02 Mar 2011 22:20
Source: reuters // Reuters
By Susan Cornwell
WASHINGTON, March 2 (Reuters) - Two senior Republican senators expressed unease on Wednesday about what was being accomplished by U.S. policy in Afghanistan and Pakistan, saying matters were drifting and disheartening.
Senators Richard Lugar and Bob Corker appeared to be warning of growing doubts among lawmakers about U.S. efforts in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region, where Washington is waging a bloody war in one country and struggling to get full cooperation against militants in another.
"I just sense a drift with regards to the Afghanistan situation, with regard to Pakistan," said Lugar, the leading Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Corker, who recently traveled to the area, said at a hearing of the committee that "in order to maintain appropriate relations, I will not publicly articulate my feelings after meeting with the leaders" in Pakistan.
But he added Pakistan was "the most disheartening place in the world to be, when you are talking about the type of relationship that we have."
U.S.-Pakistani ties, long strained over complaints that Pakistan has not done enough to go after militants launching attacks on U.S. troops in Afghanistan, have reached a nadir as Washington pushes for the release of a U.S. intelligence contractor locked in a Pakistani jail.
The fate of Raymond Davis, a CIA contractor who worked at the U.S. consulate in Lahore and is charged with killing two men last month in what he said was an attempted robbery, has thrown billions of dollars in U.S. military and civilian aid to Pakistan into jeopardy.
Corker said the relationship was basically "transactional," but "our side of the transaction is the only side that to me is being fulfilled. I think that in many ways we get played like a piece of music."
He would be "very slow to talk about additional funding (for Pakistan) until we see a different behavior pattern."
U.S. criticism of Pakistan has become increasingly vocal over the past year as many lawmakers argue that Afghanistan cannot be won if Pakistan does not act more decisively against al Qaeda and other militants along its western border.
"It is hugely disheartening to see what we are doing in Afghanistan taking place knowing that the center of it all is really in Pakistan," Corker said. "And there's no real effort to deal with it on their part."
The Pakistani government, struggling to hold a fragile coalition government together and fend off an insurgent threat of its own, contends it has made strides against militants. (Additional reporting by Missy Ryan)
Wednesday, March 02, 2011
Tuesday, March 01, 2011
Shahbaz Bhatti assassinated: Live updates
By AFP / Express
Published: March 2, 2011
Pamphlets were reportedly dropped at the ambush site by the Tehrik-i-Taliban Punjab.
Federal Minister for minority affairs Shahbaz Bhatti has been killed in the I-8/3 area of Islamabad by three unidentified gunmen who shot at him and fled the scene on a car.
1:33 pm
Twitter reactions
sabeen Sabeen Mahmud
Protest against the assassination of Shahbaz Bhatti at Karachi Press Club today at 5:30pm. Please be there.
@SufyanArshadSufyan Arshad
Very sad to know about assasination of a very brave and talented #Pakistan‘s son, Federal Minister Shahbaz Bhatti. I had honour to meet him
1:17 pm
President Asif Ali Zardari and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz condemn the killing of Shahbaz Bhatti.
Shahbaz Bhatti had requested for more security after receiving death threats. The interior ministry had provided him with four guards.
Twitter reactions
@Saba_ImtiazSaba Imtiaz
Shahbaz Bhatti: “I cannot trust on security…. I believe that protection can come only from heaven, so these bodyguards can’t save you.”
@marvi_memonMarvi Memon
Shahbaz bhatti was a good colleague. Shell shocked.
@kaalakawaaKala Kawa
Comment on @etribune “Its all a international conspiracy to turn Pakistan into a failure state.” I’d say we’re doing a bang up job ourselves
aysharalam aysharalam
There will be a protest today at 3pm in front of LHR press club against the murder of Shahbaz Bhatti. please RT
Catch up on the blasphemy issue by clicking here and view blogs posted on the website on the issue here.
For information on Salmaan Taseer’s assasination click here and view blogs posted on the website on the issue here.
1:09 pm
Shahbaz Bhatti is in the top ten trends worldwide on Twitter.
1:05 pm
Shahbaz Bhatti’s body has been shifted to Pims Hospital for postmortem.
1:01 pm
IG Islamabad Wajid Durrani speaking to the media said that Bhatti had a cabinet meeting this morning. He left his residence at around 10:30 am and was heading to his office in I-8/4, when he was intercepted. Three to four assailants in shalwar kameez, who were in a white Mehran shot at the minister but did not attack the driver.
According to Durrani, it was the minister’s instructions to keep the security at the office. He said it was not a security lapse because he was provided with the required escorts. The police will investigate why the escorts did not accompany the minister.
Twitter reactions
Saba_Imtiaz Saba Imtiaz
Shahbaz Bhatti: “I cannot trust on security…. I believe that protection can come only from heaven, so these bodyguards can’t save you.”
mshafiquk Mohammed Shafiq
I utterly condemn the murder of #Pakistani Minister for Minorities#Shahbaz #Bhatti killed in a gunattack in #Islamabad
12:45 pm
Political analyst Hassan Askari says the message of the assailants is clear that those who disagree with their perspective are in danger.
Askari says the government has failed in providing security for its people. This incidence increases the insecurity of the minorities. The responsibility to address this issue is the responsibility of the government.
Twitter reactions
hiranajam hiranajam
RIP Shahbaz Bhatti – we’re so not worth your life. or any life for that matter.
FACE2FACE2009 AQK
Pakistani minister assassinated: Pakistani Minorities Minister Shahbaz Bhatti, who had tried to reform the count…http://bbc.in/dHGc4q
PiyuK Priya Kapoor
And the madness in Pakistan continues with Shahbaz Bhatti‘s murder. Ironic – isn’t it blasphemous to take a god given life?!
12:35 pm
According to an eye witness the assailants were waiting for the minister in a white car. As soon as Bhatti reached the site, they turned the car around and blocked the minister’s vehicle. The assailants then took the driver out first and then shot at the minister.
12:27 pm
The hospital is not allowing any entry of unidentified people inside the building.
Twitter reactions
husainhaqqani Husain Haqqani
by nafysa_khan
RT @shehrbanotaseer: Shaheed Shahbaz Bhatti made Aug11 national minorities day,increased salaries of minority workers,condemned violence
DEEP_no_borders Rao Varun Liaqat
by jasmeetbagri
Federal Minister 4 Minorities Shahbaz Bhatti murdered in Islamabad today. He is another victim of terrorism. May his soul rest in peace.Amen
12:22 pm
Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani has reached the Shifa International Hospital.
Shahbaz Bhatti’s body will be moved to PIMS hospital later to carry out the autopsy.
The bullet ridden car is standing outside the hospital. It will be shifted to another location where a forensic investigation will be conducted.
12:18 pm
There was one guard accompanying the minister and reports indicate that sufficient security was not provided to Bhatti.
Twitter reactions
Saba_Imtiaz Saba Imtiaz
by MirzaWaheed
The threats against leading figures in #Pakistan, including ShahbazBhatti, who has reportedly been killed today http://bit.ly/fW810p
Razarumi Raza Rumi
Yes!! @fispahani: @Razarumi Shahbaz Bhatti had been receiving threats of beheading for some months.
12:13 pm
Bhatti’s family and his close friends along with political supporters are at the hospital.
Twitter reactions
premasridevi prema sridevi
Shahbaz bhatti had earlier said tat he wud defy islamist militants and would go ahead to reform pakistan’s blasphemy laws
ovaisjafar Ovais Jafar
??!?! Shahbaz #Bhatti had instructed that squads were to join him only at his office and not escort him otherwise.
12:09 pm
Shahbaz Bhatti was using with a bullet proof car when the incident took place.
