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Short Takes:
President Hafez al-Assad on Thursday at al-Shaab palace received Iranian Vice President Hassan Habibi and members of the Iranian side in the joint Iranian - Syrian higher committee. Go

Kamal Darwish the deputy chairman of the World Bank for the Middle East and North Africa praised the distinguished performance of the Egyptian economy in light of the political tensions and shaky performances by Gulf and Asian stock markets. In statements to ArabicNews.com today, Darwish said that the Egyptian reform plan became a good example in the World Bank, which relies on adhering to social aspects before economic aspects and the importance of gradual implementation of reform plans. Go

Four German tourists are still being detained in a village of the Bani Zubian tribe 120 km southeast of Sanaa since last Sunday, when an armed tribal group intercepted their car on the way to Sanaa. A Yemeni security source told ArabicNews.com today that the leadership of the Interior Ministry summoned a large number of the tribe's sheikhs and nobles, arresting them for the kidnapping to win the peaceful release of the hostages. Go

The Gulf Cooperation Council approved the establishment of a board of directors for the Regional Institute for Advertising and Marketing, Bahrain Tribune reported. Go

Former Palestinian Minister of Higher Education Hanan Ashrawi stated that the peace process must be carried out in compliance with international law, Gulf News reported. She added that US President Bill Clinton's upcoming visit to the Palestinian areas should be an acceptance of the establishment of a Palestinian state, the report said. Go

US Pentagon spokesman Ken Bacon stated yesterday that the US is sending three groups of three Patriot missile launchers each to Israel "as part of an exercise." Bacon said the missiles were in Israel only temporarily, adding that the timing in conjunction with President Clinton's visit to the Palestinian areas and Israel is coincidental. Go

US State Department spokesman James Foley said yesterday that the US is "not going to wait very long" for a Libyan response to a proposal to try the two Libyans in the Lockerbie case in the Netherlands. Foley reaffirmed the US position that the proposal is non-negotiable, adding, "The Libyan Government itself proposed the idea that the suspects be tried in a Scottish court in an international venue. We took up that proposal that was their proposal, and probably surprised them in doing so. They've been struggling with the fact that we called their bluff." Go

US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright stated today that US President Bill Clinton will be leaving tomorrow for the Palestinian areas and Israel as part of the Wye agreement, "in order to fulfill the commitments... America made at Wye and to encourage Israelis and Palestinians to meet theirs." He will witness the approval by the Palestinian National Council of rescinding the articles in the national charter that call for the destruction of Israel. Go

The Jordanian authorities on Thursday prevented the Palestinian militant Layla Khaled from leaving Amman via plane to Lebanon. A relative of Khaled told the Lebanese daily al-Safir that Layla had the intention to travel to Beirut and then to Europe but the Jordanian security men took Layla from the plane before taking off. The Jordanian authorities gave no reason for this measure. Go

Chairman of the consultants council in Morocco Muhammad Jalal al-Saeedi and the chairman of the Shoura council in Egypt Dr. Mustafa Kamal Fahmi reiterated their assertion on the need of Israel's withdrawal from the occupied Golan heights and south Lebanon, immediately and unconditionally and in implementation of Madrid terms of reference. Go

Lebanese Economy Minister Nasser al-Saeedi on Thursday discussed with the US ambassador to Lebanon David Satterfield trade and economic relations between Lebanon and the US. Go

The African Bank for Development on Thursday agreed to provide Algeria with a loan of US $70.4 million. The loan will be used to set up a potable water project in the Sedi Bu al-Abbas region of eastern Algeria. Works in the project which will last for four years, will start in September 1999. Go

Syrian Defense Minister Lt. Gen. Mustafa Tlass, who is also the deputy premier and army deputy commander in chief, on Wednesday received chief of staff of the Indian Army, Fe Be Maleik, and members of his accompanying delegation. Go

The Foreign minister of the United Arab Emirates, Rashed Abdellah Nouaimi, praised the wisdom shown by King Hassan II in dealing the issue of Sebta and Melillia (two Moroccan northern cities still controlled by Spain). Go

The Moroccan-Saudi Cooperation Commission will meet shortly to bolster economic cooperation and rev up trade exchanges between the two countries. The announcement was made by Moroccan Trade minister, Alami Tazi, at a meeting held Wednesday with Saudi peer, Ousama Jafar Fakih, who arrived on Monday Morocco to launch a Saudi exhibition in Casablanca. Go

Islamic countries have unanimously selected Rabat to host the headquarters of the Islamic Parliamentary Union which will hold its general assembly next week in Teheran, said a Kuwaiti legislator. Go

Delegations from 10 Arab countries from the southern and eastern Mediterranean -- Egypt, Algeria, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, the Palestinian Authority, Syria, and Tunisia -- are to meet on December 16 and 17 in Cairo to discuss Arab coordination and exchange views on other issues on bilateral partnership agreements between Arab states and the European Union. Go

Prisoners who are members of the Algerian Islamic Salvation (Inqaz) Front who are serving sentences in al-Qunietra, north Rabat, announced they will carry out a hunger strike in objection of what they described as "deteriorated conditions in the prison." In a message the prisoners sent to the Moroccan Justice ministers, the prisoners said they had received promises that their problems would be sorted out, but nothing of the sort had happened. They asked for medical treatment and improved nutrition. Go