OSAC EARLY BIRD
23 JUNE 2011
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From CNN
Clinton Switches Gears, Publicly Praises Saudi Women's Driving Protest
Suspected Al Qaeda Militants Escape From Yemeni Jail
Bahrain Opposition Activists Jailed for Life
From Arab News
Yemeni Tribal Chief: Saleh Return Could Spark War
From Trade Arabia
Hitachi Inks Key Saudi Aramco Deal
From The Washington Post
UN: Saudi Arabia Donates $70 million Toward Building 1,200 Gaza Housing Units for Palestinians
From Fox News
Syrian Foreign Minister Vows Democracy Amid Crackdown
From The Wall Street Journal
Obama to Start Afghan Troop Drawdown
From Reuters
Italy Ceasefire Call Exposes NATO Split on Libya
PHOTO PROVIDED BY BRUCE KENDALL
Clinton Switches Gears, Publicly Praises Saudi Women's Driving Protest
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Tuesday ditched "quiet diplomacy" and spoke publicly in support of Saudi Arabian women protesting the unwritten ban on their right to drive in the kingdom.
"What these women are doing is brave and what they are seeking is right" said Clinton, in answer to a question from CNN at a press availability at the State Department. "This is about Saudi women themselves, they have joined together. They are acting on behalf of their own rights."
Until now, the State Department said Clinton was engaged in "quiet diplomacy," working behind the scenes and raising the issue last week in a telephone conversation with Saudi Prince Saud al-Faisal.
On Monday, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters, "There are times when it makes sense to do so publicly and there are times for quiet diplomacy."
But Saudi Women for Driving, which describes itself as a coalition of women's rights activist, bloggers and academics campaigning for the right to drive, told the secretary of state they were "disappointed" by her public silence. Clinton has made women's rights a top issue for American diplomacy.
"Quiet diplomacy is not what we need right now," the group said in a letter. "What we need is for you, personally, to make a strong, simple and public statement supporting our right to drive."
The movement was sparked by the May 22 arrest of a Saudi technology consultant and mother named Manal al-Sharif who was detained for driving her own car.
Supporters started a campaign on the Web and collected, they say, 100,000 signatures from 156 countries calling for al-Sharif to be released and acquitted of all charges. On Friday, some Saudi women turned the key in the ignition and set out on a motorized protest.
Clinton's public silence had raised questions that she might be sidestepping the controversy to avoid angering the Saudi government at a time when the United States needs help on Mideast issues. The United States has avoided criticizing Saudi Arabia amidst the Arab Spring uprisings in other Mideast and North African nations.
On Tuesday, however, Clinton shot that down, saying, "This is about Saudi women themselves, they have joined together, they are acting on behalf of their own rights."
"This is not about the United States, it's not about what any of us on the outside say, it is about the women themselves and their right to raise their concerns with their own government."
"We have made clear our views that women everywhere, including women in the kingdom, have the right to make decisions about their lives and their futures," Clinton said. "They have the right to contribute to society and provide for their children and their families."
The right to drive, she said, provides access to economic opportunity, including jobs.
Suspected Al Qaeda Militants Escape From Yemeni Jail
Dozens of suspected al Qaeda militants escaped from a jail in the Yemeni city of Mukalla Wednesday, according to a senior security official.
CNN could not independently verify that the escapees were members of al Qaeda.
A soldier and a prisoner were killed and two soldiers were injured in the incident, said the security official who asked to remain anonymous because he is not authorized to speak to the media.
Armed militants began attacking the prison at about 8 a.m. Wednesday, witnesses said. They fired heavy artillery before the escape.
Recent clashes in the southern province of Abyan killed seven Yemeni soldiers and 17 militants. The fighting was mainly concentrated in the cities of Zinjibar and Jaar.
Government troops have been battling both anti-government tribal forces and Islamic militants, including al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.
The United States has been aiding Yemen's military in its fight against Islamic militants amid fears that al Qaeda is exploiting the political chaos and leadership vacuum engulfing the unstable and impoverished Arabian Peninsula country.
Jeffrey Feltman, U.S. assistant secretary for Near Eastern Affairs was scheduled to meet with senior Yemeni officials during a visit to Yemen Wednesday.