12:05 pm
Bhatti’s driver tried to rush the minister to the hospital but he succumbed to his injuries.
12:02 pm
“The initial reports are that there were three men who attacked him. He was probably shot using a Kalashnikov, but we are trying to ascertain what exactly happened,” said Islamabad police chief Wajid Durrani.
A hospital spokesman said Bhatti had several bullet wounds.
Senior Superintendent Police Islamabad Tahir Alam has reached the residence of the minister.
11:57 am
Unconfirmed reports say that the minister was stopped, pulled out of the car and shot at short range by the assailants.
Reports also indicate that Bhatti’s niece was travelling with him when the incident took place.
Twitter reactions
pakistanpolicy What was Shahbaz Bhatti’s ‘crime?’ That he wanted to be a full and equal citizen in the country of his birth?
fispahani May God bless my friend and colleague Shaheed Shahbaz Bhatti‘s soul. He was a brave man and gentle in his ways. #pakistan
11:53 am
Pamphlets have been found at the ambush site. According to initial reports, the pamphlets were dropped by Tehrik-i-Taliban Punjab.
The deputy commissioner has ordered an inquiry.
11:50 am
Bhatti was ambushed moments after he left his residence.
Security has been tightened in Islamabad.
11:45 am
The police has started its investigations.
Reports indicate that the minister’s driver survived the attack.
11: 39 am
Dr Azmatullah Qureshi of the Shifa Hospital confirms the death of Shahbaz Bhatti.
Bhatti, who belonged to the Pakistan Peoples Party, had been shifted to Shifa hospital. Dr Azmatullah Qureshi confirmed the death of the minister.
Earlier, Bhatti had voiced his fears that he believed he would be “the highest target” following the assassination of Governor Punjab Salmaan Taseer for speaking out against the blasphemy law.
Bhatti had said fatwas, or religious decrees, had been issued calling for him to be beheaded, by extremist clerics in the country who were allowed to publicly spread messages of violence with impunity.
Published: March 2, 2011
Pamphlets were reportedly dropped at the ambush site by the Tehrik-i-Taliban Punjab.
Federal Minister for minority affairs Shahbaz Bhatti has been killed in the I-8/3 area of Islamabad by three unidentified gunmen who shot at him and fled the scene on a car.
1:33 pm
Twitter reactions
sabeen Sabeen Mahmud
Protest against the assassination of Shahbaz Bhatti at Karachi Press Club today at 5:30pm. Please be there.
@SufyanArshadSufyan Arshad
Very sad to know about assasination of a very brave and talented #Pakistan‘s son, Federal Minister Shahbaz Bhatti. I had honour to meet him
1:17 pm
President Asif Ali Zardari and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz condemn the killing of Shahbaz Bhatti.
Shahbaz Bhatti had requested for more security after receiving death threats. The interior ministry had provided him with four guards.
Twitter reactions
@Saba_ImtiazSaba Imtiaz
Shahbaz Bhatti: “I cannot trust on security…. I believe that protection can come only from heaven, so these bodyguards can’t save you.”
@marvi_memonMarvi Memon
Shahbaz bhatti was a good colleague. Shell shocked.
@kaalakawaaKala Kawa
Comment on @etribune “Its all a international conspiracy to turn Pakistan into a failure state.” I’d say we’re doing a bang up job ourselves
aysharalam aysharalam
There will be a protest today at 3pm in front of LHR press club against the murder of Shahbaz Bhatti. please RT
Catch up on the blasphemy issue by clicking here and view blogs posted on the website on the issue here.
For information on Salmaan Taseer’s assasination click here and view blogs posted on the website on the issue here.
1:09 pm
Shahbaz Bhatti is in the top ten trends worldwide on Twitter.
1:05 pm
Shahbaz Bhatti’s body has been shifted to Pims Hospital for postmortem.
1:01 pm
IG Islamabad Wajid Durrani speaking to the media said that Bhatti had a cabinet meeting this morning. He left his residence at around 10:30 am and was heading to his office in I-8/4, when he was intercepted. Three to four assailants in shalwar kameez, who were in a white Mehran shot at the minister but did not attack the driver.
According to Durrani, it was the minister’s instructions to keep the security at the office. He said it was not a security lapse because he was provided with the required escorts. The police will investigate why the escorts did not accompany the minister.
Twitter reactions
Saba_Imtiaz Saba Imtiaz
Shahbaz Bhatti: “I cannot trust on security…. I believe that protection can come only from heaven, so these bodyguards can’t save you.”
mshafiquk Mohammed Shafiq
I utterly condemn the murder of #Pakistani Minister for Minorities#Shahbaz #Bhatti killed in a gunattack in #Islamabad
12:45 pm
Political analyst Hassan Askari says the message of the assailants is clear that those who disagree with their perspective are in danger.
Askari says the government has failed in providing security for its people. This incidence increases the insecurity of the minorities. The responsibility to address this issue is the responsibility of the government.
Twitter reactions
hiranajam hiranajam
RIP Shahbaz Bhatti – we’re so not worth your life. or any life for that matter.
FACE2FACE2009 AQK
Pakistani minister assassinated: Pakistani Minorities Minister Shahbaz Bhatti, who had tried to reform the count…http://bbc.in/dHGc4q
PiyuK Priya Kapoor
And the madness in Pakistan continues with Shahbaz Bhatti‘s murder. Ironic – isn’t it blasphemous to take a god given life?!
12:35 pm
According to an eye witness the assailants were waiting for the minister in a white car. As soon as Bhatti reached the site, they turned the car around and blocked the minister’s vehicle. The assailants then took the driver out first and then shot at the minister.
12:27 pm
The hospital is not allowing any entry of unidentified people inside the building.
Twitter reactions
husainhaqqani Husain Haqqani
by nafysa_khan
RT @shehrbanotaseer: Shaheed Shahbaz Bhatti made Aug11 national minorities day,increased salaries of minority workers,condemned violence
DEEP_no_borders Rao Varun Liaqat
by jasmeetbagri
Federal Minister 4 Minorities Shahbaz Bhatti murdered in Islamabad today. He is another victim of terrorism. May his soul rest in peace.Amen
12:22 pm
Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani has reached the Shifa International Hospital.
Shahbaz Bhatti’s body will be moved to PIMS hospital later to carry out the autopsy.
The bullet ridden car is standing outside the hospital. It will be shifted to another location where a forensic investigation will be conducted.
12:18 pm
There was one guard accompanying the minister and reports indicate that sufficient security was not provided to Bhatti.
Twitter reactions
Saba_Imtiaz Saba Imtiaz
by MirzaWaheed
The threats against leading figures in #Pakistan, including ShahbazBhatti, who has reportedly been killed today http://bit.ly/fW810p
Razarumi Raza Rumi
Yes!! @fispahani: @Razarumi Shahbaz Bhatti had been receiving threats of beheading for some months.
12:13 pm
Bhatti’s family and his close friends along with political supporters are at the hospital.
Twitter reactions
premasridevi prema sridevi
Shahbaz bhatti had earlier said tat he wud defy islamist militants and would go ahead to reform pakistan’s blasphemy laws
ovaisjafar Ovais Jafar
??!?! Shahbaz #Bhatti had instructed that squads were to join him only at his office and not escort him otherwise.
12:09 pm
Shahbaz Bhatti was using with a bullet proof car when the incident took place.
12:05 pm
Bhatti’s driver tried to rush the minister to the hospital but he succumbed to his injuries.
12:02 pm
“The initial reports are that there were three men who attacked him. He was probably shot using a Kalashnikov, but we are trying to ascertain what exactly happened,” said Islamabad police chief Wajid Durrani.
A hospital spokesman said Bhatti had several bullet wounds.
