| Islamic World News | |
| 04 May 2011, NewAgeIslam.Com |
| US says Pak needs to do more about LeT, Hafiz Saeed | ||
Afghan police: NATO bombs private guards, kills 5 Unauthorised raid must not serve as precedent, US told By Pak Osama death: Religious zeal in Pakistan’s bloodstream US lawmaker seeks aid review for Pakistan Pakistan hits back over furore Saudi Arabia worst hit by Al-Qaeda terrorists Relation with Pakistan complicated but important: US Penalty for overstaying may be expanded to cover Haj pilgrims ‘Premature’ to comment on Osama death: Taliban Is Gaddafi plotting a chemical assault? Bin laden death seen to batter Filipino extremists Osama’s will unveiled: Kuwait City Newspaper Pakistan either incompetent or involved: CIA chief No apology for violating Pak air space: White House Pakistan hits back over furor Bin Laden’s death not to end terrorism Phone call by Kuwaiti courier led US spies to Bin Laden Freed Saudi diplomat safe in Sanaa Altaf calls for round table conference on Osama Image of Osama’s Yemeni wife passport received Bin Laden hideout attracts crowds US Senate honors troops in Osama mission Hollywood has Osama death in its sights FO denies knowledge of US operation Osama death won’t impact Afghanistan Bin Laden’s Replacement: Ayman Al-Zawahiri Bin Laden story shows changing media nature Fired Australian bishop calls Vatican authoritarian Pak PM invites MQM to join federal cabinet again Oman opens door to Islamic banks to curb fund outflows UK arrests 5 under security law near nuclear site Iran launches new oil exchange Non oil private sector growth remains strong in Kingdom Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau Photo: Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Mohd Saeed | ||
10 security guards killed in NATO air strike--------
US says Pak needs to do more about LeT, Hafiz Saeed
May 4, 2011,
NEW DELHI: Terming as a "matter of concern" the fact that Osama bin Laden was found near Islamabad, the US on Wednesday said it would like to go to the bottom of this issue and also ensure that the aid given to Pakistan is used to target Lashker-e-Taiba along with al-Qaida.
Timothy J Roemer, US ambassador to India, said the American Congress would be taking a "very hard look" and ask "tough" questions as to how terror mastermind and al-Qaida leader bin Laden was living in Abottabad, north of Islamabad.
"We are certainly going to see the Capitol Hill (US Congress) take a very hard look at the assistance that we give and we invest in security for Pakistan," Roemer told reporters here.
Noting that the Congress was going to engage in two very fundamentally important task in the weeks ahead, he said the US lawmakers will look into the selling of military equipment to Pakistan and the presence of bin Laden in Abottabad.
"One will be as we share or sell certain military equipment to Pakistan. Is that being used in the proper way to take on counter terrorism efforts. We have seen over the past 18 months, Pakistan has stepped up those efforts to target al-Qaida leadership and degrade that leadership. That is a positive outcome," he said.
However, he said, "Are they doing enough on LeT? Are they doing enough on Mumbai trials? Are they doing enough on Hafiz Saeed and (Zaki-ur-Rehman) Lakhvi? No, they need to do more."
He said the other question that will be raised by the US Congress will be with respect to bin Laden being discovered outside of Islamabad. "We remember Khalid Sheikh Mohammad was discovered inside Rawalpindi back in 2003.
"This is a concern. Congress will ask tough questions and we want to get to the bottom of it. How do we more effectively use that aid to make sure that Pakistan is helping us not only degrade al-Qaida but go after groups like LeT," he said.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/US-says-Pak-needs-to-do-more-about-LeT-Hafiz-Saeed-Roemer/articleshow/8159581.cms
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10 security guards killed in NATO air strike
May 4, 2011
GHAZNI (Agencies): Up to 10 Afghan guards were killed Tuesday in a NATO air strike along a highway in southern Afghanistan, police said, in the latest friendly fire incident involving the alliance’s forces.
The armed guards were escorting a supply convoy to NATO bases in southern Afghanistan when they were hit in the province of Ghazni, Mohammad Hussain Yaqoubi, the deputy provincial police chief told media.
“Maybe mistaking them with insurgents NATO helicopters targeted the guards.Between eight to 10 guards have been killed,” he added. An investigation was underway, the police chief said.
NATO troops clashed Tuesday with private security guards who were apparently escorting a supply convoy for international troops, sparking a firefight in which the alliance called an air strike that killed the guards, Afghan police said.
NATO confirmed that an air strike was called in by a convoy involved in a firefight in Ghazni province in eastern Afghanistan, but it said initial reports suggested the strike was on insurgents.
The international coalition said it could not yet confirm anything more about the incident in the province’s Gelan district. “The convoy called for and received close air support. We are still assessing the results from the engagement,” a NATO statement said.
Afghan officials said there were no insurgents involved in the conflict, which started sometime after dawn.
“This morning, there was some sort of incident between an American convoy and security guards from Watan Risk,” said Zirawer Zahid, the police chief of Ghazni.
He was referring to Watan Risk Management, a private company that supplies guards for convoys, offices and international organizations.
Zahid did not have details on what sparked the fighting, but he said that the NATO air strike that followed killed at least five of the Watan guards. Watan could not immediately be reached for comment.
It was not immediately clear if the NATO troops and the guards were part of the same convoy or if there were two separate convoys that got involved in the fighting.
http://www.thefrontierpost.com/?p=9783
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Afghan police: NATO bombs private guards, kills 5
May 3, 2011
KABUL: Afghan police say NATO troops have clashed with private security guards who were apparently escorting a supply convoy for international troops. The police say that during the firefight, NATO called an air strike that killed at least five of the guards.
NATO has confirmed that an air strike was called in on Tuesday morning by a convoy involved in a firefight in Ghazni province but it says initial reports suggest the strike was on insurgents.
The international military coalition did not provide further details.
Ghazni Police Chief Zirawer Zahid says there were no insurgents involved in the conflict and that at least five private security guards were killed in the air strike.
It’s unclear what started the firefight.
http://arabnews.com/world/article380680.ece
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Unauthorised raid must not serve as precedent, US told By Pak
May 4, 2011,
ISLAMABAD: More than 36 hours after the US killed Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden in a stunning operation in the garrison town of Abbottabad, embarrassed Pakistani leadership tried on Tuesday evening to shrug off some of the discomfiture and, for the first time, came up with its own narrative of the events that had led to the detection and eventual elimination of Bin Laden, while reminding the Americans that their unilateral action should be an exception and not a rule.