Widespread tumult has engulfed Yemen for months, with thousands of demonstrators who oppose the rule of Ali Abdullah Saleh urging the president's departure. Saleh was taken to Saudi Arabia for treatment after injuries suffered in an attack on his compound.
Saleh's party said Tuesday that he planned to return to Yemen on Friday. Opposition leaders called news of Saleh's return false rumors.
Bahrain Opposition Activists Jailed for Life
A Bahrain court sentenced eight Shiite opposition activists to life imprisonment after finding them guilty of plotting to overthrow the country's Sunni royal family, state media said Wednesday.
They were among 21 people who were tried and convicted on terrorism-related charges in connection with the anti-government protests in the country, the Bahrain News Agency said.
Soon after the judge read the verdict, the defendants protested loudly -- prompting officials to forcibly remove them from the courtroom.
Zainab al-Khawaja, a spectator, disputed her father's life sentence by yelling "God is Great" and was arrested.
Rights groups have urged Bahrain to halt the special military court proceedings, with Human Rights Watch deeming them a violation of international law.
"Most defendants hauled before Bahrain's special military court are facing blatantly political charges, and trials are unfair," said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch.
In a meeting earlier this month with U.S. President Barack Obama last week, Bahrain's Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa pledged he is seeking national dialogue with the protesters.
Bahrain's crackdown contradicts statements the prince made, Human Rights Watch said.
Bahraini human rights activist Nabeel Rajab also said he disapproved of the trials.
"This court does not meet international standards for human rights and for fair trials. The people were sentenced for expressing their opinion and for opposing the government," Rajab said. "This goes against the government saying it wants a dialogue."
Bahrain is one of several Middle Eastern and North African countries embroiled in anti-government protests. The ruling royal family -- Sunnis in a majority-Shiite nation -- accuses protesters of being motivated by sectarian differences and supported by Iran.
Also on trial in Bahrain are dozens of doctors and nurses who are accused of taking control of a hospital during the anti-government protests, storing weapons and keeping people prisoner.
The doctors, their lawyers and international human rights activists say the defendants were tortured to extract confessions against a background of demonstrations in the kingdom.
Yemeni Tribal Chief: Saleh Return Could Spark War
SANAA, Yemen: The head of Yemen’s most powerful tribal confederation warned Tuesday that Yemen could plunge into civil war if President Ali Abdullah Saleh is allowed to return home.
Saleh is currently in Saudi Arabia, where he is receiving treatment for serious injuries from a blast early this month at his palace in the Yemeni capital that left him with severe burns and chunks of wood in his chest.
In a letter to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, Sadeq Al-Ahmar, the influential tribal chief who was an ally of Saleh before switching sides to join the opposition, appealed to the kingdom to prevent Saleh from returning to Yemen.
“His return will lead to sedition and civil war,” Al-Ahmar said, according to an aid to Al-Ahmar. Saudi Arabia is a key player in Yemen, and has pressed Saleh in the past to negotiate a settlement to Yemen’s political turmoil.
Late Tuesday, Al-Ahmar had his first meeting with Vice President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi since Saleh departed, a possible step toward resolving the conflict. Maj. Gen. Ali Mohsen Al-Ahmar, a general who defected to the opposition and deployed his units to defend protesters, took part in the meeting. Hadi is the acting president. He is under pressure to agree to a new government that effectively freeze Saleh out.
The tribal chief’s aide said that they discussed steps to implement a cease-fire and withdraw forces from the streets. They also discussed “possible means to exit the current crisis,” according to the aide, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to reporters.
Hundreds of thousands of Yemenis, inspired by uprisings elsewhere in the Mideast, have been protesting daily since late January, demanding the ouster of Saleh, who has ruled Yemen for nearly 33 years.
Their campaign has been largely peaceful, but fighting erupted in Sanaa between Saleh loyalists and fighters from Al-Ahmar’s powerful tribal confederation, the Hashid, after troops moved to attack Al-Ahmar’s residence.
The fighting has tapered off since Saleh left for Saudi Arabia. Vice President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi became acting president following Saleh’s departure.