Senior Superintendent Police Islamabad Tahir Alam has reached the residence of the minister.
11:57 am
Unconfirmed reports say that the minister was stopped, pulled out of the car and shot at short range by the assailants.
Reports also indicate that Bhatti’s niece was travelling with him when the incident took place.
Twitter reactions
pakistanpolicy What was Shahbaz Bhatti’s ‘crime?’ That he wanted to be a full and equal citizen in the country of his birth?
fispahani May God bless my friend and colleague Shaheed Shahbaz Bhatti‘s soul. He was a brave man and gentle in his ways. #pakistan
11:53 am
Pamphlets have been found at the ambush site. According to initial reports, the pamphlets were dropped by Tehrik-i-Taliban Punjab.
The deputy commissioner has ordered an inquiry.
11:50 am
Bhatti was ambushed moments after he left his residence.
Security has been tightened in Islamabad.
11:45 am
The police has started its investigations.
Reports indicate that the minister’s driver survived the attack.
11: 39 am
Dr Azmatullah Qureshi of the Shifa Hospital confirms the death of Shahbaz Bhatti.
Bhatti, who belonged to the Pakistan Peoples Party, had been shifted to Shifa hospital. Dr Azmatullah Qureshi confirmed the death of the minister.
Earlier, Bhatti had voiced his fears that he believed he would be “the highest target” following the assassination of Governor Punjab Salmaan Taseer for speaking out against the blasphemy law.
Bhatti had said fatwas, or religious decrees, had been issued calling for him to be beheaded, by extremist clerics in the country who were allowed to publicly spread messages of violence with impunity.
Saudi authorities detain Shi'ite cleric over sermon
ANALYSIS-Handouts dash Saudi king's "reformer" reputation
20 Mar 2011 06:56
Source: reuters // Reuters
* King's image as "reformer" appears to come undone * Government bets on bolstering security, clerics
* Saudi dynasty refuses to concessions on political reform
(Repeats with no changes)
By Jason Benham and Amena Bakr
RIYADH, March 19 (Reuters) - This week's announcement by Saudi King Abdullah of lavish social handouts and a boost to security and religious police, but no political change, leaves his prized reputation as a reformist in tatters, analysts say.
Saudis on the streets of Riyadh after the king announced $93 billion in social handouts reflected the divide in society.
"There is no other king in the world who would give us what King Abdullah gives us," said Fahad al-Dosri, a 37-year-old bank official as he drove his car slowly through thick traffic of Saudis honking their horns in joy over the king's largesse.
But
The king, believed to be 87, has carefully crafted an image as a cautious reformer in a country ruled by a single generation of his brothers as absolute monarchs for nearly six decades.
But faced with unrest rocking much of the Arab world, he is playing the old game of buying support from key sectors of society to keep family rule as it is.
In a rare TV address to the nation on Friday, the king announced the new spending but gave no concessions on rights in a country where public space is dominated by the royal family, political parties are banned and there is no elected parliament.
There was no word either on a much anticipated reshuffle of a cabinet whose main posts are held by senior princes, some of whom have been in their jobs for more than four decades in the key U.S. ally and world's top oil exporter.
Measures to raise benefits for the unemployed, add jobs and increase the minimum wage were accompanied by the creation of 60,000 security positions and more money for the religious police who keep a firm grip on personal behaviour.
And in a sign Saudi's ruling elite will not tolerate dissent, Abdullah said the media must respect the Sunni clerics who oversee the application of sharia law in the Islamic state.
NO CONCESSIONS
The one concession to criticism appeared to be the creation of a new body with a large budget to fight corruption.
All this contrasts with the image of a reformer that King Abdullah's supporters and Saudi media had built up since he ascended the throne in 2005 when U.S. pressure was still strong because of presence of Saudis among the Sept. 11 attackers.
That year Riyadh held its first municipal elections in four decades and the king stated his support for "cautious reform".
Since then political openings have dried up, while the country has continued to liberalise sections of its economy, attract foreign investment and outflank religious hardliners who were seen as encouraging al Qaeda militancy.
For all these efforts the country won praise from Western allies, accepting Riyadh's argument that the ruling dynasty was a bulwark against extremist religious forces who could take over if political reform moved too fast.
It is far from clear if the government's bet that there is not a critical mass of young Saudis prepared to fight for more rights will pay dividends in the longer term.
Shi'ites have staged marches in the Eastern Province, where most of Saudi Arabia's oil fields are located, but the authorities are used to Shi'ite activism which the Sunni clerics paint as typical acts by deviant and disloyal citizenry.
Few Saudis in major cities answered a Facebook call for protests on March 11. They would have faced a massive security deployment on the streets if they had tried.
(Editing by Andrew Hammond and Peter Graff)
===========
Tsunami may quicken investors' rush to safe havens
-- The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are his own --
By Wayne Arnold
HONG KONG, March 11 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Japan's earthquake and resulting tsunami have helped shake investor confidence in the global economy. Tensions are especially high because investors have so much to lose. Soft commodities and base metals have soared on hopes for a global recovery. Now protests in Saudi Arabia, weak Chinese trade data and sticky U.S. unemployment have left these risk assets looking vulnerable.
Confidence and commodities have been the theme for most of the past year. Investors were preoccupied with hedging the risk of a sinking dollar in the context of a booming Asian recovery. The result was a pell-mell(In a jumbled, confused manner; helter-skelter.
) rush of cheap dollars into relatively risky assets: emerging market currencies, bonds and stocks, precious metals like gold and silver, oil, raw materials such as copper and coal, and foodstuffs like wheat and corn.
Even as optimism about the U.S. economy sent emerging markets into reverse, the high price of traditional hedges like gold and oil meant investors continued to buy base metals and soft commodities. That helped push the Commodities Research Bureau Index up 46 percent between May 25 last year and March 4. But strong gains mean investors now have more wealth tied up in these assets. As a result, they are very sensitive to suggestions that either commodities demand or inflation might be heading south.
Fear is now with us. Even before the 8.9 Richter-scale earthquake hit north-east Japan, China dealt a blow to confidence by reporting a rare trade deficit for February.
Disappointing numbers on U.S. jobless claims served as another blow. Further west, news that Saudi Arabia's police fired on Shi'ite protesters has stoked fears that spiralling oil prices could hurt global growth.
This doesn't change the long-term prospects for the commodities needed to feed and house an increasingly prosperous Asia. But many investors have been playing commodities because of inflation, not long-term demand. That means that even a small shock is enough to send risk assets into a spiral. The economic impact of Japan's earthquake remains to be seen, but when expectations are high, even a relatively modest knock can produce a severe reaction.
CONTEXT NEWS
-- An earthquake measuring 8.9 on the Richter scale hit north-east Japan on March 11, triggering a 10-metre tsunami that killed at least 22 people and forced the closure of nuclear power plants and of Japan's second busiest airport. Japan's Nikkei 225 Stock Average dropped 1.75 percent.
-- The cost of insuring Asian debt climbed sharply and stock markets fell on fears over the effects of the earthquake and unrest in the Middle East. Singapore's benchmark Straits Times Index fell as much as 1 percent, while stocks in Kuala Lumpur dropped 1.4 percent and Jakarta stocks fell 1.3 percent.
-- Brent crude slipped almost 2 percent ahead of a day of protests in Saudi Arabia called by activists for March 11. Protests were also planned in other Gulf countries such Kuwait and Bahrain. Brent has climbed 20 percent so far this year.
-- The U.S. Labor Department said on March 10 that first-time claims for unemployment benefits unexpectedly rose for the week ended March 5 to 397,000. Separately, the U.S. Commerce Department said the trade deficit rose in January to its highest level in seven months thanks to rising oil prices.
