Remember the bar scene in Star Wars?

The Jihadist Mutation in the Gulf:
Saudi authorities announced that they have arrested hundreds of people of Saudi and other nationalities. The government announcenment said they were planning to commit terrorism at oil and security installations. Equipment, weapons, and documents were apprehended as well. The total number, including those released, is 701.
This is both good and bad news:
It is good news to arrest such a large number of possible terrorists before they could do the deed (assuming they are all terrorists and some others were not thrown in, a tempting thing).
It is bad news in that it tells us that after so many years, seven years after 9/11, such huge cells are still being formed in Saudi Arabia. That al-Qaeda and its ideology and its recruitment are going strong. if they are so resilient now, what will happen when crude oil prices decline drastically and for a sustained period, as some predict (not me, I know better).

Speaking of which, the US Treasury Department has added all offices and branches of the Saudi-based al-Haramain Charity to the list of organizations supporting terrorism. A few years ago the Saudis had yielded to US pressure and 'dissolved' the charity, but apparently it has been reconstituted and is still active.

Last week the US government listed a major Kuwaiti Salafi religious and political organization that moonlights as a "charity" as a terrorist organization. The "Talibanesque" Society for Islamic Heritage Revival (SIHR), a.k.a "the rich man's Taliban" which has strong representation in various branches of the government.

Even in 'formerly' liberal Bahrain, opposition members, both Shi'a and Sunni, have complained in recent months that government policy has encouraged the growth of Talibanesque Salafi groups as a counter-balance to the Shi'a and secular-liberal forces.

All this indicates that the Salafi Jihadists in the Persian Gulf region are becoming good at adopting and frustrating efforts to cut their money links, their life's blood. It also indicates that either "all possible efforts" are not being taken to fully crack down on them, especially their funding or, more likely, they have failed. Charities are a good 'pious' way to launder funds and recycle them to places where they are needed by the 'truly faithful'.

The fact is that these groups represent a large political constituency in the Gulf states now, a constituency that cannot be ignored: this is an unfortunate fact that some would deny. As such, the rulers have to walk a tight rope in dealing with them, especially as they are really the products of the educational and other public policy systems set up by the various Gulf governments.

Arab Media Tour:
"Human rights organizations have protested harsh Iranian court sentences on four women activists, who were publicly protesting the trial of other activists. They were sentenced to a suspended sentence of 10 lashes each and six months in prison. (I think only the lasehes were suspended)." Aafaq.

"Saudi authorities have arrested, at al-A'hsa'a City (Eastern Province), a Shi'a civil and religious rights activists. Shaikh T. al-'Amer  had severely criticized 22 Wahhabi ulema who had issued a fatwa calling Shi'as heretics. In his Friday mosque sermon he had also called on the Saudi governmment to reassure the Shia citizens. He was arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department." Rasid, Aafaq.

"Bahrain has asked its allies to notify it before initiating any military activities in the Gulf region, perhaps even consult it (ya right, I say). The Public Security Chief of the Interior Ministry, a Colonel al-Zayani, said in a speech to the Royal Institute for defense and Security Studies (London) that tensions about Iran represent a serious danger to Bahrain. He said that a certain percentage of 'our Shi'a' citizens follow the Iranian religious leadership blindly, and that this could cause domestic problems if the situation with Iran deteriorates. Bahrain has a majority Shi'a citizens but is ruled by Sunnis." Elaph.

"In appreciation of his role as a government leader with great vision that has greatly helped his nation, and played a clear role in the progress and growth of the Kingdom of Bahrain and its people, and for his accomplishments in reducing poverty, stressing human developemnt, and the creation of a solid and diversified economy (Gunnar Myrdal, eat your heart out, if you can), and for his improvement of opportunities for benefiting from education and housing, and for his accomplishments in industrial development, Lawrence Technology University, one of the greatest and most elite American universities (I've never heard of it), has bestowed an honorary doctorate on Shaikh Kalifa Bin Salman al-Khalifa, Prime Minister of Bahrain. The Shaikh said that choosing him to get an honorary doctorate in humanities and human development is to be considered a success for Bahrain in achieving its goals, same achievements that that have been admired by the whole world."
I think I need a 'serious' break right here.
Cheers
mhg

m.h.ghuloum@gmail.com