“This event of unauthorised unilateral action cannot be taken as a rule. The government of Pakistan further affirms that such an event shall not serve as a future precedent for any state, including the US. Such actions undermine cooperation and may also some time constitute threat to international peace and security,” a statement issued by the Foreign Office said.
“The government of Pakistan expresses its deep concerns and reservations on the manner in which the government of the United States carried out this operation without prior information or authorisation from the government of Pakistan.”
‘Red lines’ earlier conveyed to the Obama administration by Pakistan had specifically stressed on ‘no foreign boots on Pakistani soil’.
The statement spelt out why it was taking the raid as an exception.
“The government of Pakistan recognises that the death of Osama bin Laden is an important milestone in fight against terrorism and that the government of Pakistan and its state institutions have been making serious efforts to bring him to justice.”
The statement, however, appeared to be contradicting the initial official reaction issued on Monday which was seen by many as an attempt to possibly express helplessness about, if not justify, the US Navy Seal strike team’s incursion under CIA command. It said: “This operation was conducted by the US forces in accordance with declared US policy that Osama bin Laden will be eliminated in a direct action by the US forces, wherever found in the world.”
Information Minister Firdous Awan had gone one step further by giving it the cover of international law when she said the US action had been conducted in exercise of a UNSC resolution.
Was Tuesday’s reaction just an afterthought? Or did the blowback the military got over the perceived violation of national sovereignty push the Foreign Office to restate its policy of ‘no tolerance’ for foreign military action on its soil?
The message, on the face of it, seemed to have been designed to silence public criticism and questioning at home about the conduct of the operation, but it also contained a nuanced note for the international audience, particularly India, which has been mulling plans for a long time for targeting groups based on Pakistani soil it consider as a threat.
In this context the statement reminded the international community of Pakistan’s cooperation in counter-terrorism efforts, including the arrest of some high-profile terrorists.
“Pakistan, being mindful of its international obligations, has been extending full and proper cooperation on all counter-terrorism efforts, including exchange of information and intelligence. Pursuant to such cooperation, Pakistan had arrested several high-profile terrorists.”
Further cautioning against any future incursion, the statement reminded about the importance of public support for the military and government, which it feared to lose if a unilateral action was to happen again.
“The government of Pakistan and its armed forces consider support of the people of Pakistan to be its mainstay and actual strength. Any actions contrary to their aspirations, therefore, run against the very basis on which the edifice of national defence and security is based.”
Telling the Pakistani version of how US detected Osama’s presence in Abbottabad, the statement said that ISI had been sharing information about the compound, which was raided by the US forces, with CIA and other friendly intelligence agencies since 2009. This flow of information about presence of foreigners in the surroundings of Abbottabad continued till mid-April.
“It is important to highlight that taking advantage of much superior technological assets, CIA exploited the intelligence leads given by us to identify and reach Osama bin Laden, a fact also acknowledged by the US president and secretary of state, in their statements.”
The statement reiterated that neither the country’s civilian nor military leadership had knowledge of the US operation in advance.
It recalled that Pakistan Air Force had reacted to the incident by scrambling its jets into action.
While the Foreign Office said PAF had gone into action minutes after the receipt of information, a statement by White House Adviser John Brennan used to corroborate that indicated that PAF fighters weren’t able to detect the invading aircraft.
http://www.dawn.com/2011/05/04/unauthorised-raid-must-not-serve-as-precedent-us-told.html
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Osama death: Religious zeal in Pakistan's bloodstream
May 4, 2011,
Now that Osama bin Laden is in the bag, the big question is how much the Pakistani authorities knew? About bin Laden's whereabouts, about the intelligence operation that had identified his couriers, about the surveillance that began in earnest in August of last year, and about the actual operation that took place on May 1 in the dead of the Abbottabad night.
From the Pakistani and US authorities, there seems to be a well-coordinated effort to create the impression that Pakistan was kept in the dark about the operation. This suits the narrative of an unreliable Pakistani intelligence community that may have tipped off the al-Qaida chief. It also creates plausible deniability for Pakistani authorities, who have, no doubt, learnt the lesson from the real-life Shootout at Lokhandwala scenes enacted at the Red Mosque in Islamabad in 2007. The fallout from Red Mosque continues to haunt Pakistani tombs, shrines, mosques, universities , markets and street corners .
Just because the 'exclusion of Pakistan' fable suits both countries however, doesn't make it necessarily true. The symbiosis of the dysfunctional US-Pakistan relationship is one of the qualities that sustains it. That bin Laden was alive and well till May 1 because the Pakistanis were helping him, and that he is dead and buried, because the Pakistanis helped kill him -both can be simultaneously true. And they probably are.
Duality is something that the Pakistani state must now contend with for the better part of a generation. Much time, effort and resources were invested in building the edifice of a second-line defence - or infrastructure of terror, if you will - to contend with the bigger, richer, and almost routinely smarter India. It will take some doing to dismantle it. Religious zeal was easy to inject into the Pakistani bloodstream , it will be difficult to extract .
The process cannot and must not be rushed. A superpower with some experience in how the world works, would understand this. It appears it's the case with the US, whose topsy turvy relationship with Pakistan is not going to disintegrate suddenly .
On the other hand, it appears that India's ambitions for a regular role in world affairs beyond the showing off of IT services behemoths at the World Economic Forum require some time before coming to fruition. India is, by size, by cultural richness and depth, and by history and anthropology, fully due a global leadership role. But global leaders are innovators and jump starters. They help ignite prosperity and security in their own neighborhoods --- think US with Mexico and Canada. The glee and hubris that is so palpable, at least among the Delhi policy elite unfortunately, suggests that there is plenty of partition baggage left, both from 1947 and 1971. LeT-Hafiz-Saeed-Roemer/articleshow/8159581.cms
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US lawmaker seeks aid review for Pakistan
May 04, 2011
WASHINGTON: US lawmakers expressing their concerns if Pakistan knew about Osama bin Laden's compound in Abbotabad called to review aid policy.
In floor speeches, congressional hearings and comments off the floor, lawmakers challenged whether the US should continue military and economic assistance to Pakistan.