-- China posted a $7.3 billion trade deficit for February on March 10 as imports soared and the Lunar New Year disrupted export shipments.
((wayne.arnold@thomsonreuters.com))
(Editing by John Foley and David Evans)
==============
Saudi police fired in air when attacked--ministry
10 Mar 2011 22:20
Source: reuters // Reuters
RIYADH, March 10 (Reuters) - Saudi police fired over the heads of protesters in the kingdom's Eastern Province after demonstrators attacked policemen, an Interior Ministry spokesman said on Thursday.
Three people were injured during the protest, one of them a policeman, the spokesman told reporters. He did not say how the injuries were caused. (Reporting by Ulf Laessing; editing by Tim Pearce)
==========
Riot police fire tear gas to disperse Kuwait rally
11 Mar 2011 10:41
Source: reuters // Reuters
KUWAIT, March 11 (Reuters) - Kuwait riot police fired tear gas on Friday to break up a small, peaceful demonstration by stateless Arabs, who were demanding greater rights in the small, oil-rich Gulf nation.
Police in protective gear advanced on around 200 protesters who had gathered in a district of Kuwait City following morning prayers. They then fired volleys of tear gas at the crowd, sending the group running for cover. (Reporting by Jason Benham; Editing by Crispian Balmer)
===========
Saudi party responds to call for talks
Thu Mar 10, 2011 5:23AM
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Saudi Arabia's Islamic Ummah Party has responded to Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal's call for dialogue to end the rising unrest in the kingdom.
Spokesman for the party Mohammed bin Sa'ad al-Mifrith criticized the Saudi government for its “oppression,” corruption” and “dictatorship” on Wednesday.
“Who is left for the Saudi government to negotiate with?” the spokesperson said.
“All political, social and academic leaders are in jails or abroad or under terror,” he pointed out.
Earlier on Wednesday, the prince had asserted that demonstrations would not lead to reforms in his country and urged Saudis to express their demands through dialogue only.
"The best way to achieve what citizens want is through dialogue whether in the eastern region, or the western, southern and northern regions," the Saudi minister told a news conference.
He made the remarks after days of anti-government protests in the east of the country and calls for a "Day of Rage" rally on March 11, and another mass demonstration on March 20.
After the popular revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia, there have been demands for reforms in Saudi Arabia more than ever before.
Saudis are openly calling for change, including political reforms and release of political prisoners.
Further fueling the unrest in the strategic Arab country are a high rate of unemployment among its youths and widespread corruption in the public sector.
Analysts warn that a serious unrest in Saudi Arabia could affect the energy output in the world's largest producer and exporter of oil, and send oil prices flying to $200 a barrel.
====
Saudi women rally for prisoners' release
Thu Mar 3, 2011 9:23AM
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Saudi women (file photo) A group of women in Saudi Arabia have protested their husbands' detention in Saudi prisons, amid the emerging signs of anti-government uprisings across the kingdom.
The women say their husbands have been behind bars for at least 15 years without trial.
They chanted the men have been “forgotten” and have called for their immediate release.
On February 24, another demonstration was held in the oil-producing Eastern province of Qatif. The protesters carried pictures of prisoners and demanded their release.
Two weeks ago, a similar protest was also held in the neighboring town of Awwamiya, after which, Saudi authorities freed three prisoners.
Tens of thousands of people are preparing themselves to attend the protests after Saudi youth named March 11th the Day of Rage on the social networking website, Facebook.
On February 23, Saudi King Abdullah suddenly announced a series of benefits for his citizens following revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt.
King Abdullah introduced a package of social and economic overhaul amounting to $10.7 billion.
He also granted pardon to some prisoners indicted in financial crimes and ordered the implementation of a 15-percent pay hike for state employees as well as an increase in the cash available for Saudi housing loans.
Analysts believe the huge hike in benefits introduced by the Saudi king is actually intended to avert an uprising in the country.
In recent weeks, a wave of revolutions and anti-government uprisings has spread across the Arab world.
==========
Tue Mar 1, 2011 9:05am GMT
Print | Single Page[-] Text [+] JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia (Reuters) - Saudi authorities detained a Shi'ite cleric in the Eastern Province after he called for a constitutional monarchy and an end to corruption and discrimination, human rights activists said on Tuesday.The top oil exporter and U.S. ally is an absolute monarchy that applies an austere version of Sunni Islam and does not tolerate public dissent.
Its Shi'ite minority, believed to be 10-15 percent of the 18 million Saudi population, has long complained of discrimination, a charged denied by the authorities.
Tawfiq al-Amir, who has been detained before for speaking out about religious
Officials at the General Directorate of Investigations, an investigative arm of the government, could not immediately be reached for comment.
Analysts say the government is anxious that unrest may spread from neighbouring Bahrain, where majority Shi'ites have been protesting against the Sunni government.
Thousands of people are circulating emailed petitions and support Facebook groups calling for reform, an end to corruption and a constitutional monarchy in Saudi Arabia.
Activists set up Facebook pages calling for protests on March 11 and 20 but many locals doubt that those protests will take place as the government closely monitors social media and would stop any attempt to protest.
"The Saudi government should listen to the demands of its citizens, not seek to stifle them," said Christoph Wilcke, senior Middle East researcher in a Human Rights Watch report.
"Calling for equal rights for an oppressed religious minority should not be a reason for harassment and arrest," he said.
(Reporting by Asma Alsharif; editing by Tim Pearce)
======
Saudi shares at 20-month low
Tue Mar 1, 2011 5:56PM
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The Saudi bourse dropped for the 12th consecutive session on Tuesday.Massive anti-government protests in the Arab world have influenced shares in Saudi Arabia, bringing down the largest market in the Arab world by 6.8 percent to a 20-month low.
The Saudi bourse dropped for the 12th consecutive session on Tuesday on fears of unrest and on Sunday lost five percent.
The Tadawul All-Shares Index (TASI) shed about 403 points to close at 5,538.72 points, the lowest level since mid-July 2009, with all the 145 listed companies ending the day in the red.
The index dipped more than eight percent before recovering just ahead of the close.
The unrest in several Arab countries and the failure to reopen the Egyptian Stock Market, which has been closed for a month, are behind the fall, Saudi economist Ali al-Dakkak said on Tuesday.
"It is a strong reaction to the events in the Arab world,” he told AFP.
"Investors were awaiting the re-opening of the Egyptian bourse and reacted negatively when it did not."
The Cairo bourse's opening has been delayed until next Sunday.
Saudi Arabia has investments worth around $110 billion in Egypt, $100 billion of which are held by private investors inside and outside the Egyptian bourse, Dakkak said.
The drop is the largest single-day loss since November 2008 when the Saudi market was reeling under the impact of the global financial crisis.
Since the start of the year, TASI shed more than 16.3 percent and most of the losses were incurred after the Tunisian and Egyptian revolutions.
===
Anti-govt. protests held in Saudi Arabia
Fri Mar 4, 2011 4:49PM
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Saudi Arabia's anti-riot police hold back protesters in Awamiyya March 3, 2011.Hundreds of Saudis have taken to the streets in the eastern province of al-Ahsa, demanding the immediate release of a senior Shia cleric.
The peaceful protest rally, dubbed the 'Day of Rage,' which condemned the Saudi government's detention of Sheikh Tawfiq al-Amer, was held in al-Hufuf district following the Friday Prayers.
The Shia cleric was arrested last Friday after a sermon in which he said Saudi Arabia should become a constitutional monarchy.
Sheikh Tawfiq al-Amer has been arrested several times over his calls for giving Shias, a minority in Saudi Arabia, further freedom to exercise their religious rights.
