with the northcollapsed into civil war four years later.

The official said a Yemeni government delegation would next week meet the former president of south Yemen, AliNasser Mohammed, but that another prominent secessionist who also held that post, Ali Salem al-Beidh, wasunlikely to take part.

The United States accuses Iran of meddling in the south and the north of Yemen where the Houthi rebels controlSaada province, on the border of the world's top oil exporter Saudi Arabia.

In the southern province of Abyan, Yemeni troops killed at least 23 Islamist militants late on Monday, a militaryofficial said, as part of a campaign to retake southern towns that a group called Ansar al-Sharia seized more than ayear ago.

The official said the militants tried to infiltrate military positions in the south-western and northern edges of Zinjibar,the provincial capital, where central government troops and tribal militiamen are fighting the Islamists.

The Ministry of Defense website said some of the dead militants were foreigners, including one Somali and onePakistani. One soldier was killed and another injured in the clashes, the ministry said.

The United States, which helped engineer Saleh's replacement by his deputy in February, is backing the offensivein the south and has stepped up its campaign of drone strike assassinations of alleged al Qaeda members who it

says plot attacks from Yemen.

Separately, at least 24 people were killed in clashes late on Monday in the north between Sunni Muslim Salafis andHouthis.

A spokesman for the Salafis - who see Shi'ites as heretics and espouse a puritanical creed with many followers inSaudi Arabia - said Houthi fighters attacked them on Sunday night in the Kataf area of the northern Saadaprovince.

The spokesman, who identified himself as Abu Ismail, said nine of the dead were Salafis and 15 were Houthis. Hesaid mediation efforts led by tribal elders to stop the fighting were under way.

Central government forces tried and failed to crush Houthi rebels between 2004 and 2009.

EDITORIALS (Top)

05 Jun 2012Arab TimesGCC Must React to Pentagon’s ‘Total War on Islam’I used to believe that the Obama administration had a policy of reaching out to the world’s 1.6 billion Muslims in aneffort to mend fences incinerated by George W. Bush’s wars. I was gratified by his efforts because, like manyMuslims and Arabs, I have been working to bridge the gap between east and west and in a small way have striven


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to bring all of the Prophet Ibrahim’s children together in peace; notably with my gift to Dubai the Al Farooq Omar IbnAl Khattab Mosque and Centre that welcomes visitors of all faiths and the Khalaf Al Habtoor Leadership Center atIllinois College and through many other efforts. Just recently, I hosted one of the college’s students in Dubai – hisprize for coming second in an essay competition I sponsor – and he later wrote that his negative preconceptions ofArabs had been replaced with admiration.

The leaders and peoples of GCC states consider America to be a friendly nation with coinciding interests. So I wasastonished and appalled to learn that US military commanders and officers had been attending a year-long courseat the Joint Forces College in Virginia taught by Lt Col Matthew Dooley advocating “Total war with Islam”.

This abomination that is surely a recipe for Armageddon was exposed by the media some weeks ago in a strangelylow-key fashion. An American friend confirmed that “mainline American news media barely made mention of thisstory”; he expressed his concern that “such gross ignorance about Islam” should find its way into any classroom,civilian or military. It was given so little air-time and prominence in the press that, unlike the burning of Qurans inAfghanistan, it has escaped the radar of most Muslims too. I can’t rid myself of the question is America merelyposing as our friend while working against us?

Dooley based his instruction on the premise that there is no such thing as “moderate Islam”. “This barbaric ideologywill no longer be tolerated,” he said. “Islam must change or we will facilitate its self-destruction”. His solutionincluded nuclear attacks on Makkah and Medinah without any regard for civilian lives.

The course advertised on the Pentagon’s own website was cancelled but, shamefully, Dooley has retained his job.Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey called a press conference to slam the course as“objectionable” and “academically irresponsible”. However, it has since emerged that a similar course was beingtaught in another military college complete with anti-Islamic slides that were approved by former CIA DirectorJames Woolsey and two three-star generals.

Moreover, the FBI has been driven to vet its own course materials when it was discovered that counter-terrorismagents were being taught that “American Muslims are likely to be terrorist sympathizers” whose charitabledonations equate to a “funding mechanism for combat”. FBI materials refer to the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) as a“cult leader”.

