Monday, March 03, 2003

Heh. Nothing like a little infighting. Saudi Arabi and Libya have been at each other's throat for the past couple of days. Sarting with a spat at the Arab League meeting in Egypt that included this exchange:

Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi

The Iraqi danger, ie the current Iraqi situation, became a cause of anxiety and even threat to our brothers in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the whole Gulf [region]. America is used to protect this region because the latter is a very important source of energy. [Addressing Saudi Crown Prince Abdallah] If there is a correction please go ahead brother Abdallah.

Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah Bin Abdel Aziz

Your Excellency president [Gaddafi]; your comments are rejected. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a Muslim country. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its people are not a slave of colonialism like yourself and others. Who brought you to power? Who brought people like yourselves to power? Tell us the truth, who brought you to power? Do not talk about things which have nothing to do with you. Lies precede you and the grave is ahead of you.
[At this point, the Egyptian TV interrupts the live broadcast]

Then Libya announced that they would recall thier envoy from Saudi Arabia and sever diplomatic ties.

"...It (the General People's Congress) expresses its strong indignation at the attack by the head of the Saudi delegation at the Arab summit against the positions of (Libya) and its symbol, the leader Muammar Gaddafi.'

And today a major Saudi newspaper (and as with all media in the Kingdom, there is very tight Royal control over content) comes this editorial calling for the removal of Gaddafi.

"The continuity of this regime and others like it will pose a real and crushing danger to this (Arab) nation ... more than arrogant foreign powers," Okaz daily said in an editorial.

"When we say it is time to remove the 'suspicious' regime of Gaddafi and regimes like it, we affirm there is no way to face potential dangers without this couragous and essential step," it said.

"Dealing with the madness of Gaddafi and others like him must be the first point on the agenda of a programme to reform the Arab situation, otherwise this nation will go from bad to worse."

Nothing like leaders from two oppressive regimes going at it.

Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal was quoted by Al-Jazirah newspaper on Monday as saying that the "era of comity and flattering is over and every Arab official should be held responsible for practices which may harm Arab world interests."

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