The Friday protest came one day after similar demonstrations in the province. On Thursday, hundreds of protesters in the cities of Qatif and Awamiyya took to the streets and called for the release of Shia prisoners, who they say are being held unjustly, some as long as 16 years.
"We want the prisoners free but we also have other demands. We want equality," a protester in Qatif said.
Saudi authorities arrested 22 people for taking part in the protest in Qatif.
The latest protest comes against the backdrop of growing calls for a massive anti-government protest expected later in March. Tens of thousands of Saudis have already joined the drive.
Saudi youths have named March 11 the Day of Rage on the social networking website, Facebook.
20 Mar 2011 06:56
Source: reuters // Reuters
* King's image as "reformer" appears to come undone * Government bets on bolstering security, clerics
* Saudi dynasty refuses to concessions on political reform
(Repeats with no changes)
By Jason Benham and Amena Bakr
RIYADH, March 19 (Reuters) - This week's announcement by Saudi King Abdullah of lavish social handouts and a boost to security and religious police, but no political change, leaves his prized reputation as a reformist in tatters, analysts say.
Saudis on the streets of Riyadh after the king announced $93 billion in social handouts reflected the divide in society.
"There is no other king in the world who would give us what King Abdullah gives us," said Fahad al-Dosri, a 37-year-old bank official as he drove his car slowly through thick traffic of Saudis honking their horns in joy over the king's largesse.
But
Abdul-Ahmed Ibrahim, a 35-year-old businessman watching from the sidewalk was not buying it.
"No, it's not enough," he said despondently. "We want a change to the system. We want change because of the huge corruption."
The king, believed to be 87, has carefully crafted an image as a cautious reformer in a country ruled by a single generation of his brothers as absolute monarchs for nearly six decades.
But faced with unrest rocking much of the Arab world, he is playing the old game of buying support from key sectors of society to keep family rule as it is.
In a rare TV address to the nation on Friday, the king announced the new spending but gave no concessions on rights in a country where public space is dominated by the royal family, political parties are banned and there is no elected parliament.
There was no word either on a much anticipated reshuffle of a cabinet whose main posts are held by senior princes, some of whom have been in their jobs for more than four decades in the key U.S. ally and world's top oil exporter.
"I was expecting perhaps a cabinet reshuffle but unfortunately he focussed on paying money and he has increased the role of the religious establishment," said Tawfiq al-Said, a leading intellectual among minority Saudi Shiite Muslims.
"He is returning to the policy of the late King Fahd in the 1980s when money and religion was the only tool of the government," he said.
Measures to raise benefits for the unemployed, add jobs and increase the minimum wage were accompanied by the creation of 60,000 security positions and more money for the religious police who keep a firm grip on personal behaviour.
And in a sign Saudi's ruling elite will not tolerate dissent, Abdullah said the media must respect the Sunni clerics who oversee the application of sharia law in the Islamic state.
NO CONCESSIONS
With a wave of unrest toppling the governments of Egypt and Tunisia and spreading to neighbouring Yemen, Bahrain and Oman, the ruling family appears to have ruled out any big concessions, said Sam Ciszuk, senior analyst at IHS Global Insight.he added.
"The Saudi regime wants to demonstrate stability now. They do not do anything under pressure. Handing out money's from the bounty's; is their traditional role anyway, so that in itself is no concession," Ciszuk said.
"They want to make sure that nothing they do looks like a concession to their citizens and in the region, hence no cabinet reshuffle and a lot of security jobs and buttressing(The flared base of certain tree trunks.
) of the religious police,"
The one concession to criticism appeared to be the creation of a new body with a large budget to fight corruption.
All this contrasts with the image of a reformer that King Abdullah's supporters and Saudi media had built up since he ascended the throne in 2005 when U.S. pressure was still strong because of presence of Saudis among the Sept. 11 attackers.
That year Riyadh held its first municipal elections in four decades and the king stated his support for "cautious reform".
Since then political openings have dried up, while the country has continued to liberalise sections of its economy, attract foreign investment and outflank religious hardliners who were seen as encouraging al Qaeda militancy.
For all these efforts the country won praise from Western allies, accepting Riyadh's argument that the ruling dynasty was a bulwark against extremist religious forces who could take over if political reform moved too fast.
It is far from clear if the government's bet that there is not a critical mass of young Saudis prepared to fight for more rights will pay dividends in the longer term.
Shi'ites have staged marches in the Eastern Province, where most of Saudi Arabia's oil fields are located, but the authorities are used to Shi'ite activism which the Sunni clerics paint as typical acts by deviant and disloyal citizenry.
Few Saudis in major cities answered a Facebook call for protests on March 11. They would have faced a massive security deployment on the streets if they had tried.
(Editing by Andrew Hammond and Peter Graff)
===========
Tsunami may quicken investors' rush to safe havens
-- The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are his own --
By Wayne Arnold
HONG KONG, March 11 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Japan's earthquake and resulting tsunami have helped shake investor confidence in the global economy. Tensions are especially high because investors have so much to lose. Soft commodities and base metals have soared on hopes for a global recovery. Now protests in Saudi Arabia, weak Chinese trade data and sticky U.S. unemployment have left these risk assets looking vulnerable.
Confidence and commodities have been the theme for most of the past year. Investors were preoccupied with hedging the risk of a sinking dollar in the context of a booming Asian recovery. The result was a pell-mell(In a jumbled, confused manner; helter-skelter.
) rush of cheap dollars into relatively risky assets: emerging market currencies, bonds and stocks, precious metals like gold and silver, oil, raw materials such as copper and coal, and foodstuffs like wheat and corn.
Even as optimism about the U.S. economy sent emerging markets into reverse, the high price of traditional hedges like gold and oil meant investors continued to buy base metals and soft commodities. That helped push the Commodities Research Bureau Index up 46 percent between May 25 last year and March 4. But strong gains mean investors now have more wealth tied up in these assets. As a result, they are very sensitive to suggestions that either commodities demand or inflation might be heading south.
Fear is now with us. Even before the 8.9 Richter-scale earthquake hit north-east Japan, China dealt a blow to confidence by reporting a rare trade deficit for February.
Disappointing numbers on U.S. jobless claims served as another blow. Further west, news that Saudi Arabia's police fired on Shi'ite protesters has stoked fears that spiralling oil prices could hurt global growth.
This doesn't change the long-term prospects for the commodities needed to feed and house an increasingly prosperous Asia. But many investors have been playing commodities because of inflation, not long-term demand. That means that even a small shock is enough to send risk assets into a spiral. The economic impact of Japan's earthquake remains to be seen, but when expectations are high, even a relatively modest knock can produce a severe reaction.
CONTEXT NEWS
-- An earthquake measuring 8.9 on the Richter scale hit north-east Japan on March 11, triggering a 10-metre tsunami that killed at least 22 people and forced the closure of nuclear power plants and of Japan's second busiest airport. Japan's Nikkei 225 Stock Average dropped 1.75 percent.
-- The cost of insuring Asian debt climbed sharply and stock markets fell on fears over the effects of the earthquake and unrest in the Middle East. Singapore's benchmark Straits Times Index fell as much as 1 percent, while stocks in Kuala Lumpur dropped 1.4 percent and Jakarta stocks fell 1.3 percent.
-- Brent crude slipped almost 2 percent ahead of a day of protests in Saudi Arabia called by activists for March 11. Protests were also planned in other Gulf countries such Kuwait and Bahrain. Brent has climbed 20 percent so far this year.
-- The U.S. Labor Department said on March 10 that first-time claims for unemployment benefits unexpectedly rose for the week ended March 5 to 397,000. Separately, the U.S. Commerce Department said the trade deficit rose in January to its highest level in seven months thanks to rising oil prices.
