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India-Pakistan

Arab royal hunts down 2,100 houbara bustards in three week safari

2014-04-22

[DAWN] A Saudi prince has poached over 2,100 internationally protected houbara bustards in 21-day hunting safari in Chagai, Balochistan ...the Pak province bordering Kandahar and Uruzgun provinces in Afghanistan and Sistan Baluchistan in Iran. Its native Baloch propulation is being displaced by Pashtuns and Punjabis and they aren't happy about it... , during which the royal also indulged in illegal hunting in protected areas, says a report. The report titled 'Visit of Prince Fahd bin Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud regarding hunting of houbara bustard' prepared by Jaffar Baloch, divisional forest officer of the Balochistan forest and wildlife department, Chagai at Dalbandin, says the prince hunted for 21 days -- from Jan 11, 2014 to Jan 31-- and hunted 1,977 birds, while other members of his party hunted an additional 123 birds, bringing the total bustard toll to 2,100, sources said. They said that hunting of the internationally protected bird was banned in Pakistain also, but the federal government issued special permits to Gulf states' royals. Permits, which are person specific and could not be used by anyone else, allow the holders to hunt up to100 houbara bustards in 10 days in the area allocated, excluding reserved and protected areas. The report dated Feb 4, 2014 (No: 216-219 HB/CHI) says that during the 21-day safari the prince hunted the birds for 15 days in the reserved and protected areas, poached birds in other areas for six days and took rest for two days.

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Arabia

Saudi King Sacks Air Force Chief

2013-05-11

[An Nahar] King of the Arabians, Sheikh of the Burning Sands Abdullah ... Fifth out of 37 sons of King Abdulaziz to ascend to the throne. He is, after his half-brothers Bandar and Musa'id, the third eldest of the living sons of Abdul Aziz ibn Saud. Abdullah's mother is from the Rashid clan, longtime rivals of the Saud. He has 6 sons and 15 daughters and about $20 billion. His youngest son is just seven years old... has dismissed and retired air force chief General Mohammed al-Ayesh by royal decree, the official SPA news agency reported on Friday, without elaborating on why. The monarch named General Fayadh bin Hamed al-Rowaili to succeed him, the agency added. In April, the deputy defense minister, Prince Khaled bin Sultan bin Abdul Aziz, a member of the royal family who played a key role in the 1991 Gulf War over Kuwait, was also dismissed by royal decree.

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Arabia

Yemenis Demand Saleh's Trial as Top Officer Killed in Aden

2011-10-29

[An Nahar] Yemenis marched by the thousands on Friday demanding President President-for-Life Ali Abdullah Saleh ... Saleh initially took power as a strongman of North Yemen in 1977, when disco was in flower, but he didn't invite Donna Summer to the inauguration and Blondie couldn't make it... be tried, as a woman was killed by a sniper and five other people were maimed, four critically, witnesses said. Meanwhile, ...back at the pond, the radioactive tadpoles grown into frogs. Really big frogs, in fact... an officer in charge of an anti-terrorism unit in the main southern city of Aden was killed in a car blast that was blamed on al-Qaeda. "O men who love peace in the world, Saleh must face justice," chanted a crowd of 10,000 people that amassed after Friday prayers in Sittin Street, near Change Square, which has become the epicenter of anti-regime demonstrations. The opposition has been calling since January for the ouster of Saleh, whom they accuse of nepotism and corruption, but the strongman has refused to step down despite pressure from Gulf nations and the U.N. Security Council. "No immunity, no protection, Saleh and his agents must be judged," demonstrators yelled, galvanized by a holy man who called on regime loyalists to "join their brothers in Change Square." "We all need this revolution to stop the injustice of Yemen," he said. The echo of kabooms coming from the direction of al-Hassaba, a neighbourhood in northern Sanaa, rang out in the central square, an Agence La Belle France Presse correspondent said. Gunfire exchanges, which began over night between rival tribal forces in al-Hassaba, continued intermittently on Friday, residents said. Meanwhile, ...back at the ranch, Butch and the Kid finally brought their horses under control... pro-Saleh demonstrators gathered near the presidential palace and chanted their support for the embattled leader and for Yemeni-Saudi ties, paying tribute to the neighboring kingdom's late crown prince, Sultan bin Abdul Aziz. A sniper killed a woman as she walked with her husband along Hael Street, which separates areas controlled by forces loyal to the government from those held by dissident troops supporting the opposition, witnesses said. The body of Kifaya al-Amudi, 28, was taken to a field hospital in Change Square, a medical official told AFP. There were also anti-regime protests in Ibb and Hudeida, residents said. In Taez, Yemen's second city, five people were maimed, four of them critically, when security forces opened fire against a funeral procession in a fiefdom of the opposition, witnesses said. And in Aden, a suspected Qaeda attack killed an officer who led an anti-terrorism unit, a police officer told AFP. "A device placed under the car of colonel Ali al-Hajji, head of Aden's anti-terrorism unit, went kaboom!, killing the officer and wounding two of his children," the source said. The device went kaboom! as the officer drove through the al-Arish neighborhood, near the airport, according to the police officer, who blamed al-Qaeda. Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, which formed in January 2009 when Yemeni and Saudi branches of the cut-thoat network merged, has exploited the popular uprising against Saleh to reinforce its presence in Yemen's south and east.

