SUSRIS Daily News – Excerpts from International Media Reports
[Links to full articles were active on the date posted here]
Al Turki Blasts US on Policy in Afghanistan [May 16]
“An ‘inept United States cannot fix Afghanistan’s problems and should simply focus on ‘chasing the terrorists’ there, former Saudi intelligence chief Prince Turki Al Faisal said on Saturday. In a speech to a Riyadh audience that included diplomats, Al Turki said the US-led Nato troop presence in Afghanistan has irrevocably alienated the Afghan people. ‘What Afghanistan needs now is a shift from nation-building to effectively countering terrorists,’ Al Turki said at the Arab News one-day media conference. US President Barack Obama ‘should not be misdirected into believing that he can fix Afghanistan’s ills by military means’. ‘Hunt down the terrorists on both sides of the Afghan-Pakistan border, arrest them or kill them, and get out, and let the Afghan people deal with their problems. As long as GI boots remain on Afghan soil, they remain targets of resistance for the Afghan people and ideological mercenaries,’..” [Complete Report]
Saudi Editor Resigns After Article Criticising Salafism [May 16]
“Prominent Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi resigned suddenly on Sunday from the helm of Al-Watan days after the newspaper published a controversial column criticising Salafism. Al-Watan announced that Khashoggi, 52, was stepping down as editor-in-chief ‘to focus on his personal projects,’ in a statement published on its website and in its Sunday edition. The statement from Prince Bandar bin Khaled al-Faisal, chief executive of the company which owns Al-Watan, praised Khashoggi as ‘a loyal son … who left a clear mark on its progress.’ Prince Bandar named deputy editor Sulayman al-Aquili as interim editor-in-chief. The resignation, which came hours after Khashoggi celebrated his third marriage Saturday, was unexpected, and Saudi journalists said they believed it was the result of pressure from high levels of the government. It followed a year of tensions with authorities and religious conservatives over numerous articles and columns viewed as critical of the ultra-conservative Wahhabi Islam which dominates Saudi life. Last June Khashoggi narrowly avoided being forced out after one of his columnists clashed with Interior Minister Prince Nayef bin Abdul Aziz over critical coverage of the religious police..” [Complete Report]
Women Driving Issue Resurfaces [May 16]
“The issue of whether Saudi women should be allowed to drive came to the surface once more during a television program broadcast on the Al-Arabiya news channel.. ..Sheikh Abdul Aziz, who supports women driving, said the reasons behind stopping women from driving no longer exists. He added that a fatwa on the matter, issued by the Council of Senior Islamic Scholars, was given in a particular context in the early 1990s, a time when there was much upheaval in the region, including the Gulf War, Saddam’s invasion of Kuwait and the arrival of US forces, something that some conservatives described as an American invasion.. ..Al-Zulfa said religious institutes tolerate women mixing or being in khalwa with their drivers but stop short of allowing women to drive. “It is a cultural and social issue rather than a religious one,” he said, adding that it is a political decision and should be dealt with by the government..” [Complete Report]
Fatah Delegation Arrives in Saudi Arabia [May 16]
“A delegation representing the Fatah movement arrived Thursday night in Riyadh for an official visit to Saudi Arabia. The delegation comprises Fatah Central Committee members Abbas Zaki, Muhammad Shtayya and Jamal Muheisin in addition to Amin Maqboul, the secretary-general of the movement’s Revolutionary Council. The visitors will meet Saudi Foreign Minister Saud Al-Faysal and discuss with him the latest developments in the region and the situation in Palestine..” [Complete Report]
Gulf Markets See Red As EU Concerns, Oil Drag [May 16]
“Gulf stocks closed in the red Sunday as investors followed a sharp drop in global equities and oil prices late last week amid concern the euro-zone’s fiscal problems may derail economic recovery. For the petrodollar economies of the Persian Gulf ‘uncertainty about the direction of oil prices is the most potent risk related to the European debt crisis. Gulf equities are coupled on the downside with global markets,’.. ..Shares in Saudi Arabia, the Gulf’s largest market, closed down for the second consecutive say, dropping 0.2% to 6526.45, after falling 2.3% Saturday..” [Complete Report]
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