African Union demands 'immediate' halt to Libya attacks

African Union demands 'immediate' halt to Libya attacks
(AFP)

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Saud-Al Faisal : ‘We reject outside intervention’

Saud-Al Faisal : ‘We reject outside intervention’



Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal at a press conference in Jeddah on Wednesday. (AN photo by Ghazi Mahdi)

By MUHAMMAD AL-SULAMI | ARAB NEWS
Published: Mar 9, 2011 20:25 Updated: Mar 10, 2011 17:22

JEDDAH: Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal said on Wednesday that Saudi Arabia would not allow any foreign intervention in its internal affairs. He also reiterated the Kingdom’s opposition to demonstrations, saying it would cause division and unrest in the country.

“We’ll cut off the fingers of those who try to interfere in our internal matters and we reject dictates from any foreign party, be it small or big. We’ll also reject any move that would undermine the Kingdom’s sovereignty,” Prince Saud told reporters.

“As we do not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries, we’ll not allow anybody to interfere in our internal affairs,” the foreign minister said when asked about reports of Iranian instigation for demonstrations inside the Kingdom.

“We hope Iran should be concerned more with demonstrations that are taking place there. In Saudi Arabia we don’t have any demonstrations like in Iran. We would not tolerate any intervention in the Kingdom’s affairs by any foreign party…If we find any foreign intervention we’ll stop it immediately,” he said.

Prince Saud indicated that the Saudi government was ready to bring about more reforms to meet the hopes and aspirations of its citizens. “Change will come through the citizens of this country and not in accordance with the dictates of foreign parties,” he insisted.

He highlighted the Kingdom’s long history. “Since the time of Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) our people have been living in this country. They know their interests and requirements and how to reach their objectives. We want to protect their independence and interests.”



Dialogue, not demonstrations

Prince Saud underscored a recent statement issued by the Council of Senior Islamic Scholars in the country, which emphasized the need to protect the interests of society and that the call for reform and advice should not be in the form of demonstrations.

“Saudi Arabia has prohibited demonstrations as it goes against the country’s law,” the minister said, adding that dialogue is the best means to protect rights.

Referring to a protest march in the Eastern Province, Prince Saud said: “When a group of our brothers came out, a police officer asked them whether they see any hindrance before them to present their demands to the Saudi authorities as their offices are open to all.”

He added: “We have seen Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah receiving groups of citizens from the Eastern Province and other parts of the Kingdom on Tuesday. The officer then told them to give their demand in writing. They then presented their demands and went back to their homes.”

Speaking about anti-government protests in some Arab countries, Prince Saud said: “People are copying what is happening in another country. When they see someone raising a flag they follow him,” he said. “There are similarities in these events, but each one is different from the other,” he said. He described Saudi Arabia as an open country. “King Abdullah has instructed all officials that their doors should be open to all citizens to present their proposals and grievances.”

Prince Saud also emphasized the importance of national dialogue that covers all groups of people in the country, allowing them to present their viewpoints on various issues. He emphasized the government’s efforts to protect human rights and establish justice and equality. “The best way to achieve all these objectives is dialogue,” he said.

Asked whether the anti-government protests in some Arab countries were instigated by foreign forces, he said: “External intervention was very clear, but we cannot say whether it was the main reason or not. I think that every country had a different situation. There are people who believe in conspiracy theories. But I believe foreign forces have played their role in these events.”

He said the Kingdom’s strategic relations with Egypt would continue despite the ouster of former President Hosni Mubarak. “Internal developments in Egypt would not affect our relations. We’ll stand by the leadership selected by the Egyptian people. We’ll continue our strong relationship with Egypt.”

Asked about Saudi-American relations, Prince Saud said: “We don’t interfere in the internal affairs of the US and wish better relations between the two countries.” He denied press reports that the US had asked the Kingdom to supply arms for Libyan revolutionists. “We are not a country that manufactures and exports weapons. I have never heard of this request,” he added.