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Arabia

Saudi crown prince has surgery in US: consulate

2011-07-07

[Emirates 24/7] Soddy Arabia's ailing Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz ... who is approximately 108 years old... has undergone an operation in a New York hospital, an official at the kingdom's consulate in the US metropolis told AFP on Wednesday. What? Not the Cleveland Clinic? "He is in New York. He has been operated on," said the official, who declined to be named discussing private matters of the royal family and did not provide further details. Sultan, who is believed to be in his eighties and has served as defense minister for the past five decades, has been receiving medical treatment for the last two years. The nature of his illness officially has never been revealed, although analysts and diplomats believe it to be cancer. The official Saudi Press Agency reported in mid-June that the crown prince would make a private visit to the United States, during which he would undergo a medical examination. Sultan, who is the half-brother of King Abdullah, has spent several lengthy stays outside Soddy Arabia in recent years, returning from Morocco to the kingdom, a key US ally, last November shortly before the king left to the United States for treatment of a back ailment. The 86-year-old monarch's advanced age and the health of the crown prince have highlighted the delicate issue of succession in the kingdom, a major player in Middle East politics and the world's number one oil supplier. Prince Nayef, Sultan's full brother and considered second in line to the throne, has also had unspecified treatment in the past 20 months. Now in his mid-70s, Nayef has been interior minister for 35 years.

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India-Pakistan

Fatwa demands death for Sherry

2011-01-09

He said he has been performing duties in the mosque since its establishment. It was being run under the supervision of Saudi military attaché and Defence Minister Sultan bin Abdul Aziz. After the assassination of Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer, it has been reported that fatwas are being issued against Pakistan People's Party (PPP) leader Sherry Rehman, declaring her a non-Muslim and demanding death sentence for her. Daily Times has learnt that the imam of Sultan Masjid has issued a fatwa and another has been published in a pamphlet and distributed by the Tanzeem-e-Islami (TI).

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Arabia

In kingdom, Saudi princes coup fails

2009-08-03

[Iran Press TV Latest] Saudi Prince Bandar bin Sultan, the kingdom's former ambassador to the United States, is reportedly under house arrest over a conspiracy against the monarch. Saad al-Faqih, head of the opposition group Islamic Reform Movement, told Arab-language TV al-Alam that Prince Bandar has been disappeared and the media has published no word from the ex-diplomat's whereabouts since nearly three months ago. According to al-Faqih, the prince first disappeared in Britain but he returned to the kingdom shortly afterwards. He added that after Saudi officials discovered that he had provoked 200 agents working for the Saudi security service to stage a coup against King Abdullah, he was put under house arrest. Al-Faqih said people close to the king had disclosed Bandar's plots and foiled them. He said Saudi sources believe that intelligence provided by some Arab countries help the Saudi monarch foil Prince Bandar's conspiracy. Power struggle between members of the Saudi royal family has been common as power is shared among some 200 princes out of the estimated 7000 family members. Known as Bandar Bush because of his close relations with former US President George W Bush, the prince is son of Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz.

