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Israel-Palestine-Jordan

Turkish FM accosted by Arab on Temple Mount

2006-08-21

Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul was verbally accosted by a young Arab man during a visit to the Temple Mount on Sunday, police said. The heckler, who shouted 'don't shake his hand, he is a heretic and not a Muslim,' was detained by police on the scene, and removed from the ancient compound, Jerusalem police spokeswoman Sigal Toledo said. The minister's visit to the Jerusalem holy site continued without further incident. Three years ago, Muslim extremists threw shoes at Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher during a visit to the Jerusalem holy site.

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Arabia

Saudi Won’t Join G8 Meet Where Arab Reform on Table

2004-05-29

Saudi Arabia has become the second U.S. Arab ally after Egypt to shun next month’s G8 summit where Washington is to unveil a disputed Middle East reform plan, with Tunisia and Qatar also uncertain to attend. Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal told Friday’s Arabic daily al-Hayat that his country "did not have any intention" of taking part in the meeting on June 8-11 in the United States. The kingdom has criticized Washington’s "Greater Middle East Initiative" and once close ties have been strained since the September 2001 attacks which were blamed on al Qaeda and carried out mainly by Saudis. Egypt has already turned down a U.S. invitation to the summit because of the reform plan, and has said Tunisia and Qatar are also unlikely to go, though neither has confirmed this. Many Arabs have criticized the initiative, designed to counter militant Islam with political and social changes, for seeking to impose reform from abroad and for failing to address key regional issues such as the Arab-Israeli conflict. Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher said on Monday Arab identity should not be "dissolved" into a wider region under the American plan. The White House said on Monday President Bush had invited the leaders of Afghanistan, Bahrain, Jordan, Yemen and Algeria to the summit at Sea Island, Georgia. But a day earlier, London-based al-Hayat quoted diplomatic sources in Washington as saying invitations had been sent to Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Morocco too. Jordan’s King Abdullah, Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh and Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa -- whose countries are all close U.S. allies -- are expected to attend. "King Abdullah will make clear Jordan’s reform drive, which began some time ago, and reiterate that the Palestinian issue is an essential part of achieving reform in the region," a Jordanian government spokeswoman said.

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Africa: North

Arab Leaders Cheer Anti-Israel Resolution

2004-05-21

Arab diplomats said Friday they were encouraged by a U.S. decision to allow passage of a U.N. resolution criticizing Israel, saying they hoped it signaled a tougher line against Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. On Wednesday, the United States abstained from a U.N. Security Council resolution demanding that Israel halt the demolition of Palestinian homes and condemning the killing of Palestinian civilians near a Gaza refugee camp. The United States usually uses its veto power to block resolutions criticizing Israel. Israel has been conducting a military offensive in Gaza in search of militants and arms-smuggling tunnels and militants. Israel raided the refugee camp less than a week after Palestinian militants killed 13 soldiers in Gaza, seven of them along the Egyptian border. Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa, speaking at a meeting of Arab foreign ministers in Tunisia, said the U.S. abstention in the U.N. vote was a positive signal but that the Bush administration needs to go further to be perceived as an "honest broker" in Mideast peace efforts. "I hope this is a message that would stress there is a change in American policy," Moussa told The Associated Press. Don’t get your hopes up, buddy. "Abstention is definitely better than the usual veto that hampers the United Nations in dealing with major issues of human rights in the occupied territories." Several Arab foreign ministers, meeting Friday in the Tunisian capital a day ahead of a weekend summit of leaders from the Arab League, also said they saw the U.S. abstention as a good sign. "I hope they (the Americans) finally realize that support of Israel under the pretext of self-defense is leaving the Israelis to commit more and more acts of aggression and further complicates and inflames the situation, said Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher. No mention of Palestinian terror attacks, as usual. "We hope that this is an indication that the U.S. is finally determined to exert its influence on the Israelis to allow the peace process to resume," he said. Of course, Arafat has nothing to do with the stalled roadmap. The summit that starts Saturday is expected to focus on the deteriorating situation in Iraq and the recent escalation of violence in the Palestinian territories. Other items on the agenda are reform of the Arab League and a response to a U.S. proposal for political reform in the Middle East. President Bush’s plan for reform, known as the Middle East Greater Initiative, is expected to be a main topic at G-8 summit of major industrial countries June 8-10 in Sea Island, Ga. Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh has accepted an invitation to attend the G-8. The king of Bahrain, Sheik Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, also plans to attend, the official Bahraini news agency reported Friday. In Amman, a royal palace official said Jordan’s King Abdullah II had been invited, but the official did not know if the monarch would accept. Leaders of heavyweight Arab nations Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Syria were not invited to the G-8 discussions, according to Arab diplomats. They linked the apparent snub to the cool response those countries have given Washington’s push for political reforms in the Middle East. This can only be another instance of ... wait for it ... "humiliation!" Leaders of the three countries have proposed their own plan, expected to be endorsed by the Arab summit in Tunis, calling for homegrown reforms. U.S. diplomats reached for comment in Cairo and Tunis referred the query to the U.S. State Department.

