Friday, June 6, 2008
U.S. Treasury targets three Gulf-based militants
The United States is freezing the assets of three Gulf-based militants on Thursday, saying they provided financial and material support to al Qaeda.
"These three dangerous individuals must be stopped from further facilitating terrorism," said Stuart Levey, Treasury's undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence.
"The global community should act swiftly to prohibit them from using the financial system and from traveling internationally," Levey said.
Any assets these men have under U.S. jurisdiction will be frozen, and Americans will be prohibited from doing business with them, the Treasury Department said.
The three include Khalifa Muhammad Turki al-Subaiy, a citizen of Qatar, described by Treasury as a financier and facilitator who has provided financial support to, and acted on behalf of, al Qaeda senior leadership.
Treasury named the others as Bahrain-born Adil Muhammad Mahmud Abd al-Khaliq, who it says has provided financial, material, and logistical support to al Qaeda and the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group; and Bahrain-born 'Abd al-Rahman Muhammad Jaffar 'Ali, a financier who it says facilitated the movement of money to a senior al Qaeda individual in Iran and also provided his personal funds for use by an al Qaeda recruit. (Reuters)
The assets were frozen just one week after British Banker Charles Ridley, was 'detained' in Dubai, allegedly in relation to investment funds in petro-chemical developments in Pakistan, and with no access to lawyers. As of yet, there is no connection between the two incidents. (Referenced: GDN)
Update: Charles Ridley was arrested for funds directed through the Dubai Islamic Bank. We have just gotten confirmation that the ex-VP of the bank, Rifat al-Islam Usmani, was also detained yesterday as part of a bribery Investigation. As of yet, there is no official connection between these incidents, though it seems on first glance that Ridleys arrest may have been part of a dragnet on the Dubai Islamic Bank. The freezing of assets of the alleged militants, as of yet, does not seem to be related. (Referenced: Gulf Times)
Labels: Al Qaeda, Bahrain, Qatar, U.S.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
EGYPT: Bond With U.S. Becomes a Chain
A deal brokered by Qatar last month succeeded in ending the longstanding political standoff in Lebanon -- at least for the time being. Some local analysts see Qatar's success as Cairo's failure, saying Egyptian diplomacy has been hamstrung by the ruling regime's closeness to Washington.
"Ever since Egypt moved into the American orbit, its diplomatic role in the region has eroded," Hamadeen Sabahi, opposition MP and publisher of opposition weekly al-Karama told IPS. "In the case of Lebanon, tiny Qatar succeeded where Egypt -- the most populous Arab country -- failed."
On May 21, representatives of Lebanon's two rival factions signed a power-sharing agreement ending two years of political deadlock and governmental paralysis. Signed in Doha, Qatar and brokered by the Qatari leadership, the deal staved off fears -- temporarily, at least -- of looming civil war between the U.S.-backed government and the political opposition led by resistance group Hezbollah.
The accord stipulates the formation of a national unity government in which the opposition enjoys veto power over decision-making -- which will allow Hezbollah and its allies to pre-empt legislation aimed at the resistance group's disarmament. The accord further stipulates the adoption of a new electoral law in advance of upcoming parliamentary elections.
On May 25, consensus candidate Michel Suleiman, a former army chief, was elected to the presidency after the post had lain vacant during six months of political wrangling. (IPS)
Labels: Egypt, Lebanon, Qatar, U.S.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Qatar PM wins libel suits against columnist who slammed Israel ties
Qatar's prime minister has won three libel suits against a Kuwaiti daily and the paper's columnist over a series of editorials criticizing his open policy toward Israel.
Sheik Hamad bin Jassem Al Thani, who also serves as Qatar's foreign minister, is known for developing contacts with Israel and seeking a more prominent regional role for Qatar.
His lawyer, Hussein al-Gharib, says a Kuwaiti civil court found Al-Watan daily and columnist Fouad al-Hashem guilty of damaging Hamad's reputation. The court ordered them on Monday to pay a total of 9,001 dinars (U.S. $34,094) in damages to the premier.
Al-Hashem says he respects the ruling but won't stop criticizing the top
Qatari official.
