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The Hajj - Saudi Arabia Rejects UN Security Council Seat

by Oui Fri Oct 18th, 2013 at 03:42:13 PM EST

Stakes at the table of international diplomacy are set higher as Saudi Arabia is extremely angered by US rebukes on a Syria intervention. Kerry and Lavrov have joined to find a diplomatic solution to the civil/sectarian war in Syria where the Assad regime will be still in place as talks begin. President Obama and Iranian president Rouhani are on a path to resolve the nuclear crisis in order to lift crushing UN sanctions. On domestic troubles, Obama has gained a few months breathing space as the government shutdown is ended and debt ceiling raised.

Saudi King Abdullah's warning on interference

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (Gulf News) - Leader stresses mutual respect as basis for international diplomacy - Saudi King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud has warned that the Islamic nation would not allow anyone, regardless of their status, to interfere in its affairs or undermine its security.

    "We want to tell the world that we are extending our hand in respect of all divine religions and in an initiative that shuns hatred and violence and indicates that Islam is a religion of purity and moderation. If this be our case with non-Muslims, then our duty towards Muslims is to reject differences and rivalries between them."

Dialogue between Islamic sects is the proper way to understand one another.

    "We praise God for everything that we agree upon, but our disagreements should not be used as a way to destroy the unity of the Islamic nation."

King Abdullah said that the Islamic nation never compromised on its religion, morals or values.

"We do not allow anyone regardless of who he is to undermine the sovereignty of our countries or interfere in our domestic or foreign affairs," King Abdullah who assumed power in 2005 said.

    "Let the whole world be aware that we respect them and appreciate their contributions to humanity throughout history. However, there is no option for anyone trying to fret, according to his narrow or interests. We are a nation keen on the safety and integrity of its religion and countries and on dealing with others on a peer-to-peer basis."

Saudi rejection stuns UN Security Council

Continued below the fold ...

The Islamic nation hopes that respect among counties is the "wide open way" towards mutual interests and benefits, King Abdullah said.
    "Our belief is based on our recognition that this world is a homogeneous unit in an era where hatred is renounced and authoritarianism and arrogance are rejected. To those who appreciate this stance, [we say that] our hearts may accommodate all concepts and standards of friendship. However, to those who hold a different view, [we say] the choice is yours, but we do have our own options to preserve our pride and the dignity of our honourable people."

Muslim leaders performing Haj this year included President of Turkey Abdullah Gul, President of Pakistan Mamnoon Hussain, President of Sudan Omar Al Bashir, President of Mauritania Mohammad Ouled Abdul Aziz, President of Guinea Bissau Manuel Serifo Nhamadjo and the Prime Minister of Jordan Abdullah Al Nasoor.

Saudi rejection stuns UN Security Council

Saudi Arabia's angry rejection of a Security Council seat one day after winning it is a United Nations first that stunned members of the body. [Saudi Ambassador Al-Mouallimi accepts seat at UN Securiy Council - video] But diplomats said there had been no official notice from Riyadh of its refusal to take up the seat on January 1. It was possible the kingdom could change its mind, they added.

"This is totally unexpected. We all had to look into the council history for a precedent and there is not one," said a Security Council diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity.

    "Campaigning and securing a seat normally takes years of preparation which makes the announcement even more surprising. Work mechanisms and double-standards on the Security Council prevent it from carrying out its duties and assuming its responsibilities in keeping world peace,"
the Saudi foreign ministry said in a statement explaining its move.
    "Therefore Saudi Arabia... has no other option but to turn down Security Council membership until it is reformed and given the means to accomplish its duties and assume its responsiblities in preserving the world's peace and security."

Meanwhile, Russia sharply criticised Saudi Arabia for rejecting membership of the UN Security Council, slamming the kingdom's "strange" argument.

Riyadh's frustration is mostly directed at Washington, its oldest international ally, which has pursued policies since the Arab Spring that Saudi rulers have bitterly opposed and which have severely damaged relations with the United States, Saudi analysts have said.

Saudi Arabia has also been angered by a rapprochement between Iran, its old regional foe, and the US, which has taken root since President Barack Obama spoke by telephone last month to the new Iranian President, Hassan Rouhani.

Perpetuated conflicts

Citing the Security Council's failure to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian dispute, take steps to end Syria's civil war and to stop nuclear proliferation in the region, Riyadh said the body had instead perpetuated conflicts and grievances.