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Israel-Palestine

RB Futures Watch? Muslim group opposes Arafat’s burial on Mount

2004-03-04

JPost - Reg Req’d. Don’t want to get my hopes up, but..... Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat’s wish to be buried on the Temple Mount is stirring an emotional debate among Palestinians. Leaflets distributed in Jerusalem on Wednesday by the Muslim Liberation Party called for thwarting Arafat’s plan I think it would be a bad mistake - better to scatter him at sea, and don’t wait for him to be dead, either Sources close to Arafat confirmed that the PA chairman has asked his supporters in Jerusalem to check the possibility of burying him near the Aksa Mosque. Not feeling well, Yasshole? Jerusalem police recently detained three Arab residents of Jerusalem on suspicion they were putting pressure on the Muslim Wakf (religious trust) to agree to allocate a plot on the Temple Mount for the burial of Arafat. The three were served with orders banning them from entering the Temple Mount for three months. Palestinians said some of Jerusalem’s prominent Arab families are opposed to Arafat being buried on the Temple Mount. The last Palestinian to be buried on the Temple Mount was Faisal Husseini, the former PLO representative in Jerusalem, who died of a heart attack in 2001. Burn your trash, don’t bury it, in the 3rd or 43rd or whatever number holiest place in Islam... Husseini was buried at the site despite fierce opposition from some Palestinians, who said the privilege should be reserved only to devout Muslim figures. The Liberation Party, a tiny Muslim faction with a strong presence on the Temple Mount, spearheaded the opposition, but Husseini’s aides managed to enforce their will. Yasser’s got a tougher row to hoe, with his declining influence and corruption scandals. Once he dies, it’ll be a free-for-all, and nobody will have the time to quit killing in order to push for this decrepit POS to be buried anywhere. We aren’t talking Ghandi.... A leaflet distributed in Jerusalem by the party said its members are also strongly opposed to plans to bury Arafat on the Temple Mount. Referring to Arafat, the leaflet said: "We warn this wicked infidel, who married a Christian infidel, against contemplating desecrating the holy Aksa Mosque." Oooooh, Suha’s getting drug into this, LOL! Earlier this year, members of the Liberation Party prevented Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher from praying at al-Aksa. They threw shoes at him and shouted slogans accusing him and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak of betraying the Arabs and Muslims.

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Middle East

Egyptian FM returns to Cairo

2003-12-23

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher, who was hospitalised after witnesses said he was jostled by Palestinians for visiting a Muslim holy site under Israeli occupation, has returned to Cairo. "I'm gettin' outta here! Those people are crazy!" Maher arrived on Monday shortly after 11:00pm at the Almaza Airbase in eastern Cairo where he'd left from earlier in the day. The minister, 68, was admitted to a hospital in Jerusalem for three hours. Witnesses said that some 200 Palestinian worshippers shouted "traitor" at Maher after he tried to pray at the al-Aqsa mosque compound, Islam's third holiest site, in occupied East Jerusalem. He was also shoved and heckled before fainting. "Quick, Ethel! His pills!... Too late." Mosque guards formed a human chain around him as he left the scene. Maher's spokesman Tariq Adal earlier said that the minister was in good health and that the "incident was blown out of proportion". Anybody recall any other foreign ministers trampled by mobs lately? The incident occurred while Maher rounded off a one-day visit to Israel during which he held talks with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom. His visit was intended to be an important step towards improving strained ties between Egypt and Israel after the Intifada against Israel's occupation erupted three years ago. He also didn't stop by to kiss Yasser's ring... Israeli police said that they had detained at least five Palestinians believed to be connected with the incident. Their identities have not been revealed.