The columns by al-Hashem criticized Sheik Hamad for his ties to Israel, including claims he is financing the development of an Israeli diabetes drug.
Qatar is home to Israel's only diplomatic mission in the Gulf, a trade mission. In January 2007, then Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Shimon Peres visited Qatar and met with its ruler. (Haaretz)
Labels: Free Media, Free Speech, Israel, Qatar
Some analysts see Doha agreement as stopgap solution to Lebanon's crisis
While the election in Lebanon of President Michel Suleiman may have ended a prolonged political crisis, the underlying issues remain unresolved, analysts said on Monday.
The long-running deadlock between the government, backed by the West and most Arab states, and the Iran- and Syria-backed opposition was widely seen as an extension of the standoff between the United States and Iran.
Suleiman's election by Parliament on Sunday followed an accord struck in Doha last week aimed at bridging the divide and ending an increasingly dangerous internal conflict that threatened to take the country into a new civil war.
"This [US-Iran] conflict will be fought by other means. There could still be fire under the ashes ... This is a gamble," said legal expert Ziad Baroud.
"In the days and months to come we will not see an end to internal conflict and the divergent political opinions that accompany it," he said.
"The most striking feature of the Doha accord was the will to support civil peace. Conflicts are acceptable, but what is not acceptable is to risk the civil peace in Lebanon. That's a red line," he added.
Some saw the deal between rival Lebanese leaders as a defeat for the United States. (AFP)
Monday, May 26, 2008
MIDEAST: Lebanon Deal Confirms Qatar's Honest Broker Role
While Lebanon rejoices over the power-sharing deal among its rival factions that ended 18 months of political conflict and saved it from the brink of civil war, deal-broker Qatar revels in the glory of yet another diplomatic coup.
Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabor Al Thani, who is also his country’s foreign minister, chaired six days of Arab League talks in Doha that ended on Wednesday with a deal between the United States-backed ruling coalition and the Hezbollah-led opposition.
The agreement which allowed for the election of Gen. Michel Suleiman as Lebanese president -- a post lying vacant since November -- approved a parliamentary election law and cleared the opposition’s demand for veto power in the cabinet.
‘‘We never doubted when we called for this inter-Lebanese dialogue in Doha that it would succeed,’’ Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Emir of Qatar, was quoted as saying in the media. Qatar hosts the headquarters of the U.S. central command for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Qatar’s latest diplomatic success could be attributed to its ties with the rival factions and regional powers with influence in Beirut.
While Doha is a close ally of Washington, which also supports the government in Beirut, it has maintained good relations with Tehran and Damascus, which back the Lebanese opposition led by the Shiite militant movement Hezbollah. Recent reconciliation with Saudi Arabia, which also supports the Lebanese government, helped in the process too.
The mediation efforts, according to Doha-based political analyst Mehran Kamrava, is consistent with Qatar’s ‘‘increasingly proactive diplomacy’’ over the last few years both in the Gulf region and larger Middle East. (IPS)
Thursday, May 22, 2008
International leaders welcome news of accord reached in Qatar
Syria was among the first countries to welcome an agreement among Lebanese leaders on Wednesday to end 18 months of political conflict, saying that it hoped Parliament would elect a president on Sunday. The Qatari News Agency announced that Syrian President Bashar Assad called Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani to congratulate him on the agreement that was reached by the Lebanese leaders in Doha.
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem had already expressed from Yemen his support for the agreement.
Under Arab League auspices, rival Lebanese leaders clinched a deal on Wednesday to end the political feud that exploded into deadly fighting on May 5 and nearly drove the country into a new civil war.
The agreement, announced in Doha, will see the election of a president for Lebanon within days and the creation of a unity government in which the Hizbullah-led opposition will have the power of veto.
Saudi Arabia's ambassador to Lebanon, whose country backs the Beirut government, said on Wednesday that Riyadh supports the agreement reached between rival leaders in Qatar.
