Free Republic

IFP- While Iranian officials maintain that it is unlikely the Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–India (TAPI) pipeline project becomes operational, Saudi Arabia has pledged to provide its investment and Taliban militants vowed to secure it. Taliban Spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said the militants are ready to guarantee the security of TAPI Pipeline. Attending a ceremony to launch the project, he added Taliban is ready to secure the pipeline because it is a good project for Afghanistan’s economy, a report by the Persian-language Fars News Agency said. This comes as Hamid Reza Araqi, the CEO of Iran’s National Gas Company, says he is not optimistic about...

Saudi Arabia has terminated its contract with the Portuguese airline Hi Fly after it flew an empty jumbo jet marked with the logo of the kingdom’s national carrier, Saudia, to Ben-Gurion Airport for repairs. The announcement was reported in the Twitter feed of a Saudi news agency. The arrival of the jet with the logo to Ben-Gurion Airport overnight Tuesday generated a stir in the Israeli media on Wednesday after surprised airport workers spotted the plane. The plane in question, an Airbus A330-300 devoid of passengers, arrived from Brussels to Tel Aviv for routine maintenance work with the Bedek Aviation...

Saudi Arabia's national airline is allegedly planning to separate male and female passengers on its flights, in accordance to strict rules enforced by the Gulf kingdom. Gulf media report that Saudia will keep men and women segregated onboard, unless they are close relatives. The move follows a spate of complaints from male fliers unwilling to allow other males to sit next to their wives and other female family members.

Saudi Arabia would turn the other cheek and allow Israel to use its airspace to attack Iran, London’s Sunday Times reports. According to the report, Mossad chief Meir Dagan has told Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu that Syria has hinted to the move. “The Saudis have tacitly agreed to the Israel air force flying through their airspace on a mission which is supposed to be in the common interests of both Israel and Saudi Arabia,” a diplomatic source stated.

RIYADH/BEIRUT, 14 May 2008 — Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal yesterday warned that Iran’s support for Hezbollah’s “coup” in Lebanon would affect Tehran’s relations with Arab and Islamic countries. The Lebanese Army, meanwhile, expanded its troop deployment to several tense areas around the country, hours after it said soldiers would use force if needed to impose order after almost a week of clashes between government supporters and Hezbollah followers. “Of course, for Iran to back the coup that happened in Lebanon and support it will have an impact on its relations with all Arab countries,” Prince Saud said, addressing a...

Saudi Arabia hails project to reform fighters By David Blair in Riyadh Last Updated: 1:59am BST 02/04/2007 As American jets bombed his last stronghold in the mountains of Afghanistan, Osama bin Laden ordered a young supporter from Saudi Arabia to flee to safety. Aged only 27, the young man had already spent seven years as a "holy warrior" in countries as far flung as the Philippines and Afghanistan. Prince Turki al-Faisal praised the rehabilitation project's contribution to reducing terrorist threats He obeyed his leader's command and retreated over the border into Pakistan - where he was swiftly captured. That was...

U.S. Reps. Sue Kelly (R-NY) and Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) led a Congressional Anti-Terrorist Financing Task Force forum in New York City on Monday to scrutinize the role of Saudi Arabian charities in financing terrorism and to assess ways to improve domestic and international initiatives to stop terror funding networks. The forum analyzed a wide range of topics related to terror finance and included input from panelists ranging from terror finance experts and Middle Eastern scholars to victims of terrorist attacks. House Majority Leader Roy Blunt also participated in the forum. "The United States must remain ever-vigilant in finding and freezing...

SAS ordered into Saudi Arabia to shield embassy By Michael Smith, Defence Correspondent (Filed: 23/06/2004) A 25-man SAS team has been sent to Saudi Arabia to bolster security at the British embassy and plan a possible mass evacuation of foreigners, defence sources said last night. The squad is backed by many more special forces troopers in neighbouring Qatar. This force would be summoned if the 20,000 British citizens in Saudi had to be withdrawn in a hurry. The members of the SAS team are counter-revolutionary warfare specialists and were deployed last week. The larger SAS force has been given diplomatic...

JEDDAH, 10 March 2004 — While Saudi Arabia’s demand for domestic workers is rising, more of them are running away from their sponsors. At present 80 runaway maids are accommodated in a villa by the Sri Lankan Consulate General alone. About 100 are reported in Riyadh. While some runaway maids want to be transferred to other sponsors, others want to be repatriated. Local families have sometimes illegally recruited maids from Sri Lanka, which could not have happened without the connivance of local consulate staff. There have been a string of sensational stories in the Sri Lankan press about the “sale”...

24 Oct 2003 11:50:59 GMTSaudi police nabs 80 during protest attempt-source By Fahd al-Frayyan RIYADH, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Saudi authorities arrested more than 80 people who sought to protest in response to calls by an exiled dissident group demanding reform in the absolute monarchy, a security official said on Friday. The protest, the second in the kingdom in two weeks, was seen as a new challenge to the Saudi royal family, which is already mounting a crackdown against militants loyal to Saudi-born al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. "Tens of people were detained as they gathered. The number reached...

<p>RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Oct. 15 (UPI) -- Police in the Saudia capital put down a demonstration for political reforms Wednesday, arresting at least 150 people.</p> <p>Saudi Minister of Interior Prince Nayef Bin Abdel Aziz played down the significance of the protest, saying the number of demonstrators in the first public protest in the history of Saudi Arabia was very limited.</p>

BA flights resume to Saudi Arabia By Paul Marston, Transport Correspondent (Filed: 06/09/2003) British Airways will resume flights to Saudi Arabia today after expressing satisfaction with fresh counter-terrorist measures implemented by the Saudi authorities. Security at Riyadh and Jeddah airports has been strengthened extensively since the threat of a missile attack on a BA aircraft prompted the sudden suspension of services three weeks ago. The Saudi armed forces are much more in evidence at the airports, with intensive patrols of the terminal buildings, airfield and perimeter. The changes followed a full review of security in which BA managers and UK...

<p>BILL Clinton might have put more pressure on Saudi Arabia to stop terrorism if he hadn't been friends with Prince Turki al Faisal al Saud from their student days together in the '60s at Georgetown. Prince Turki was the head of Saudi intelligence and the secret police in the Clinton years, and he devised the strategy of appeasement with Osama bin Laden. His son, also known as Prince Turki, also went to Georgetown from '94 to '97. Meanwhile, Prince Bandar bin Sultan, who met with President Bush Tuesday, is the son of Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz al Saud, the Saudi defense minister who is named along with Prince Turki Sr. in the lawsuit 9/11 families have brought charging racketeering and unlawful death.</p>