Saudi Arabia cancels speech at UNGA - Oct 2, 2013

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The Hajj - Saudi Arabia Rejects UN Security Council Seat | 19 comments (19 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)
Saudi Arabia's Image Dropped in Middle-East (none / 0)
Saudi Arabia's Image Falters among Middle East Neighbors

(JPost) - Saudi Arabia's image among Middle Easterners dropped, according to a survey the Pew Research Global Attitudes Project released on Thursday. The favorability rating of the country dropped in Egypt from 91 percent to 78%, in Lebanon from 82% to 51%, in the Palestinian territories from 65% to 52%, and in Turkey from 40% to 26%.

In Muslim countries outside the Middle East, Saudi Arabia is viewed favorably. In Pakistan, the country has a 95% approval rating and in Indonesia 82%, Senegal 72%, and Malaysia 63%. Sunnis in Lebanon gave an overwhelming approval rating of 82%, while only 6% of Shi'ites approve of Saudi Arabia.

The poll also finds varied assessments of Saudi influence in the Middle East. Among those who do see significant Saudi influence within their borders, views are mixed as to whether this is a good thing or bad thing. More stark are assessments of Saudi Arabia's track record on personal freedoms. Among the countries surveyed in the Middle East and elsewhere, only in Jordan, Egypt, Pakistan and Senegal do clear majorities say the Saudi kingdom does a good job of protecting civil liberties.

These are among the key findings from a Pew Research Center survey conducted in 39 countries among 37,653 respondents from March 2 to May 1, 2013.



Hasbara is a dead language
by Oui (Oui) on Fri Oct 18th, 2013 at 03:59:55 PM EST
Re: Saudi Arabia's Image Dropped in Middle-East (none / 0)
So, is Lebanon in the Middle East or not, according to the JPost and Pew?

In the Neurozone, there can be only one.
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Sat Oct 19th, 2013 at 02:25:58 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Billions of Iranian Assets May Be Freed (none / 0)
Obama may unfreeze Iranian assets to keep nuclear diplomacy going

(The Guardian) - US officials are contemplating unfreezing some of the tens of billions dollars of Iranian assets in blocked accounts around the world, to give them bargaining chips to take the table with Iran, now that substantive negotiations have finally begun, the New York Times reports today.

The report, which echoes a similar account by Jeffrey Goldberg on Bloomberg, suggests US negotiators are looking for ways of unshackling themselves from congressionally-imposed sanctions so they have room for manouevre when the nuclear talks with Iran resume in Iran on November 7.

Even as western diplomats enthused as the new mood in this week's talks with the Iranians, senators were preparing a new round of sanctions aimed at strangling off Iran's remaining oil revenue.

Jerusalem Post: Obama weighs unfreezing Iranian assets as reward for nuclear concessions



Hasbara is a dead language
by Oui (Oui) on Fri Oct 18th, 2013 at 04:50:09 PM EST
Re: Billions of Iranian Assets May Be Freed (none / 1)
Iran Is  More Dangerous Than North Korea; US Senate is more dangerous than both

It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II
by eurogreen on Mon Oct 21st, 2013 at 03:22:25 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Saudis, UAE to get Bunker-buster Bombs in US Deal (none / 0)
Saudis, UAE to get US bunker-buster bombs, cruise missiles in deal worth $11bn

(DefenseNews) - WASHINGTON -- The Pentagon said it plans to sell Washington's Gulf allies Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates $10.8 billion worth of missiles and munitions, including "bunker-buster" bombs.

The move follows a series of US weapons deals in recent years that have bolstered the air power and missile arsenals of Gulf states, which view Iran as a menacing rival with nuclear ambitions.

The pending sale comes as the United States and five other major powers pursue high-stakes diplomacy on Iran's disputed nuclear program, with talks this week portrayed as positive by both sides.

Officials said the Defense Department notified Congress this week of the planned deal that will provide a thousand bunker-buster GBU-39 bombs to the Saudis and 5,000 to the UAE. The sale will also include sophisticated air-launched cruise missiles that can hit targets from a long distance.

The weapons are designed for use by US-made F-15 and F-16 fighter jets previously purchased by Saudi Arabia and the UAE, according to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA).

Pentagon Wants to Sell Israel More Satellite-Guided Bombs - Dec. 2012



Hasbara is a dead language
by Oui (Oui) on Fri Oct 18th, 2013 at 04:51:11 PM EST
Saudi Arabia Rejects UN Security Council Seat (none / 0)
But why reject a seat?

Only idea I have is if this seat would for practical purposes be a pro-US seat, and the Saudis thinks it is better to reject the seat then using their voting power to sway teh US. But I don't see how that would work either.