"Saudi Arabia announces its support for the agreement between the Lebanese in Doha. We are very happy that this accord has been reached," Abdel-Aziz Khoja, who is currently in Riyadh, told AFP. (AFP)
U.S. on the Outside in Peace Efforts
Just days after President Bush returned from the Middle East, the Middle East is moving beyond the Bush administration.
Two major peace efforts -- a surprise announcement of indirect talks between Israel and Syria brokered by Turkey and an eleventh-hour deal to prevent a new Lebanese war brokered by Qatar -- were launched without an American role, and both counter U.S. strategy in the region.
For years, the Bush administration has resisted overtures from Jerusalem and Damascus to participate in revived peace efforts over the Golan Heights. The administration balked at including Syria in the Annapolis conference on Middle East peace last year, relenting only under pressure from allies, according to Western officials.
At his Senate confirmation hearing on May 1, James B. Cunningham, the ambassador-designate to Israel, said expanding peace talks to include Syria would be difficult. "We have taken the position that it is not very useful right now for us to be talking to Syria," he said. As a result, over the past year Turkey has taken the initiative to launch shuttle diplomacy, a role once reserved for U.S. secretaries of state. (Washington Post)
Labels: Hezbollah, Israel, Lebanon, Qatar, Syria, U.S.
Reactions to Doha agreement
The barricades are being dismantled and so are the opposition protest camps.
Under the leadership of Qatar, the Arab League has brokered an end to Lebanon's 18-month political crisis.
Feuding factions have agreed to stop fighting and elect a unity government and new president.
Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al Thani, Qatar's prime minister, said: "With God's help and thanks to the co-operation of the Lebanese representatives and efforts of the Arab League seceretary-general, we have been able to reach an agreement based on consensus between all the Lebanese brothers."
Amr Moussa, the Arab League general-secretary, said it was a deal based on the principle of "no victor, no vanquished".
While all rival Lebanese parties agreed it was necessary to reach a deal to build co-existence and unity, some in the March 14 pro-government camp made clear they were not happy.
Amin Gemayel, a pro-government Christian leader, said: "This agreement is not perfect.
"We had to make a lot of sacrifices. But the most important thing now is to reconcile the country ... To make all the parties work together." (Al Jazeera)
Labels: Hezbollah, Lebanon, Qatar
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Lebanese Political Factions Reach Agreement
Lebanon's rival factions agreed Wednesday to end the country's political crisis in a deal that enhances the standing of the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah and paves the way for filling the vacant presidency.
After 18 months of deadlock and a recent round of street fighting that left more than 60 dead, the country's U.S.-backed government and the Hezbollah-led opposition came to terms after five days of negotiations in the Persian Gulf state of Qatar.
The crisis took on regional importance as a proxy for broader issues -- the struggle for influence between the United States and Iran, the growing Sunni-Shiite sectarian divide in the Middle East, and the durability of Hezbollah despite long-standing U.S. efforts to marginalize it.
The United States' top diplomat for the region, David Welch, nevertheless welcomed the agreement as "a necessary and positive step" that will let the country's political process move forward, the Associated Press reported. (Washington Post)
Labels: Hezbollah, Lebanon, Qatar
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Deadline extended in Lebanon talks
Arab mediators have extended a deadline for rival Lebanese leaders to agree on one of two proposals put forward to end the political crisis, amid talks in Qatar.
Lebanese leaders are yet to respond to the proposals and one side had asked for more time, Ahmad Abdullah al-Mahmood, Qatari Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, told reporters.
"The committee approved [that request] giving until tomorrow [Wednesday]," he said without disclosing details of the proposals.
The talks earlier suffered a set-back after the opposition rejected a Qatari proposal to postpone discussion on a proposed electoral law and the election of a president.
The opposition refused to delay discussions on the electoral law, suggesting that talks continue in Beirut.
If the electoral law is worked out, it would help clear the way for a new president to be elected in parliament.
The two sides have agreed on General Michel Suleiman as a consensus candidate to succeed Emile Lahoud, the former pro-Syrian president, who stood down at the end of his term of office in November. (Al Jazeera)
Labels: Hezbollah, Lebanon, Qatar
Monday, May 19, 2008
Lebanon talks hit snag over power-sharing plan
Talks to end Lebanon's political crisis suffered a setback on Monday after the Hezbollah-led opposition appeared to ignore proposals by Qatari mediators aimed at pulling the country back from the brink of civil war.