Senator Carl Levin of Michigan said, "The American people provided billions of dollars of aid to the Pakistani government deserve to know whether elements of Pakistan's military and intelligence services or local officials knew of bin Laden's location over the five years or so he was there - and if they did not know, how that could possibly be the case."
Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D) of New Jersey called for suspending US aid immediately. "Before we send another dime, we need to know whether Pakistan truly stands with us in the fight against terrorism," he said in a statement on Monday.
Rep. Ted Poe (R) of Texas is proposing legislation that would cut off future aid unless the US State Department certifies that Pakistan was not "providing sanctuary" to bin Laden. The Obama administration is requesting $3 billion in foreign aid to Pakistan in fiscal year 2012, along with $2.3 billion in funding to boost that nation's counterterrorism capacity.
Sen. Harry Reid said that thousands of Pakistani security troops rendered their sacrifices in war on terror, adding that it would be premature to suspend the aid.
http://www.thenews.jang.com.pk/NewsDetail.aspx?ID=15091
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Pakistan hits back over furor
May 4, 2011,
ABBOTTABAD: Pakistan’s president said Tuesday accusations that his nation extends safe haven to extremists were “baseless” and insisted its long-term help was crucial to the US triumph in killing Osama Bin Laden.
Asif Ali Zardari’s defense came after the US warned it would probe how Al-Qaeda’s kingpin managed to live in undetected luxury in Pakistan. Obama’s top anti-terror adviser John Brennan said it was “inconceivable” that Bin Laden did not enjoy a support network in Pakistan.
In an opinion piece written for Tuesday’s Washington Post, Zardari said the criticism was groundless.
“Some in the US press have suggested that Pakistan lacked vitality in its pursuit of terrorism, or worse yet that we were disingenuous and actually protected the terrorists we claimed to be pursuing,” Zardari said. “Such baseless speculation may make exciting cable news, but it doesn’t reflect fact.”
In a statement from the presidency, Zardari said Bin Laden twice attempted to kill his wife — former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. “Al-Qaeda and Taleban were directly responsible for Benazir’s assassination,” he claimed. “Twice he tried to assassinate my wife. In 1989, he poured $50 million into a no-confidence vote to topple her first government. She said she was Bin Laden’s worst nightmare. She was right, and she paid for it with her life.”
Recalling Pakistan’s contribution to the war on terror and the price it paid, Zardari said: “More of our soldiers have died than all of NATO’s casualties combined. Two thousand police officers, as many as 30,000 innocent civilians and a generation of social progress for our people have been lost.”
Pakistani Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani sidestepped questions over how Bin Laden had gone undetected, according to AFP. Referring to Bin Laden as “that gentleman,” Gilani said that the villa near Abbottabad was in a “remote area” out of reach of the army’s main bases.
Meanwhile, Congress may consider cutting the almost $1.3 billion in annual US aid to Pakistan if it turns out the Islamabad government knew where Bin Laden was hiding, the head of the Senate Intelligence Committee said Tuesday.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a Democrat, said she wants more details from CIA director Leon Panetta and others about the Pakistani government’s role, The Associated Press reported.
The No. 2 House Democratic leader, Rep. Steny Hoyer, said if Pakistan does not ease doubts about its dedication to fighting terrorists, Congress should explore whether it makes sense to reduce US aid to that country.
Incredulous lawmakers are pressing Pakistan for answers to two simple questions: What did its army and intelligence agents know of Bin Laden’s whereabouts and when did they know it? But leaders in both Afghanistan and India have said Bin Laden’s discovery so close to Islamabad vindicated their claims of double-dealing by Pakistan’s military and intelligence powerbrokers.
British Prime Minister David Cameron said Bin Laden must have had an “extensive” support network in Pakistan in the years before his death. Cameron said Britain would ask “searching questions” about the extent of the network.
And French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said the fact that Bin Laden went completely unnoticed showed that Pakistan’s position on the late Al-Qaeda leader “lacks clarity.”
Bin Laden was unarmed when he was confronted by US commandos at his hideout, but tried to resist the assault, the White House said Tuesday.
The White House said it was considering whether to release photos that were taken after Bin Laden was killed, but was concerned that the photos were “gruesome” and could be inflammatory.
Meanwhile, Deputy Interior Minister Prince Ahmed said: “Bin Laden was an evil that has now ended. He was an evil for himself, his family and all Arabs and Muslims. He was not holding Saudi citizenship for several years.” According to SPA, Prince Ahmed highlighted the connections of terrorist groups with internal and external parties. He reiterated the Kingdom’s call for a global anti-terrorism center.
http://arabnews.com/world/osama_bin_laden/article381308.ece
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Saudi Arabia worst hit by Al-Qaeda terrorists
By MD AL-SULAMI
May 3, 2011
JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia has been the country worst hit by Al-Qaeda’s terrorist operations. At the same time, it achieved remarkable successes in fighting Al-Qaeda terrorists, winning global plaudits.
Since the terrorist attacks began in May 2003, the Kingdom suffered 12 terrorist explosions and 70 random shooting incidents, resulting in the death of 350 people including security officers, ordinary citizens and foreigners and injuring 770 others.
Saudi security forces were successful in foiling many terrorist operations planned by Al-Qaeda militants in various parts of the country. It also took effective measures to dry up the financial sources of terrorists.
The following examples are only some of the major terrorist attacks suffered by the Kingdom in the past.
On May 13, 2003, three explosions took place at Alhamra, Ashbilia and Veniel compounds in Riyadh, killing 34 people including seven Saudis, and injuring 194.
On May 28, 2003, security forces arrested 11 wanted terrorists in Madinah, including three theologians of the deviant ideology — Ali Al-Khodair, Ahmed Al-Khaledi and Nasser Al-Fahd — after raiding their villa in Al-Azhari district. They also arrested another wanted terrorist with his Syrian wife.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article381362.ece
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Relation with Pakistan complicated but important: US
May 04, 2011
WASHINGTON: United States on Tuesday said that the relationship of the US with Pakistan was complicated but important one.
Addressing media persons, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said that several critical intelligence provided by Pakistan to the US over a period of time helped them reach Osama bin Laden.
Carnet said that al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was not armed when US special forces stormed his compound but he did resist before he was shot.
Bin Laden's wife "rushed the US assaulter" and was shot in the leg but not killed, contrary to what a White House official said on Monday, he added.
Carney declined to offer further details on bin Laden's behavior during the raid. Resistance did not require a firearm, he said.
