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To: IQBAL LATIF who wrote (43120)	8/18/2002 10:41:50 PM
From: j g cordes	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 50167

Saudis reconsider US links after lawsuit By Roula Khalaf in London Published: August 18 2002 18:06 \| Last Updated: August 18 2002 18:06 The trillion-dollar lawsuit filed against Saudis by relatives of September 11 terrorism victims has intensified the debate in the kingdom over the need for a re-evaluation of ties with the US. Islamic charities and banks named in last Thursday's lawsuit vehemently denied at the weekend any involvement in terrorism financing, and a leading Saudi newspaper called for a reconsideration of the strategic alliance with Washington. "In the context of a debate we must question those who think that the US is our strategic option and that there is no alternative to it," said the daily al-Riyadh. "This could be putting us in a narrow space that is not justified by objective considerations or perhaps this options carries too high a price." The editorial is significant because the paper closely reflects government views. Similar calls have been expressed in recent days in other publications, including the front page of yesterday's Saudi-owned pan-Arab daily al-Hayat. Heads of Islamic charities charged in the lawsuit filed in Washington lashed out at what they said was a "campaign to discredit Islamic charitable work", with some claiming that the move marked another US attempt to press Saudi Arabia into backing a war against Iraq. The accused also included three prominent members of the Saudi royal family. Analysts warned that the lawsuit could provoke Saudis to withdraw some of their US investments, which are believed to reach more than $600bn. "The lawsuit is very disturbing - Saudis have huge assets in the US and this could lead them to take their money out," said Jamal Khashoggi, deputy editor of Arab News, the English-language daily. The lawsuit has exacerbated tensions between the two allies and revived accusations of terrorist financing that US and Saudi officials have tried to tackle through increased scrutiny of financial transactions and the conduct of Saudi charities. The strains that emerged after September 11, when the US discovered that 15 of the 19 hijackers were Saudi nationals, were highlighted again earlier this month in a briefing to the Pentagon that described the kingdom as an evil enemy of the US. But differences are currently most apparent over Iraq. Although Saudis are, in theory, in favour of a change of regime in Baghdad, they oppose a US military campaign to accomplish this and have openly said bases in Saudi Arabia should not be used for military strikes. This position frustrates Washington, which has been expanding a military base in Qatar for use as a possible alternative. Although the official position of both governments is that the alliance remains strong, questions are now being raised in both Washington and Riyadh about future ties, on both official and business levels.

To: IQBAL LATIF who wrote (43120)	8/19/2002 3:50:40 AM
From: IQBAL LATIF	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 50167

<<campaign came after a two-week amnesty for the surrender of illegal weapons which netted nearly 84,000 weapons - including Kalashnikov assault-rifles, carbines, pistols and 15 anti-aircraft guns ->> Pakistan is to close hundreds of illegal weapons outlets in an attempt to change the nation's "Kalashnikov culture" and reduce gun-related killings, which claim thousands of lives each year, officials said on Sunday. Authorities in Northwest Frontier Province, a lawless tribal area which borders Afghanistan and is infamous for violent clashes between rival clans, said that weapons markets there would be closed following instructions from Islamabad. "After receiving written orders from the Interior Ministry ... we have issued notices to all area administrators to close down all illegal arms markets," said an official. "The administration of Jamrud Khyber district (close to the Khyber pass into Afghanistan) has already closed one weapons market of 200 shops, and on Sunday the administration ordered the closure of another market there which comprises 150 shops." Human Rights Commission of Pakistan chairman Afrasiab Khattak said, however, the problem had spread throughout the country and that Pakistan was now "awash" with weapons that were used in thousands of killings each year. "Pakistan's gun culture goes back a long way in the tribal areas, but that has now spread throughout Pakistan. Now we have a national 'Kalshnikov culture' with easy access to all manner of sophisticated weapons," he said. "We don't have precise figures, particularly for remote areas, but it is certain that thousands of people are killed each year when guns are used in crimes and personal disputes," he said. In a major operation last year police arrested more than 600 people across Pakistan in a drive to curb the ownership of illegal weapons and reduce sectarian violence and crime. The crackdown led to the recovery of more than 1,000 illicit firearms, with half of them collected from the southern province of Sindh. The campaign came after a two-week amnesty for the surrender of illegal weapons which netted nearly 84,000 weapons - including Kalashnikov assault-rifles, carbines, pistols and 15 anti-aircraft guns - as well as approximately 163,000 rounds of ammunition. But officials privately admitted the number of arms surrendered during the amnesty - though higher than similar drives in the past - was insignificant given that "millions" of unauthorized weapons remained in circulation.