The Arab League intervened last week to end Lebanon's worst domestic fighting since the 1975-1990 civil war and pave the way for the Doha talks between the U.S.-backed ruling coalition and the opposition to end an 18-month-old crisis.
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr al-Thani made proposals on Sunday on power-sharing in a new government and the rivals had been expected to hammer out a compromise over a new election law on Monday.
Agreement on these points would pave the way for parliament to elect army commander General Michel Suleiman as president, a post that has been vacant since November.
But a statement issued by opposition leaders after a meeting on Monday was short on detail and restated existing demands, disappointing the ruling camp and casting a pall over talks. (Reuters)
Labels: Arab Leauge, Hezbollah, Lebanon, Qatar
Al Jazeera English Tries to Extend Its Reach
The English-language offshoot of Al Jazeera, the Arabic television news network, is pushing for a “breakthrough” that would make the channel available to American TV viewers and help it move beyond a turbulent start-up phase, according to its new managing director, Tony Burman.
Tony Burman was named managing director of Al Jazeera English last week.
The hiring of Mr. Burman, a former editor in chief of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the Canadian public broadcaster, was announced last week.
Al Jazeera English’s first year and a half has been marked by intense scrutiny of its coverage and by the recent defection of several high-profile Western journalists who had been recruited to lend credibility to the channel.
Al Jazeera English, which is part of the Al Jazeera Network, based in Qatar, also announced distribution agreements last week in markets as far-flung as Portugal, Ukraine and Vietnam, increasing its potential audience to 110 million homes. Conspicuously absent, however, was the United States, where Al Jazeera is still largely unavailable on television. Viewers can watch it on the Web through a deal with YouTube, the online video service.
In the United States, a market of 300 million people and hundreds of pay-television services, “the idea that certain channels would effectively be banned is medieval,” Mr. Burman said. (NY Times)
Labels: Free Media, Qatar, U.S.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Lebanese leaders make some progress at Qatar talks
Rival Lebanese leaders made progress on issues at the heart of their political crisis on Sunday but Qatari-mediated talks face major hurdles to a deal to pull Lebanon back from the brink of a new civil war.
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr al-Thani met with members of the U.S.-backed ruling coalition and Hezbollah-led opposition to try to end a crisis that has paralyzed the government and left Lebanon with no president.
But delegates said Sheikh Hamad had yet to win final approval on one of the prickliest issues on the agenda -- the shape of a new government -- after making several proposals including one to split seats three ways equally among rivals.
A six-member committee created on Saturday to lay the framework for a new election law has made progress and was now working out the details of how to divide Beirut electorally. (Reuters)
Labels: Hezbollah, Lebanon, Qatar
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Lebanon talks open in Doha
Talks aimed at ending Lebanon's protracted political crisis have opened in Qatar.
Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, the emir of Qatar, opened Friday's meeting in Doha, which follows a deal brokered by the Arab League on Thursday to end the worst fighting among Lebanese since the 1975-90 civil war.
Fouad Siniora, Lebanon's prime minister, and Saad al-Hariri, who leads the majority bloc in parliament, are among those from the government who are attending the talks.
Nabih Berri, the assembly speaker, and Mohammed Raad, a Hezbollah MP, are among the opposition delegates.
The talks got under way at the Sheraton hotel in Doha.
Addressing Lebanese leaders at the opening session, Al-Thani said: "Dear brothers, I am delighted to welcome you here in Doha ... representatives of all the Lebanese forces or envoys of Arab countries or organisations which are concerned about what is going on in Lebanon [and] all [who] want to protect its future by maintaining its unity."
"I hope that you reach an agreement to avert dangerous consequences [in] hard times that threaten a country which we are all demanded to maintain and protect." (Al Jazeera)
Labels: Hezbollah, Lebanon, Qatar
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Lebanon rivals agree to Doha talks
Lebanon's rival parties have agreed to an Arab League delegation suggestion to hold talks in the Qatari capital, Doha, aimed at defusing the country's political crisis, Al Jazeera has learned.
