Fahd bin Abdul Aziz
Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz
Naef Bin Abdul Aziz
Salman Bin Abdul Aziz
Ahmad Bin Abdul Aziz
UN rights body drops Japan,Saudi Arabia from list, Reuters, April 9, 1998
By Stephanie Nebehay GENEVA, April 9 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia and Japan are
among six countries removed from a list of nations which the main U.N. human rights body
will keep under private scrutiny for the next year, its chairman announced on Thursday.
South African ambassador Jacob Selebi, chairman of the U.N. Commission on Human Rights,
read out the result of a closed-door session on Wednesday at which the 53 member states
examined the record of nine countries under its confidential scrutiny.
Diplomats said Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil exporter, had lobbied hard to be
struck from the list after three years defending its human rights record.
The decision to free Saudi Arabia of even private scrutiny by the Commission flew in the
face of calls by Amnesty International for the kingdom to be scrutinised even more
publicly by the Geneva forum.
The London-based rights group alleges torture is widespread and executions commonplace in
the Islamic kingdom, where flogging and amputation are also imposed for certain offences.
A special procedure allows Commission members to examine allegations of violations
privately rather than in public during the body's annual six-week session.
"The Commission has examined the human rights situation in the following nine
countries under ECOSOC resolution 1503 -- Chad, The Gambia, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Paraguay,
Peru, Saudi Arabia, Sierre Leone and Yemen," Selebi declared on Thursday.
"Consideration of the human rights situation of Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Paraguay, Peru,
Saudi Arabia and Yemen has been discontinued," he added.
In defending itself, Saudi Arabia pointed to ratification of two treaties -- the
Convention aganst Torture and Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial
Discrimination -- which went into force last October, according to diplomats.
The delegation was led by Prince Torki Ben Mohammed Ben Saoud Al-Kabeer, head of the
international organisations department at the foreign affairs ministry.
"The Saudis did an excellent job of lobbying," said one Western diplomat.
"Two years ago, the Saudis barely responded to the allegations."
NEW YORK, April 9 /PRNewswire/ The American Jewish Congress today conveyed its
condolences to Prince Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz, the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to
the United States, following the stampede at Mecca that killed hundreds of worshipers at
the conclusion of the hajj, the pilgrimage Muslims are called upon to make once in a
lifetime.
The full text of the letter from AJCongress Executive Director Phil Baum to Prince Bandar
is as follows:
On behalf of the Officers and leadership of the American Jewish Congress, I would like to
take this opportunity to express our most profound condolences to the people of Saudi
Arabia on the deaths of hundreds of pilgrims at the conclusion of the hajj.
The pain of today's event is magnified when one realizes that going on the hajj fulfills a
once in a lifetime obligation for every Muslim. It is sad that the sanctity of this sacred
observance was marred by these tragic deaths. Our thoughts remain with the families of
those who died and were injured.
Please convey our sentiments and condolences to King Fahd and to the Royal Family.
Thank you.
American Jewish Congress
04/09/98
CONTACT: Stephen Steiner, Director of Communications of American Jewish Congress,
212-360-1540
Saudi Arabia urges haj pilgrims to leave promptly, Reuters, April 13, 1998
DUBAI, April 13 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia has warned Moslem pilgrims at this
year's haj to leave the country promptly or face heavy penalties, newspapers reported on
Monday.
Pilgrims performed the last rituals of haj -- one of the key pillars of Islam -- on
Thursday. During the final "stoning of the devil" ritual, 118 worshippers were
killed in a stampede.
Newspapers said on Monday the kingdom had launched a campaign to get the 1.2 million
pilgrims who came from abroad for haj to leave soon. They quoted the director of passports
as saying penalties, including imprisonment and heavy fines, would be "ruthlessly
enforced" on violators.
Asaad bin Abdul Karim al-Feraih warned citizens and expatriates not to harbour, transport
or employ anyone on a haj visa, adding that violators risked being jailed for up to two
years or fined 100,000 riyals ($26,700).
Every year after haj thousands of foreigners stay behind in search of work in the oil-rich
kingdom. Last year about 500,000 violators of Saudi immigration laws -- many of them
African and Asian haj overstayers -- left during a three-month amnesty.
Papers said on Monday the authorities had set May 6 as the deadline for the 900,000
pilgrims travelling by air to leave. Pilgrims travelling by sea must leave by May 25,
while those travelling by road have been given until May 1 to return home.
Diplomats said more victims of Thursday's stampede had been identified and buried in Mecca
upon the request of relatives, but around half of the dead remained unknown. Most of the
victims were from India and Pakistan.
