Special to WorldTribune.com LONDON — Egypt’s new military regime could cancel national elections amid rising unrest, a report said. The Economist Intelligence Unit said the military regime that ousted President Hosni Mubarak in February could suspend elections for parliament and the presidency. The Economist argued that growing ethnic and labor unrest could lead the Supreme […]
By Fariborz Saremi, Freepressers.com The new Middle East Cold War comes complete with its own spy-versus-spy intrigues, disinformation campaign, shadowy proxy war and supercharged state rhetoric and very high stakes. There has long been blood between the Saudis and Iran. Saudi Arabia is a Sunni/Wahabi Muslim Kingdom of ethnic Arabs. Iran is a Shi’ite Islamic Republic […]
Special to WorldTribune.com ABU DHABI — Saudi Arabia has credited the deployment of an advanced utility helicopter with helping protect the largest Islamic pilgrimage ever. Officials said the Saudi Aviation Security Force has used U.S.-origin helicopters to maintain order during the Haj, which ended on Nov. 9. They said the Saudi force deployed the S-92 […]
Special to WorldTribune.com ABU DHABI — Saudi Arabia has named one of the last surviving sons of the kingdom’s founder as defense minister. King Abdullah has named Prince Salman Bin Abdul Aziz, 76, the kingdom’s defense minister. Salman, the longtime governor of Riyad, would succeed the late Crown Prince Sultan, who held the defense portfolio […]
Special to WorldTribune.com LONDON — Egypt, a leading Arab ally of the United States, has been identified as a military supplier of Syria, a report said. Amnesty International said Egypt was one of more than a dozen military suppliers to the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad. In a report, Amnesty said Egypt’s defense industry […]
Special to WorldTribune.com ABU DHABI — Saudi Arabia was expected to name a defense minister in the wake of the death of Crown Prince Sultan. Saudi sources said King Abdullah has decided not to transfer the Defense Ministry to Sultan’s son, Prince Khalid, now deputy defense minister. They said the king would appoint his half-brother, […]
Special to WorldTribune.com ABU DHABI — Security forces assigned to protect the Islamic pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia have been bolstered by a huge armored fleet. The Interior Ministry has approved the deployment of more than 3,500 special forces troops to protect the annual Haj in Mecca. Officials said the forces would be bolstered by 450 […]
Special to WorldTribune.com ABU DHABI — Interior Minister Nayef Bin Abdul Aziz took a major step toward the throne when he was named crown prince of Saudi Arabia. The Saudi royal court said King Abdullah appointed the 78-year-old Nayef crown prince on Oct. 28. The statement said the appointment was approved by the so-called Allegiance […]
Special to WorldTribune.com ABU DHABI — Saudi Arabia intends to significantly increase its oil refining capacity. The state-owned Saudi Aramco plans to raise domestic refining capacity by more than 50 percent over the next five years. Aramco said the current refining capacity of 2.26 million barrels per day would increase to 3.5 million by 2016. […]
Special to WorldTribune.com ABU DHABI — Saudi Crown Prince Sultan has died, moving his brother Nayef in position to imminently succeed the king of the Gulf Cooperation Council. On Oct. 22, a Saudi palace statement announced Sultan’s death in the United States. Sultan, believed to be 86 and close to the United States, has been […]