The agreement on Thursday followed two days of negotiations by the Arab delegation with government and opposition leaders in the Lebanese capital, Beirut.
The Doha talks, expected within 24 hours, will tackle how to share power in the cabinet and the details of a new parliamentary election law.
The Arab delegation was expected to announce details of the deal at a news conference later on Thursday.
James Bays, Al Jazeera's correspondent, reported from Beirut: "We are hearing that they've made extraordinarily good progress, not just on the current issue of trying to resolve the violence ... we hear the agreement may go much further.
"I understand those talks [in Doha] will look at ways of forming a national unity government, it will look at the electoral law and it will look at a way that they can finally elect a president." (Al Jazeera)
Friday, May 9, 2008
Peres to Lebanese: Avoid civil war; Abbas: Palestinians must be neutral
President Shimon Peres played down Israeli concerns at Hezbollah's move to expand its control, but said he hoped the Lebanese people would step back from the brink of civil war.
Peres called the latest round of violence a "tragedy," but classified it as an "internal split" having nothing to do with Israel.
"It's not a total surprise. We knew that Hezbollah is going to divide the country and lead it to the verge of a civil war," Peres told reporters.
"It has nothing to do with Israel. It's an internal split," Peres said. "It's a tragedy for them. It's a tragedy for all of us. And I hope that at the last moment they will save themselves from a bloody civil war."
Meanwhile, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas urged the some 400,000 Palestinian refugees living in Lebanon to stay out of the current conflict between the Western-backed government and the Iranian and Syrian-backed opposition.
Abbas also warned against attempts to drag the Palestinians into the ongoing fighting between Hezbollah and forces loyal to the government.
...... Syrian and Qatari leaders said Friday that the current crisis in Lebanon is an "internal affair," while Egypt and Saudi Arabia called for an emergency Arab foreign ministers' meeting to discuss the situation, media reports said. (DPA)
Labels: Egypt, Hezbollah, Israel, Lebanon, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria
Monday, May 5, 2008
Qatar called upon to mediate in Lebanon and Yemen
Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir said on Monday that Qatar could play a positive role in bridging the gap between feuding Lebanese political groups. (AFP)
New peace talks are under way between the Yemeni authorities and Zaidi rebels to try to contain renewed clashes that have left at least 52 people dead since Friday, the rebels said on Monday. "We met in Saada on Sunday in the presence of the Qatari mediators," the rebels' chief negotiator Saleh Habra told AFP. (Daily Star)
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Bid to salvage Shia-Yemen truce
Mediators from the Gulf state of Qatar are in northern Yemen to try to save a ceasefire agreement between the Yemeni government and Shia rebels.
There has been increasing violence in the northern Yemeni province of Saada over the past few weeks. A bomb blast at a mosque on Friday killed 18 people.
The mediators face an uphill struggle as there is a deep lack of trust.
Key issues include the handover of heavy weapons by the rebels and an exchange of prisoners.
The Shia militants, led by Abdulmalik al-Houthi, began their latest rebellion some four years ago.
A ceasefire was agreed last year, but it fell apart in January, and further attempts to keep the peace have since faltered.
The bombing of a mosque used by members of the security forces on Friday has been blamed on the rebels, though they deny any involvement.
That attack followed the killing of a prominent Yemeni member of parliament, Saleh al-Hindi, two weeks ago.
Since then a number of rebels and members of the security forces have died in sporadic clashes. (BBC)
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Ethiopian rebels criticize severing of ties with Qatar
An Ethiopian rebel group criticized the government Tuesday for breaking diplomatic ties with Qatar, saying the reasons it did so were "far from reality." Addis Ababa severed relations with Qatar Monday citing the Gulf state's "strong ties" with its arch-foe Eritrea and support to armed opposition groups within the country. It also accused Qatar of becoming a "major source of instability" in the Horn of Africa region. "If there has been a destabilizing factor in the Horn of Africa, it has been the regime currently in power in Ethiopia," the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) said in a statement. "The Ethiopian regime's severing of diplomatic relations with Qatar is based on accusations which are far from reality and designed to divert attention from yet another unfolding African genocide in Ogaden."