Thursday's tragedy took place on a bridge near Mena, outside Mecca, where a huge crowd of
pilgrims prepared for the symbolic stoning of the devil. Many were crushed under the feet
of the dense crowd, others fell off the bridge to their death.
Al-Eqtisadiah newspaper said a government committee had started investigating the cause of
the stampede and had been asked to submit proposals to prevent a recurrence.
"The sources said the committee will study the most ideal way for pilgrims to gather
at Jamraat bridge in a way that would prevent overcrowding and spare the elderly the
danger of being trampled on," the paper said.
Pilgrims say that despite the stampede, the haj was better organised than in past years.
Saudi officials took extra safety precautions, spending millions of dollars on
fire-resistant tents, infrastructure and security and medical services.
Saudi prince not so fortunate in high-tech, Reuters, April 15, 1998
By Heather McCabe SAN FRANCISCO (Wired) - It seems as though every time Saudi Prince al-Waleed bin Talal drops a few million of his $11 billion wealth, he makes a splash not only in corporate accounts but in the media as well. Tuesday's announcement that the nephew of King Fahd of Saudi Arabia had invested $200 million in Teledesic, the telecommunications company backed by fellow billionaires Bill Gates and Craig McCaw, gave the press another occasion to gush over the 41-year-old prince's shrewd powers as an investor who buys into strong brand names that have taken a turn for the worse. In the past, the prince has been labeled "one of the most astute investors-a Warren Buffett for the millennium," in the pages of the Sacramento Bee newspaper, and a "savvy Saudi investor" by Time magazine. Prince al-Waleed's investments include a 24 percent share of Euro Disney, 10 percent of Saks Fifth Avenue, and large chunks of Donna Karan International, Planet Hollywood, TWA, and Four Seasons Hotels. In the last year, high-tech companies have grabbed the prince's eye, and he has poured close to $1 billion collectively into Netscape Communications Corp., News Corp., Motorola Inc., and Apple Computer.
But a close look at al-Waleed's investments of late, especially in high tech,
show that his choices haven't all been money-makers, at least not yet. So far he's come
out about even on a series of tech investments he announced on 25 November. He purchased a
5 percent stake in Netscape for $146 million; a 5 percent stake in News Corp.
for $400 million; and a 1 percent stake in Motorola for $300 million. Based on stock price
changes between 25 November and today, it looks like al-Waleed has lost a little more than
$100 million between his Netscape and Motorola investments, but the News Corp. shares
should have balanced that out, with a $120 million gain. On 25 November Netscape shares
traded at $28.50, but have since fallen to $17.81 on Tuesday; Motorola has gone from
$64.81 in November to $54.13; and News Corp. has increased from $21.31 in November to
$27.88. Ironically, Apple-which was still seriously in the red when al-Waleed scooped up 5
percent of the company for $115 million in March and April 1997 -- has
been a boon to his portfolio, garnering him nearly $60 million in one year. On April 1,
1997, about the time the prince finished his buying spree, Apple stock was trading at
$17.50, and has now jumped to about $26.81. But al-Waleed's profit on tech stocks is
minuscule compared to the $1.5 billion he made just last week off the Citicorp/Travelers
Group mega-merger, according to the Chicago Tribune. He is the largest shareholder in
Citicorp, the paper said. (Reuters/Wired)
Reports of nurses' release "speculative", Reuters, April 15, 1998
LONDON, April 15 (Reuters) - Britain on Wednesday played down newspaper reports
that Prime Minister Tony Blair's trip to Saudi Arabia this weekend could prompt the early
release of two British nurses from prison.
A government spokesman said newspaper reports that Blair was hoping to secure a release
date were "speculative".
"I'm not even sure at this stage if the subject will be raised," he said.
Several newspapers including The Daily Telegraph and Independent reported on Wednesday
that Blair was hoping the Saudi authorities would announce a release date for Lucille
McLauchlan and Deborah Parry.
The two nurses have been behind bars for more than a year on charges of murdering an
Australian colleague, Yvonne Gilford, at a hospital in the eastern Saudi city of Dhahran
where all three worked.
McLauchlan was found guilty of being an accessory to murder and has been sentenced to
eight years in jail and 500 lashes. She has appealed.
Parry has yet to have her guilt or innocence determined, but the victim's brother has
officially waived his right under Islamic law to demand the death penalty should she be
convicted.
The Telegraph quoted "well-placed Saudi sources" as saying plans for the release
of the two nurses would be announced to coincide with Blair's trip.
Other newspapers suggested the two women would be given two-year sentences, meaning they
may serve as little as two months more in prison.
Parry was admitted to hospital in January for observation and British embassy officials
said she was finding it "difficult to cope" with prison life.
