STATE PAO: SAUDI ARABIA MEDIA ROUNDUP 16 AUGUST 2015

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06708888
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• Document Page Count: 13
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2022
• Document Release Date: September 19, 2018
• Case Number: F-2017-02575
• Publication Date: August 17, 2015

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COUNTRY: SAUDI ARABIA, UNITED STATES
SUBJ: (U/7FINQLLSTATE PAO: SAUDI ARABIA MEDIA ROUNDUP 16 AUGUST
2015
SOURCE: OSC. Summary 16 Aug 15 (U/LEOUO)
TEXT:
[ (U/7'_ The following is the Saudi Media Roundup produced by
the
Public Affairs Information Office at the US Embassy in Riyadh.
Inolusion of media reports in this summary in no way constitutes
and
endorsement by the US Government. PAO Riyadh .cannot vouch for the
veracity or accuracy of items Contained in this report. For
assistance with multimedia elements, contact
or
[OSC Hosted Product]
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is
for national security purposes of the United States Government
only.
Any reproduction, dissemination, or use is subject to the OSC usage
policy and the original copyright.
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Saudi Arabia Quick Read
Sunday, August 16, 2015
The Quick Read contains a partial translation or paraphrased
summary
of Arabic articles. Weste-rn.media'reports are generally original
content. Social Media analysis directly quotes or translates Tweets
or other postings.
Front Pages
Front Stories:
Security Authorities arrested terror suspects. (summary)
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The seventh relief plane arrived in Aden loaded with ten tons of
medical supplies and materials.'
Hamza bin Laden in the way to lead.A1-Qaeda. (summary)
Educational satellite channels for students at Southern Border.
(summary)
Regional news focuses on Yemen and Iran.
In social media, Saudi Twitter users are retweeting
@SaudSaifalnasr's.tweets about the Royal family.
U.S.-Saudi News
Cops in Kansas Assure full Security to Saudis
Two suspects remain in custody at the Sedgwick County Jail in
Wichita, Kansas on suspicion of first degree murder of ,23-year-old
Saudi student Rayan Ibrahim Baba. Baba died from multiple gunshot
wounds sustained in the campus parking lot of Wichita State
University last weekend. Dan, Dillion.of the District Attorney's
office in Wichita said investigations are continuing and as of now
there was no bail. (Saudi Gazette)
Saudi Patients in U.S. Exposed to Poisonous Drugs
Some U. S. doctors exploit Saudi patients by prescribing very
expensive drugs; in some ,cases, exceeding $1000 per box. While these
mainly unapproved drugs give Saudi patients some hope in treatment
of
different ailments, specialists warn patients of the dangers of
using
such drugs, as they not are subject to the supervision of official
bodies, making them unsafe and prone to cause poisoning or health
risks. (Makkah)
Local News
Security Authorities: 322 Saudi Terror Suspects Arrested
Security sources confirmed they have succeeded in arresting 413
terror suspects from 19 nationalities and confiscated documents and
weapons which confirmed their involvement in Daesh. The security
sources confirmed that the majority of those arrested were involved
in communications on social network with accounts managed from
outside the Kingdom. (Al-Jazirah)
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Heads of Islamic Centers Condemn the Criminal Bombing in Asir
Islamic figures from Australia, Mauritania, and Senegal sent King
Salman letters condemning the bombings in Asir. The heads of
Islamic
centers explained'that such teirorist actions will only make Saudi
stronger. (Al Yaum)
Prayers as Usual in Abha Mosque
Hundreds of special emergency forces personnel and others were in
attendance for Friday noon prayers at the renovated mosque in Asir
region's capital Abha where a suicide bomber killed 15 people and
injured several others earlier this month. (Saudi Gazette)
Hamza bin Laden May be on Path to Lead Al-Qaeda, Replacing Osama
Bin
Laden
Experts in matters of intelligence and countering terrorism guessed
that Hamza, the son of Osama bin Laden, will play a prominent role
in
the leadership of Al-Qaeda. He will try to fill the void left by
his
father after his death in a raid by U.S. Special Forces near
Islamabad. (Al-Hayat)
Local Charities Set to File Suits Against Twitter
A number of local Charities are considering filing suits against
Twitter via the U.S. judiciary for defamatory campaigns run by some
social media companies. The legal office handling the case revealed
there is an organized effort to undermine the image of some Saudi
charities by publicly accusing them of being behind .terrorist
groups.