The ONLF, operating in Ethiopia's southern Ogaden region, is fighting for the independence of ethnic Somalis in the region, who they say have been marginalized by Addis Ababa. Ethiopia also charged that Qatar was using its media to undermine it, after the Qatar-based Al-Jazeera news network aired a series of reports earlier this month on the Ogaden region, where a news blackout has been imposed. "Qatar follows Norway as the latest victim of the Ethiopian regime's paranoia in its dealings with the members of the international community," the ONLF added. It said Ethiopia "can no longer conceal the systematic and deliberate persecution of an entire people solely because of their ethnic heritage and desire for self-determination ... The regime can also no longer conceal the fact that it is not in effective control of Ogaden." Ethiopia expelled Norwegian diplomats last year, saying it was dissatisfied with the way the Scandinavian country was conducting its diplomacy in the region. (AFP)
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Rebel chief accuses Sanaa of wrecking Qatari-brokered peace pact
The commander of a Yemeni rebel movement said Monday that efforts by Qatar to implement a peace deal it brokered between the government and the insurgents have failed.
Abdul Malak al-Huthi blamed Sanaa for the failure which he said had resulted in the Qatari mediators leaving Yemen's northwestern Saada Province and heading back to Doha.
"The Qatari team left after reaching a dead-end due to the refusal of the [government] to pull out army troops from the areas in which they deployed during the clashes - namely villages, schools and mosques," Huthi said by telephone.
Saada, a mountainous province near the Saudi border, has been the scene of an on-off rebellion by members of the Zaidi community, an offshoot of Shiite Islam. Thousands have been killed in the clashes. (AFP)
Monday, April 21, 2008
Ethiopia cuts ties with Qatar on terrorism charge
Ethiopia broke diplomatic ties with Qatar on Monday, accusing the Gulf Arab state of supporting terrorism in Somalia and Ethiopia and spreading instability in the Horn of Africa.
"Whether in Somalia and in other parts of the Horn of Africa -- including within Ethiopia -- Qatar has been one of the most important supporters of terrorism and extremism in our sub-region," Ethiopia's government said in an email statement.
Qatar rejected Ethiopia's charges.
Ethiopia, a U.S. ally and the biggest military power in the Horn of Africa, said it had long observed Qatar's "hostile behaviour", and had raised the issue directly on various occasions.
"All diplomatic efforts have been deployed to try to persuade Qatar to change its destructive activities ... of which Ethiopia has unequivocal evidence," it said. "Apparently blinded by arrogance ... Qatar has remained deaf to all our efforts."
Oil-rich Qatar, which is also an American ally, hosting a large U.S. military base, dismissed the accusations as "frivolous and irresponsible."
Ethiopia's statement added that Qatar's hostile behaviour "included the output of its media outlets", a presumed reference to the Al Jazeera Arab satellite television network. (Reuters)
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Eni Signs Qatar Oil Deal, Deepens State Cos Links
Italian oil and gas company Eni SpA (E) on Sunday continued its recent string of expanding ties with state-run oil companies, this time signing a deal to pursue multibillion dollar oil and natural gas projects with small Gulf state Qatar.
The deal comes weeks after Eni, one of Europe's biggest energy companies, signed new deals with the Venezuelan state-run oil company, Petroleos de Venezuela SA (PVZ.YY), and strengthened its relationship with Russian gas giant, OAO Gazprom (GAZP.RS).
Under the latest deal, Eni and state-run Qatar Petroleum will jointly pursue gas and oil exploration projects in Africa and the Mediterranean region. The agreement also entails cooperation on refining, petrochemical and power projects.
The agreement highlights the increased willingness of some Western oil and gas companies, largely shut out from drilling for hydrocarbons in the Middle East, to strike cooperation deals - often for less lucrative service contracts - with national oil companies in order to further their growth prospects. (CNN)
Monday, April 14, 2008
Qatar's emir tells Livni Israel should lift blockade on Gaza
Qatar's prime minister, Hamad bin Jasim bin Jabir al-Thani, on Monday urged Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni to end Israel's "crippling blockade of Gaza due to the difficult humanitarian situation."