US forces faced a firefight throughout the 40-minute raid. "We expected a great deal of resistance and were met with a great deal of resistance. There were many other people who were armed in the compound," Carney said.
When asked about the role of Pakistan government, which has come under scanner after Osama was found in a cantonment area of the country, Carney said that the whole government could not be tarred.
He said, "You have to be careful about tarring everyone in the government."
http://www.thenews.jang.com.pk/NewsDetail.aspx?ID=15089
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Penalty for overstaying may be expanded to cover Haj pilgrims
By GALAL FAKKAR
May 3, 2011
JEDDAH: The authorities are considering imposing a fine of SR3,000 on Haj and Umrah companies for every pilgrim that overstays in the Kingdom after the Haj season, informed sources said Tuesday.
They explained that the move was prompted by the success of similar punishments imposed for overstaying after the Umrah season.
The sources said Haj and Umrah companies would be obliged to increase the guarantee amount of SR200,000 they deposit in the name of the Haj Ministry in case any of their pilgrims fails to travel home after the performance of the rituals.
Sources of the National Haj and Umrah Committee (NHUC) of the Makkah Chamber of Commerce and Industry said the fines on Umrah overstayers stirred havoc among Umrah companies when they were introduced a few years ago, but the companies had to succumb at the end of the day. “We are planning to apply the same measures on these companies for every pilgrim who remains in the Kingdom after the end of the Haj season,” a member of the committee said.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article381252.ece
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'Premature' to comment on Osama death: Taliban
May 03, 2011
KABUL: The Afghan Taliban said Tuesday it was ‘premature’ to comment on Osama bin Laden's death in Pakistan at the hands of US military operatives, voicing doubt over the kill claim in a statement.
"Since the Americans have not provided convincing documents to prove their claim, and sources close to Sheikh Osama Bin Laden have not confirmed or denied the reports about his martyrdom yet... (we) see it as premature to issue a statement in this regard," the Taliban said in a statement on their website. (AFP)
http://www.thenews.jang.com.pk/NewsDetail.aspx?ID=15084
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Is Gaddafi plotting a chemical assault?
FEARS that Colonel Gaddafi is planning to use chemical weapons against rebels grew
on Monday when forces loyal to the Libyan tyrant were seen wearing gas masks.
After giving rebels in the besieged city of Misrata until Tuesday midnight to
surrender or face the “ fires from Hell”, Gaddafi’s troops were on Monday seen
wearing the masks for the first time since the uprising against his rule began seven
weeks ago.
The chilling development prompted rebel fighters in Misrata, which is surrounded on
three sides by Gaddafi’s forces, to radio for immediate supplies of their own
protective masks to be shipped from Benghazi, their stronghold in the east.
With more than 1,000 dead in Misrata after fierce pounding by Gaddafi’s forces, the
prospect of a chemical attack has sent a new wave of fear and panic through the
city, with civilians also desperately trying to find gas masks. A doctor, who asked
not to be named, said sources inside Gaddafi’s regime had warned him to flee with
his family by Monday — before the dictator takes revenge against the people of
Misrata when the deadline expires.
Full report at:
http://epaper.mailtoday.in/epaperhome.aspx?issue=452011
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Bin laden death seen to batter Filipino extremists
By JIM GOMEZ
May 3, 2011
MANILA, Philippines: Philippine security officials said Tuesday they expect Osama Bin Laden’s death to weaken local Islamic extremists and lead to their eventual elimination, but a captured Abu Sayyaf commander said his comrades have hardly been affected by previous foreign setbacks.
The military and police have strengthened security in the country’s southern Mindanao region, where the Al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf has waged attacks for years, but have not monitored any specific threats arising from the US military assault that killed the world’s most wanted terror suspect early Monday in Pakistan.
More than 500 American troops have been helping Filipino counterparts fight the militants with weapons, combat training and intelligence for nearly a decade. The Abu Sayyaf, which has an estimated 410 fighters, is listed by Washington as a terrorist organization for bombings, kidnappings and beheadings.
“The demise of the principal patron of terrorism and the isolation of these terrorists will subsequently bring about their decimation and total elimination,” the Philippine Department of National Defense said.
Military spokesman Miguel Jose Rodriguez said Abu Sayyaf militants lost an inspirational leader and a sense of invincibility with Bin Laden’s death.
However, Abu Hamdie, a captured Abu Sayyaf commander now under the government’s witness protection program, said his former group has hardly been affected by previous outside events and has largely survived on its own.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/world/article380720.ece
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Osama’s will unveiled: Kuwait City Newspaper
May 04, 2011
KUWAIT CITY: Osama Bin Laden did not want his children to join Al-Qaeda, according to Kuwait City-based newspaper, citing his last will and testament.
In a four-page document dated 14 December 2001, written on a computer and signed "Your Brother Abu Abdullah Osama Muhammad Bin Laden,” the late Al- Qaeda leader predicted he would be killed as a result of a "betrayal" and ordered his wives to not remarry. He prohibited his children from taking part in his terrorist organisation and from "going to the front," the newspaper said.
Various reports say Bin Laden fathered between 12 and 26 children and married four women.
http://www.thenews.jang.com.pk/NewsDetail.aspx?ID=15088
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US says Pak needs to do more about LeT, Hafiz Saeed: Roemer
May 4, 2011,
NEW DELHI: Terming as a "matter of concern" the fact that Osama bin Laden was found near Islamabad, the US on Wednesday said it would like to go to the bottom of this issue and also ensure that the aid given to Pakistan is used to target Lashker-e-Taiba along with al-Qaida.
Timothy J Roemer, US ambassador to India, said the American Congress would be taking a "very hard look" and ask "tough" questions as to how terror mastermind and al-Qaida leader bin Laden was living in Abottabad, north of Islamabad.
"We are certainly going to see the Capitol Hill (US Congress) take a very hard look at the assistance that we give and we invest in security for Pakistan," Roemer told reporters here.
Noting that the Congress was going to engage in two very fundamentally important task in the weeks ahead, he said the US lawmakers will look into the selling of military equipment to Pakistan and the presence of bin Laden in Abottabad.