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Middle East

Muslims Attack Egypt FM in Jerusalem

2003-12-22

Muslim demonstrators attacked visiting Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher on Monday as he tried to pray at the Al Aqsa Mosque, Islam’s third-holiest site, in the Old City of Jerusalem, witnesses said. Witnesses said Maher was not injured, but was taken to the hospital after complaining of not feeling well. "I feel faint, hold me" Witnesses said Muslim extremists lunged and shouted at him and threw shoes in his direction. Bodyguards surrounded the minister and whisked him out of the compound. They said he was heard saying, "I’m going to choke, I’m going to choke" as he was being taken away. A convoy raced Maher to an Israeli hospital. Maher was in Israel on Monday for talks with Israeli leaders about resuming peace talks with the Palestinians. Guess they don’t want to talk. OK by me.

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Iraq

Diplomat: U.S. Shouldn’t Impose on Iraq

2003-09-26

There’s just so much mockable content here... Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher urged the Bush administration Friday to back away from its goal of helping to nurture a democratic Iraq as part of broader plan to promote democracy throughout the Middle East. Thanks for the lousy advice, Ahmed, but we finally have a president who understands the word "scam". "They will not be a model and no model will be imposed on them," Maher told a gathering sponsored by the Council on Foreign Relations. "We’re a better model, really -- we’ve run Egypt for thousands of years! We even think that the EU ought to adopt our model, since they’re so impressed by age!" He called on the administration to "let Iraq be itself." Uh, isn’t that the experiment we just shut down??? The administration is using its politically-dominant role in post-Saddam Iraq to try to instill democratic processes from the local to the national level as an alternative to the country’s long tradition of violent extremism. And to subsidize the Egyptian government to the tune of several billion dollars every year... don’t forget that, Ahmed! "I don’t think that countries are eager to be models," said Maher, who noted that Egypt never had good relations with Saddam Hussein and had no reason to lament his demise. Particularly if those models don’t allow our leaders to become disgustingly rich, and kill people who we don’t like... He said the U.S. role as occupier of Iraq must end as soon as possible in the interest of avoiding an unstable situation in the region. Hey, we Americans like instability -- look at what’s happening in California! On the Israeli-Palestinian dispute, Maher urged the United States to call off its "blame (Yasser) Arafat" policies and strive toward a more evenhanded approach." Okay, we’ll be glad to include you and the other local kleptocracies in the blame game, if you insist. While asserting that Arafat is not an "angel," Maher said the Palestinian Authority chairman is an essential part of the solution to the ongoing standoff with Israel. If you’re suggesting that the roadblock itself is an essential player in removing the roadblock, I’d have to agree wholeheartedly... He said it would be a mistake to regard the liberation movement Arafat has headed as incapable of living in peace with Israel once the elimination of Israel Palestinian independence is achieved. "Liberation movements turn into governments and act differently," Maher said. "When they’re all dead, we’ll stop shooting at them!" While restating his friendship for the United States, Maher said it was "absolutely necessary" for the administration to lean on Israel from time to time instead of focusing its wrath on the Palestinians. He said Egypt does not allow the Palestinian to go "scot free" when they engage in wrongdoing and the West should do the same with Israel. "Hell no, we give them a stern talking-to and make them re-read the Protocols of Zion!" As an example of what he described as the pro-Israeli posture of the United States, he cited the examples of Israel’s destruction of seven- and eight-story buildings where Palestinian noncombatants live. They only destroy the buildings that attack them... some of those darn buildings are pretty trigger-happy. In response to those incidents, he said, "We haven’t heard any clamor in the West." We’ve subcontracted our clamoring to KCNA... He added: "Israel considers the death of an Israeli child to be one thing and the death of a Palestinian child to be another." Another subtle reference to the Protocols?? Maher also took aim at the wall that Israel is building in the Palestinian territories, contending that it shows an unwillingness by Israelis to pursue the goal of living in peace with Palestinians. It’s actually a pretty creative way to attain that goal... Beyond that, he said, the wall won’t achieve the Israeli goal of greater security because "Palestinians have missiles which can fly over walls." Sharon: "Guess what... we’re going to need a higher wall..."