Meeting Livni at the 8th annual Doha Forum on Democracy, Development and Free Trade, Sheikh al-Thani also called for the acceleration of negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority on a final-status arrangement.
In her address, Livni declared that Gaza militant groups' ongoing conflict with Israel is frustrating Palestinian ambitions for statehood.
"The situation in the Gaza Strip is not just Israel's problem - Gaza is becoming an obstacle to the establishment of a Palestinian state," Livni said in a keynote address.
Although Israel fully withdrew all its forces from the Gaza Strip, "dismantled all settlements and allowed for Palestinian self-rule in this territory, instead of coexistence, we have received terror in return," she said.
"We are extending our hands in peace. The way to peaceful relations goes through dialogue and mutual recognition," she said. (Haaretz)
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Iranian, Lebanese officials to skip Doha Forum over Livni's participation
Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni arrived on Sunday for a first visit in Qatar, where she is scheduled to deliver a keynote address on international dialogue and peace before the Doha Forum on Democracy, Development and Free Trade.
Foreign Ministry sources said that senior officials from Iran and Lebanon have decided to boycott participation in the forum due to Livni's participation.
Those officials include Lebanon's parliament speaker, Nabi Berri, former Lebanese foreign minister Fauzi Saluh and former Iranian president Mohammad Khatami.
While in Qatar, Livni hopes to convince Arab states to bolster their support for the Palestinian Authority to enable effective negotiations for a peace settlement.
Livni is due to address the Doha Forum on Monday evening, according to the forum agenda.
Livni also hopes to use the three-day visit to build a consensus among Arab nations against Iran's nuclear ambitions and to promote a "gradual" normalization of ties between Israel and Gulf states in order to facilitate the peace process. (Haaretz)
Labels: Fatah, Iran, Lebanon, Qatar
Friday, April 4, 2008
US bomber crashes at Qatari air base
A US Air Force bomber crashed at Qatar's Al-Udeid Air Base near Doha on Friday, Al-Jazeera television and officials in Washington said. The state-run broadcaster initially reported that the plane was one of the air force's aging B-52s, but the US official said it was a far more modern B-1. Both attributed the crash to technical problems, and there was no immediate word on any casualties among the crew or on the ground.
The plane was attempting to land when the incident took place and exploded on impact, one US official said.
Al-Udeid is the nerve center for all US Air Force operations in the Middle East and has been used to support the war efforts in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
The supersonicGreen-Speed-At-Bonneville 
B-1 has been plagued by crashes since it entered service in the mid-1980s. (Daily Star)
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Thousands of Catholics attend first mass at Qatari church (AFP)
Thousands of Christians took part on Saturday in the first mass at Muslim Qatar's only church, opened this week despite threats from Islamists.
Vatican envoy Cardinal Ivan Dias presided over the eucharist attended by around 15,000 worshippers at Our Lady of the Rosary Roman Catholic church in Doha, thanking "God and Qatar for this great gift".
The church, which like elsewhere in the Gulf Arab region has no bells or crosses on its exterior, opened on Friday ahead of western Christianity's celebration of Easter, which this year falls on March 23.
It is the first of five to be constructed in the gas-rich Gulf state. (Link)
Labels: Freedom of Religion, Qatar
Friday, March 14, 2008
Qatar opens doors to its first church in time for Easter (Daily Star)
Just in time for Easter, Christians in Qatar got their first church on Friday, joining fellow believers in many other Gulf countries who have long been able to worship in their own churches rather than homes or other venues.
An exception is Saudi Arabia, which adheres to a rigorous doctrine of Islam known as Wahhabism. The ultra-conservative kingdom bans all non-Muslim religious rituals and materials.
In contrast, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and the UAE host churches that cater to hundreds of thousands of expats and, in some cases, tiny local communities.