"One will be as we share or sell certain military equipment to Pakistan. Is that being used in the proper way to take on counter terrorism efforts. We have seen over the past 18 months, Pakistan has stepped up those efforts to target al-Qaida leadership and degrade that leadership. That is a positive outcome," he said.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/US-says-Pak-needs-to-do-more-about-LeT-Hafiz-Saeed-Roemer/articleshow/8159581.cms
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Pakistan either incompetent or involved: CIA chief
May 04, 2011
WASHINGTON: CIA Director Leon Panetta alleged Pakistan Tuesday, saying that it was either incompetent or involved when one look at the country's role in Osama bin Laden's whereabouts.
While giving closed-doors briefing to the House members, Panetta told lawmakers "either they were involved or incompetent. Neither place is a good place to be."
Panetta was responding to a question from a member of Congress about Pakistan, which was the first question of the hour-long classified briefing, sources told foreign news organisation.
He said that it would not be in the United States' best interests to retaliate against Pakistan over Osama bin Laden's presence in that country.
http://www.thenews.jang.com.pk/NewsDetail.aspx?ID=15093
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No apology for violating Pak air space: White House
May 4, 2011,
WASHINGTON: US would not make any apology for its unilateral military action against al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden at his hideout in Pakistan, the White House has said.
"We make no apologies about that," White House press secretary Jay Carney said when asked that US should not have gone unilaterally inside Pakistan to get bin Laden.
"He was enemy number one for this country and killed many many innocent civilians. And no apologies," Carney said.
On Tuesday, Pakistan termed the US commando operation in Abbottabad that killed Laden an "unauthorised, unilateral action" without its knowledge.
Besides, the White House said America has never been at war with Islam.
"This has never been a war against Islam. President (George W) Bush said that; President (Bareck) Obama has said that. Osama bin Laden was not a Muslim leader; he was a mass murderer of Muslims, as well as people of other faiths," Carney said.
"It has been our cooperation with Muslims in Pakistan and other countries, as well as Muslim Americans, which has helped in our overall effort to fight al-Qaida and protect Americans, to protect this country," he said.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/No-apology-for-violating-Pak-air-space-White-House/articleshow/8158796.cms
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Pakistan hits back over furor
May 4, 2011,
ABBOTTABAD: Pakistan’s president said Tuesday accusations that his nation extends safe haven to extremists were “baseless” and insisted its long-term help was crucial to the US triumph in killing Osama Bin Laden.
Asif Ali Zardari’s defense came after the US warned it would probe how Al-Qaeda’s kingpin managed to live in undetected luxury in Pakistan. Obama’s top anti-terror adviser John Brennan said it was “inconceivable” that Bin Laden did not enjoy a support network in Pakistan.
In an opinion piece written for Tuesday’s Washington Post, Zardari said the criticism was groundless.
“Some in the US press have suggested that Pakistan lacked vitality in its pursuit of terrorism, or worse yet that we were disingenuous and actually protected the terrorists we claimed to be pursuing,” Zardari said. “Such baseless speculation may make exciting cable news, but it doesn’t reflect fact.”
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/world/osama_bin_laden/article381308.ece
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Bin Laden’s death not to end terrorism
By ARIEH O'SULLIVAN
May 3, 2011
JERUSALEM: The killing of Osama Bin Laden marks a symbolic victory for the United States in its war on terrorism, but the influence of the man was already in decline in the Arab world, experts say.
Al-Qaeda cells are active across the Arab world. In Iraq, the group has made somewhat of a comeback since US forces officially withdrew. Libyan leader Muammar Al-Qaddafi says the opposition forces he is fighting are led by the group.
But experts said that Bin Laden, holed up in house in Pakistan, had very little to do with this activity. Militant groups like Al-Qaeda struggled for years to topple Arab leaders they perceived as secularists and allies of the West, but in the last months it was more liberal movements like Egypt’s April 6 that have succeeded.
“Bin Laden was perceived as a symbolic leader. We are talking about an organization that had a non-centralized structure. Its cells operated independent of each other, so management wise or in terms of leadership I don't think this is a severe blow to Al-Qaeda," Ayman Khalil, director of the Arab Institute for Security Studies in Jordan, said.
His words were echoed by Yoram Meital, an expert on Al-Qaeda at Israel's Ben Gurion University. "He was the source of inspiration for at least 15 years, but in practical terms Bin Laden's death, with all of its symbolic importance, doesn’t mean the end of the road for Al-Qaeda,” he said.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article381292.ece
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Phone call by Kuwaiti courier led US spies to Bin Laden
May 3, 2011
WASHINGTON: When one of Osama Bin Laden’s most trusted aides picked up the phone last year, he unknowingly led US pursuers to the doorstep of his boss.
That monitored phone call, recounted by a US official, ended a years-long search for Bin Laden’s personal courier, the key break in a worldwide manhunt. The courier, in turn, led US intelligence to a walled compound in northeast Pakistan.
Inside the CIA team hunting Bin Laden, it always was clear that Bin Laden’s vulnerability was his couriers. He was too smart to let Al-Qaeda foot soldiers, or even his senior commanders, know his hideout. But if he wanted to get his messages out, somebody had to carry them, someone Bin Laden trusted with his life.
Shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, detainees in the CIA’s secret prison network told interrogators about an important courier with the nom de guerre Abu Ahmed Al-Kuwaiti who was close to Bin Laden.
After the CIA captured Al-Qaeda’s No. 3 leader, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, he confirmed knowing Al-Kuwaiti but denied he had anything to do with Al-Qaeda.
Then in 2004, top Al-Qaeda operative Hassan Gul was captured in Iraq. Gul told the CIA that Al-Kuwaiti was a courier. In particular, Gul said, the courier was close to Faraj Al-Libi, who replaced Mohammed as Al-Qaeda’s operational commander.
“Hassan Gul was the linchpin,” a US official said.
Finally, in May 2005, Al-Libi was captured. Under CIA interrogation, Al-Libi admitted that he received the word through a courier. But he made up a name for the courier and denied knowing Al-Kuwaiti, a denial that was so adamant and unbelievable that the CIA took it as confirmation that he and Mohammed were protecting the courier. It only reinforced the idea that Al-Kuwaiti was very important to Al-Qaeda.
If they could find the man known as Al-Kuwaiti, they’d find Bin Laden.