(Al-Watan)
Hacker Hits 24 Sites to 'Alert' Govt.
A national hacked more.than 24 government websites Saturday morning
in just two hours after those in charge of these websites ignored
messages of a possible attack. Through his Twitter account, the
hacker "Cyber of Emotion" said that after the government websites
ignored his messages about a possible attack, his group announced
that it was going to attack those websites. lacking strong
protection
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and security. (Arab News)
Oil Industry in Catch-22 Amid Stark Realities
Long-term crude prognosis is getting bleaker. Oil futures are
reaching a scary point 7 approaching the lowest level since early
2009 - while the financial crisis was in full bloom, wreaking havoc
on global markets. Worries about glut is overshadowing everything
around. Despite.the extra volume of pOst-nuclear deal push from
Iran
still not in the equation, yet the U.S. crude tumbled more than
,three
percent to a, 6-1/2-year low. Big rise in U.S. stockpiles
intensified
the worries of a growing global glut - making markets slip further.
(Saudi Gazette)
Oil Prices set for Recovery through 2016
Energy equities offer value over the next 12 'months, world's
leading
wealth manager UBS Wealth Management forecast. It predicted an end
to
the downside momentum of crude pil prices through to 2016. (Saudi
Gazette)
Educational Satellite Channels for Students at Southern Border
The Ministry of Education is reportedly planning to launch 12
educational satellite channels as teaching options for students.
Minister of Education Dr. Azzam Al-Dakhil said that this learning
mode will be directed to students during emergencies at Southern
border schools as a protective measure in the Southern region.
(Okaz)
Municipal Elections Started in Makkah
The third session of Makkah municipal election started today after
the General Committee of the municipal elections agreed to begin
the
elections one week earlier due to an expected influx of pilgrims
from
all over the world. (Al-Riyadh)
:Makkah Chamber Helps Women with Special Needs Find Jobs
Dr. Abdullah bin Shaki Al7Ghalib Al7Shareef, chief of the Makkah
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Chamber of Commerce and Industry; has said that the chamber was
making all efforts to create suitable jobs for national manpower as
its contribution to Provide job opportunities for those who are
interested in working in the private sector. He was speaking at a
ceremony where 39 agreements were- signed with various companies to
recruit ladies with special needs in the private sector. The
ceremony
was held at the Makkah Chamber of Commerce and Industry. (Arab
News)
Bid to Create 20,000 Jobs in Health Sector
The Ministry of Health has decided to award scholarships to Saudi
students in an attempt to provide approximately 20,000 jobs in the
health sector, which is in high demand. The Health Ministry has
clearly identified the areas of specialization that require
fulfilling and intends to use the scholarships as an incentive to
attract Saudi students to the field. (Arab News)
The End of the Grace Period for Yemenis to Correct their Residency
The passport office will start taking action against violators of
KSA
residency law after correcting the paperwork of over 21,788
Yemenis.
(Al Sharq)
New Markets for Islamic Finance Emerging: Study
New markets for Islamic finance are emerging, with African
countries
launching debut sovereign.sukuk and East Asian countries enabling
their domestic markets to tap into Islamic financing, a glimpse of
the 2015-2016 edition of the 'State of the Global Islamic Economy'
said ahead of the Global Islamic Economy Summit that will run in
Dubai on Oct. 5-6, 2015 said. The Islamic Development Bank and the
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation have formally launched a $500
million
grant facility to address poverty and diseases in IDB member
countries. (Saudi Gazette) .
Riyad Bank Joins Fight against Drug Abuse
Riyad Bank is participating in the national project for drugs
prevention "Nebras", supervised by The National Committee for
Narcotics Control. The bank contributed in the project by
distributing pamphlets and brochures through its huge network of
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branches across the Kingdom to raise .-awareness of the effect of
drug
abuse. (Saudi azette)
Apple After-Sales Services Available at Axiom Centers
Apple customers in KSA can now avail enhanced. Apple after-sales
services at axiom centers and collection points located across the
Kingdom. The region's leading mobile reseller is now recognized as
an
official Apple Authorized iOS Service Provider in KSA through its
partnership with Apple authorized distributor, Arab' Computers.