-- China posted a $7.3 billion trade deficit for February on March 10 as imports soared and the Lunar New Year disrupted export shipments.
((wayne.arnold@thomsonreuters.com))
(Editing by John Foley and David Evans)
==============
Saudi police fired in air when attacked--ministry
10 Mar 2011 22:20
Source: reuters // Reuters
RIYADH, March 10 (Reuters) - Saudi police fired over the heads of protesters in the kingdom's Eastern Province after demonstrators attacked policemen, an Interior Ministry spokesman said on Thursday.
Three people were injured during the protest, one of them a policeman, the spokesman told reporters. He did not say how the injuries were caused. (Reporting by Ulf Laessing; editing by Tim Pearce)
==========
Riot police fire tear gas to disperse Kuwait rally
11 Mar 2011 10:41
Source: reuters // Reuters
KUWAIT, March 11 (Reuters) - Kuwait riot police fired tear gas on Friday to break up a small, peaceful demonstration by stateless Arabs, who were demanding greater rights in the small, oil-rich Gulf nation.
Police in protective gear advanced on around 200 protesters who had gathered in a district of Kuwait City following morning prayers. They then fired volleys of tear gas at the crowd, sending the group running for cover. (Reporting by Jason Benham; Editing by Crispian Balmer)
===========
Saudi party responds to call for talks
Thu Mar 10, 2011 5:23AM
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Saudi Arabia's Islamic Ummah Party has responded to Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal's call for dialogue to end the rising unrest in the kingdom.
Spokesman for the party Mohammed bin Sa'ad al-Mifrith criticized the Saudi government for its “oppression,” corruption” and “dictatorship” on Wednesday.
“Who is left for the Saudi government to negotiate with?” the spokesperson said.
“All political, social and academic leaders are in jails or abroad or under terror,” he pointed out.
Earlier on Wednesday, the prince had asserted that demonstrations would not lead to reforms in his country and urged Saudis to express their demands through dialogue only.
"The best way to achieve what citizens want is through dialogue whether in the eastern region, or the western, southern and northern regions," the Saudi minister told a news conference.
He made the remarks after days of anti-government protests in the east of the country and calls for a "Day of Rage" rally on March 11, and another mass demonstration on March 20.
After the popular revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia, there have been demands for reforms in Saudi Arabia more than ever before.
Saudis are openly calling for change, including political reforms and release of political prisoners.
Further fueling the unrest in the strategic Arab country are a high rate of unemployment among its youths and widespread corruption in the public sector.
Analysts warn that a serious unrest in Saudi Arabia could affect the energy output in the world's largest producer and exporter of oil, and send oil prices flying to $200 a barrel.
====
Saudi women rally for prisoners' release
Thu Mar 3, 2011 9:23AM
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Saudi women (file photo) A group of women in Saudi Arabia have protested their husbands' detention in Saudi prisons, amid the emerging signs of anti-government uprisings across the kingdom.
The women say their husbands have been behind bars for at least 15 years without trial.
They chanted the men have been “forgotten” and have called for their immediate release.
On February 24, another demonstration was held in the oil-producing Eastern province of Qatif. The protesters carried pictures of prisoners and demanded their release.
Two weeks ago, a similar protest was also held in the neighboring town of Awwamiya, after which, Saudi authorities freed three prisoners.
Tens of thousands of people are preparing themselves to attend the protests after Saudi youth named March 11th the Day of Rage on the social networking website, Facebook.
On February 23, Saudi King Abdullah suddenly announced a series of benefits for his citizens following revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt.
King Abdullah introduced a package of social and economic overhaul amounting to $10.7 billion.
He also granted pardon to some prisoners indicted in financial crimes and ordered the implementation of a 15-percent pay hike for state employees as well as an increase in the cash available for Saudi housing loans.
Analysts believe the huge hike in benefits introduced by the Saudi king is actually intended to avert an uprising in the country.
In recent weeks, a wave of revolutions and anti-government uprisings has spread across the Arab world.
==========
Tue Mar 1, 2011 9:05am GMT
Print | Single Page[-] Text [+] JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia (Reuters) - Saudi authorities detained a Shi'ite cleric in the Eastern Province after he called for a constitutional monarchy and an end to corruption and discrimination, human rights activists said on Tuesday.The top oil exporter and U.S. ally is an absolute monarchy that applies an austere version of Sunni Islam and does not tolerate public dissent.
Its Shi'ite minority, believed to be 10-15 percent of the 18 million Saudi population, has long complained of discrimination, a charged denied by the authorities.
Tawfiq al-Amir, who has been detained before for speaking out about religious
freedom, made his call in a Friday sermon in the eastern town of Hafouf. Security police detained him on Sunday, said Mohammad Gabran, a local rights activist.
"Previously his sole care was religious freedoms but in his last sermon he changed his direction and started demanding a constitutional monarchy," Gabran said.
"He called me when they came to take him. They informed him they were state security and they came to take him."
Officials at the General Directorate of Investigations, an investigative arm of the government, could not immediately be reached for comment.
Analysts say the government is anxious that unrest may spread from neighbouring Bahrain, where majority Shi'ites have been protesting against the Sunni government.
Thousands of people are circulating emailed petitions and support Facebook groups calling for reform, an end to corruption and a constitutional monarchy in Saudi Arabia.
Activists set up Facebook pages calling for protests on March 11 and 20 but many locals doubt that those protests will take place as the government closely monitors social media and would stop any attempt to protest.
"The Saudi government should listen to the demands of its citizens, not seek to stifle them," said Christoph Wilcke, senior Middle East researcher in a Human Rights Watch report.
"Calling for equal rights for an oppressed religious minority should not be a reason for harassment and arrest," he said.
(Reporting by Asma Alsharif; editing by Tim Pearce)
======
Saudi shares at 20-month low
Tue Mar 1, 2011 5:56PM
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The Saudi bourse dropped for the 12th consecutive session on Tuesday.Massive anti-government protests in the Arab world have influenced shares in Saudi Arabia, bringing down the largest market in the Arab world by 6.8 percent to a 20-month low.
The Saudi bourse dropped for the 12th consecutive session on Tuesday on fears of unrest and on Sunday lost five percent.
The Tadawul All-Shares Index (TASI) shed about 403 points to close at 5,538.72 points, the lowest level since mid-July 2009, with all the 145 listed companies ending the day in the red.
The index dipped more than eight percent before recovering just ahead of the close.
The unrest in several Arab countries and the failure to reopen the Egyptian Stock Market, which has been closed for a month, are behind the fall, Saudi economist Ali al-Dakkak said on Tuesday.
"It is a strong reaction to the events in the Arab world,” he told AFP.
"Investors were awaiting the re-opening of the Egyptian bourse and reacted negatively when it did not."
The Cairo bourse's opening has been delayed until next Sunday.
Saudi Arabia has investments worth around $110 billion in Egypt, $100 billion of which are held by private investors inside and outside the Egyptian bourse, Dakkak said.
The drop is the largest single-day loss since November 2008 when the Saudi market was reeling under the impact of the global financial crisis.
Since the start of the year, TASI shed more than 16.3 percent and most of the losses were incurred after the Tunisian and Egyptian revolutions.
===
Anti-govt. protests held in Saudi Arabia
Fri Mar 4, 2011 4:49PM
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Saudi Arabia's anti-riot police hold back protesters in Awamiyya March 3, 2011.Hundreds of Saudis have taken to the streets in the eastern province of al-Ahsa, demanding the immediate release of a senior Shia cleric.
The peaceful protest rally, dubbed the 'Day of Rage,' which condemned the Saudi government's detention of Sheikh Tawfiq al-Amer, was held in al-Hufuf district following the Friday Prayers.
