JEDDAH, 18 May 2004 — Saudi Arabia yesterday lambasted US sanctions against Syria, saying they would only escalate tension in the Middle East and increase feelings of injustice among Arabs.
Instead, the weekly Cabinet meeting, chaired by Crown Prince Abdullah, emphasized the need for international sanctions on Israel over its continuous violations of UN Security Council resolutions.
Information Minister Dr. Fouad Al-Farsy, speaking after the Cabinet meeting here, said Washington’s decision “does not serve stability in the region but will lead to more tension and feelings of injustice among Arab people.”
President George W. Bush banned all US exports to Syria other than food or medicine last week, accusing Damascus of supporting terrorism, pursuing weapons of mass destruction and failing to stop anti-US militants crossing into Iraq.
Arab anger was exacerbated because the US action coincided with Israel’s “continued aggressions on unarmed Palestinian people and its violations of international law, which necessitates the imposition of sanctions on it,” the Saudi Press Agency quoted Al-Farsy as saying.
The Cabinet endorsed the resolutions taken by the bi-annual GCC summit held here on Sunday, which had urged Washington to review its decision to slap sanctions on Syria.
The meeting called for “constructive dialogue” between Washington and Damascus to “reinforce the bases of mutual respect and understanding and common interests.”
Crown Prince Abdullah briefed the ministers on the Kingdom’s ongoing efforts to establish peace and stability in Iraq, Palestine and other parts of the world.
The Cabinet also gave the green light to a GCC customs data center to be set up at GCC headquarters in Riyadh.
The meeting appointed Fahd ibn Ibrahim Al-Saif director general of the interior minister’s office, Muhammad ibn Waslullah Al-Harbi director general of Real Estate Development Fund, and Abdullah ibn Nasser Al-Tuwaijeri director general of King Fahd Industrial Port in Jubail.
Report Denied
Al-Farsy meanwhile denied a report carried by the British Independent on Sunday that some members of the Saudi National Guard knew about the May 12 bombing of a residential compound in Riyadh in advance and gave inside help to Al-Qaeda.
“The report published by the newspaper is fabricated and totally false,” the minister said, adding the paper ran the story out of “open enmity.” Al-Farsy highlighted the efforts of the National Guard to combat terrorism.
Labor Disputes
The Shoura Council yesterday started discussing alterations to the Labor Law, especially Article 175, which deals with speedy settlement of labor disputes. “The changes are aimed at facilitating settlement of labor disputes and decentralizing the powers of committees looking into such disputes,” Dr. Hamoud Al-Badr, the Shoura’s secretary-general, said after the Shoura meeting.
Article 175 provides that the Higher Committee to Settle Disputes will consist of a number of panels, each with at least three members.
“Every panel will have the power to take final decisions on all disputes passed to the committee for appeal and impose appropriate penalties,” Al-Badr said.