(Saudi
Gazette)
Regional News
U.S. Led Coalition Conducts 23 Airstrikes in Iraq
The U.S;-led coalition conducted 23 airstrikes against ISIS in Iraq
on Thursday, the Combined Joint Task Fotce said in a statement on
Friday. The statement said that the airstrikes against ISIS were
concentrated on strategic targets near Ramadi'city. (SPA)
Prevent U.S. Companies from Cooperating with Iran until Completion
of
Nuclear Deal
The U.S. administration prevented U.S. companies from cooperating
with Iran until the completion of nuclear deal terms. A member of
the
Tehran Chamber of Commerce indicates the desire of the American
companies to enter the Iranian market and said that Iran's trade
relations with the U.S.. were cut off completely for eight years,
and
these relations will start again whenever Congress approves the
agreement. (Al-Riyadh)
GCC-Iran Talks Report Unfounded
The six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council has denied reports of a
planned meeting between theioloc and Iran on Sept. 22. The denial
came on Saturday after some misleading- reports about a scheduled
Tehran-GCC meeting appeared in a-section of ,Gulf and Iranian press.
(Arab News) �
446,-000 Yemenis correct residency status
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A total of 446,000 Yemenis who had arrived in the Kingdom before
April 9 and were living illegally in various regions of the country
have corrected their residency status so fat, the Directorate
General
of Passports said on Thursday. The grace period granted by
Custodian
of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman to illegal Yemeni residents was
terminated on Saturday. (Saudi Gazette)
German Military: ISIS Using Chemical Weapons in Iraq
The terrorist group ISIS fighters may have used chlorine gas shells
in an attack on Kurdish forces in northern Iraq, the German army
reported. It said the chemical weapons were 'apparently' deployed
Wednesday in an attack on Makhmur, where both Arabs and Kurds live,
and 60 Kurdish fighters were injured. The German intelligence unit
obtained accounts of the attack from a meeting with tribal leaders.
(SPA)
Opinion
Editorial: The U.S.-Cuba Thaw
Secretary of State John Kerry had the honor of reopening the U.S.
embassy in Cuba 54 years -after it was closed. But it was the pair
of
presidents, Barack Obama and Raul Castro, who made it happen, and
each in his own way. Obama's explanation for the thaw in relations
was that the old policy of isolating Cuba had not worked and that
when something does not work for 50 years, it's time to try
something
new. (Saudi Gazette),
Op-Ed: U.S. Good at Denying Instead of Denouncing
Amnesty International declared.last week that the bombing of
163,000
civilians trapped in Syria's Eastern Ghouta area should be regarded
as a war crime. Certainly the U.S. is no longer in a position to
condemn as it denies engagement instead! The U.S. denied Turkey's
announcement of an agreement to impose a safe area to restrict
Syrian
warplanes flying over this area. A State Department spokes15erson
promptly denied the announcement, saying that the agreement was
limited to use of U.S. aircraft at Incirlik airbase for bombing
ISIL
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forces. Why does the U.S. insist on giving a green light to this
fascist criminal regime continuing to commit daily genocide? (Salim
A. Sahab; Al-Madinah)
'Online'
Ministry of Labor to Restrict Nineteen Professions for Saudis
The MoL has decided to limit some careers to Saudis only and to
prevent the issuance' of visas for expatriates in the fields of
human
resources, personnel management administration, labor affairs, and
staff affairs. (Akhbaar24, An7a)
Asir Grants Visitor IDs for Yemenis
The Asir Region Passport Department issued 57,000 visitor IDs for
Yemeni expats, authorizing them to work and move freely after
correcting their residency status. The ID is valid for Six months,
according to the Department. (Sabq)
Social Media
Prince Saud Saifalnasr Tweets about the Royal Family
I've preferred to stop tweeting in the past few weeks after
observing
the changing direction of the al-Saud's family approach to reform.
But it seems clear that the situation is worsening within the
family.
The most dangerous thing is that the whole country is. being run by
a
fool (MbS).
I assure by my name and the name of many members of the family that
we onLy pledge allegiance to the Custodian of the two holy Mosques.
I also affirm that the legitimate Crown Prince is his' Royal
Highness
Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaii_z.