Sweden's finest (and perhaps only) collaborative, leftist e-newspaper Synapze.se

by A swedish kind of death on Sat Oct 19th, 2013 at 06:52:27 AM EST
Re: Saudi Arabia Rejects UN Security Council Seat (none / 0)
They see a number of colonial wars coming up in their neighborhood, and would like to be able to speak out of both sides of their mouth about where they stand on fighting colonial wars against Arab countries they don't like.

Having to actually vote on those colonial wars would remove their ability to do so.

- Jake

Friends come and go. Enemies accumulate.

by JakeS (JangoSierra 'at' gmail 'dot' com) on Sat Oct 19th, 2013 at 10:11:10 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Saudi Arabia Rejects UN Security Council Seat (none / 0)
"This is totally unexpected. We all had to look into the council history for a precedent and there is not one," said a Security Council diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Of course, if you want to look for precedents you should go back to 1933 when the Axis powers began to abandon de League of Nations.

In the Neurozone, there can be only one.
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Sat Oct 19th, 2013 at 02:33:55 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Saudi Arabia Rejects UN Security Council Seat (none / 0)
But Saudi Arabia is a US ally. So is the US fed up with loosing UN votes and plans to take it down by having allies leave it?

Sweden's finest (and perhaps only) collaborative, leftist e-newspaper Synapze.se
by A swedish kind of death on Sat Oct 19th, 2013 at 03:53:36 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Saudi Arabia Rejects UN Security Council Seat (none / 0)
Saudi Arabia is a US ally which is pissed off at the US...

In the Neurozone, there can be only one.
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Sat Oct 19th, 2013 at 04:27:02 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Saudi Arabia Rejects UN Security Council Seat (4.00 / 2)
Saudi is a US ally in the same way that the US is a UK ally. We do what we're told or Uncle Sam will be pissed.

In the same way Saudi is evidently upset that their desires have been thwarted, expect Saudi to declare a temporary problem in production which will lead OPEC to agree an oil price rise of $10 - $15 soon. This will last until a more compliant administration is elected

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Sun Oct 20th, 2013 at 01:16:27 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Oil - Gas Champion (none / 0)
U.S. Is Overtaking Russia as Largest Oil-and-Gas Producer

The Saudi King Abdullah doing a bit of sulking to gain support of members Arab League. The frustration is also caused by internal strife between the Muslim Brothers and the Saudi led Wahhabists and Salafists.

Saudi Arabia AFAIK still has not cancelled their UN Council seat. If SA gains sufficient backing from allies, the seat will be occupied by Amb. Al-Mouallimi by year's end.

Hasbara is a dead language

by Oui (Oui) on Sun Oct 20th, 2013 at 02:07:25 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Oil - Gas Champion (none / 0)
News flash: US world's second-biggest oil IMPORTER, by a wide margin. KSA world's biggest oil EXPORTER, by a wide margin.

It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II
by eurogreen on Mon Oct 21st, 2013 at 03:26:15 AM EST
[ Parent ]
A Statement But No Official Notification (none / 0)
Even H. E. Abdallah Y. Al-Mouallimi was surprised by the statement from the Foreign Ministry of the Kingdom.

Ban Ki-moon, Cautious Regarding Saudi Rejection of Council''s Seat

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon was cautious when expressing his views on Saudi Arabia''s decision to reject the spot it had earned last Thursday in the UN Security Council.

Being part of the Security Council is a decision of UN member states. I have "taken note" of the media reports of the Saudi rejection, "but I would like to caution you that I have received no official notification in this regard", he said in a media stakeout.  

Saudi Arabia rejects seat on U.N. Security Council, says 15-nation body unable to solve world's crises

(CBS News) - Saudi Arabia on Friday rejected its seat on the U.N. Security Council hours after it was elected to it, in a rare and startling move aimed at protesting the body's failure to resolve the Syrian civil war.

The Saudi discontent appeared largely directed at its longtime ally, the United States, reflecting more than two years of frustration. The two are at odds over a number of Mideast issues, including how Washington has handled some of the region's crises, particularly in Egypt and Syria. It also comes as ties between the U.S. and Iran, the Saudi's regional foe, appear to be tepidly improving.

In April, Saudi Ambassador to the U.N. Abdallah Al-Mouallimi told the Security Council, "Unfortunately, the achievement of peace and reaching a just and equitable solution to the question of Palestine seems to be a disappointing mirage."

