Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06RIYADH7987
2006-10-10 14:14:00
SECRET
Embassy Riyadh
Cable title:  

RIYADH RECORD: SEPTEMBER 16-30

Tags:  PGOV PREL KWMN KISL SA 
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VZCZCXYZ0089
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHRH #7987/01 2831414
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
P 101414Z OCT 06
FM AMEMBASSY RIYADH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2348
INFO RUEHJI/AMCONSUL JEDDAH 7786
S E C R E T RIYADH 007987 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/02/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL KWMN KISL SA
SUBJECT: RIYADH RECORD: SEPTEMBER 16-30

REF: RIYADH 7447

Classified By: Acting Deputy Chief of Mission David Rundell
for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

S E C R E T RIYADH 007987

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/02/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL KWMN KISL SA
SUBJECT: RIYADH RECORD: SEPTEMBER 16-30

REF: RIYADH 7447

Classified By: Acting Deputy Chief of Mission David Rundell
for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: The case against the controversial novel
"Girls of Riyadh" has been dismissed. The Commission for the
Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice met for
three-days, rejecting alleged calls from the West to
dismantle the organization. The Ministries of Interior and
Foreign Affairs will soon introduce fingerprint and retina
scans in an effort to increase border security. The Shoura
Council met again to approve draft agreements on Gulf
Cooperation Council pesticide regulations and crime
prevention cooperation with India. END SUMMARY.

--------------
Girls of Riyadh Court Case Dropped
--------------


2. (S) The Court of Grievances dismissed on September 27 the
case regarding the controversial novel "Girls of Riyadh"
following requests by the Ministry of Culture and Information
and public debate in the media (reftel). During the 10-day
book fair that displayed the works of nearly fifty publishing
houses in Jeddah earlier this month, there were reportedly
sales of "Girls of Riyadh" despite the pending court case and
the controversy the book sparked during the Riyadh book fair
earlier this year. The Ministry of Culture and Information
approves all books for book fairs held in the Kingdom and has
repeatedly defended the publication of this novel.

--------------
Religious Police Meet, Maintain Power
--------------


3. (C) In preparation for the three-day meeting of senior
officials of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and
Prevention of Vice (religious police),Commission President
Sheikh Ibrahim al-Ghaith met with Riyadh Governor Prince
Salman on September 18 to denounce recent reports alleging
western calls to dismantle the religious police. During the
meeting, Interior Minister Prince Naif reportedly defended
the religious police, saying that it is "an honor for Saudi
Arabia to have such a religious commission working for the
good of the people." He also commented on terrorism, stating
that "terrorists claim that we (the SAG) support the West,

but the reality is that our strategy stems from Islam and
they (the terrorists) are the enemies of Allah." Following
this meeting, SAG officials publicly stated that the
religious police remain strong and there are no plans to
dismantle it. (COMMENT: The inner workings of the religious
police are rarely publicized. The SAG's open support of the
religious police may suggest a growing uneasiness on the part
of the SAG about negative public perception of the West's
"involvement" in Saudi politics. Public expression of
anti-western sentiment increased following the Pope's recent
remarks on Islam, as well as the sentencing of Saudi national
Homaidan al-Turki in the U.S. for the sexual assault of his
Indonesian housemaid. END COMMENT.)


4. (U) The Ministry of Islamic Affairs announced on
September 24 that it will offer refresher courses to 2160
imams across the Kingdom. Media reports indicated that the
Ministry of Islamic Affairs has also terminated 2000 imams.
This move comes in the wake of calls for increased
transparency and coordination among the imams.

-------------- --------------
Retina Scans and Fingerprint Databases: SAG Moves Ahead
-------------- --------------


5. (C) According to media reports, the Ministry of Interior
intends to begin archiving fingerprints of Saudi citizens
this year. The move will serve as a means to secure borders,
better investigate criminal activities, and prevent
over-stayers A Saudi interlocutor from the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs Passport Division told PolOff that it is also
moving forward with plans to put fingerprints on passports
and use fingerprint and retina scans at the ports of entry.
He said that, although this plan has been in place for some
time, the SAG was waiting on its development and usage in the
United States first in order to leverage those best
practices. He also said that the main purpose was to protect
Saudi borders and prevent over-stayers in the Kingdom.

--------------
Shoura Council Meets, Approves Agreements
--------------


6. (C) The Shoura Council approved a cooperation agreement
between Saudi Arabia and India relating to sports and youth
during its September 10 meeting. The Council subsequently
approved a draft Memorandum of Understanding on crime
prevention between the two countries during its September 25
session. The Council also approved a Gulf Cooperation
Council (GCC) regulation on the use of pesticides. (COMMENT:
The controversial debate that began on September 10 regarding
draft laws on cybercrime and blue tooth technology was not
continued. However, the ongoing efforts of the Shoura
Council appear to indicate that it is playing an increasingly
important role in advising the SAG. END COMMENT.)

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


7. (U) Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal participated in
meetings with the Foreign Ministers of the GCC, Association
of the South East Asian Countries, and the European
Tripartite Committee at the 61st session of the U.N. General
Assembly on September 21. Crown Prince Sultan talked about
GCC and other regional issues with President of the United
Arab Emirates Sheikh Khalifah bin Zayid al-Nahayan on
September 21. King Abdullah discussed bilateral relations
with Jordan's King Abdullah via telephone on September 27, as
well as with Kuwaiti Amir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber
al-Sabah on September 30. Saudi Ambassador to the United
Kingdom joined several other Arab state ambassadors in a
meeting with Prime Minister Tony Blair on September 29 to
discuss the relationship between the U.K. and the Arab World.
Secretary General of the Higher Tourism Commission Prince
Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz received a letter on
September 30 from the Spanish King Juan Carlos regarding
future cooperation on tourism.
OBERWETTER