Saudi Arabia to fill financial gap from any Western sanctions on Egypt

[Arabian Legend]

Saudi Arabia to fill financial gap from any Western sanctions on Egypt


RIYADH - Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal on Monday pledged to fill any financial gaps left by Western countries withdrawing aid from Egypt over an army crackdown on Muslim Brotherhood protesters that has left hundreds dead since last week.

Speaking to state news agency SPA in Jeddah after visiting France on Sunday, Prince Saud also accused Western countries of tacitly encouraging Muslim Brotherhood violence with their criticism of the Egyptian military.

"To those who have declared they are stopping aid to Egypt or are waving such a threat, the Arab and Muslim nations are wealthy with their people and resources and will not shy away from offering a helping hand to Egypt," he said.

Saudi Arabia, the world's top oil exporter, has given Egypt's military rulers its full backing since they overthrew the country's first freely elected president, Mohamed Mursi, last month, saying mass protests against him showed he had lost legitimacy.

While Egypt's Western allies have denounced the army's crackdown on the Brotherhood, Riyadh has instead said the country is tackling terrorism and sedition.

"We see international stances that have taken a strange course... as if the aim is to cover up for the crimes, the burning of Egypt and the killing of its people," he said.

Barack Obama last week canceled annual military exercises with Egypt, while European Union foreign ministers were due to hold an emergency meeting in Brussels on Wednesday to discuss how to press the Egyptian authorities for a compromise.

On Sunday, after meeting French President Francois Hollande, Prince Saud warned the West against putting pressure on Egypt to end its crackdown, saying it would not achieve anything.

The rise of the Muslim Brotherhood to power after the 2011 revolt that overthrew their long-time ally Hosni Mubarak unsettled Gulf Arab monarchies, who fear the Islamist group wants to spread its influence into their own countries.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait pledged to give Egypt $12 billion in aid after last month's ouster of Mursi.

According to Egyptian Finance Ministry figures released in June, the state budget deficit for the first five months of 2013 nearly doubled from a year earlier to 113.4 billion Egyptian pounds ($16.2 billion). Saudi Arabia had a budget surplus of $103 billion last year. — Reuters


Saudi Arabia to fill financial gap from any Western sanctions on Egypt | News | GMA News Online

 

[Serpentine]

You can be sure West wouldn't put sanctions on Egyptian military leadership.
They are on a crossroad, at the same time they favor the western-leaning military, they also want not to anger Islamists more than this. In other words, they want to keep both sides on their side or at least, neutral.

 

[mikkix]

Arab and Iran Animosity continues in Egypt and Syria and backed by West...

 

[T-123456]

I have no problem with the full backing of the military,but why not make sure the killings stop?
The Saudi king could tell them to stop using force and let them protest all they want peacefull.
Or coudnt he?

 

[Patriots]

Disappointed attitude of Saudia Arabia ..........

 

[kalu_miah]

I have no problem with the full backing of the military,but why not make sure the killings stop?
The Saudi king could tell them to stop using force and let them protest all they want peacefull.
Or coudnt he?

Muslim Brotherhood is not trusted by GCC govts., the only exception is Qatar.
GCC support shows region has a stake in Egypt's crisis - The National

Almost all GCC govts. distrust Muslim Brotherhood and suspects that MB secretly plots to overthrow these Monarchist govts. Somehow Qatar was creative enough to make a deal with MB and become the biggest backers and sponsor of MB, and in return MB is going to ensure the continuation of Al Thani family rule. My personal opinion, Al Thani family should have consulted with other GCC govts. and royal families, before getting into this venture and made it into a GCC wide venture to sponsor MB, instead of keeping it a solely Qatari affair. If Al Thani family could not convince other GCC Royal families, then they should not have gotten involved on their own with MB. This internal division within GCC, in my opinion, has played a big role to precipitate the current friendly fire fiasco and tragedy in Egypt:

Qatar's ties with the Muslim Brotherhood affect entire region - The National

Qatar's ties with the Muslim Brotherhood affect entire region
Ahmed Azem
May 18, 2012

The alliance between the Muslim Brotherhood and Qatar is becoming a noticeable factor in the reshaping of the Middle East. There are several striking aspects to this evolving and deepening relationship.

First, note that the Brotherhood is barely involved in Qatari domestic affairs. The arrangement is akin to the one between Qatar and Al Jazeera, the biggest Arab television channel, which is based in Doha. The station covers news throughout the Arab world but refrains from covering controversial events in Qatar.

As a formal organisation, the Muslim Brotherhood in Qatar dissolved itself in 1999. Jasim Sultan - a former member of the Qatari Brotherhood - has explained in a television interview that this decision was justified because the state was carrying out its religious duties.
Mr Sultan supervises the Al Nahdah (Awakening) Project, which involves training, publishing and lecturing about public activism. Last August, he wrote an article asking Egyptian Islamists to change their discourse and move towards "partnership thought" instead of concentrating on "infiltrating the society to control it". Mr Sultan is active in training Islamists in Egypt and other countries on how to function within the institutions of democracy.

The second point of interest about Qatar and the Brotherhood is that the relationship was formed and is maintained largely through personal ties, which play a vital role. Doha has hosted individual activists, providing them with refuge and employment.