Ironically, Qatar also adheres to Wahhabism but it has opened up to other faiths in the past decade. (Link)
Labels: Freedom of Religion, Qatar
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
A prize in Abu Dhabi is helping to restore a sense of Arab pride (Daily Star)
For decades, much of the Arab world has liked to look down on the countries of the Gulf, writing them off as all oil and gas - and no gravitas. However, as a result of energetic leadership and a number of creative initiatives, that view is gradually changing, and the effects are making themselves felt on several levels. The Gulf Arabs still have those lucrative energy reserves at a time of sky-high prices, but this time the boom is being managed with an eye toward preparations for the leaner times that will inevitably lie ahead. Investments are being made in education, research and economic diversification, all prerequisites for societies that can thrive in a post-resource environment. They are also channelling more of their liquidity abroad, but not at gambling tables in Monaco: Instead they are pushing aid, trade and investment into other countries, both Arab and not.
It is in the cultural and intellectual spheres, however, where Gulf capital and influence have the potential to bring about the most revolutionary changes. Westernized elites in places like Lebanon and Morocco might still snicker at such an idea, but the new generations in places like Qatar and the United Arab Emirates mean business, and not just in the literal sense: Wholesale changes may be just around the corner for much of the Arab world, and much thanks will be due to some long-mocked monarchies in the Gulf. (Link)
Monday, February 18, 2008
US-Islamic forum in Doha endorses Barack Obama (AFP)
Delegates at a US-Islamic forum voiced support on Monday for US presidential hopeful Barack Obama, although some warned against expecting any radical policy change irrespective of who captures the White House. Obama won overwhelming support in a mock election by more than 200 American and Muslim delegates at the US-Islamic World Forum in Doha.
His Democratic rival Hillary Clinton and Republican candidates won a handful of votes.
About 280 public figures and academics from 32 countries, including Afghan President Hamid Karzai and the US ambassador to the UN, Zalmay Khalilzad, attended the fifth edition of the forum due to end in Qatar later Monday.
Islamic television preacher Amr Khaled told the forum that he speaks "on behalf of millions of Muslim youth who seek work, respect and freedom," and urged the next US administration to "solve the political problems in Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan, and not to mix Muslims and extremists." (Link)
Qatar Buys Credit Suisse Shares, Prime Minister Says (Bloomberg)
Qatar is buying shares in Credit Suisse Group and plans to spend as much as $15 billion on European and U.S. bank stocks over the next year, the Gulf state's prime minister said in an interview.
``We have a relation with Credit Suisse and we bought some of the stock from the market, actually, but I cannot say what percentage because still we are in the process,'' Sheikh Hamad bin Jasim bin Jaber al-Thani, who is also chief executive officer of the Qatar Investment Authority, said in an interview late yesterday in Doha.
Persian Gulf sovereign wealth funds, whose coffers are swelling from near-record oil prices, and counterparts in Asia have been snapping up stakes in banks battered by U.S. subprime mortgage losses. Citigroup Inc. received $14.5 billion from investors including Singapore and Kuwait since mid-December. (Link)
Labels: Qatar
Qatar donates $5.5 million to help rebuild Bint Jbeil (Daily Star)
The Qatar Authority for Charitable Activities donated on Saturday $5.5 million for the rebuilding of the southern town of Bint Jbeil, the state-run National News Agency said. Qatar has funded the reconstruction of almost half the number of houses which were destroyed in South Lebanon during the 2006 summer war between Israel and Hizbullah. Qatar is carrying out reconstruction work in four of the seven villages which were ruined during the confrontation. (Link)
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Arab TV broadcasters face curbs (BBC)
At a meeting in Cairo called by Egypt and Saudi Arabia, a charter was adopted allowing authorities to withdraw permits from offending channels.
The only country to refuse to endorse the charter was Qatar, the home of leading satellite station al-Jazeera.
Correspondents say the satellite channels have thrived on controversy.
The often privately financed stations give airtime to government critics and viewers, and discuss issues which state channels would never dare approach, says the BBC's Heba Saleh in Cairo. (Link)
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I will try to find a comprehensive list of countries that signed, this and update this post as soon as I do.
Update: Here is a more detailed article.
Labels: Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia
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