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Europe

Turf war shakes crisis-hit Geneva limo business

2009-04-09

As if we didn't have enough to worry about... Geneva -- The streets of Geneva are normally awash with a flow of limousines serving the Swiss city's diplomatic community, private banks, foreign celebrities on tax holidays and wealthy Gulf families on a summertime break. But now local limousine operators are feeling the pinch as the financial crisis bites and a turf war claims a big client, the Saudi royal family -- which normally mobilises limousines by the dozens if not hundreds during trips here. "The profession in Geneva is devastated," Hassan Azed, head of a local association of limousine operators (AGELLMC), told AFP. Memories are still redolent of late Saudi King Fahd's stay in his mansion in the plush Geneva suburb of Collonge-Bellerive in 2002, which mobilised several jumbo airliners and 300 limousines, many of them leased directly from Germany to make up for the shortfall. But a mooted trip by 81-year-old Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz, Fahd's son, in late spring is leaving a different flavour. Geneva's limousine operators are up in arms because "foreign intermediaries" will reportedly be muscling in on local business by bringing along more than 60 cars from Germany for the Saudis, bypassing local firms. Normally imports are only allowed once the local market is saturated, Azed claimed. "It was done by the rulebook when King Fahd came in 2002," said Azed. "In this instance we're presented with a done thing."

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Arabia

Saudi plans fair distribution of wealth

2006-12-14

JEDDAH —For the first time in Saudi Arabia, there will be distribution of wealth amongall of the Kingdom’s regions including all cities and villages and covering all sectors, according to Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz, deputy premier, minister of defence and aviation and inspector-general. This is every bit the howler you expect. Read on — Addressing senior commanders of the armed forces in Riyadh recently, Prince Sultan assured the citizens of the government’s plan for fair distribution of wealth, by carrying out development projects all over the Kingdom. They won't exactly distribute the money, see, they'll just spend it. Sounds like a congressman or two I know ... "Moreover, the state’s revenues and budget surpluses will be distributed for the coming years through the 8th Development Plan and later through the 9th Development Plan,” the Saudi Press Agency quoted the Crown Prince as saying. "And we'll keep spending til we run out!" Saudi Arabiahas posted a record budget surplus of SR218 billion in 2005 based on surging crude prices. Which heretofore has been distributed on Wahhabist literature in the world's mosques, generous contributions to the Widows Ammunition Fund, and blood money to the Paleos. The Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA) said in its annual report on the Saudi economy that the gross domestic product GDP growth reached 6.5 per cent in 2005 compared to 5.3 per cent the previous year. It was the third consecutive budget surplus. The surplus reached SR45 billion in 2003, and SR98 billion in 2004. All from oil as opposed to, you know, making anything of value. Explaining the State’s low revenues in the past three years, he said that the cost of the war for the liberation of Kuwait in 1990 was among the reasons that led to the financial problems the Kingdom has faced over the past decade. "What were the other reasons?" "Don't worry yourself about those." "Those?" "Those." [softly] "Mahmoud, take care of this man." "Yes, Effendi." He said thatthe new Allegiance Commission regulation would remove confusion from the minds of citizens, ... ... they're abolishing the state religion? ... ... as it thoroughly defines the mechanism of accession to the throne and appointment of the Crown Prince, particularly if one or both the king and crown prince pass away at one time. A distinct possibility, that. This is the time the 3,000 princes all proclaim how worthy they are.

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Arabia

Saudi Arabia sets up tribunal to try extremists

2006-11-16

Saudi Defence Minister Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz has announced the establishment of an Islamic tribunal to try Muslim extremists, newspapers reported Wednesday. “Our country has been exposed to problems but cooperation between the men of the security services, the national guard and the army has allowed the sedition to be put out,” he said in a speech Tuesday before military officers. “Those who want the good of those close to them have returned (to the right path) but those who want evil will be judged according to Islamic norms,” said Prince Sultan, who is also the Gulf Arab state’s crown prince. Saudi authorities have been hunting down suspected members of the Al-Qaeda network that has carried out a series of deadly attacks in the oil-rich kingdom since May 2003.

