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Recent Appearances... Rantburg

International-UN-NGOs
A united Arab front
2022-06-27
The view from Egypt, which really wants to be acknowledged as a macher in the Arab world.
[AlAhram] Saudi Crown-Prince Mohammed bin Salman
...Crown Prince and modernizer of Saudi Arabia as of 2016. The Turks hate him, so he must be all right, despite the occasional brutal murder of Qatar-owned journalists. As crown prince, Moe has quietly jettisoned his country's policy of trying to impose its religion on the rest of the world...
 paid Cairo a two-day visit on Monday to discuss Biden’s upcoming visit to Jeddah. Bahraini King Hamad
...King of Bahrain (since 14 February 2002), having previously been its emir (from 6 March 1999). He is a Sunni, while the rest of Bahrain is predominantly Shiite...
 bin Eissa al-Khalifa and Jordanian King Abdullah II had already met with President Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi in Sharm El-Sheikh to the same end. Both meetings confirm Egypt’s central role in reaching a united Arab stand ahead of the widely anticipated, mid-July meeting between the US president and leaders of nine Arab nations: the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, Egypt, Jordan and Iraq.
Link


Arabia
Qatar: Fast-track reconciliation
2021-01-24
[AlAhram] The Saudi announcement of opening its embassy in Doha tied the knot for a three and half years of total boycott

The details of the reconciliation agreement between Qatar
...an emirate on the east coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It sits on some really productive gas and oil deposits, which produces the highest per capita income in the world. They piss it all away on religion, financing the Moslem Brotherhood and several al-Qaeda affiliates. Home of nutbag holy manYusuf al-Qaradawi...
 and its neighbours, signed at Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit two weeks ago, still haven’t been made public. But Riyadh is fast-tracking the restoration of full diplomatic relations with Doha.
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Arabia
UAE’s Gargash: Middle East instability caused by foreign interference
2019-11-24
Because instability is absolutely not something Middle Easterners would accomplish on their own.
[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] Ottoman Turkish and Iranian regional interference, as well as economic issues, are major causes of current Middle East instability, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said on Saturday.

"The past two decades have seen unusual interference in regional affairs - Ottoman Turkish, Iran
...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan, the abbreviation IRGC is a cognate form of Stürmabteilung (or SA), the term Supreme Guide is a cognate form of either Shah or Führer or maybe both, and they hate Jews Zionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol...
interference - which adds to the overall instability of the region," said Gargash at the annual IISS Manama Dialogue summit in Bahrain.

He said that the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries have been confronting Iran’s "expansionist" policy for the past 30 years, and that it has provided an opportunity for cooperation between regional states.

Gargash said that the UAE’s confrontation of terrorism and extremism is a priority, and that given its limited resources stemming from its small size, it is important the UAE moves collectively.

Gargash also said the ongoing demonstrations in Iraq and Leb are primarily related to economic policies.

"The daily demonstrations in Iraq and Leb...it is for mostly about the efficacy about the economic system. It is secondly about corruption," said Gargash, adding he would like to see the region discuss the development of economic policies more.

While Iran and economic policies may be causing destabilization, Gargash did point to a "major success" of conflict resolution in the region: the Riyadh agreement.

"Saudi diplomacy successfully engineered [this agreement]...an essential building block to the stability in Yemen
...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of...
," said Gargash.

Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Hezbollah chief warns war against Iran would 'engulf region'
2019-06-01
[Al Jazeera] The head of the Lebanese political and armed movement Hezbollah has warned that any war against Iran would cause the Middle East to "erupt".

Hassan Nasrallah said on Friday that the United States "know well that any war on Iran will not remain confined to Iran's borders. The entire region will burn", leading to all US forces and interests in the region being "annihilated".

The head of the Iran-backed movement made the comments in a televised speech as emergency meetings of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the Organisation of the Islamic Conference and Arab League
...an organization of Arabic-speaking states with 22 member countries and four observers. The League tries to achieve Arab consensus on issues, which usually leaves them doing nothing but a bit of grimacing and mustache cursing...
 took place in Mecca, Soddy Arabia
...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face...
The meetings were held in order to counter what Saudi Arabia has called Iran's growing influence in the region. They take place amid escalating tensions between the US and Iran.

In the year since President Donald Trump
...New York real estate developer, described by Dems as illiterate, racist, misogynistic, and what ever other unpleasant descriptions they can think of, elected by the rest of us as 45th President of the United States...
 withdrew the US from a landmark 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and several other world powers Washington has since steadily ratcheted up pressure on Tehran: reimposing sanctions, moving to cut the country's oil exports to zero, blacklisting Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps as a "terrorist group" and deploying US military units to the Gulf in response to an unspecified threat.
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Arabia
Qatar invited by Saudi Arabia to talks over Iran tensions
2019-05-28
[DAWN] Qatar
...an emirate on the east coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It sits on some really productive gas and oil deposits, which produces the highest per capita income in the world. They piss it all away on religion, financing the Moslem Brotherhood and several al-Qaeda affiliates. Home of nutbag holy manYusuf al-Qaradawi...
 said on Sunday that it had received an invitation from Soddy Arabia
...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face...
 to attend emergency regional talks to discuss mounting tensions between Iran and the United States.