The opposition on Tuesday accused Saleh’s inner circle and family of hindering the opposition’s dialogue with Hadi.
“Saleh’s sons are not helpful in solving the problem, and they don’t help the acting president to exercise his constitutional powers,” opposition spokesman Abdullah Oubal said.
Yemen’s opposition parties have sought to persuade Hadi and Saleh’s ruling party to join them in a transitional leadership that would effectively shut out Saleh, who has resisted tremendous pressure at home and abroad to step down.
The president’s son Ahmed, who commands the country’s best trained military forces, the Republican Guard, and is the main force maintaining his father’s grip on power, opposes such discussions.
Saleh’s close aide and adviser, Abdul-Karim Al-Iryani, arrived Tuesday in Riyadh for talks with Saleh, who requested the meeting.
A leading member of the ruling party, commenting on reports that Saleh and Al-Iryani were discussing a transfer of power, said he expected “very important decisions” to come out from the meeting.
He spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.
The United States fears that Yemen’s power vacuum will give even freer rein to Al-Qaeda’s branch in Yemen, which Washington believes is the terror network’s most active branch. Already, Islamic militants — some suspected of ties to Al-Qaeda — have taken control of at least two areas in the rebellious southern province of Abyan.
Late Monday and early Tuesday, government warplanes bombed suspected militant hideouts in Abyan, killing at least 22 Al-Qaeda-linked fighters, a defense ministry official said on condition of anonymity in line with ministry regulations.
Hitachi Inks Key Saudi Aramco Deal
Hitachi Plant Technologies said it has inked a corporate procurement agreement (CPA) with Saudi Arabian Oil Company to supply compressors and services for oil and gas plants.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Hitachi Plant Technologies president and representative director Toshiaki Higashihara said with this it has also become the fourth company to enter an agreement with Saudi Aramco as a compressor manufacturer, and the first Japanese manufacturer to do so.
The agreement specifies basic terms and conditions to simplify and standardize the contract process when purchasing compressors, and other agreement terms regarding participation of Hitachi Plant Technologies in projects ranging from the basic planning stage of new projects to the development of new compressor technologies.
Through this agreement, Hitachi achieves a stronger business relationship with Saudi Aramco, and expects to increase orders through new compressor design and new demand, remarked Higashihara.
It also expects to enhance the compressor technology standards by participating in new technology development projects, he added.
In addition, Hitachi Plant Technologies is studying the establishment of after-service locations to service and maintain compressors in Saudi Arabia in FY2011 with a field study already started this March.
As a result, Hitachi is looking to expand its maintenance business for compressors shipped to Saudi Aramco through after-service locations soon to be established in Saudi Arabia that will be developed into a future regional manufacturing facility.
Furthermore, Hitachi Plant Technologies plans to develop compressor business opportunities with other GCC*1 countries.
The Japanese group plans to increase its compressor business for oil and gas plants aggressively, mainly in the Middle East, Asia, and South America, where future demand lies, and to achieve revenues of 60 billion yen by 2015, said Higashihara.
It will also aim to accelerate its community-based global development through JVs with customers and partners, expansion of its service business through product lifecycles, and by handling the outsourcing of the maintenance business, he added.
UN: Saudi Arabia Donates $70 million Toward Building 1,200 Gaza Housing Units for Palestinians
AMMAN, Jordan — A U.N. agency aiding Palestinian refugees said Wednesday that Saudi Arabia is contributing $70 million for new housing units in the Gaza Strip.
Israel has authorized construction of the 1,200 new homes and 18 badly needed schools in Gaza, in what would be one of the largest housing projects in the seaside territory in years.
Israel, which controls the cargo crossings into Gaza, has largely banned the entry of construction materials into the coastal strip since Hamas militants seized control in 2007. Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005.
UNRWA spokesman Chris Gunness said Wednesday that the test of Israel’s decision would be whether it allows thousands of trucks to ferry building material into Gaza’s border town of Rafah, where the houses are to be built.
The Israeli military said it had no objections to Saudi funding for the project, as long as international groups were overseeing the construction.
Japan is also funding the project.
Syrian Foreign Minister Vows Democracy Amid Crackdown