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Iraq

Arab League OKs Seat for Iraqi Council

2003-09-09

Outbreak of common-sense virus in Cairo. Film at 6. The Arab League unanimously granted the U.S.-appointed Iraqi Governing Council a seat on the pan-Arab body early Tuesday - delivering a major boost to the Bush administration’s post-war occupation. The decision ended weeks of debate within the 22-member League over whether to recognize Iraq’s interim authority, with opponents fearing that acceptance could be seen as a sign of support for the American invasion. ``That’s good,’’ James Cunningham, Bush’s deputy U.N. ambassador, said of the landmark decision. ``That’s a positive step.’’ A State Department spokeswoman said the United States hadn’t been officially notified of the development, but said it would be welcome. She said U.S. officials will follow up with the Arab League Tuesday on details of the step. Washington has said a new, democratically appointed government in Iraq could also act as a catalyst for reform throughout the Middle East, where most countries have been ruled for generations by royal families or regimes. Arab League foreign ministers issued a communique after six hours of debate saying the Governing Council had been granted a seat until an Iraqi government is formed and a new constitution drawn up. ``This decision was agreed upon unanimously,’’ the Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher told reporters following the meeting. Awright, the weasels are up to something. The Arab League, which opposed the U.S.-led war in Iraq, had been reluctant to welcome the Governing Council into its fold, fearing any recognition of it would be seen as a sign of support for the American invasion of an Arab state. But Tuesday’s decision paves the way for Hoshyar Zebari, the Iraqi Kurdish leader appointed foreign minister when the Council’s first Cabinet was named Sept. 1, to sit alongside Arab envoys when a two-day foreign ministerial conference begins later in the day. On arriving Monday in Cairo, Zebari, making his first trip abroad since being appointed foreign minister Sept. 1, told reporters that he was not seeking recognition from the league. ``This is our right. We are claiming our legitimate right to be here and to be represented,’’ he said. ``Our message is: We’re the representatives of de facto Iraqi authority.’’ The effects of the council’s recognition could be far reaching. An emboldened Governing Council is expected to be a modifying influence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a stark contrast to the anti-Israeli position of Saddam’s regime. "See here boys, we’ve had a most impressive demonstration of modern combined arms warfare in our homeland. Spectacular, really. We’re convinced. Don’t make the Israelis convince you!" The council’s increased political standing regionally could be transferred to wider stages, paving the way for it to be Iraq’s official U.N. representative. The Security Council has already indicated broad acceptance of the council a transitional body. China, a veto-holding member of the Security Council, supported the League’s decision, with its U.N. ambassador, Wang Guangya, calling it ``a good move.’’ And the League’s decision was also expected to give the Iraqi council greater influence in the country’s important oil industry. Venezuela and some other OPEC members have refused to deal with U.S.-picked panel, saying its hadn’t been internationally recognized. Chavez is still awaiting permission from Fi-del. An example of some of the opposition faced by the council came when 30 Jordanian lawmakers on Monday presented a petition urging the government to block the Iraqi representative ``assigned by the U.S. occupation’’ from the Arab League meeting. But approval came after strong indications that Iraq would gain a seat. The foreign ministers of Sudan and the Comoros welcomed Iraq’s participation, saying the Governing Council should be dealt with until a permanent government was in place. ``The Iraqi people need the Arab League ... and it’s important that we, as Arabs, deal with this transitional situation ... and support it, ``Sudanese Foreign Minister Mustafa Osman Ismail told reporters. Other countries, including Jordan, Egypt, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, have said they would deal with the interim Governing Council. In Jiddah, Saudi Arabia, the foreign ministers of six Gulf countries issued a statement of support for the new Iraqi interim administration. Kuwait asked the Arab League earlier this month to allow Iraq to take part in its meetings. On Sunday, the Emirates said they had informed Zebari that it supported his participation in the meetings and ``all (efforts) that aim at returning stability and security to Iraq.’’ Good news.

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Arabia

Fractious meeting on Iraq extended

2003-04-18

A group of eight countries — including all six of Iraq’s neighbours – have been meeting in Saudi Arabia. "What will we do? Oh, what will we do?" "Don't worry. I've got some holy men on it..." In Riyadh, Iraq’s neighbours and other Arab states concerned about the political ramifications of a long-term US occupation, are holding talks Friday and Saturday aimed at coming up with a united position on a national government that will hasten the withdrawal of US forces. The foreign ministers of Iraq's six neighbours — Syria, Jordan, Turkey, Iran, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia — along with Egypt and current Arab League chairman Bahrain, asked that US troops leave Iraq “as soon as possible” even as they disagreed on other key points. "Get out! Get out! Ooooh! Go away! Ucky! Cooties! Infidels!" Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher hinted at the differences among the participants. "There could be divergent analyses (of the situation)," he said without elaborating. The differences relate to the status of the Kurds in the north, Turkish demands on oil from the city of Kirkuk and the identity of certain figures tipped to become members of a future Iraqi government, a participating diplomat said. "They... They... They ain't plannin' on a... uh... you know... a secular state, are they?"