Riyadh had called two gatherings ‐ one for Arab League
...an organization of Arabic-speaking states with 22 member countries and four observers. The League tries to achieve Arab consensus on issues, which usually leaves them doing nothing but a bit of grimacing and mustache cursing...
 members, the other for Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) regional bloc nations ‐ after a spate of attacks.

Several tankers in Gulf waters were targeted under mysterious circumstances and a Saudi crude pipeline was hit by dronezaps coordinated by Yemen
...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of. Except for a tiny handfull of Jews everthing there is very Islamic...
rebels who Riyadh said were acting on Iranian orders.

King Salman
...either the largest species of Pacific salmon or the current Sheikh of the Burnin' Sands, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and Lord of Most of the Arabians....
 had invited Gulf leaders and Arab League members to summits in Makkah on May 30 but it was not stated if Qatar was also invited to the Arab bloc deliberations.
Link


Arabia
Saudi in talks with US for Arab front against Iran: Jubeir
2018-12-11
[PRESSTV] Soddy Arabia
...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face...
 Foreign Minister Great Gazoo Adel al-Jubeir says the kingdom is in talks with the United States about a new security alliance of Arab countries specifically aimed at countering Iran.

Speaking at a press briefing in Riyadh Sunday, the Saudi FM said the new pact would be similar in style to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO
...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. It's headquartered in Belgium. That sez it all....
) and would seek to protect the Middle East from "external aggression."

"Talks are continuing between the United States and the (Persian) Gulf states around this question and ideas are being drawn up," he said at the press call, which came after the annual Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit.

"The aim is to achieve security arrangements in the Middle East that can protect the region from external aggression... and strengthen relations between the United States and the countries of the region," Jubeir added.

The Saudi diplomat said the agreement, which is going to feature Egypt as a member as well, would be called the Middle East Strategic Alliance, or MESA.

The remarks confirmed months-long media reports about a joint push between Riyadh and Washington for the establishment of a so-called "Arab NATO" that would also serve Israeli interests in the Middle East region.

US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Persian Gulf Affairs Tim Lenderking on Sunday toured the region to convince Arab leaders to commit to the plan.

Link


Arabia
Oman says running out of patience with UAE violations
2018-06-09
[PRESSTV] More tensions emerge among the already divided Persian Gulf countries as Oman warns the United Arab Emirates against continued "theft" of its intellectual property and national heritage.

"Neighbors should realize that the Omani nation has run out of patience," Deputy Chairman of the Public Authority for Craft Industries of Oman Isam bin Ali al Rawas has said.

In an interview with local al-Wisal radio station, he warned that Oman's ruler Sultan Qaboos was in possession of damning documents against the UAE, which he would reveal if he decided to do so.

Tension has been simmering since 2011 when Oman disbanded an Emirati spy cell targeting Sultan Qaboos. Oman was further incensed after the UAE unveiled its map which included Oman’s Musandam Province at the opening of Louvre Abu Dhabi last November.

The last straw came recently after a UAE series portrayed an Omani historical figure as an Emirati icon.

Muscat, which has tried to avoid being dragged into a Saudi-led rift with Qatar
...an emirate on the east coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It sits on some really productive gas and oil deposits, which produces the highest per capita income in the world. They piss it all away on religion, financing the Moslem Brotherhood and several al-Qaeda affiliates. Home of nutbag holy manYusuf al-Qaradawi...
, is opposed to the UAE participation in the war against Yemen.

Just recently, Oman decided to ban the operations of an Emirati bank in the sultanate.

Soddy Arabia
...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face...
 and the UAE are accused of plotting to monopolize power in the Persian Gulf region through aggressive policies against their neighbors.

On Wednesday, Riyadh and Abu Dhabi unveiled a raft of economic deals, signing 20 memorandums of understanding for over 60 joint projects, including in the oil and gas, banking, nuclear energy, and defense.

The deals, approved at a meeting of the Saudi-Emirati Coordination Council in the Saudi port city of Jeddah, did not involve the four other Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) members -- Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait.

Saudi Arabia, the Emirates, Bahrain, and non-member Egypt imposed an all-out blockade against Qatar last year, accusing it of supporting terrorism. Doha has strongly denied
No, no! Certainly not!
 the allegation.

