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Politics : Middle East Politics -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Machaon who wrote (4009)	8/23/2003 9:05:08 PM
From: 2MAR$	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 6945

Well , not all the world has taken a stand against Israel , as our billions in aid and heightened sense of fair-play could testify. And any that would try and push the idea that the Arabs have been unfairly treated given the autonomy of oil rich lands they inherited by birth , religion and fabled history , is also completely nuts . Saudi Arabia is a plague house now of terrorism sponsorship , just like the Soviet Russia was before under Stalin and later leaderships . The Saudis had better pick up the pace of reformation and soon , imo , if they want to maintain further graces with us , George Bush & company or no. The Saudis had better clean house and soon...and i mean post haste , post haste.

To: Machaon who wrote (4009)	8/23/2003 9:23:57 PM
From: 2MAR$	Respond to of 6945

Saudi Arabia Experiments with Political Reform ( they had better do more than just talk, but it's a start) Tue Aug 5, 5:14 AM ET Add Top Stories - Reuters to My Yahoo! By Ghaida Ghantous DUBAI (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia, jolted by al Qaeda bombings and U.S. criticism, is experimenting with tentative political reform as a weapon against Muslim "extremism." In the latest move, the kingdom's de facto ruler Crown Prince Abdullah announced the formation of a center for dialogue to combat "racism and extremism" and address political and religious differences. The scope and influence of the "King Abdul Aziz Center for National Dialogue" were not defined in Sunday's announcement but analysts say it is meant to heal rifts and quash militancy by allowing greater political expression in the absolute monarchy. "It cements the principle (of debate) and from this aspect it is a positive development," said Saudi analyst Dawoud al-Shiryan. "It shows a determination to create an establishment that can ask for more but it is too early to judge the impact." The new center is built on a meeting in June which brought together Sunnis and minority Shi'ites -- who have long complained of second class treatment in the Sunni-dominated kingdom -- as well as government figures and a former dissident. The meeting sought political participation and fair distribution of resources in the world's largest oil exporter. "The fact that the call was picked up is an indication of how serious the government is. It is a positive step and very much about moderation," a Western diplomat said. Saudi Arabia, the conservative cradle of Islam, is ruled by an absolute monarchy with every key position held by members of the House of Saud, the ruling family. A 120-member Shura Council has limited advisory powers and is appointed by the royal family. Only two of its members are Shi'ites. Demands for reforms, especially of the kingdom's austere and powerful religious establishment and education system, increased after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States. Fifteen of the 19 hijackers came from Saudi Arabia. Fresh impetus was given by reformist calls from the crown prince and suicide bombings in Riyadh on May 12, in which 35 people were killed, including nine Americans. Riyadh and Washington blamed al Qaeda for the attacks. U.S. critics have focused on whether education in Saudi schools, which they say send uncompromising messages that encourage hatred of the West and Jews, could have helped foster the militancy behind Saudi-born Osama bin Laden (news - web sites)'s al Qaeda. "BABY STEPS" Riyadh has mounted a robust crackdown on militants since the May 12 bombings but the analysts say a wide-ranging set of reforms are needed to tackle a plethora of domestic issues such as sectarianism, unemployment and falling standards of living. "September 11 and May 12 had a powerful impact. There is a realisation in Saudi Arabia that they need to make serious reforms," another Western diplomat added. He said the move toward more public participation in fellow Gulf Arab states and a representative government in neighboring Iraq (news - web sites) was adding to the Saudi pressure. "Saudis tend to do things in baby steps and they have to take a lot of these steps. But I think they will be taking sizeable steps because they can't afford to wait," he added. Along with economic reforms to address unemployment -- as high as 12 percent -- democratic change is seen vital to give the country's 17 million people greater participation. Abdullah al-Hamed, a former professor who was jailed after signing the first reform petition presented to King Fahd in the early 1990s, welcomed the move but said it was far from enough. "It is a good step along the path to public participation but this step is not enough and does not match the challenges in the country. We want a constitution, a parliament, political parties, public participation," he told Reuters by telephone.