The official denied newspaper reports she was depressed and had attempted suicide.
Blair's office has yet to release details of his agenda during his whistle-stop tour of
the Middle East which begins on Friday.
U.S. plans missile sales to Saudi Arabia, Israel, Reuters, April 21, 1998
WASHINGTON, April 21 (Reuters) - The U.S. Defense Department announced plans on
Tuesday to sell Saudi Arabia upgrades of AIM air-to-air missiles for use on U.S.-built F15
Eagle aircraft.
In a notification to Congress, the Pentagon said the proposed upgrade of 1,500 missiles to
a newer configuration would not affect the "basic military balance in the
region."
Together with the intended sale of five sets of advanced navigation and targeting
equipment, the estimated cost of the package was $115 million, the department said in a
statement.
At the same time, the Pentagon notified Congress of a proposed sale to Israel of 64
AIM-120B Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air missiles, or AMRAAM, and associated hardware and
support. It put the cost at $28 million.
Both proposed sales would contribute to U.S. national security by boosting the security of
a friendly country that "continues to be an important force for political stability
and economic progress in the Middle East," the Pentagon said.
Saudis still paying arrears despite low oil price, AFP, April 25, 1998
ABU DHABI, April 25 (AFP) - Saudi Arabia will honour its promise to pay billions
of dollars in arrears to local farmers and contractors this year despite a plunge in its
oil income, analysts said on Saturday.
The world's leading oil producer and exporter has approved the payment of more than four
billion dollars in outstanding domestic debt, including nearly 1.5 billion dollars to
farmers for orders made over the past two years.
Bankers in Riyadh said around 2.2 billion Saudi riyals (586 million dollars) were paid
this month while another instalment of three billion riyals (800 million dollars) would be
released in August or September.
The bulk of the arrears were in return for government purchases in 1996 and 1997 of wheat,
barley and other crops from local farmers as part of its policy
to encourage domestic farm production in the desert Gulf country.
"The Saudi government is now giving priority to tackling the arrears problem and I
don't think it will allow a repetition of the debt accumulation problem in the past
years," Saudi economic expert Ihsan Abu Huleika said.
"There is a three-year repayment plan endorsed in 1996 ... Payments are taking place
according to the plan without delay. The decline in the oil revenues will have no impact
on such payments this year."
Saudi Arabia, which controls more than a quarter of the world's oil reserves, lost control
of its debt to domestic farmers and contractors following the 1991 Gulf War as it paid
more than 50 billion dollars to finance a US-led offensive to liberate Kuwait from Iraqi
forces.
The contributions sapped its overseas reserves and boosted overall expenditure to a record
71.3 billion dollars in 1991, according to official figures. This pushed up the budget
deficit to an all-time high of 31 billion dollars, nearly 27 percent of the gross domestic
product.
Bankers said the arrears problem eased after a surge in oil prices in 1996 and 1997
fetched the kingdom nearly 15 billion dollars in extra income.
"Saudi Arabia did not pay farmers and contractors for three years after the Gulf
crisis. But the problem is now under control," a banker said.
In 1996 alone, payments to farmers and contractors peaked at 22 billion riyals (5.9
billion dollars) while the sum was lower the following year.
Such payments have been met through annual budget allocations but they still constitute a
burden on the country's coffers, which are struggling to cope with growing domestic
development needs and fluctuating oil prices.
"The government wants to put the arrears problem behind its back so it will be able
to concentrate on other economic issues," Abu Huleika said.
"I don't think there is any trend to allow a recurrence of the post-war problem,
which affected the economic and financial situation."
In contrast with the previous two years when oil prices were as high as 18-20 dollars,
they are now as weak as 12-14 dollars and are projected by the end
of the year to be much lower than their 1996-1997 average.
Economists said such a decline could sharply widen Saudi Arabia's budget deficit unless it
cuts actual spending. They noted Riyadh had assumed an oil price of between 15 and 16
dollars for its 1998 spending of 52.2 billion dollars, one of the highest levels in a
decade.
According to Henry Azzam, chief economist at the Saudi National Commercial Bank, the
shortfall could swell to 40 billion riyals (10.66 billion dollars) from a forecast 18
billion riyals (4.8 billion dollars) if crude prices averaged around 14 dollars this year.
UK nurses not about to be freed --Saudi ambassador, Reuter, April 27, 1998
LONDON, April 27 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's ambassador to London denied on
Monday that two British nurses jailed for allegedly murdering a colleague in
the kingdom were about to be freed.
The Saudi lawyer for Deborah Parry and Lucille McLauchlin had said earlier on Monday that
he expected them to be released soon. Media reports said they
could be released within two weeks.