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Arabia

Saudis buy artillery from France’s GIAT

2006-07-22

PARIS - Saudi Arabia has ordered 76 artillery howitzers from the French armaments manufacturer Giat Industries, sources close to the purchase told AFP on Friday. Giat Industries announced a sale of its 155 millimetre Caesar artillery systems but did not give the name of the client nor the amount of money to change hands. The order came as Saudi Arabia’s defence minister Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz was in France on a two-day visit. He saw President Jacques Chirac on Thursday and was to hold talks with his counterpart Michele Alliot-Marie later Friday. "Here's your envelope, Madame Defense Minister."

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Arabia

Soddies agree to strengthen security ties with Pakistan

2006-04-17

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have agreed to broaden their security ties after a visit to Pakistan at the weekend by Sultan bin Abdul Aziz, Saudi crown prince. Plans include fresh deployments of Pakistani troops to the oil rich kingdom for security duties; training of Saudi military troops by Pakistan; and the possible first purchase of Pakistani-assembled tanks by the Saudis. Prince Sultan’s meeting with General Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan’s military ruler, was preceded by reports that the Saudi military had this month begun carrying out tests of the Pakistan-assembled ‘Al Khalid’ tank. Western diplomats said discussions were continuing for the sale of up to 150 tanks in a deal which could be worth up to U$600m. Pakistani officials see the deal as a vital element in their push to increase exports of low-to-medium tech defence equipment. The country’s emerging defence manufacturing industry in 2005 exported arms worth about U$200m. “The intention is to expand Pakistan’s role to support the kingdom of Saudi Arabia in meeting its security needs” said one Pakistani official. “A number of ideas are under discussion which have to do mainly with what Pakistan can contribute towards improving Saudi Arabia’s security interests”. The intelligence agencies of the two countries are known to have regularly exchanged information on the movements of key al-Qaeda suspects, including the Saudi born Osama bin Laden - a target of prime interest to the Saudi authorities. Analysts said the timing of the prince’s visit was important as it coincided with a deteriorating security situation in Iraq as well as anxieties over tensions between the US and Iran over Tehran’s nuclear programme. “Saudi Arabia has internal security challenges to meet, primarily the effect of the spillover from tensions surrounding its neighbours and reports of terrorist activity within its frontiers,” said Hasan Askari Rizvi, a widely respected Pakistani commentator on defence and security affairs. “Pakistan’s military has a history of performing security duties in Saudi Arabia. This is the basis of a relationship which the two sides now want to broaden”. Arab diplomats in Islamabad said Saudi Arabia was keen to recruit troops from Pakistan - a muslim country with a history of security services in the kingdom - to stem criticism from its public for hosting western troops. “There is much sensitivity in Saudi Arabia these days to the movement of western troops. Nobody likes the US presence in Iraq and there would be a lot of anger if western soldiers, especially US soldiers, came to Saudi Arabia in large numbers,” said one. Mr Rizvi said: “Greater acceptability of Pakistani troops by their public could be important for the Saudis as they seek to broaden their ties”.

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Arabia

More Saudi Royals bite the dust

2005-11-17

Umm Al Qaiwain, 17 Nov. 05 (WAM)--H.H. Sheikh Rashid bin Ahmed Al Mualla, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Umm al-Qaiwain, has sent a cable of condolence to King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia on the demise of Prince Abdul Malik bin Saud bin Abdul Aziz. He has also sent a similar cable to Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz, Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and Aviation and Inspector General. Sheikh Saud bin Rashid Al Mualla, Crown Prince of Umm al-Qaiwain, has also cabled his condolences to the Saudi Monarch and his Crown Prince. And then there is this: Thursday, 17 November, 2005, 08:58 AM Doha Time HH the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani and HH the Heir Apparent Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani have sent cables of condolences to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia on the death of Princess al-Jawharah bint Khaled bin Mohamed bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud, wife of Prince Abdullah al-Faisal. HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Thani also sent a cable of condolences to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. – QNA Nothing more in print. I guess they've got plenty to spare. Or something to cover up

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