The Shia cleric was arrested last Friday after a sermon in which he said Saudi Arabia should become a constitutional monarchy.
Sheikh Tawfiq al-Amer has been arrested several times over his calls for giving Shias, a minority in Saudi Arabia, further freedom to exercise their religious rights.
The Friday protest came one day after similar demonstrations in the province. On Thursday, hundreds of protesters in the cities of Qatif and Awamiyya took to the streets and called for the release of Shia prisoners, who they say are being held unjustly, some as long as 16 years.
"We want the prisoners free but we also have other demands. We want equality," a protester in Qatif said.
Saudi authorities arrested 22 people for taking part in the protest in Qatif.
The latest protest comes against the backdrop of growing calls for a massive anti-government protest expected later in March. Tens of thousands of Saudis have already joined the drive.
Saudi youths have named March 11 the Day of Rage on the social networking website, Facebook.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Arab unrest will be a test for OPEC
-- The authors are Reuters Breakingviews columnists. The opinions expressed are their own --
By Una Galani and Fiona Maharg Bravo
LONDON, Feb 23 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Arab unrest will test the limits of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. The oil cartel has enough spare capacity to cope with disruptions from Libya and elsewhere. However, the quality of crude differs, and supply could be squeezed if other member countries were to come under threat.
OPEC has around 5 million barrels per day of spare capacity, mostly in Saudi Arabia. That's twice the amount it had during the last oil price spike in 2008. In addition, members of the International Energy Agency have sufficient stockpiles to pump an extra 2 million barrels a day for two years if necessary.
These reserves are more than sufficient to cover a total shutdown in Libya, which produces around 1.6 million barrels per day, equivalent to 2 percent of global output. Even if Egypt, Tunisia and Yemen also stopped production at the same time, the total loss to world oil output would only add up to 2.7 million barrels per day.
Revolutions and riots in these countries have so far led to manageable disruption. Nevertheless, oil above $110 per barrel suggests markets are pricing in further upheaval. Turmoil in Algeria, with 1.8 million barrels per day, would really spook the market. And if unrest spread to Saudi Arabia, which accounts for about 12 percent of global oil production, a big shock would be on the cards.
What's more, not all oil is the same. Libya's high quality crude can't easily be replaced with supplies from other OPEC members. The increase in worldwide refining capacity in recent years may ease this problem. Italy, which imports about 22 percent of its oil from Libya, has enough extra capacity to process heavier oils, according to STRATFOR, a global intelligence consultancy. But the difference in quality complicates the picture. So does timing; prices react immediately, but it would take Saudi up to one month to bring extra barrels to market.
Damage to infrastructure from the current tumult could also lead to a lasting squeeze. Countries in Asia with small stockpiles may also feel more pinched. In the long run, oil-dependent countries cannot afford to turn off the taps for long. Even so, the next few months are bound to be bumpy.
CONTEXT NEWS
-- The oil price rose above $110 per barrel on Feb. 23 as ongoing turmoil in Libya fuelled fears the unrest could choke supplies and spread to other oil-producing nations.
-- Brent for April delivery was up $4 a barrel to $109.78 by 1600 GMT. On Feb. 21 the price hit a previous 2-1/2-year high of $108.70.
-- Repsol, Eni and BASF's Wintershall have all halted operations amid violent clashes in Libya, which pumps 1.6 million barrels per day (bpd), or nearly 2 percent of global supply.
((una.galani@thomsonreuters.com))
((fiona.bravo@thomsonreuters.com))
(Editing by Peter Thal Larsen and Sarah Bailey)
By Una Galani and Fiona Maharg Bravo
LONDON, Feb 23 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Arab unrest will test the limits of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. The oil cartel has enough spare capacity to cope with disruptions from Libya and elsewhere. However, the quality of crude differs, and supply could be squeezed if other member countries were to come under threat.
OPEC has around 5 million barrels per day of spare capacity, mostly in Saudi Arabia. That's twice the amount it had during the last oil price spike in 2008. In addition, members of the International Energy Agency have sufficient stockpiles to pump an extra 2 million barrels a day for two years if necessary.
These reserves are more than sufficient to cover a total shutdown in Libya, which produces around 1.6 million barrels per day, equivalent to 2 percent of global output. Even if Egypt, Tunisia and Yemen also stopped production at the same time, the total loss to world oil output would only add up to 2.7 million barrels per day.
Revolutions and riots in these countries have so far led to manageable disruption. Nevertheless, oil above $110 per barrel suggests markets are pricing in further upheaval. Turmoil in Algeria, with 1.8 million barrels per day, would really spook the market. And if unrest spread to Saudi Arabia, which accounts for about 12 percent of global oil production, a big shock would be on the cards.
What's more, not all oil is the same. Libya's high quality crude can't easily be replaced with supplies from other OPEC members. The increase in worldwide refining capacity in recent years may ease this problem. Italy, which imports about 22 percent of its oil from Libya, has enough extra capacity to process heavier oils, according to STRATFOR, a global intelligence consultancy. But the difference in quality complicates the picture. So does timing; prices react immediately, but it would take Saudi up to one month to bring extra barrels to market.
Damage to infrastructure from the current tumult could also lead to a lasting squeeze. Countries in Asia with small stockpiles may also feel more pinched. In the long run, oil-dependent countries cannot afford to turn off the taps for long. Even so, the next few months are bound to be bumpy.
CONTEXT NEWS
-- The oil price rose above $110 per barrel on Feb. 23 as ongoing turmoil in Libya fuelled fears the unrest could choke supplies and spread to other oil-producing nations.
-- Brent for April delivery was up $4 a barrel to $109.78 by 1600 GMT. On Feb. 21 the price hit a previous 2-1/2-year high of $108.70.
-- Repsol, Eni and BASF's Wintershall have all halted operations amid violent clashes in Libya, which pumps 1.6 million barrels per day (bpd), or nearly 2 percent of global supply.
((una.galani@thomsonreuters.com))
((fiona.bravo@thomsonreuters.com))
(Editing by Peter Thal Larsen and Sarah Bailey)
Hundreds back Facebook call for Saudi protest
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0diggsdiggEmailPrintRelated NewsSaudi king announces benefits before return: TV
4:43am ESTAnalysis & OpinionWashington Extra – Cool science
Middle East protests spur new look at corporate risk disclosures globally -Westlaw Business Disclosures: Risky Business
Related TopicsWorld »
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DUBAI | Wed Feb 23, 2011 4:43am EST
DUBAI (Reuters) - Hundreds of people have backed a Facebook campaign calling for a "day of rage" across Saudi Arabia next month to demand an elected ruler, greater freedom for women and release of political prisoners.
The page called for a "revolution of yearning" on March 11 in the kingdom, the world's biggest oil exporter and which is ruled by an absolute monarchy.
More than 460 people had endorsed the page by Wednesday morning, but it was impossible to verify how many of them were inside Saudi Arabia or whether any protest would materialize.
Arab uprisings which overthrew leaders in Tunisia and Egypt were mobilized by youths using social media, but activists in Saudi Arabia say a recent Internet call for a demonstration in Riyadh failed to bring anyone onto the streets.
A protest last month in Jeddah after floods swept through Saudi Arabia's second-biggest city was quickly broken up.
The demands included "that the ruler and members of the Shura (Consultative) Council be elected by the people" as well as calls for an independent judiciary, release of political prisoners and the right of freedom of expression and assembly.
They also sought a minimum wage of 10,000 riyals ($2,700), greater employment opportunities, establishing a watchdog to eliminate corruption and cancellation of "unjustified taxes and fees."
