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Politics : Idea Of The Day -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: IQBAL LATIF who wrote (48798)	8/1/2005 2:34:38 PM
From: IQBAL LATIF	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 50167

A latest brand of universal blinkered pariah leadership which is hated by the moderates and unwelcome and undesirable in comity of civilized nations,, a new entrant in the club of the pariahs.. UAE bars Pakistan opposition head Maulana Fazlur Rahman had been heading to Saudi Arabia The leader of the opposition in Pakistan's National Assembly has been refused entry to Dubai as his name was on a United Arab Emirates blacklist. Maulana Fazlur Rehman was stopped at Dubai's international airport and was likely to be deported, Pakistan's information minister said. Mr Rehman is general secretary of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), a six-party religious alliance. The outspoken and hardline cleric had been heading on to Saudi Arabia. Staunch critic Mr Rehman told the BBC's Urdu service that he was surprised at being included on the UAE government blacklist. "When I applied for a visa to visit the United Arab Emirates, the embassy held on to my passport for several days, which gives me the impression that they must have sought clearance from the authorities before issuing the visa," Mr Rehman said. A spokesman for Pakistan's foreign ministry said Mr Rehman was initially given permission to leave the airport following the intervention of Pakistan's ambassador in the UAE, but later that decision was revoked. The spokesman, Nayeem Khan, said Mr Rehman had now decided to return to Pakistan. Mr Rehman, leader of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (Islamic Party of Religious Leaders - JUI), was taking a two-day break in Dubai before heading to Saudi Arabia. Pakistan information minister, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, said Mr Rehman was expected back on Tuesday morning but had no knowledge why he had been turned away. Mr Rehman was a strong supporter of Afghanistan's ousted Taleban regime and has been a staunch critic of President Pervez Musharraf's policy of backing the US-led "war on terror".

To: IQBAL LATIF who wrote (48798)	8/1/2005 4:07:56 PM
From: IQBAL LATIF	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 50167

Sudeiris get the coveted posts of Crown Prince and possibly a deputy Crown Prince either Nayaf or Salman .. - Saudi Information Minister Iyad bin Amin Madani announced Fahd's death on state television, saying the royal family had acknowledged Abdullah as the new sovereign and accepted his Abdullah has appointed the controversial Defense and Civil Aviation Minister, Prince Sultan, as his successor. BW says-Analysts, who have predicted trouble at the time of the death of Fahd, are now looking for disagreement further down the road. PAPERING OVER TENSIONS. That date may not be too far away, considering that both men are already in their 80s and that Sultan has cancer. Among the key contenders are Interior Minister Nayef, who is around 72, and Riyadh Governor Salman, who is about 69. The jockeying over who takes over from Sultan as Second Deputy Prime Minister could get interesting. Whoever receives that title will be looked on as third in line for the throne. There could be friction because these men, who are all sons of the Kingdom's founder, Abdul Aziz, are ambitious. "Hidden disputes will one day flare up over posts and authority," says Saad al-Fagih, a London-based Saudi dissident. While there may be tensions, the family is also good at papering them over. The Kingdom's decision-makers are well aware that whatever their disagreements, their interests lie in sticking together on the big issues and remaining in control of the world's most lucrative family business. FUNDAMENTALIST PROBLEM. Perhaps a more important question is whether this business has in its genetic makeup the flexibility to successfully navigate the next decade or more. Credible arguments exist on the negative side. The Saudi government is growing increasingly ossified, dominated by men in their late 70s and 80s. Key government branches such as Interior and Defense have also turned into something like feudal kingdoms. Their bosses, Nayef and Sultan, have held their posts for decades. Many Saudis, perhaps tens of thousands, feel they owe them their jobs. These top princes also hold sway over billions of dollars in contracts. They have so much clout that it's difficult for Abdullah to take any initiatives without their approval. Prince Sultan, like King Abdullah, was born in 1924. A Saudi official said Fahd's funeral would take place on Tuesday, but there would be no mourning period, in line with strict Wahhabi Muslim tradition that unquestioningly accepts God's will. Saudi flags, emblazoned with "There is no God but Allah," will not be lowered as Wahhabis deem this blasphemous. Saudis are to pledge allegiance to the new king and his crown prince on Wednesday. The kingdom's top cleric, Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz al-Sheikh, urged Saudis to do so. "We call on Muslims to pledge allegiance to them and to gather around them in support. This pledge of allegiance is legitimate under sharia (Islamic law)," the cleric said. Abdullah is expected to pick a deputy crown prince, with Interior Minister Prince Nayef, 72, or Riyadh provincial governor Prince Salman, 69, among front-runners.