Underreported News Briefs from the Middle-East

Alain Peters:

Saudi military losing 100 officers per month to Iraq insurgency

Despite U.S. pressure, Saudi military officers have been leaving the kingdom to fight AGAINST the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq. Saudi opposition sources said at least 100 National Guard officers leave the kingdom every month for Iraq. The number of Saudis fighting in Iraq has reached 6,000, they said.

Alan note: shows the depth of Islamic fundamentalism or Wahhabiism on which Al-Qaeda thrives rather than focused anti-Americanism.

Shia Federalism

Iraq's Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim leader of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution said Shiites should have their own federal region taking in all the Shiite areas in oil-rich southern Iraq.

Alan note: this includes Iran and the Persian Gulf Sheikhdoms. What a stranglehold on oil by a very hostile "federation".

Alternative Fuel Now Cheaper

As oil prices have risen dramatically, they have brought alternative fuel technologies onto the radar as now more viably priced and effective than compared to cheaper fossil fuels. A center to study improvement in the extraction, refinement, distribution methods for oil has been set up in Kuwait to counteract alternative fuel inroads on oil in the near future.

Germany gets tougher on terror

Germany has finally convicted one of the 9/11 masterminds to seven years in prison for belonging to a terrorist organization. Munir al-Motassadegh's sentence was during his being retried for 3,000+ deaths of 9/11 after a German court threw out his former indictment as an accessory since testimony from Bin Al-Shibh might have been obtained under torture.

Alan note: This conviction appears to show a 180 degree turnabout in Germany's lenient view and liberal social approach to dealing with terrorist threats as evidenced by the previous dismissal of charges against Munir. The London bombings have had a positive effect in stregthening European attitudes against terrorism.

Questions for Gorelick?

One of those apparently responsible for Atta getting way with it - is now a partner at Wilmer Cutler et al - should you have any questions of her, she can be contacted at: jamie.gorelick@wilmerhale.com

The Saudi's Love for Muhammad

The Saudi government’s decision to demolish the home of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to make way for the Jabal Omar Scheme, a project consisting of a parking lot, two 50-storey hotel towers and seven 35-storey apartment blocks, has evoked no response from the Muslim world. This is surprising, to say the least. The only voice that has been raised against the project is that of Saudi architect Dr Sami Angawi, who according to news reports, is on a one-man campaign against the very idea. Interestingly, the project is in the vicinity of the Grand Mosque.

And finally, War of Oil

Alan note: One of the subliminal, original motivators for going to war in Iraq - preventing oil prices being imminently pegged to the Euro instead of the US Dollar with the disasterous consequence of economic ruin in the USA and worldwide in a domino effect, now has a a parallel reason. Oil embargo being threatened by Chavez of Venezuela (two tankers a day to the USA) and similar mutterings from the new Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejat, requires a strong presence in the region to deal with the threats. Venezuela is within reach, Iran was not till we deployed to Iraq.