Other requests included rebuilding the armed forces, reforming Saudi Arabia's powerful and conservative Sunni Muslim clerics, and "the abolition of all illegal restrictions on women" in the kingdom.
Despite its oil wealth, Saudi Arabia is grappling with unemployment that hit 10.5 percent in 2009. It offers its 18 million nationals social benefits but they are considered less generous than those provided by other Gulf Arab oil producers.
Saudi state television said King Abdullah, returning home on Wednesday after months of absence for medical treatment, would grant benefits to Saudis worth billions of riyals.
The measures did not include political reforms in the absolute monarchy such as fresh municipal elections demanded by liberals or opposition groups. The kingdom has no elected parliament and does not tolerate public dissent.
(Reporting by Dominic Evans; Editing by David Stamp)
0diggsdiggEmailPrintRelated NewsSaudi king announces benefits before return: TV
4:43am ESTAnalysis & OpinionWashington Extra – Cool science
Middle East protests spur new look at corporate risk disclosures globally -Westlaw Business Disclosures: Risky Business
Related TopicsWorld »
Technology »
Media »
Saudi Arabia »
DUBAI | Wed Feb 23, 2011 4:43am EST
DUBAI (Reuters) - Hundreds of people have backed a Facebook campaign calling for a "day of rage" across Saudi Arabia next month to demand an elected ruler, greater freedom for women and release of political prisoners.
The page called for a "revolution of yearning" on March 11 in the kingdom, the world's biggest oil exporter and which is ruled by an absolute monarchy.
More than 460 people had endorsed the page by Wednesday morning, but it was impossible to verify how many of them were inside Saudi Arabia or whether any protest would materialize.
Arab uprisings which overthrew leaders in Tunisia and Egypt were mobilized by youths using social media, but activists in Saudi Arabia say a recent Internet call for a demonstration in Riyadh failed to bring anyone onto the streets.
A protest last month in Jeddah after floods swept through Saudi Arabia's second-biggest city was quickly broken up.
The demands included "that the ruler and members of the Shura (Consultative) Council be elected by the people" as well as calls for an independent judiciary, release of political prisoners and the right of freedom of expression and assembly.
They also sought a minimum wage of 10,000 riyals ($2,700), greater employment opportunities, establishing a watchdog to eliminate corruption and cancellation of "unjustified taxes and fees."
Other requests included rebuilding the armed forces, reforming Saudi Arabia's powerful and conservative Sunni Muslim clerics, and "the abolition of all illegal restrictions on women" in the kingdom.
Despite its oil wealth, Saudi Arabia is grappling with unemployment that hit 10.5 percent in 2009. It offers its 18 million nationals social benefits but they are considered less generous than those provided by other Gulf Arab oil producers.
Saudi state television said King Abdullah, returning home on Wednesday after months of absence for medical treatment, would grant benefits to Saudis worth billions of riyals.
The measures did not include political reforms in the absolute monarchy such as fresh municipal elections demanded by liberals or opposition groups. The kingdom has no elected parliament and does not tolerate public dissent.
(Reporting by Dominic Evans; Editing by David Stamp)
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Son of Iran opposition leader Karoubi arrested - report
Tue Feb 22, 2011 12:48pm GMT
Print | Single Page[-] Text [+] TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iranian security forces have arrested a son of opposition leader Mehdi Karoubi, his website reported Tuesday, one week after his supporters took to the streets in their first demonstrations in more than a year.
"Last night security forces entered the house of Ali Karoubi and arrested him and his wife, Nafiseh Panahi" Sahamnews website said. Panahi was later released but there was no further news of Ali Karoubi, it said.
Sahamnews said there were concerns for Mehdi Karoubi himself after security forces raided his house Monday night and confiscated documents and books.
"After last night's incident and despite many efforts there is no news of the fate of (Mehdi) Karoubi and his wife," the website said. Mehdi Karoubi has been under virtual house arrest for more than a week after calling for supporters of his reformist Green movement to hold a rally on February 14, the first event of its kind since December 2009.
More demonstrations were held Sunday. The new protests were inspired by events in Tunisia and Egypt which the Iranian government has itself applauded, seeing the uprisings as part of an Islamic awakening.
The Iranian rallies were not authorised and were countered by a heavy security clampdown.
Along with Mirhossein Mousavi, the 73-year-old Karoubi heads the "Green" opposition movement which staged huge protests after the 2009 re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad which they said was rigged.
The government denies the charge and crushed those demonstrations, accusing the Green movement of trying to overthrow the Islamic system with the support of Iran's foreign enemies.
Government supporters have called for both opposition leaders to be tried and executed, but so far authorities have chosen to isolate rather than arrest them, wary of giving them greater publicity and angering their supporters.
"They are completely isolated by the people and this is enough to confront the seditionists because more confrontation could lead to a situation which brings heavier costs for the system," the ISNA news agency quoted Ali Saeedi, an aide to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as saying.
Two people were shot dead at the February 14 rally in Tehran, deaths that government supporters blamed on "terrorist" elements among demonstrators but which the opposition movement said were evidence of state brutality.
Police in the southern city of Shiraz denied a third man had been killed during demonstrations there Sunday.
Opposition websites said university student Hamed Nour-Mohammadi was thrown off a bridge. ISNA quoted a police official as saying there had been no protests in Shiraz and the student had died in a traffic accident.
Sahamnews said security forces were seeking another of Karoubi's sons, Hossein, who has been outspoken since his father's house arrest.
(Editing by Louise Ireland)
Print | Single Page[-] Text [+] TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iranian security forces have arrested a son of opposition leader Mehdi Karoubi, his website reported Tuesday, one week after his supporters took to the streets in their first demonstrations in more than a year.
"Last night security forces entered the house of Ali Karoubi and arrested him and his wife, Nafiseh Panahi" Sahamnews website said. Panahi was later released but there was no further news of Ali Karoubi, it said.
Sahamnews said there were concerns for Mehdi Karoubi himself after security forces raided his house Monday night and confiscated documents and books.
"After last night's incident and despite many efforts there is no news of the fate of (Mehdi) Karoubi and his wife," the website said. Mehdi Karoubi has been under virtual house arrest for more than a week after calling for supporters of his reformist Green movement to hold a rally on February 14, the first event of its kind since December 2009.
More demonstrations were held Sunday. The new protests were inspired by events in Tunisia and Egypt which the Iranian government has itself applauded, seeing the uprisings as part of an Islamic awakening.
The Iranian rallies were not authorised and were countered by a heavy security clampdown.
Along with Mirhossein Mousavi, the 73-year-old Karoubi heads the "Green" opposition movement which staged huge protests after the 2009 re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad which they said was rigged.
The government denies the charge and crushed those demonstrations, accusing the Green movement of trying to overthrow the Islamic system with the support of Iran's foreign enemies.
Government supporters have called for both opposition leaders to be tried and executed, but so far authorities have chosen to isolate rather than arrest them, wary of giving them greater publicity and angering their supporters.
"They are completely isolated by the people and this is enough to confront the seditionists because more confrontation could lead to a situation which brings heavier costs for the system," the ISNA news agency quoted Ali Saeedi, an aide to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as saying.
Two people were shot dead at the February 14 rally in Tehran, deaths that government supporters blamed on "terrorist" elements among demonstrators but which the opposition movement said were evidence of state brutality.
Police in the southern city of Shiraz denied a third man had been killed during demonstrations there Sunday.
Opposition websites said university student Hamed Nour-Mohammadi was thrown off a bridge. ISNA quoted a police official as saying there had been no protests in Shiraz and the student had died in a traffic accident.
Sahamnews said security forces were seeking another of Karoubi's sons, Hossein, who has been outspoken since his father's house arrest.
(Editing by Louise Ireland)
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