Arabic News Weekly Edition for Politics, 12/1/2003
Weekly Edition, Politics - Week of December 1, 2003
- Jordanian king vows democratic progress
Talking about the efforts to enhance democracy, the Jordanian king called for "opening up a national dialogue that paves the way for convening a national conference to debate various economic, social, and political issues and finding out solutions." Jordan, Politics, 12/2/2003 - Al-Assad interview with New York Times: Syria's vision towards ME developments
On US President George W. Bush's vision, Al-Assad indicated that Syria agrees with Bush's proposal that calls for two Palestinian and Israeli states and for the removal of the settlements, but they remain general principles, unless there are the means to turn this vision into a reality. Syria-USA, Politics, 12/2/2003 - Mubarak, Moussa mull proposals to improve Arab League performance
He said that the proposals include radical amendments to political, economic, trade administrative and social sectors as well as everything pertaining to Arab action. Regional-Egypt, Politics, 12/2/2003 - Cairo inter Palestinian dialogue meeting postponed
The leading figure in the Islamic Jihad Movement Muhammad al-Hindi said that the inter-Palestinian dialogue which was due today in Cairo was postponed until next Thursday, giving no mention to reasons for the postponement. Egypt-Palestine, Politics, 12/2/2003 - Mauritania tries Weld Hedallah amid citizen protests
foreign lawyers who will defend Weld Hedallah and the other 14 detainees started to arrive in Nouakchott. Lawyer Kontani Muhammado arrived from Bamako's bar association in Mali, two lawyers from Senegal and two from France. Mauritania, Politics, 12/2/2003 - Morocco poised to definitively shelve past human rights violations cases
Chairman of the Consultative Council of Human Rights (CCDH), Omar Aziman, said Monday Morocco is poised to shelve once and for all cases of past human rights violations, mainly through the creation of the "Equity and Reconciliation Committee." Morocco, Politics, 12/2/2003 - Mubarak rejects foreign pressure to implement democratic reforms
Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak yesterday stressed that his country rejects any pressure under the pretext of disseminating democracy. Egypt-USA, Politics, 12/2/2003 - Murphy's remarks on visit to Syria
Former U.S. Undersecretary of State for Middle East Affairs, Richard Murphy, who met President Bashar al-Assad pointed out to the importance of the interview that President al-Assad gave to the New York Times yesterday in which he explained Syria's points of views regarding many issues. Syria-USA, Politics, 12/2/2003 - Al-Majali elected Jordan's parliament speaker
Abdul Hadi al-Majali was elected as a speaker for the Jordanian Parliament in succession to its former speaker Saad Hayel Srour. Jordan, Politics, 12/2/2003 - Iran demands to be an observer in the Arab League
The spokesman for the Iranian foreign ministry, Hameed Rida Asifi, said yesterday that Iran asked the Arab League to give it the status of an observer in the Arab League. Regional-Iran, Politics, 12/2/2003 - Geneva peace accord kicks off; peace plans with stages are designed to fail
The Nobel Prize laureate further said that the main pending issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, such as the borders settlements and Jerusalem, are the bedrock to bring peace in the region. But he warned that the unofficial peace plan should steer clear of the loophole of gradual stages underlined in the Roadmap. Palestine-Israel, Politics, 12/2/2003 - Shura council participation in the budget Oman, Politics, 12/2/2003
- Al-Assad confers with Algerian official Syria-Algeria, Politics, 12/2/2003
- Geneva peace accord, a civilized message to entire world, says king Morocco-Palestine, Politics, 12/2/2003
- Syria's branch of the Human rights Arab organization
"The Human Rights Arab organization" announced on Saturday the inauguration of its 10th branch from Damascus calling for the "abrogation of emergency, the special laws and human rights violations." Syria, Politics, 12/1/2003 - Saudi King grants Shoura council new authorities
Saudi Arabia's King Fahd bin Abdul Aziz has offered a greater legislative role for the Shoura council in Saudi Arabia, at a time when the Kingdom is proceeding forward with political reforms demanded by Saudis and westerners. Saudi Arabia, Politics, 12/1/2003 - Ibrahim fears end of democracy talk; Bakrey files lawsuit against him
The director of" Ibn Khaldoun center for developmental studies" Saad Eddin Ibrahim, attributed the escalated campaign against him to his calls to link American economic aid to Egypt and countries of the region to implemention of democratic reforms. Egypt, Politics, 12/1/2003 - Issam al-Zaem returns to Damascus today
Syrian former minister of industry, Issam al-Zaeem, returns today to Damascus, following more than two months of absence, and almost for the same period that his assets and those of his wife were frozen by the government. Syria, Politics, 12/1/2003 - Libya denies providing money to former Mauritanian President
A Libyan official source on Saturday denied his country to have had provided money to the former President of Mauritania Muhammad Khouna Weld Hedallah, who is being detained on charge of preparing for a coupe. Libya-Mauritania, Politics, 12/1/2003 - Sudan peace talks resume with removal of al-Atabani from his post
Sudan's President Omar Hassan al-Bashir removed from the peace negotiations his advisor for peace affairs, Ghazi Salah Eddine al-Atbani, from his post "at his own request." Sudan, Politics, 12/1/2003 - Moussa boycotts Euromed meeting
The secretary general of the Arab League Amr Moussa has decided not to take part in the meeting of the EUROMED ( Euro-Mediterranean Partnership) meeting which will be held in Napoli on December 2 and 3 in protest of Italy's stand "which are biased to Israel." Regional-Italy, Politics, 12/1/2003 - Former Polisario minister denounces humanitarian aid embezzlement
Former health minister at the puppet Sahrawi republic, Abdallah Ghailani, who has recently come back to Morocco, denounced the embezzlement of humanitarian aid sent to the populations sequestered in Tindouf camps, stronghold of the Polisario in southwestern Algeria. Morocco-Algeria, Politics, 12/1/2003 - El Yazghi elected first secretary of USFP
Mohamed El Yazghi was elected Friday first secretary of the Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP/leftist), the major party in the government coalition, to succeed to Abderrahmane Youssoufi, who announced last month his decision to step down from the party's leadership that lasted nearly ten years. Morocco, Politics, 12/1/2003 - Palestinians and Israelis Sign a Model Peace Accord
IPC reported that "As the deadline for the signing of the most disputed document in the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict draws nearer, many opposing sounds echoed through both the Israeli and Palestinian societies, and while the Palestinian President Yasser Arafat welcomed the accord only to encourage the efforts of peace, the Israeli government furiously rejected it and considered it a security error. The plan, dubbed The Geneva Accord in tribute to the funding and support of the Swiss Foreign Ministry, was negotiated over a period of two and a half years, between the Israeli leftist and Oslo architect Yossi Beilin and former Palestinian minister Yasser Abed Rabbo, and was unveiled in mid October." Palestine-Israel, Politics, 12/1/2003 - Moroccan-Jewish community council raises funds to assist Palestinian hospitals
The Council of Jewish Community in Morocco will organize next December 2 a fund-raising gala in Madrid to raise funds for Palestinian hospitals. Morocco-Palestine, Politics, 12/1/2003 - Al-Assad confers with Murphy Syria-USA, Politics, 12/1/2003
- Egypt: al-Wafd boycotts complementary legislative elections Egypt, Politics, 12/1/2003
- Zayed appoints his son Muhammad as a deputy crown prince United Arab Emirates, Politics, 12/1/2003