Is IS faster than Washington?

Matthew Olsen, former director of the National Counterterrorism Center in the US, has told journalist Charlie Rose in a television interview that the so-called Islamic State has 30,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria in addition to 15,000 foreign fighters.

He also pointed out that the crisis in Syria and mistakes made by former Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al-Malki were the main reasons for the growth of IS. This gave the terror group an opportunity to grab swaths of land between Syria and Iraq and recruit a large number of Syrians and Iraqis as well as foreign fighters.

Apart from these facts, IS has also been successful in taking vital oil installations and this has made them the most richest terrorist organization in the world.

The question is how IS was able to form a huge army of 45,000 men during the past three years while the US and its allies failed to give proper training to the moderate Syrian opposition. US Gen. (retd.) John Allen, who has been coordinating the campaign of the US-led coalition against IS, has said training the Syrian opposition was a long-term process, adding that it would take a long time. He made this comment after the US Congress endorsed the program to train Syrian opposition fighters.

Why Gen. Allen is talking like this? The IS has been able to mobilize a big army within a short span, despite airstrikes by the coalition forces. Even today it is selling oil and who is purchasing it and why does the international community keep mum on the issue?

The million-dollar question is why IS recruit and train its fighters quickly while the US administration says training of Syrian opposition forces would take a long time?

— By Tariq Alhomayed

Govt company for Haj

I take this opportunity to congratulate Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah and Crown Prince Salman on the success of this year’s Haj.

Managing a crowd of more than two million during the Haj is a cumbersome job, as we have to provide them accommodation, water and food and all other facilities and above all ensure their safety and security.

The services being offered to the guests of God are increasing year after year. This requires development of transport and communication systems and further improve food and health services. Implementation of major infrastructure projects like roads and flyovers, electricity and desalination plants requires a lot of time and huge investments.

I would to suggest the establishment of a big company for Haj management. The company would take care of the operation and maintenance of other facilities such as Mashair Railway, Mina and Arafat tents and health facilities such as hospitals and clinics and development of infrastructure facilities. This company would operate like Saudi Arabian Airlines and Saudi Electricity Company.

The proposed company will not replace the Haj Ministry, which is required for many other activities.

— By Mohammed Al-Abbas

Positive mindset

Some government employees look at their watches more than at customers and their application forms. They want to get out of office quickly and hate working hours and extending services, and even their jobs. This is the reason they feel they have spent a lot of time in the office.

These are poor people. We should sympathize with them. The HR manager and the General Auditing Bureau will be keeping a close watch on them. The solution will not be in preventing them from looking at their watches but the reasons that prompt them to do so, especially their shortsighted view about jobs. They believe that job has no value.

Meetings of various committees are held and some members think that what is the purpose of my participation as nobody considers their views and opinions and he plays on his mobile and do not care what is being discussed at these meetings. The culprit is here preconceived wrong notion.

Psychiatrist Ellen Langer organized a pleasure trip for elderly people for a week. She kept them in a room without dates or magazines or newspapers or television and telephone and she told them to engage in various activities like youth, without any restrictions. The result was that it dramatically improved their health. A positive mindset makes a big difference in our overall performance.

— By Mazin Abdul Razaq Balilah

Sewage hole victims

If you go for a picnic in the desert with family beware of children falling in an abandoned well and while walking through major Jeddah streets you are likely to fall into an open sewage hole.

The accident on the Tahlia Street where a child and his father died falling in a sewage hole shows the grossness of mistake committed by the municipality. Countries that take care of human rights would pay millions in compensation for such deadly negligence.

On the other hand, we just express our shock when a child falls in a sewage hole and without taking any action against officials or employees who were in charge of putting warning boards near those dangerous open holes.

We cannot depend on a municipality, which had drowned in a huge flood a few years ago to take responsibility for this negligence. The Civil Defense Department should stop this negligence by taking drastic punitive action against negligent officers before the occurrence of such accidents.

— By Khalaf Al-Harbi

Telling lie no papa

All intelligent and wise people as well as all religions unanimously agree that telling lie is the father of all crimes. There are three types of lies: Telling opposite to the truth; lying by action that means a person falsely indicating that something has happened; and false intentions.

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) has called upon the Muslims not to tell lies, saying those who tell lies would find their abode in the Hell. He has even prevented the faithful from lying to make others laugh.

The Prophet was asked whether the faithful can become coward or miserly, he replied in the affirmative while when asked whether he can become a liar he said: “No.” When a person tells a lie he assumes a different personality. He has to tell several lies to cover his first lie and become tensed.

Modern inventions have enabled security and judicial authorities to find those who tell lies. Prof. Daniel Langleben of Stanford University has published a study in 1999 saying lies originate from the brain’s front part.

— By Walid Fitaihi

Expats in the Kingdom

Foreign workers in the Kingdom benefit from the subsidized products and services in the Kingdom such as rice, milk, electricity and water, like Saudi citizens. Many expatriates have come to the Kingdom after learning these benefits they can enjoy in addition to their salaries. Charges of these goods and services are very high in their countries. Time has come to impose taxes or charges on expatriates for these subsidized services like in other countries like France. Such taxes will benefit citizens.

— By Abid Khazandar