Link


Arabia
The Qatar Crisis, its Regional Implications, and the US National Interest
2018-02-07
[SmallWarsJournal] The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) which comprised of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman and the United Arab Emirates. The GCC is an important organization within the Persian Gulf area which has undergone a very serious organizational crisis. A very stern rift has occurred within the GCC that has witnessed Saudi Arabia and her regional allies, flexing their muscles against Qatar (which is also a member of GCC) due to serious differences in their worldview and day-to-day regional politics. The Saudi ultimatum may be summarized from the original 13 points into the one paragraph below: Cease supporting Iran and Turkey as regional competitors, cease Qatar’s support for terrorist groups and anti GCC countries political activists; cease exercising soft power (media) that provoked unrest in Saudi Arabia and other GCC member states[2] and finally accept Saudi Arabia’s hegemonic influence.

There are many competing factors involved in this crisis which could create challenges to regional security should diplomatic tools fail to solve their differences. Importantly, the GCC is an indispensable asset for Persian Gulf security until a better way is found to incorporate other littoral states into the Persian Gulf security structure.

Most importantly, the Saudi-Qatar rift is multilayered and has developed over the last few years wherein international prestige and power has increased among Saudis, Qatar and other GCC countries’ due to the drastic geopolitical and economic changes since 1979. Geopolitically, since 1979, Iran and Iraq have continuously lost their influence due to revolution and wars which weakened their standing drastically and created a huge power vacuum.

In the economic sphere, the abundance of natural resources has changed the overall economic status of the Southern part of the Persian Gulf Arab states (Arabian Peninsula) such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and others. The increase of prestige and power of Saudi Arabia and other GCC countries have encouraged them to assume a bigger role in the regional politics; however, their power projection and capabilities were not checked and balanced within the GCC framework.

The Qatar crisis has shown a bitter reality: the GCC countries are following separate socio-political and economic paths and that their work isn’t coordinated in any shape or form. They are contradicting each other’s national interests, and there exists no neutral body capable of solving their conflicting interstate interests. The lack of mediation and the atmosphere of mutual suspicion and distrust of other member states have created this great dilemma in the Southern Persian Gulf area. In other words, the GCC’s lack of a unified approach toward internal and regional issues have created chaos and distrust in all levels of GCC governing body. The current crisis exemplifies how the absence of cohesive policy-making could bring a regional or international organization to its knees.
The actual analysis at the title link.
Link


Arabia
Saudi Arabia steps into a new era with VAT
2018-01-01
[ARABNEWS] It is hoped that the levying of a value-added tax (VAT) from Monday will power the Kingdom’s march toward progress and prosperity.

The tax is imposed by Soddy Arabia
...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face...
 and the UAE within the framework of a unified agreement endorsed by the member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

"The imposition of VAT will help to raise tax revenues of the Saudi government to be utilized for infrastructure and developmental works," said Mohammed al-Khunaizi, a member of the Shoura Council, here on Sunday, while calling VAT "a major move that will contribute to address challenges and sustain growth." While referring to the compliance of Saudi businesses with VAT regulations, he pointed out that VAT or sales taxes are key revenue sources for more than 166 countries across the world today.

Al-Khunaizi also called for "punitive measures" to be adopted strictly for those who have not registered so far, or who violate the laws. The Ministry of Commerce and Investment has announced that in cooperation with the General Authority for Zakat and Tax (GAZT), it will intensify inspection tours in markets and commercial firms across the Kingdom to track down irregularities before and during application of the VAT.
Link


Arabia
Oman moves closer to a post-oil economy
2017-12-10
[Al Jazeera] The future of Oman, situated along a vast stretch of coastline reaching the strategic Strait of Hormuz, is linked to the sea - and the country's ability to leverage this connection will be key to its economic development in the years ahead.

2018 marks the middle of a five-year diversification strategy that builds on Oman's long-term vision to shift from an oil-based economy towards other critical sectors, including manufacturing, logistics, tourism, fisheries and mining.

In an era of low oil prices, Oman - which has the lowest GDP per capita among the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and an unemployment rate surpassing 17 percent - wants to refashion itself as a hub for shipping and industry. Facilities such as the special economic zone at Duqm, established in 2011 with a goal of becoming a commercial powerhouse, will play a significant role in this transition.

But how realistic is Oman's diversification plan, and what obstacles could the Gulf nation face in the years ahead?

"We are aware that we live in a very critical area of the Middle East ... [Oman] is like an island in a sea with a lot of challenges happening," Talal Sulaiman al-Rahbi, the deputy secretary-general of Oman's Supreme Council for Planning and the architect of the country's economic diversification plan, told Al Jazeera.

"We are looking first into reducing the dependence on oil for the national budget, and also to diversify the economy and start other clusters of industries ... in addition, increasing job opportunities in the private sector, away from government jobs. [These] are being looked at as key things to achieve."