Mohammed did not discuss Al-Kuwaiti while being subjected to waterboarding, former officials said. He acknowledged knowing him many months later under standard interrogation, they said.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/world/osama_bin_laden/article381312.ece
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Freed Saudi diplomat safe in Sanaa
By GHAZANFAR ALI KHAN
May 3, 2011
RIYADH: A Saudi diplomat who was kidnapped by tribal militants in Yemen late last month has been released and is under the protection of the Saudi Embassy in Sanaa, said Osama Nugali, a spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, here Tuesday. Saeed Al-Malki was freed Tuesday morning, said Nugali.
It took several hours for Al-Malki to reach the Saudi mission, the spokesman added, because he was detained at a remote mountainous hideout 80 to 90 km southeast of Sanaa. According to reports, the captors initially demanded SR5 million in ransom. But mediators persuaded the abductors to release Al-Malki unconditionally.
When asked about any deal or ransom paid to the armed tribesmen to secure the release, Nugali refused to reveal any information.
“The Saudi government was following closely, and with great concern, this case of abduction,” he added.
The diplomat was held captive for 10 days. On return to Sanaa on Tuesday, Al-Malki, who appeared to have no injuries, underwent a medical checkup. He spoke to his friends and family members. Al-Malki, according to reports, was kidnapped over a trade dispute involving a Saudi businessman and a group of Yemenis who allegedly had close links with Yemen’s tribal outfits.
The diplomat was kidnapped by gunmen of the Bani Dhabyan tribe. He was abducted while he was heading to the Saudi Embassy in the Yemeni capital. The kidnap mastermind was reportedly identified as Abdrabuh Nasser Al-Salmi. The Bani Dhabyan tribal groups have kidnapped foreigners and Yemenis on several occasions in the past. Armed tribesmen have abducted more than 200 foreigners in the last 15 years. In November last year, armed tribesmen kidnapped a Saudi official in Yemen and later released him after the release of kinsmen.
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article381315.ece
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Altaf calls for round table conference on Osama
May 04, 2011
LONDON: MQM Chief Altaf Hussain demanded the government to call round table conference over the issue of Osama Bin Laden and invite all political and religious parties, all three chiefs of armed forces and ISI Chief.
In a statement issued from MQM London Secretariat, Altaf Hussain demanded the President Asif Ali Zardari and the Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani that if they have care for country's independence and sovereignty then they should convene a round table conference with in 36 to 48 hours to take the nation into confidence and uncover facts regarding Bin Laden issue.
MQM chief also sought apology from government and secret agencies over lapse.
http://www.thenews.jang.com.pk/NewsDetail.aspx?ID=15094
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Image of Osama’s Yemeni wife passport received
May 04, 2011
LAHORE: Geo News has received the passport image of Osama Bin Laden’s Yemeni wife.
An Arab TV said that Amal Ahmed Abdel Fatteh was the wife of al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden.
According to the sources, son of Osama Bin Laden Ibrahim was also killed while two daughters sustained injures during the operation. Both daughters have been taken to undisclosed location for interrogation.
Sources said that during the operation Osama’s compound was divided into two parts.
Two men identified as Arshad and Tariq were also living in one part of the same compound. Both men were brothers, sources added.
http://www.thenews.jang.com.pk/NewsDetail.aspx?ID=15090
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Bin Laden hideout attracts crowds
May 03, 2011
ABBOTTABAD: Hundreds of curious Pakistanis Tuesday descended on the bullet-riddled villa that hid Osama bin Laden from the world, some taking pictures and home videos of the battered compound where he was killed.
Bin Laden's hideout had been kept under tight army control after the dramatic raid by US special forces late Sunday in the affluent suburbs of Abbottabad, a garrison city 50 kilometres (30 miles) north of Islamabad.
But on Tuesday they left and some 100 extra policemen guards were deployed in the afternoon, as several hundred people living elsewhere in the town descended on the area around the compound for a look.
Although the compound remained firmly off limits to reporters, the police officer in charge, Qamar Hayat, told them what he had discovered inside.
"There is no bunker, nor did I see any secret place where one could hide. There is no cellar," he said. "The belongings of the inmates are intact, including beds, mattresses, a table, chairs and other furniture items," he said.
Footage obtained Monday inside the Abbottabad house showed blood on the floor in one room and broken computers in another, stripped of their hard drives.
Hundreds of people, including women and children, gathered outside the house to get a look at the now notorious high-walled villa.
Journalists were allowed up to the heavily fortified compound's perimeter but were held back from going beyond its high walls, made of large concrete blocks, divided by three imposing gates and topped with reels of barbed wire.
Lights had been installed at the back of the building to keep the area illuminated at night. (AFP)
http://www.thenews.jang.com.pk/NewsDetail.aspx?ID=15086
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US Senate honors troops in Osama mission
May 04, 2011
WASHINGTON: The US Senate Tuesday paid tribute to the intelligence services and commandos involved in the mission targeting al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, as one key lawmaker said it created "a time for national unity and celebration."
The Senate voted 97-0 for a resolution "honoring the members of the military and intelligence community who carried out the mission that killed Osama bin Laden."
The resolution said bin Laden "was the leader of the al Qaeda terrorist organization, the most significant terrorism threat to the United States and the international community" and "the architect" of attacks which killed nearly 3,000 civilians on September 11, 2001.
Republican Senator John McCain during a discussion of the resolution, "This is a time for national unity and celebration. It is a time to finally close a painful chapter in the history of our nation, even as our larger fight continues."
Senate majority leader Harry Reid called bin Laden "the most wanted and most hunted man in the world," and added that "his was the face of our enemy and the face of evil."
Speaking of the mission that killed bin Laden, Reid said, "This is the newest proud page in the long story of the American hero -- the unknown soldiers, the unsung saviors who sacrifice for our country's flag and their countrymen's freedom. They don't ask for recognition and they don't ask questions. They just answer their nation when it calls." (AFP)
http://www.thenews.jang.com.pk/NewsDetail.aspx?ID=15092
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Hollywood has Osama death in its sights
May 03, 2011
LOS ANGELES: Osama bin Laden's death is blockbuster news for Hollywood, whose attempts to dramatize the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have largely bombed.
Instead of churning out little-seen films about death and destruction wrought upon civilians and military personnel, the studios can now tap into resurgent American pride with movies about the hunt for the world's most wanted man.
If only John Wayne were still alive or Arnold Schwarzenegger were younger to star in a gung-ho film about the daring strike by dashing Navy SEAL operatives on a compound in suburban Pakistan. Picture "Black Hawk Down" with a happier ending, or "Die Hard" in Islamabad.