On Friday, the Saudi Foreign Ministry issued a statement rejecting the seat, saying the U.N. Security Council had failed in multiple cases in the Middle East. Particularly, it said U.N. failure to act has enabled Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime to perpetrate the killings of its people, including the use of chemical weapons.

    "Allowing the ruling regime in Syria to kill its people and burn them with chemical weapons in front of the entire world and without any deterrent or punishment is clear proof and evidence of the U.N. Security Council's inability to perform its duties and shoulder its responsibilities."

Minister of Foreign Affairs Joint press conference with His Excellency United States Secretary of State John Kerry - Jeddah, 25 June, 2013



Hasbara is a dead language
by Oui (Oui) on Sat Oct 19th, 2013 at 10:23:13 AM EST
(Un)Informed Comment and Official Saudi Statement (none / 0)
Juan cole is also at a loss of the reason why King Abdullah rejects a Council seat for the Saudi Kingdom. Taking the ball and running away will scarsely make any friends.

See my earlier post - Saudi Arabia's Image Falters among Middle East Neighbors.

Saudi Arabia rejected a seat on the UN Security Council only few hours after it was elected to the body, saying the Council has failed in its duties toward Syria and other international conflicts.

The Foreign Ministry said in a statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) that the Kingdom "announces its apology for not accepting membership of the Security Council until the Council is reformed and enabled, effectively and practically, to carry out its duties and responsibilities in maintaining international peace and security."

    With the current continuation of the Palestinian cause without a just and lasting solution for 65 years, which resulted in several wars threatened international peace and security is irrefutable evidence and proof of the Security Council's inability to carry out its duties and assume its responsibilities.

    The failure of the Security Council to make the Middle East a free zone of all weapons of mass destruction, whether because of its inability to subdue the nuclear programs of all countries in the region, without exception, to the international control and inspection or to prevent any country in the region from possessing nuclear weapons, is another irrefutable evidence and proof of its inability to carry out its duties and hold its responsibilities.

    Allowing the ruling regime in Syria to kill and burn its people by the chemical weapons, while the world stands idly, without applying deterrent sanctions against Damascus regime, is also irrefutable evidence and proof of the inability of the Security Council to carry out its duties and responsibilities.

    Accordingly, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, based on its historical responsibilities towards its people, Arab and Islamic nations as well as towards the peoples aspiring for peace and stability all over the world, announces its apology for not accepting membership of the Security Council until the Council is reformed and enabled, effectively and practically, to carry out its duties and responsibilities in maintaining international peace and security.
    [--SPA 13:12 LOCAL TIME 10:12 GMT]



Hasbara is a dead language
by Oui (Oui) on Sat Oct 19th, 2013 at 02:03:13 PM EST
Re: Saudi Arabia Rejects UNSC Seat (none / 1)
Is it possible that Saudi Arabia believes it can lead Muslim countries out of the UN or is attempting to do so? Muslim countries already have well-articulated ;reservations on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights...

As the US' hegemonic position wanes and the world becomes multipolar it is possible to see the unreformed UN Security Council and the rest of the international institutions born after WWII as obsolete. Will Saudi Arabia attempt to reorganize muslim countries outside Western-inspired institutions?

In the Neurozone, there can be only one.

by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Sat Oct 19th, 2013 at 02:24:15 PM EST
Re: Saudi Arabia Rejects UNSC Seat (none / 0)
Website Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

From your link, the 1990 declaration has a short half-life. Always wonder how jihadists live by the Islamic Law, looking at Art. 3, they don't! Clerics must have provided the Syrian fighters a short-cut to paradise.

Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam, Aug. 5, 1990, U.N. GAOR

ARTICLE 3:
(a) In the event of the use of force and in case of armed conflict, it is not permissible to kill non-belligerents such as old men, women and children. The wounded and the sick shall have the right to medical treatment; and prisoners of war shall have the right to be fed, sheltered and clothed. It is prohibited to mutilate or dismember dead bodies. It is required to exchange prisoners of war and to arrange visits or reunions of families separated by circumstances of war.
(b) It is prohibited to cut down trees, to destroy crops or livestock, to destroy the enemy's civilian buildings and installations by shelling, blasting or any other means.

Opinion: It's Time to Revise The Cairo Declaration of Human Rights in Islam

Furthermore, the document is rendered
ambiguous,
as it does not specify what constitutes Shari'ah. Given the diversity of opinions on the subject across time and between and within madhabs (schools of Islamic law), it is impossible to know what rights are protected.

