3rd Global Entrepreneurship Summit Opens In Dubai

Source: Gulf Business (Read full story)

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The summit, in partnership with Entrepreneurial Ventures of Arabia, aims to bring the MENA region’s most prominent names in business together with SMEs and entrepreneurs that, as Barack Obama said in his pre-recorded message, “could be behind the next big private companies for their cities and their countries.” The majority of keynote speakers over the two day conference, and the business names in attendance, are from the United States or MENA region. HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum addressed the hundreds of attendees at the opening ceremony, as did HH Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, minister of foreign affairs.

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Qatar calls Quartet ‘failure,’ seeks Arab peace offer rethink

Source: Arab News (Read full story)

 Qatar called at an Arab League ministerial meeting yesterday for a rethink of an Arab offer of normal ties with Israel in return for its pullout from occupied land and branded the international Quartet a failure. “It is logical after 10 years to objectively reconsider the peace process, including the Arab initiative,” said Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem Al-Thani, the country’s prime minister. He called for a “thorough look into developments in the region and the world, and to decide carefully on our future steps and roadmap.” The League has proposed a normalization with the Jewish state in return for its pullout from occupied lands, notably the Palestinian territories.

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Pre-emptive Strike against Iran: Prelude to an Avoidable Disaster?

Source: Middle East Policy Council (Read full story)

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For an attack, a nuclear weapon has to be detonated at the intended target site. Since nuclear weapons are usually available in very limited numbers, this requires a reliable and accurate means of delivery. Transporting a nuclear weapon to the intended target by car, truck or ship is always possible. However, this is only a viable option for a first strike, comparable to a massive terror attack. Under this option, there is no credible second strike capability. Iran would not be able to fight a nuclear war. Furthermore, a governmentally sanctioned massive terrorist attack is also possible and much more easily managed than an operation using a nuclear weapon.² Therefore, it seems highly unlikely that a state would develop a nuclear weapon only for terror attacks by means of cars, trucks, and ships.

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Kuwaiti ruler reappoints PM, calls for new cabinet

Source: Reuters (Read full story)

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The December 1 election was the second this year in the OPEC state, where a series of assemblies have collapsed due to a long-running power struggle between the parliament and the cabinet, in which the emir’s relatives hold the top posts.

While the new parliament is expected to be more cooperative with the government than its predecessor because of the opposition boycott, the election proved divisive. Turnout was around 40 percent, the lowest ever in Kuwait and the opposition movement, made up of youth activists and opposition politicians, has promised more protests after staging a march of tens of thousands on November 30.

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