Coincidentally, the Oscar-winning director of "The Hurt Locker" -- an Iraq war film that earned just $17 million at the box office -- has a chance to reach a wider audience with an aptly named follow-up, "Kill Bin Laden."
According to entertainment news Web site Deadline.com, Kathryn Bigelow and her "Hurt Locker" screenwriter Mark Boal have been working for some time on their project about an earlier, unsuccessful mission to nab bin Laden.
Details about the film's plot were sketchy, Deadline reported, but the filmmakers will likely need to rework the script to take into account real-life developments. A spokeswoman for Bigelow said she was not talking.
Full report at:
http://www.thenews.jang.com.pk/NewsDetail.aspx?ID=15056
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FO denies knowledge of US operation
May 4, 2011
Tahir Khan
ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Ministry Tuesday came up with a vague statement and said Pakistan Army had neither provided any operational nor logistic assistance to the operations conducted by the US forces in Abbottabad.
The statement said the ISI had been providing information to the CIA and other friendly agencies since 2009 but also said that the CIA exploited the intelligence.
The statement denied the media reports suggesting that its leadership, civil as well as military, had any prior knowledge of the US operation against Osama bin Ladin carried out in the early hours of Monday.
“Abbottabad and the surrounding areas have been under sharp focus of intelligence agencies since 2003 resulting in highly technical operation by ISI which led to the arrest of high value Al-Qaeda target in 2004. As far as the target compound is concerned, ISI had been sharing information with CIA and other friendly intelligence agencies since 2009?.
“The intelligence flow indicating some foreigners in the surroundings of Abbottabad, continued till mid April 2011,” the statement said.
“It is important to highlight that taking advantage of much superior technological assets, CIA exploited the intelligence leads given by us to identify and reach Osama bin Ladin, a fact also acknowledged by the US President and Secretary of State, in their statements”.
The statement said it is also important to mention that CIA and some other friendly intelligence agencies have benefitted a great deal from the intelligence provided by ISI. “ISI’s own achievements against Al-Qaeda and in War on Terror are more than any other intelligence agency in the World”.
Full report at:
http://www.thefrontierpost.com/?p=9590
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Osama death won’t impact Afghanistan
by HUSSAIN YASA
THERE IS a big wave of victorious joy among all those who wanted to see the death
of Osama bin Laden, the most wanted man in the world who carried a $ 25- million
bounty on his head and the one who institutionalised killing of one man by another
under his peculiar interpretation of faith.
Although certain angles of the special operation in which Bin Laden was killed remain
obscure, there is no doubt that he survives no more. Those who witnessed their
beloved ones being killed by bin Laden’s plans are relieved. The joyful statement of
bin Laden’s death by President Barack Obama after a tiresome period of 10 years
was received warmly by his fellow Americans, whose confidence in the capacity and
capability of their armed forces was boosted manifold. Also, the falling graph of public opinion in favour of US military mission abroad — particularly in Afghanistan
has reversed overnight.
Full report at:
http://epaper.mailtoday.in/epaperhome.aspx?issue=452011
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Bin Laden’s Replacement: Ayman Al-Zawahiri:
By Assad Elepty
May 4, 2011,
Following confirmation of the killing of Osama Bin Laden, Jubilation was the natural reaction. In America, U.S. citizens converged on the white house to celebrate a taste of delayed Justice after the horrific 9/11 attack.
Celebration however can not allow the world to drop its guard, the death of Bin Laden will no doubt motivate Al-Qaeda to seek revenge and retaliation. Whilst Bin Laden is now dead, the vacum he leaves will be immediately filled and most likely by Ayman Muhammad Rabaie al-Zawahiri.
60 year old Al-Zawahiri is in fact far more dangerous than Bin Laden. He has a long sinister history and joined the Muslim Brotherhood at age 14. He was the second and last "emir" of Egyptian Islamic Jihad in Egypt. Al-Zawahiri a qualified surgeon has a deep and radical understanding of Islamic theology and Islamic history, and speaks Arabic, English and French and has worked in al-Qaeda since its inception.
While he was described as a "lieutenant" to Osama bin Laden, he was in fact the "real brains" of Al-Qaeda as confirmed by a biographer chosen by Bin Laden.
Al-Zawahiri was born to a prominent upper middle class family in “Maadi” Egypt, (a suburb of Cairo). His father Mohammed Rabie al-Zawahiri, was a pharmacologist and chemistry professor, his mother Umayma Azzam, came from a wealthy, politically active clan. Whilst his family was "religious but not overly pious", Zawahiri became both pious and political, under the influence of his uncle Mahfouz Azzam.
Full report at:
http://www.pakistanchristianpost.com/viewarticles.php?editorialid=1272
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Bin Laden story shows changing media nature
May 3, 2011
NEW YORK: A soldier in Afghanistan learned about the death of Osama Bin Laden on Facebook. A TV producer got a tip from comedian Kathy Griffin on Twitter. A blues musician received an e-mail alert from The New York Times.
And a woman found out as she absently scrolled through the Internet on her smartphone while walking her dog.
In an illustration of how the information world has changed, many people learned through media formats or devices that weren’t available a decade ago that the mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks had been killed.
“It just kind of spread like wildfire online,” said Stephen Vujevich, a student at Immaculata University in Pennsylvania. “It’s amazing to see how social media played a part in it.” Vujevica was at his girlfriend’s house and both were on their laptops, when she said that many of her friends had updated their Facebook status to note Bin Laden’s death in Pakistan. He went to Google News to find out that President Barack Obama had scheduled an address to the nation. He searched other sites to get news and credited Twitter with giving him the most immediate information.
Jaime Aguilar, a Denver musician, was at a friend’s house watching HBO when he saw the news alert on his smartphone.
A soldier who identified himself only as Carlos from Queens called New York sports radio station WFAN Monday to note that he and his buddies in Afghanistan learned the news not from commanding officers, but from Facebook. Angie Scharnhorst of Kansas had an early morning plane flight and if she wasn’t carrying her smartphone while walking her dog at 2 a.m, she said she probably wouldn’t have heard the news until later in the day Monday.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/lifestyle/science_technology/article380683.ece
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Fired Australian bishop calls Vatican authoritarian
May 3, 2011
SYDNEY: An Australian bishop who was fired by Pope Benedict XVI after suggesting the church consider ordaining women and married men defended his actions on Tuesday and accused the Vatican of becoming increasingly authoritarian.