Interestingly, the declaration
empowers states, not individuals.
In the modern world, Shari'ah has increasingly become integrated in states' domestic legal systems. In the absence of any international authority to decide on Shari'ah,

the Cairo Declaration effectively
diminishes
the universality of human rights by  relegating them to the discretion of governments.

○ CDHRI Diverges from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in key respects

The extremism of Sunni Islam (Wahhabists, Salafists and Muslim Brothers) is not universal as the Pew Research indicates. The path towards reconciliation of the West with Iran and Shia Islam offers a better future for cooperation in a mix of religion and secularism. Women's rights should be a cornerstone in drawing up a new constitution. Muslims will have to decide how Sharia Law will be interpreted. Lebanon, Syria, Tunisia, Egypt and Iraq as an example where democracy can or must succeed. Let's not forget Islam in Asia (Indonesia and Malaysia as the larger populations). Erdogan in Turkey has chosen for a slow proces to transfrom the secular state (Kemal Atatürk) to Islamism (Sunni - Muslim Brothers).

Hasbara is a dead language

by Oui (Oui) on Sat Oct 19th, 2013 at 04:26:54 PM EST
[ Parent ]
GCC States, Egypt Back Saudi Position UNSC Reform (none / 0)
Gulf states, Egypt back Saudi rejection of U.N. seat

(Gulf News) - GCC Secretary General Abdul Lateef Al Zayani stressed "the significance of the Saudi call to achieve fundamental reforms in the Security Council that will support its role as a United Nations body responsible for all the consequences of the main issues of global peace and security, particularly that our world today is in dire need of the role and international legitimacy of the Security Council amid political and security turmoil."

Al Zayani attributed the Saudi decision to turn down the rotating seat to the ineptitude of the Security Council to carry out its duties to render its responsibilities, particularly towards Arab issues.

"The rejection is based on Saudi Arabia's keenness on regional stability and its historic interest in Arab issues and concerns and as well as in international matters and global stability," he said.

"The position of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia reflects its commitment to international legitimacy and a sincere desire to activate the role of the Security Council and the various organs and institutions of the United Nations in order to respond to global calls in this regard, and make the world more cooperative, stable and secure," Al Zayani said.

Arab League Secretary General Nabeel Al Arabi said that he backed the Saudi position and expressed hope that it would "stimulate the efforts that have been exerted for years to reform and enhance the Security Council."

"We do stress the significance of the Saudi statement on the inaptitude of the Security Council to solve several vital issues, such as the Palestinian issue, to put an end to the humanitarian tragedy in Syria and to rid the Middle East of the weapons of mass destruction," he said.

"The Security Council needs a comprehensive reform that includes determining the scope of the use or the threat to use the veto by its five permanent members," he said.

In Doha, Khalid Al Attiya, the Qatari foreign minister, reportedly expressed his support in a tweet to his Saudi counterpart.

"My dear brother Prince Saud Al Faisal: When you get upset, you confuse the world. Thank you," he posted on the microblog.

Reuters: Gulf states, Egypt back Saudi rejection of U.N. seat



Hasbara is a dead language
by Oui (Oui) on Mon Oct 21st, 2013 at 01:48:03 PM EST
Shmuley Boteach, Neocons and Genocide in Rwanda (none / 1)
Shmuley Boteach's Jewish Histrionics

(Tikun Olam) - You have to read this to believe it.  Shmuley Boteach and his new billionaire pal, Sheldon Adelson, recently hopped into bed with Rwanda's mass killer Paul Kagame and feted him as a special humanitarian.  Despite the fact that he played a major role in the killing of 4-million Congolese over the past few decades.

Now these guys are upping the ante.  Their new event is to be called:

 « click
With Sheldon Adelson, Brett Stephens, Rabbi Richard M. Joel (YU) and Rabbi Shmuley Boteach

Besides "Global Jewish Philanthropist-Humanitarian," Adelson and Shmuley the event is to feature the Wall Street Journal's resident neocon intellectual, Brett Stephens and Rabbi  Richard Joel.  Joel is a professor at Yeshiva University, an institution lately known for sheltering several known pedophiles on its staff.  The event will be held at YU.

Jewish Neocons Adopt Rwandan Dictator, Kagame

A survivor of Rwandan genocide writes a scathing critique of this event and Jews lending support to Paul Kagame.



Hasbara is a dead language
by Oui (Oui) on Fri Oct 25th, 2013 at 01:05:19 AM EST
The Hajj - Saudi Arabia Rejects UN Security Council Seat | 19 comments (19 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)


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