Likewise, as revealed by the New York Times, the New York Police Department (NYPD) has been infiltratingmosques and Muslim community centers. The department’s officers were shown a documentary called “The ThirdJihad” contending that the Muslim leadership in the US harbors ambitions to “infiltrate and dominate” in which theNYPD’s chief participated. The film was also endorsed by NYC former mayor Rudolph Giuliani.

In the Arab world we’ve become used to dismissing crimes perpetrated by US soldiers in Iraq, Afghanistan andPakistan as ‘mistakes’ that run counter to official US policy. Indeed, when I contacted a few of my American friendsin the know to ask their views on the offensive courses, their responses were broadly the same, i.e. that any anti-

Islamic vein that may exist in the Pentagon, US intelligence services and law enforcement is the work of renegadesand does not reflect the views of the US government. I am sure that my friends are sincere because as Americannationals anything else is too horrendous to contemplate, but with my full respect to them, I’m far from beingconvinced.

I have a hard time accepting that those courses were unauthorized when they appeared on the Pentagon website,were taught in military schools, were signed-off by generals as well as a CIA director and are somewhat mirroredwithin the FBI and the NYPD. The idea that the US government knew nothing about this philosophy of hate soundslike the most fantastical fairy story. It’s imperative that President Obama launches an investigation, apologizes toMuslims everywhere and explains to America’s predominately Muslim allies how such dangerous propaganda,


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designed to infect commanders with hatred for Muslims that would trickle down the ranks, went unchecked for solong.

We need answers from the White House, the Pentagon and Congress. These latest exposes could merelyconstitute the tip of the iceberg. Just how deep does the contagion go? Soldiers who burn holy books, humiliateMuslim detainees or urinate on Muslim corpses can hardly be blamed if their officers are advocating using nukes towipe Muslims from the face of the earth.

In one of my recent columns titled “Enough trusting others to keep us secure” I quoted Hilary Clinton telling GCCforeign ministers that America’s security commitment “to the people and the nations of the Gulf is rock-solid andunwavering”. She advocated the strengthening of “our mutual security, such as helping our militaries improveinteroperability...and coordinate responses to crises.” But how can we coordinate with a military whose officers areinstructed to wage total war on Muslims?

As I’ve been urging time and time again, the GCC can only rely on itself for its military defenses. Surely, theneoconservative’s Project for a New American Century paper, whose authors became leading figures in the Bushadministration, should have raised suspicions as to Washington’s true geopolitical goals. How hard do we need tobe hit on the head before we get the message?

Given the turmoil in Arab countries ostensibly in pursuit of American-style democracy that was partly instigated byUS Non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the potential for slicing apart of Iraq and Libya in the same way thatSudan has been split, and the possibly orchestrated divisions between Sunnis and Shiites (to the detriment ofSunnis), it’s possible that the US has a clandestine policy of inciting Arabs to destroy each other as a continuationof imperialist Britain’s ‘Divide and Rule’. After all, that was effective in tearing Syria, Jordan and Palestine asunder.If that is the case, then I suspect that the Al-Assad regime, Hezbollah, the Iraqi Badr Brigades, Al Sadr Militias, andeven Al Maliki government are complicit in America’s plan of reducing numbers of Muslims by killing Sunnis; theymay even be commissioned by the US to commit murder by proxy in accordance with America’s policy of hate

towards Muslim, reflected by the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq that resulted in up to one million deaths. Ifthey’re not endorsed by the US, then why doesn’t Washington act to prevent civilian massacres in Syria and leanon Hezbollah’s military wing, an army outside state control, to relinquish its weapons? I sincerely hope I’m wrong.

For our own self-preservation, the GCC must unite, become a federation and build an independent, powerfulmilitary capability. We can’t rely on fair-weather friends to protect our peoples. Sleeping while our enemies pretendto be our friends even as they plot our destruction is no longer an option. If our leaders fail to take ‘Total war onIslam’ with the seriousness it deserves, we are doomed.

To those attempting to put a lid on this disturbing news, I would quote Abraham Lincoln who once said, “You canfool all of the people some of the time, and some of the people all of the time, but you can’t fool all of the people allof the time.” I, for one, refuse to be fooled any more.

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