But ambassador Ghazi al-Ghosaibi was much more pessimistic.
"It is irresponsible to raise unjustified hopes with imaginary timetables," he
said in a press statement.
"When a decision is reached, this embassy will release it officially. All I can say
at this point is that such a decision is not imminent."
The two nurses have been behind bars for more than a year in connection with the murder of
an Australian colleague, Yvonne Gilford, at a hospital in the city of Dhahran where all
three worked.
McLauchlin was found guilty of being an accessory to murder and sentenced to eight years
in jail and 500 lashes. She has appealed. Parry has yet to be pronounced guilty or
innocent. Both women maintain their innocence.
Gilford's brother, Frank, has accepted a 1.7 million Australian dollars ($1.1 million)
compensation package in return for waiving his right to press for the death penalty.
Lawyers for the nurses have refused to release the money until Parry's fate is known.
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates -- Car after car pulls up to the ceremonial red carpet, disgorging dignitaries from around the globe. Saudi Arabia, Bosnia, Germany and Russia are represented. U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff vice chairman Gen. Joseph W. Ralston and United Kingdom Defense Secretary George Robertson make appearances.
In all, delegations from more than 40 countries arrive. They are here for TRIDEX 98.
In its inaugural event, TRIDEX, or Triple International Defence Exhibition and Conference, is the newcomer on the block of international arms shows that take place from Chile to Singapore, Hungary to South Africa. Inside the air- conditioned convention hall, more than 200 companies display, promote and hope to sell the latest in high-tech military products. TRIDEX is touted as unique -- it focuses on electronic warfare and communication, logistics and medical equipment and training and simulation.
In other words, a prospective buyer nation cannot pick up a U.S-made F-16 fighter aircraft or a Russian-made T-80 main battle tank at TRIDEX. It will, however, find the latest electronic and computer system upgrades for such big-ticket items -- tanks, planes and ships -- equipment designed to enable forces to survive the next war. Walking the booths, a simple adage can be overheard: ``What can be seen can be killed.'' Likewise, ``you can't destroy what you can't see.'' At TRIDEX, the ways of ``seeing,'' ``hiding'' and ``masking'' take center stage.
On today's battlefield, destroying the enemy often takes place well beyond visual range. This is most obvious in the air war. A pilot can fire a missile at a hostile aircraft without ever seeing it. It is miles away -- a blip on the radar screen. The targeted aircraft may never know it has been fired upon until it is too late. Electronic warfare systems include the radar jamming and countermeasure capabilities that are critical in this battlefield environment.
The United States has a determined presence at TRIDEX demonstrating some of the latest electronic warfare capabilities. ITT displays its Airborne-Self Protection Jammer. The system is already on a number of U.S. Navy combat aircraft, and ITT hopes to sell it to other countries' air forces. Lockheed is also here showing a variety of systems, including missile-warning systems for aircraft and ships.
These systems alone are not enough. According to arms manufacturers here at TRIDEX, one of the big deficiencies among the armed forces of the world is adequate training. The Gulf War in 1991 highlighted not only the importance of high-tech weapons but how to use them. But training with modern fighter aircraft, ships and ground vehicles can cost hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars every time they are taken into the field. Only the wealthiest nations can afford such training.
This problem is being addressed with a variety of simulation systems allowing pilots and commanders to get the training they need on specific weapons without ever turning over the engine. U.S.-based Raytheon and Sierra Technologies are displaying simulators designed to give training that mimics what it is like to be in the cockpit and have a missile fired at your aircraft.
There is a twist on the importance of simulation. Many of the countries looking to purchase military hardware here at TRIDEX, and similar shows worldwide, are often forced to rely on the manufacturers' specifications. The United Arab Emirates has no way to independently confirm whether a vehicle or aircraft will perform as advertised. Purchases are often made based on cost. So simulation can also put the weapons themselves to the test.
Arms shows like TRIDEX are important to an industry that has seen its spending base decrease dramatically. With defense budgets falling since the end of the Cold War, competition in the global arms market is fierce.
Systems considered ``top-secret'' less than a decade ago are now open for inspection, a test drive or a missile launch (at least on the simulator). Countries seeking to upgrade their military prowess, or their defensive capabilities, have a variety of products to chose from. At the same time, arms sales are restricted. In fact, every arms sale by a U.S. company has to undergo scrutiny by the State Department, to ensure that vital or sensitive technologies are not given away.
When a nation gets approval to buy a batch of F-16s, for example, it gets an export version. It may not be what the U.S. Air Force is flying, but it is configured to meet the needs of the purchasing government, keeping in mind the issue of sensitive technologies.