Yusif Al Qaradawi, a Qatari national and resident of Egyptian origin, is a good example. He is the head of the International Union of Muslim Scholars, and his television programme on Islamic laws and principles has made him a star on Al Jazeera. His current relationship with the Muslim Brotherhood is not clear, but he has been a leading member, and is highly respected by its members around the world.

One striking example of his influence is a recent photograph of him with Ismail Haniyeh, the prime minster of Hamas in Gaza. (Hamas is an arm of the Palestinian Muslim Brotherhood.) In the image, Mr Haniyeh, during a recent visit to Qatar, is bowing and kissing Mr Al Qaradawi's hand in a show of respect.

To better understand the role of Qatari-Islamist harmony in the Arab revolutions, consider the Academy of Change, headed by Hisham Mursi, an Egyptian paediatrician and British national living in Doha. News reports identify him as the son-in-law of Mr Al Qaradawi.

Mr Mursi has been active in Egypt's revolution from the very beginning. When he was arrested in the early days of the protests, Muslim Brotherhood websites campaigned for his release. His organisation takes a special interest in non-violent protest tactics; he has written manuals on the subject. He acknowledges, on the Academy of Change's website, that he benefits from the cooperation of Mr Sultan.

Another example of personal ties involves Rafiq Abdulsalaam, Tunisia's foreign minister. He is the son-in-law of Rashid Al Ghanouchi, the head of Ennahda, Tunisia's Muslim Brotherhood party. Mr Abdulasalaam was formerly the head of the Research and Studies Division in the Al Jazeera Centre in Doha.

An example from Libya is Ali Sallabi, described last December by The Washington Post as the "chief architect of Libya's most likely next government". Mr Sallabi has lived in Qatar for several years.
A third point to understand is what Qatar provides for the Brotherhood. There are strong indications of media help, political training and financial support. The role of people like those named above offers circumstantial evidence of such support. Further, key staff members of Al Jazeera have had - and maintain - close connections to the Muslim Brotherhood. These include the previous general manager, Waddah Khanfar, the head of the Amman office, Yasser Abu Hillaleh, and the Egyptian TV presenter, Ahmad Mansur.

Last August, Nevin Mus'ad, a politics professor at Cairo University, told the Egyptian daily Al Shorouq that she was surprised to notice that the university was offering a training course on democracy and human rights, organised by the National Human Rights Committee of Qatar. She said bearded men wearing the jilbab (Islamist dress) were organising the entrance of participants, most of whom were wearing Islamist dress. The women were veiled.

In Libya, Mr Sallabi - who is known also for his connection to Mr Al Qaradawi - told reporters that he had asked the Qatari leadership for assistance during the early stages of the Libyan revolution.
Last year Al Akhbar, a Lebanese newspaper close to Hizbollah (Damascus's strong ally), said the rift between Qatar and the Syrian regime occurred when Doha attempted to convince Syrian President Bashar Al Assad to form an interim ruling council including Muslim Brotherhood representation.

The fourth factor helpful in understanding the Qatar-Brotherhood alliance involves what Qatar stands to gain.

First, the relationship ensures that Islamists will not criticise Qatari government policies or be active there. Second, as Islamists head towards power in several countries, Qataris are in position to expect special economic and political treatment in each. Third, Qatar will be well-positioned to mediate between Islamists and their rivals, and also between Islamists in general and the West. The Afghan Taliban, for example, are now expected to open an office in Qatar. Such developments offer Qatar greater international influence.

Dr Ahmad Jamil Azem is a visiting fellow at the University of Cambridge's faculty of Asian and Middle East studies

Read more: Qatar's ties with the Muslim Brotherhood affect entire region - The National
Follow us: @TheNationalUAE on Twitter | thenational.ae on Facebook

 

[Desert Fox]

Britishers nd iranians want 2 turn egypt like libya nd syria.

^^^^

LOL!!!! What's with the username's these days???

@webby
@Aeronaut
@Oscar

 

[Pandora]

As long as Saudi monarchs have got their hides safe no one else matters.

 

[Yzd Khalifa]

As long as Saudi monarchs have got their hides safe no one else matters.

LoLz, and what does that do to us to remain " safe "

 

[Pandora]

LoLz, and what does that do to us to remain " safe "

Crush it before it reaches you. Considering how much desperate they are to keep dictators in power you should know the answer.

 

[Yzd Khalifa]

Crush it before it reaches you. Considering how much desperate they are to keep dictators in power you should know the answer.

Of course I know the answer! Everybody is mad at us.

 

[Aslan]

Of course I know the answer! Everybody is mad at us.

How are them french babes treating ya in france.

 

[Yzd Khalifa]

How are them french babes treating ya in france.

Everything is well and good bro! Been there for four days and will stay for 3 more days.

 

[Pandora]

Of course I know the answer! Everybody is mad at us.

Good to see that this amuses you but hundreds of people dying in middle east have no such luxury. What people sow they shall reap so enjoy while you can.

 

[Yzd Khalifa]

Good to see that this amuses you but hundreds of people dying in middle east have no such luxury. What people sow they shall reap so enjoy while you can.

What the hell am I supposed to do with " those who are dying "? The devil you talking about??