The National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations’ Seventeenth Annual Oman Cultural Immersion Program took place February 15-27, 2013. The study visit provided a delegation of Malone Fellows with an unparalleled diverse exposure to Oman — one of the most historically and culturally rich of all Arab and Islamic societies.
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Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed meets Obama
Source: The Gulf Today (Read full story)
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Sheikh Mohammed exchanged views with the US President on the latest regional and international developments, as well as international initiatives and efforts to promote peace, stability and development in the Middle East. During his visit, Sheikh Mohammed also met with the US Vice President Joseph Biden and discussed with him the strong ties and shared interests between the UAE and the USA. According to recently released US government data, the UAE is ranked among the US’ fastest growing trading partners. Total bilateral trade between the two countries grew from approximately $4.5 billion in 2002 to $24.8 billion in 2012. While in Washington on his two-day visit, the Crown Prince will also meet with senior US government officials and members of the Congress.
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On April 11, 2013, the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations and the U.S.-GCC Corporate Cooperation Committee hosted a public affairs briefing on “Rhetoric and Reality in Arab-U.S. Energy Relations” at the offices of Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP in Washington, DC. Participating specialists were Mr. John Hofmeister, Founder and Chief Executive of Citizens for Affordable Energy and former President of Shell Oil Company; Professor Paul Sullivan, Professor of Economics at National Defense University and Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University; and Ms. Randa Fahmy Hudome, President of Fahmy Hudome International and former Associate Deputy Secretary of Energy.
A link to a podcast of the program is available below. The podcast, along with recordings of other National Council programs, is also available through iTunes: http://bit.ly/itunes-ncusar.
“Rhetoric and Reality in Arab-U.S. Energy Relations” podcast (.mp3)
GCC urges IAEA to send team to Iran nuclear plant
Source: Gulf Times (Read full story)
The Gulf Co-operation Council yesterday called for international inspectors to be sent to Iran’s Bushehr nuclear plant over concerns of possible radiation leaks after an earthquake hit the area. The body demanded the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) “send a specialised technical team to inspect the Bushehr nuclear plant and investigate potential damage”, GCC chief Abdullatif al-Zayani told an emergency meeting of top Gulf officials. A 6.1 magnitude quake hit Iran on Tuesday at a depth of 12km in the area of Kaki, according to the Iranian Seismological Centre.
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Billionaires Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, Bill Gates Team Up to Defeat Polio
Source: Saudi – US Trade Group (Read full story)
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Two of the richest men in the world, and the two richest men in the United States and Saudi Arabia respectively, are teaming up through their foundations to finally eradicate polio, according to a press release. “The Alwaleed Bin Talal Foundation-Global (Registered in Lebanon), chaired by HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud, signed a Memorandum of Collaboration (MOC) in a unique partnership with The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, co-chaired by Mr. Bill Gates to bolster the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. The Alwaleed Bin Talal Foundation has pledged $30 Million to this critical global effort…
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Peace Envoys From Taliban at Loose Ends in Qatar
Source: The New York Times (Read full story)
When a handful of Taliban emissaries flew into Qatar on an American plane in 2010, the Obama administration hoped they would help negotiate a peace deal that could stabilize Afghanistan and allow the United States a graceful exit. Three years after that secret arrival, the Taliban officials remain idle and their political office here remains unused.“They are just living here enjoying the air-conditioning, driving luxury cars, eating and making babies,” one Afghan diplomat in Qatar said. “It’s all they can do; they have no work to do.”
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Doha conference endorses strategy to rebuild Darfur
Source: Gulf Times (Read full story)
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Representatives of donor countries and aid groups, meeting in Doha, yesterday approved a mechanism to rebuild Sudan’s Darfur region after a decade-long conflict. The total cost for Darfur’s reconstruction is estimated at $7.2bn. The Sudanese government is committed to $2bn whereas $5.245bn is expected to be pledged by the donors at the conference. The director of the International Development Department at the Foreign Ministry, Ahmed bin Mohammed al- Meraikhi, said the mechanism was called the “funding and governance mechanism for the implementation of the Darfur development strategy”.
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Influence of Iran, Brotherhood on GCC states
Source: The Peninsula (Read full story)
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There is confusion among Gulf citizens about the role of Iran and its intervention in their domestic affairs, and the role of Muslim Brotherhood, or what is called political Islam, which is dominating the Arab Spring states. With the uprising in Syria in its third year, it is clear for any observer that Iran has spread its security and intelligence influence in the Gulf. Recently, the Saudi Ministry of Interior disclosed that it has busted an Iranian spy network comprising of 16 Saudis and two others from Iran and Lebanon. Similarly, Bahrain revealed the arrest of a terrorist cell which was planning to form an armed opposition force under the name “Al Emam Army” with the aim of attacking military bases in the country.
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