Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06RIYADH6737
2006-08-26 08:07:00
SECRET
Embassy Riyadh
Cable title:  

RIYADH RECORD: AUGUST 5-11, 2006

Tags:  PGOV PREL PINR SA 
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VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHRH #6737/01 2380807
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
P 260807Z AUG 06
FM AMEMBASSY RIYADH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0929
INFO RUEHJI/AMCONSUL JEDDAH 7627
S E C R E T RIYADH 006737 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/23/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR SA
SUBJECT: RIYADH RECORD: AUGUST 5-11, 2006

REF: A. A) RIYADH 6668

B. B) RIYADH 6372

C. C) RIYADH 6472

D. D) JEDDAH 531

E. E) RIYADH 6473

Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Michael Gfoeller
for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

S E C R E T RIYADH 006737

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/23/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR SA
SUBJECT: RIYADH RECORD: AUGUST 5-11, 2006

REF: A. A) RIYADH 6668

B. B) RIYADH 6372

C. C) RIYADH 6472

D. D) JEDDAH 531

E. E) RIYADH 6473

Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Michael Gfoeller
for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: One hundred seventy Muslim scholars,
including 29 Saudis, called for unity in the Islamic Nation
and condemned the Israeli 'aggression' in Lebanon and
Palestine. Saudi opposition activity continues to stir in
the Diaspora with a revitalization of the London-based
Movement for Islamic Reform in Arabia (MIRA),and the
announcement of the formation of the Saudi Democratic
Opposition Front in Paris. MIRA, a religious-based
opposition group linked to al-Qaeda, is piggy-backing on the
current Lebanon crisis and dissent amongst the Shi'a to
engage the Saudi public through religious means. The secular
and tribal-based Saudi Democratic Opposition Front, linked to
the former al-Rasheed dynasty of al-Ha'il in northern Saudi
Arabia, opposes the SAG on principles of "democracy and
justice." Female employment remains a hot topic, with the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Municipal and
Rural Affairs announcing plans to employ more women. King
Abdullah visited Turkey for three days and signed six
bilateral agreements, related to the economic and investment
sectors. END SUMMARY.

-------------- --------------
Lebanon Crisis Sparks Call for Peace Among Muslim Scholars
Worldwide
-------------- --------------


2. (C) One hundred seventy Muslim scholars from 17
countries, including 29 Saudi citizens, issued an open letter
entitled "Statement and Appeal from Scholars of the Islamic
Nation," which was posted on a Saudi conservative website.
The statement condemned the Israeli 'aggression' in Lebanon
and Palestine and criticized the U.S. for supporting Israel.
The signatories appealed to the Muslim and Arab people
worldwide, leaders of Islamic nations, the international
community, and "people of the free world" to boycott Israel
both politically and economically and to follow paths of
patience, peace, and unity to seek justice for Israel's
actions in Lebanon and Palestine. The statement follows

several open statements and editorials that harshly
criticized the U.S.' reaction to the Lebanon crisis and
reflects the increasing discontent of the Saudi public with
the U.S. At the same time, it stands out as a call for peace
and condemnation of all extremism, unlike most open
statements by religious conservatives from the Kingdom.
Although the authors only used peaceful rhetoric in their
call, they also implicitly attacked the peace process,
stating that a peaceful resolution to the Arab-Israeli
conflict is a mere illusion that has brought only harm to the
region (Ref A).

--------------
Saudi Opposition Fomenting in the Diaspora
--------------


3. (C) The London-based, Saudi opposition group linked to
al-Qaeda, the Movement for Islamic Reform in Arabia ('MIRA'),
called for political gatherings to be held Kingdom-wide at 44
specified mosques beginning August 11. According to
statements on its website, MIRA, which is led by Dr. Saad
al-Faqih, is composed of religious conservatives who oppose
the SAG's policies and seek a dramatic change of governance
in the Kingdom. It attempted a similar protest three years
ago. MIRA planned to avoid government interference by
calling for the gatherings to begin prior to, not after, the
Friday mosque sermons. It called for the August 11
gatherings to be the first of many; however, the turnout was
very low. COMMENT: This call is consistent with recent
widespread public criticism of the Government in the wake of
the Lebanon crisis. Since MIRA was able to relaunch its
media campaign after its outlets had been shut down by the
British government, the call for demonstrations displays
al-Faqih's staying power as an opponent of the SAG (Ref B).
END COMMENT.


4. (S) On August 7, several media outlets reported a
statement issued by Prince Talal al-Rasheed, a deposed royal
and Saudi dissident residing in Paris, which announced the
formation of the Saudi Democratic Opposition Front. The
group, which is reportedly both secular and tribal in nature,
bases its opposition to the SAG on its desire for democracy
and an enhancement of liberties within Saudi society. Its
declared main objective is to establish democratic
institutions based upon equality and justice and stop the
"corruption" of the Al Saud family. Al-Rasheed is the son of
the last ruler of the Emirate of Ha'il prior to the Al Saud
rule and has lived in exile since 1980 because of his
opposition activities. He claimed that the group has 2,000
active members in Saudi Arabia and said he planned to
coordinate its activities with the London-based opposition
group MIRA, despite MIRA's radical religious ideology.
COMMENT: Al-Rasheed lacks visibility and credibility on the
Saudi political scene, but his movement's emergence is a sign
of growing opposition activity in the wake of the Lebanon
crisis (Ref C and septel) END COMMENT.

--------------
Democratic Reform Continues
--------------


5. (C) Female employment remains a hot topic in the Kingdom.
Moves to boost employment opportunities for female engineers
continue within the SAG (Ref C). Responding to a ministry
survey that reported a large number of female engineers
working in administrative jobs irrelevant to their training,
the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs announced a plan
to hire more female engineers. The Ministry's spokesman said
the women's role for the present will be limited to
consultations and "technical aspects." As their role
develops within the engineering sector, their functions may

expand to inspections and monitoring key ministry facilities.
A Ministry of Foreign Affairs representative told A/PolCouns
during a meeting on August 16 that the MFA leadership had
recently decided to establish a women's section within the
Ministry. Additionally, Labor Minister al-Qusaibi recently
commented that the Ministry's "next big labor battle" is to
increase the number of jobs for Saudi women. He also
cautioned, "It's a battle that Saudi Arabia needs to do its
own way at its own pace." Speaking on the labor law issue on
employment of women in lingerie shops, Minister al-Qusaibi
said that King Abdullah supports his efforts and agreed that
the plan should proceed incrementally with no deadline. He
said that the plan is going smoothly and three or four
lingerie shops now employ women only (Ref D, E).

--------------
VIP Visits
--------------


6. (C) King Abdullah made his first Saudi Head of State
visit to Turkey on August 8-11, signing economic bilateral
agreements and joining the Turks in public statements warning
of nuclear threats to the region that were perceived to be
anti-Iranian in nature. The King's visit to Turkey was his
fifth official trip to a significant, non-Western country
since becoming King in August 2005, following China, India,
Malaysia, and Pakistan. There was a strong economic focus to
the visit, highlighted by the signing of six bilateral
agreements, including an avoidance of double taxation, treaty
(septel).


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