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Axis of Evil

Egypt: No need to hold summit on Iraqi crisis in Turkey

2003-01-21

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher said Tuesday that his country sees no reason to hold a summit in Istanbul on the Iraqi crisis, adding that he has expressed his readiness to hold a foreign ministerial meeting in any agreed upon place. The Middle East News Agency (MENA) quoted Maher as saying that he has never agreed on the recommendation to hold a summit in Istanbul on the Iraqi issue and conveyed that in all of his contacts he asserted that Egypt agrees on holding a foreign ministers meeting. Snubbing Turkey, or doesn't want a high-level summit? Knows it won't do any good, so he wants it at the foreign minister level? Or does he want any meeting to be held in Egypt? Turkey has recommended to hold a sextet meeting to discuss the Iraqi issue in Istanbul. The meeting would group Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Jordan and Iran. On Monday night, Maher held contacts with the foreign ministers of Saudi, Syria and Jordan in which he discussed the Turkish invitation to hold a regional conference on the Iraqi crisis to be held next Thursday. Meanwhile, Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal met Tuesday with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak . "The main point on the agenda of the (Istanbul) meeting will be to avoid any military action on Iraq. This is the most important thing not only for the Iraqi people but the peoples of the region and the interests of the world at large," Prince Saud said. "All of us have ideas for what might happen. These ideas will be conveyed to official sides and until that happens I think it is inappropriate to talk about them. I cannot talk about any details." He seems to want to talk Prince Saud dismissed reports in Arab and Western media in recent days that Arab leaders, particularly Saudi officials, were working to persuade Saddam to go quietly into exile or even to foment a coup against him. "I think it is incorrect to talk about interference in Iraq's internal affairs," the prince said. "Talk about amnesty or an exile is something that should be determined by the Iraqi people." Running away from this issue. Did the word go out from Baghdad that Sammy was pissed off about people talking about him leaving?

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Axis of Evil

Sammy ready to go?

2003-01-17

Source: Dawn Iraqi President Saddam Hussein has agreed to leave Iraq and go into exile in an African country if certain conditions are met, three diplomats in the United Arab Emirates were quoted as saying on Thursday. "Condition one: Bush has to go, too..." The diplomats in Dubai, one Western and two Arabic, who did not want to be named or reveal their sources, said the Iraqi leadership was prepared to accept a deal under which Saddam Hussein would leave the country if he was guaranteed not to be prosecuted or persecuted by the United States or any of its European allies. Hussein would be accompanied by other members of his government and their families, and an African country was considered as the location for their exile, they said. That would probably be Libya... According to observers in the region, news of a possible exile for Saddam could be related to recent announcements that Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Iran, Egypt, Jordan, and Syria were due to present a proposal to avoid an invasion in the next few days. The speculations gained pace after Syrian President Bashar al Assad cancelled a scheduled trip to Tehran on Wednesday and a visit of Iraq's Gen Ali Hassan al Majid to Cairo was postponed. Bingo. Egyptian media had first announced that al Majid, a member of Iraq's Revolution Council and a lover cousin of President Saddam, wanted to bring Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak a message from Saddam. No new date had been set for the visit, it was said. "The timing was not appropriate," Egypt's Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher said in Cairo on Thursday. "He can probably stop by for a few minutes on his way to the Central African Republic..." According to the three diplomats, further conditions for Saddam's departure would be the withdrawal of United States troops from the Gulf region, the end of United Nations arms inspections and sanctions against Iraq as well as measures against the production of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. However, the US had so far rejected these conditions and Egypt was now trying to convince Baghdad to accept a compromise, the diplomats said. The original condition was for Iraq to disarm. We'd also need a say in the structure of the new government... Cairo has in recent days been the centre of a flurry of regional diplomatic activity involving Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Jordan and Iran, aimed at resolving the standoff through diplomatic and political means, which was "our objective", according to Maher. Politicians and observers had repeatedly dismissed speculations that Saddam might resign, adding that such rumours could have been spread deliberately in order to cause uncertainty amongst government officials in Baghdad. Baghdad said Saddam Hussein would not leave his country under any circumstances. On, the other hand, truth is a matter of convenience among Arabs, isn't it?

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Middle East

Israel Torpedoing Palestinian Ceasefire Efforts: Egypt

2002-12-27

Israel is torpedoing Cairo's efforts to get Palestinian resistance groups to calm their 27-month uprising, Egypt said Thursday, December 26, after the Israeli occupation army killed 9 Palestinians in the occupied territories, as the Israeli defense minister ordered his army to "turn up the heat" on the Palestinians. "At a time when the Palestinians are trying with Egypt's help to reach an agreement for a calming down, Israel is fueling the cycle of violence," Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher told reporters after receiving a phone call from Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported. "If those damned Zionists would just stop shooting back, we could get somewhere!"

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