Cartoonist: Naser Al-Ja'fari

Source: Al-Arab Al-Yawm, Jordan, March 30, 2009

Cartoonist: 'Aamer Al-Zo'abi

Source: Akhbar Al-Arab, UAE, March 31, 2009

The final resolution of the Arab League Doha summit stipulated that the Arab Peace Initiative as a strategic move would not hold out long, and that its implementation depended on whether Israel would accept it and fulfill its obligations in line with resolutions taken within the peace process.

The Arab League leaders supported the P.A. and its legitimate institutions – including the Palestinian Legislative Council – which originated with the PLO, and proclaimed solidarity with Sudan while rejecting the ICC's decision to arrest its president, 'Omar Al-Bashir.

At the opening ceremony of the Doha summit, Syrian Prime Minister Bashar Al-Assad stated that the Arab Initiative was not being acted upon, and that its murder was Israel's doing.

He added that the only way to achieve peace with an enemy who did not believe in peace was by enforcing peace via resistance – which today is the only option.

Source: Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, London, March 31, 2009; Al-Arabiya TV, March 30, 2009

Representatives of the opposition movement in Egypt named Sixth of April met March 30, 2009 with senior officials from the Office of the Muslim Brotherhood General Guide Muhammad Mahdi 'Akef, in order to convince the Muslim Brotherhood, which is the dominant political force in Egypt, to join the general strike in support of reform and democratization, slated for April 6, 2009.

Many of the Egyptian opposition organizations announced that they would take part in the strike, while their counterparts outside Egypt stated that they would organize solidarity demonstrations in European capitals and Washington.

Source: Al-Masri Al-Yawm, Egypt, March 31, 2009

Head of the Egyptian delegation to the Arab League Doha summit Mufid Shihab stated that the presence at the summit of U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon signaled his support for the Arab League's rejection of the arrest warrant issued by the ICC against Sudanese President 'Omar Al-Bashir.

Source: Al-Watan, Saudi Arabia, March 31, 2009

The Yemeni Foreign Ministry published a new list comprising 154 wanted terrorists, including 85 Saudi and 80 Yemeni Al-Qaeda members.

The list, which contains names and photographs of the wanted individuals, was distributed among Yemeni officials and security forces.

Source: Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, London, March 31, 2009

Saudi cleric Dr. Nasser bin Suleiman al-Omar warned in his website “al-Muslim” against the partnership between the Americans and the Shi’a whom he described as apostates [al-rafidha].

He accused the Shi’a of facilitating the occupation of their country by the U.S.

He said all the Iraqi officials are apostates. Al-Omar referred to the [alleged] agreements between the U.S. and Iran allowing the latter to enrich its uranium, and saw the unmistakable evil coming from Iran.

Source: Al-Rafidayn, Iraq, March 30, 2009

In a major international forum on oil held in Kuwait City yesterday, the Kuwaiti minister of water, communications and oil Nabil bin Salamah said that the current economic crisis and its projected impact on crude demand and the subsequent falling of crude prices present one of the most significant challenges facing the oil and gas industry.

Bin Salamah said that while the development of alternative sources of energy is important for sustainable development the need for investments to increase crude supply is important to guarantee the supply of future needs.

However, the concerns about the declining demand for fossil oil in the future could affect the decisions of oil producers with regard to investments.

Moreover, the falling prices in the long run without a commensurate decline in the cost of production will also affect long-term investments and consequently it would affect price stability in the future.

In addressing the issue of oil and environment, the minister said that the environmental awareness and the phenomenon of climate change have acquired new significance in recent years, and emphasized that the reduction of air pollutants has become of central importance to the oil industry which is now required to produce environmentally-friendly products.

Source: Al-Qabas, Kuwait, March 31, 2009

At the Arab summit meeting held in Doha, Qatar, yesterday, Saudi King Abdullah refused a bilateral meeting with Iraqi prime minister Nouri al-Maliki.

Saudi sources said the king does not meet with an individual who has failed to keep his promise regarding a genuine national reconciliation in Iraq [The Saudis are miffed by the perceived failure of al-Maliki to share power with the Iraqi Sunnis.]

Similarly, al-Maliki’s meeting with the Emir of Kuwait was described as perfunctory and failed to address the critically pending issues between the two countries such as borders and compensation [arising from Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990].

Source: Al-Zaman, Iraq, March 31, 2009

The last issues of Sada Al-Malahim, the e-journal of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, featured a three-part article titled "Gaining Victory over the Interrogators," aimed at teaching the mujahideen how to cope with the psychological techniques employed by interrogators to extract information and confessions from detainees.

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