Prince Saud was asked whether the appointment of Ahmed Kattan as new ambassador to Egypt was anything to do with complaints raised by some citizens against the former ambassador, he said: “Appointments of ambassadors are a Foreign Ministry secret.”

He highlighted the significance of the last GCC foreign ministers meeting in Abu Dhabi and said the unity and solidarity expressed by member countries during the meeting were greater than any time before. He said the GCC would witness greater unity and cooperation in the coming years.

Roundup: Protests Continue Across Muslim World

http://news.antiwar.com/2011/03/04/roundup-protests-continue-across-muslim-world

Roundup: Protests Continue Across Muslim World
Libya Coverage Dwarfs Others, But Is Far From the Only Story
by Jason Ditz, March 04, 2011
Email This | Print This | Share This | Antiwar Forum
The ongoing revolution in Libya has once again captured the vast majority of the media coverage across the world, but the protests across the rest of the Eastern Hemisphere haven’t slowed down at all, and in many cases have picked up.

Here is a roundup of the protests across the region once again.

Morocco: Protesters are organizing a Sunday rally.
Algeria: Growing protests and strikes across the nation.
Ivory Coast: Violent crackdown on protesters.
Tunisia: Protesters ousted the prime minister this week.
Libya: Still the big story, obviously.
Egypt: Protesters remain in Tahrir Square, new PM appointed.
Jordan: Protesters continue to demand king give up some powers.
Iraq: Protests in every major city today.
Yemen: Violent crackdowns in the north as massive protests continue.
Saudi Arabia: Protests are starting to get going in the Shi’ite regions.
Bahrain: Major protests continue, regime warns patience wearing thin.
Oman: Protests in Oman are small but growing.
Iran: Reports of protesters arrested by plain clothes police.

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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/saudiarabia/5882406/Amnesty-criticises-Saudi-Arabias-shocking-human-rights-violations.html

Amnesty criticises Saudi Arabia's 'shocking' human rights violations

Saudi Arabia is exploiting counter-terrorism efforts to violate human rights with thousands having been detained on security grounds since 2001, Amnesty International reported on Wednesday.

Published: 7:00AM BST 22 Jul 2009

In a 65-page report, the human rights organisation said an unknown number of detained people have been held in secret without access to lawyers or visitors for months or years while those brought to trial often face grossly unfair procedures.

"The scale of human rights violations is shocking. Thousands of people have had their lives turned upside down or destroyed by violations of their rights in the name of countering terrorism," Amnesty suggested in the detailed report.


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A spokesman for the interior ministry in Riyadh had no immediate comment on the report, which highlighted several cases of people whom Amnesty said had been detained under questionable circumstances.

Saudi Arabia is an absolute monarchy without an elected parliament whose courts are run by clerics applying an austere version of mainstream Sunni Islam.

The report was published after Saudi Arabia handed out verdicts earlier this month in the first publicly reported trials since al-Qaeda-linked militants began a campaign in 2003 to destabilise the world's biggest oil exporter.

In total 289 Saudis and 41 foreigners received sentences of up to 30 years in prison, state media said last week, without disclosing the nationalities. One unnamed person was sentenced to death, a government official has told Reuters.

A group called al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula began a campaign to destabilise the government in 2003 but violence was ended by security forces in co-operation with foreign experts. The last major attack was in 2006.

Local human right activists have long accused Saudi Arabia of using counter-terrorism efforts to detain opposition activists demanding democratic reforms or refusing to provide figures of detained and arrested people.

The United States, which is Saudi Arabia's main ally, and other Western countries rarely criticise the Gulf Arab state, which controls more than a fifth of global crude reserves and is a major holder of dollar assets as well as a key trading nation.

King Abdullah has tried some reforms since taking office in 2005 and removed two hardline clerics from top positions in a cabinet reshuffle in February aimed at curbing the influence of the religious establishment in education and judiciary.

But diplomats and analysts say his room for manoeuvre is limited given the resistance of conservatives in the ruling family.

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