Saudis Pour Scorn on Pro-Drug Fatwa
Saudi social media users have poured scorn on a fatwa that allowed
young men married to Ugly women' to take drugs before. intimate
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relations in order to have the delusion they are as beautiful as
houriS [virgin companions in Paradise]. The fatwa said that
hallucinogenic drugs can be taken for 30 minutes during sexual
intercourse and, only by men who are less than 40 years old. The
drugs
can be used only in the evening, it added. (Gulf News)
Instead Of Getting Neighbor's Wife... Boss Gets Severe Fractures
A Saudi man liked his neighbor's wife. The neighbor was also an
employee officer under him at work. Neighbors for almost five
years,
the Saudi boss had his eyes on his officer's wife. According to the
report that broke on social media, he tried to get into a �
relationship with the wife, who refused. (Emirates247)
Global News
.Saudi Websites Hacked By 'Well-Intentioned' Group
More than 24 Saudi government websites have been briefly hacked,
despite warnings from the hackers themselves that they would be
making the attacks. (AlJazeera)
Saudi Arabia to Use Space Technology to Prevent Ebola
A Saudi born Assistant Professor, Dr. Farhan M. Asrar at the
University of Toronto in Canada, has disclosed that his country has
expressed readiness to use space technology to prevent Ebola
disease
in his country. (Eagle Reporters)
Prices for Saudi Haj Packages Expected To Drop
The launch of the Online portal for local pilgrims by the Saudi
Ministry of Haj has led to local operators reworking their
packages,
a report said. (Trade Arabia)
Saudi Arabia's King Salman Backs Israel over Iran Nuclear Deal
Concerns
Mr. Carter, on a project to promote the July 14 accord to the
United
States' Center Japanese allies, stated the Saudi monarch had
expressed reservations even whilst ostensibly welcoming.it once
they
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met within the Purple Sea port of Jeddah. (Suffield Times)
Press Ty: Saudi Arabia Only After Destroying Yemen: Analyst
Press TV has interviewed Hussein al-Bukhaiti, a Yemeni activist and
political commentator in Sana'a, to discuss the outcome of the
peace
talks underway in neighboring Oman on Yemen's crisis. (Press TV)
Yemen Loyalists Take Back another Province from Rebels
Forces loyal to Yemen's exiled government retook a fifth southern
province Saturday, extending recent gains against Iran-backed
Shiite
rebels who still control the capital. (Yahoo)
Kayla Mueller: Why US Hostage Raped By ISIL Leader Refused To
Escape
Abu Bakr-al Baghdadi, the leader of the self--proclaimed ISIL, had
repeatedly raped American hostage Kayla Mueller during her 1.5
years
in captivity, US intelligence officials told her family in June.
(New -
Yorker; Yahoo)
US Reportedly Sees Possible Pattern in ISIL Chemical Weapons
Attacks
U.S. intelligence agencies reportedly believe ISIL used chemical
weapons in Syria on Kurdish forces at .least two weeks before the
group may have used it in Iraq, U.S. ,officials said. (Fox).
The Fight to Document the ISIL Massacre Of the Yazidis
The remains of 67 people found in mass graves in northern Iraq were
finally laid to rest this week, Kurdish media reported. They were
members of Iraq's Yazidi minority, killed by the ISIL as it
rampaged
through the community's homelands near Mount Sinjar one year ago.
(Huffington Post)
Syria Crisis: What's Behind The Fresh Diplomatic Push?
The multi-faceted civil war has lasted over four years, killed more
than a quarter of a million people and dislodged Upwards of 10
million, in what is being seen as the worst, refugee crisis for half
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a
century. (BBC)
Cartoons
[IMAGE]
The Box: The American Policy
The three eggs: Houthis, Al-Qaeda, Daesh (Al-Jazirah)
[IMAGE]
Terrorism (Al-Watan)
[IMAGE]
(Makkah)
[IMAGE]
No for Extremism (Makkah)
[IMAGE].
Paid Media (Al-Jazirah)
. Saudi. Newspapers and Electronic Journals:
Liberal: Elaph
Conservative: Al-Riyadh, Al-Madina, Makkah, Alwifaq, Al Saha
(blog)
Moderate: Al-Jazirah, Alecitisadiah, Al-Watan, Okaz, Al-Youm, Arab
News, Saudi Gazette, ASharq Al-Awsat, Al7Hayat, Sabq (blog),
Al-Marsad (blog)
FOR U.S. GOVERNMENT USE ONLY
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