Link


Arabia
GCC, US slap sanctions on Yemen 'terror' financiers
2017-10-26
[Al Jazeera] Qatar
...an emirate on the east coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It sits on some really productive gas and oil deposits, which produces the highest per capita income in the world. They piss it all away on religion, financing the Moslem Brotherhood and several al-Qaeda affiliates...
, the United States and five Gulf nations have imposed sanctions on 11 people and two organizations accused of financing al-Qaeda and ISIS in Yemen
...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of. Except for a tiny handfull of Jews everthing there is very Islamic...
(Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems....
 of Iraq and the Levant, also known as ISIS), according to Qatari state media.

Qatar's National Counter-Terrorism Committee said in a statement on Wednesday the individuals and entities would face asset freezes and travel bans, in a move that shows "Qatar's strong and continuous commitment to combatting terrorism and terrorism financing".

"We are committed to taking the necessary steps to defeat terrorism in all its forms, and will continue to work closely with the United States to impose sanctions on those who facilitate terrorist activity," Major-General Abdulaziz A Al Ansari was quoted as saying by Qatar News Agency.

The announcement signalled rare cooperation between Qatar and some fellow members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) that have blockaded it for nearly five months.

GCC members Soddy Arabia
...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face...
, United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, along with Egypt, imposed the blockade on June 5, accusing Qatar of supporting "terrorism and extremism" - an accusation Doha vehemently denies.

"In terms of the Gulf crisis that we've seen over the last several months, Qatar is making sure it underlines that it is at the forefront of combatting terror," said Al Jazeera's senior analyst Marwan Bishara.

Qatar signed an agreement in July with the US on intelligence and finance cooperation in tackling "terrorism".

The Terrorist Financing Targeting Center (TFTC) was created in May and involves the US and the six members of the GCC: Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman.

"Both aim at the same objective which is how to make sure that in the global Gulf region there are no individuals and no entities that would be financing or abetting terrorism," Bishara said.

The TFTC's decision to impose sanctions was first announced on Wednesday by US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who was speaking at a conference in the Saudi capital, Riyadh.

"It's fascinating that Arab leaders are incapable of taking any single serious initiative that concerns their safety - the safety of their citizens, the wellbeing of their countries - without America and the American agenda bringing them together," said Bishara.
Link


Arabia
IUMS urges Saudi Arabia to free Muslim scholars
2017-09-13
[Al Jazeera] The International Union of Moslem Scholars (IUMS) has condemned the reported arrest of Moslem preachers and scholars in Soddy Arabia
...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face...
, urging Saudi King Salman
...either the largest species of Pacific salmon or the current Sheikh of the Burnin' Sands, Cutodian of the Two Holy Mosquesand Lord of Most of the Arabians....
 bin Abdulaziz to order their release.

Salman al-Audah, a prominent Moslem preacher and member of the IUMS's board of trustees, and more than 20 others were enjugged
Maw! They're comin' to get me, Maw!
 on Sunday, according to social media postings.

The Doha-based IUMS said in a statement on Monday that the scholars "should not be used as pawns in political disputes", referring to the crisis between Qatar
...an emirate on the east coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It sits on some really productive gas and oil deposits, which produces the highest per capita income in the world. They piss it all away on religion, financing the Moslem Brotherhood and several al-Qaeda affiliates...
 and four other Arab states - Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt.

"In regards to the crisis [with] the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states, Audah has done nothing but call for unity between these brotherly countries," the statement read, noting that his last tweet urged GCC members to "come together for the sake of their people".

The IUMS is an organization of Islamic theologians headed by chairman Yusuf al-Qaradawi
...crackpot Egyptian Islamist theologian. He is best known for his program Shariah and Life on Al Jazeera, with an estimated audience of 60 million kindred souls worldwide. He is also well-known for IslamOnline, which occasionally advocates things like slavery and thumping the old lady with a rod no thicker than an inch, and has published more than 120 books, including Islam: The Future Civilization. Joe has long had a prominent role within the intellectual leadership of the Moslem Brüderbund. Some of his views have been controversial in the West, though less so among the rubes of the Mysterious East, and he was refused entry to the United Kingdom in 2008. In 2004, 2,500 Muslim academics from Saudi Arabia, Iraq and from the Palestinian territories condemned Qaradawi, and accused him of giving Islam a bad name....
, and headquartered in Qatar.

About 90,000 Moslem scholars are connected through the union, which claims to bring together Sunni and Shia Moslems.

Ali Qara Daghi, IUMS secretary-general, was quoted in the document as saying that Auda was known for his "moderate positions".

Saudi Arabia is yet to issue any official statement regarding the reported arrests.

The incident came to light on Twitter after Khalid bin Fahd al-Audah tweeted on Sunday that the Saudi authorities had arrested is brother Salman.

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