Community members rallied around Bishop William Morris of the Toowoomba diocese, west of Brisbane, and eight priests signed a letter of support for the popular parish leader, calling his removal disrespectful.
The Vatican confirmed in a statement Monday that Morris had been “removed from pastoral care,” an unusually strong move by Vatican standards. Generally, church leaders who are being ousted are asked to resign, with the Vatican later announcing the pope has accepted their resignations.
Morris said he was removed because of a letter he wrote to his parish in 2006 in which he suggested that the church could help solve the problem of priest shortages by considering ordaining women and married men.
Benedict, as did his just-beatified predecessor, John Paul II, has staunchly upheld Vatican teaching that only celibate men can be ordained in the Roman Catholic church, although married men in the Latin rite church loyal to the pontiff can become priests.
On Tuesday, Morris said he hadn’t meant to advocate the idea that women and married men should be priests, but simply wanted the church to keep an open mind on the matter. In an open letter to his parish this weekend, Morris said a handful of people unhappy with his leadership used his 2006 comments as a basis for complaint to the Vatican, which then launched an investigation.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/world/article380728.ece
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Pak PM invites MQM to join federal cabinet again
May 01, 2011
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani Sunday phoned Quaid Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Altaf Hussain and expressed condolence on the martyrdom of latter’s party leader, Liaquat Qureshi, who was shot dead on Friday night, Geo News reported.
Altaf Hussain told PM Gilani that martyr Qureshi was not only a former Sindh assembly member of MQM but he was also a senior party leader.
Later, MQM chief expressed concerns over target killings of his party activists, demanding the premier of strict action against assailants who gunned down Liaquat Qureshi and other party activists.
On the occasion, the premier Gilani condoled with MQM chief and the bereaved family over assassination of Liaquat Qureshi, assuring the latter of government’s strong resolve to bring perpetrators of target killings to justice.
Also, the premier discussed issues relating to current political scenario and said: “PPP would foil every bid of anti-state elements who are trying to create rift in ties with MQM.”
Concluding the discussion, Prime Minister Gilani invited MQM members’ national assembly to rejoin federal cabinet, insisting that his invitation, if accepted, would prove fruitful in bringing stability in country and for betterment of people of Pakistan.
Upon this, MQM chief Altaf Hussain said that the offer would be tabled before members coordination committee of his party, which would reach a final decision after a thorough consultation.
http://www.thenews.jang.com.pk/NewsDetail.aspx?ID=14963
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Oman opens door to Islamic banks to curb fund outflows
By REUTERS
May 3, 2011
DUBAI/MUSCAT: Oman will finally open the door to Islamic banking and let conventional lenders run Shariah-compliant operations in a bid to keep investment funds in the state and grab a share of the rapidly growing industry.
A central bank official said applications were open for the creation of Oman’s first standalone Islamic bank, after a decree from ruler Sultan Qaboos bin Said.
“His Majesty approved the establishment of an Islamic Bank and allowing the banks in the Sultanate to open new branches if they wish so,” a circular posted on Oman News Agency said.
Existing banks in Oman will not be allowed to switch to become Islamic banks, the official added.
Oman is the only GCC state, which until now has not set up a bank specifically offering products and services complying with Islamic law. Its central bank head said in 2007 that Oman believed that “banks should be universal.”
The move aims to tap into demand for sharia-compliant products and services currently being met elsewhere in the Gulf, analysts said.
“This decision should help in curtailing to a certain extent the outflow of Shariah-compliant investments from Oman,” said Joice Mathew, head of research at United Securities in Muscat.
While other Gulf states have ramped up Islamic finance services in recent years, Oman stood out by refusing to participate in the industry now estimated to be $1 trillion in size and growing at 15-20 percent a year, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers estimates.
Conventional lenders in Oman will gain from operating Islamic windows as it will provide means to diversify revenue and potential volume growth, analysts said.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/economy/article380826.ece
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UK arrests 5 under security law near nuclear site
May 03, 2011
LONDON: Police said on Tuesday they had arrested five men close to the Sellafield nuclear reprocessing plant in northwest England under counter-terrorism laws.
Cumbria police said the men were arrested on Monday after officers conducted a stop check on a vehicle near the site. The men are all aged in their 20s and from London, police said.
http://www.thenews.jang.com.pk/NewsDetail.aspx?ID=15068
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Iran launches new oil exchange
May 3, 2011
TEHRAN: Iran launched a new Oil Exchange, putting on sale a consignment of gasoline for export to show what it says is new found self-sufficiency in the vital fuel, the IRNA news agency reported.
The bourse, located on the island of Kish, an economic free zone in the Gulf, has been planned for years but faced repeated delays.
Its launch comes after a rush by the Islamic state over recent months to expand refining capacity to counter economic sanctions, which were tightened last year to make it more difficult for Iran to import the automotive fuel.
The world’s fifth-biggest crude oil exporter long depended on imported gasoline for 30-40 percent of its consumption.
It now says it produces more than enough of its own and has become a net exporter, a rapid transformation which many foreign analysts view with skepticism, saying they believe it takes years, not months, to build so much new refining capacity.
The launch of the Kish bourse is also part of Iran’s plan to deregulate oil products and petrochemicals prices and create more transparency.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/economy/article381134.ece
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Non oil private sector growth remains strong in Kingdom
May 3, 2011
RIYADH: Business activity in Saudi Arabia’s nonoil private sector made gains in April, said a survey.
Companies also stepped up recruitments in April in order to keep up with rising business requirements, according to the monthly report issued by the Saudi British Bank (SABB) and HSBC.
The report highlights the results of the headline SABB Saudi Arabia Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for April 2011.
It reflects the economic performance of Saudi nonoil producing private sector companies and establishments through the monitoring of a number of variables, including output, new orders, exports, input prices, output prices, quantity of purchases, stocks and employment.
There was little evidence that political problems in other parts of the Middle East were significantly affecting the performance of Saudi Arabia’s nonoil private sector economy at the start of Q2.
Although rates of expansion in output and new business slowed since March, they remained above their respective series trends. Firms demonstrated their confidence in current and future business conditions by taking on new staff and stock building.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/economy/article381325.ece
URL: http://www.newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamIslamicWorldNews_1.aspx?ArticleID=4577
11:23 PM
Moderate Islamist here
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