Excerpts: Turkey gets U.S. rocket system to fight against ISIS.Planned Gulf
railway to create 80,000 jobs. Einstein's Relativity theory faces satellite
test. Jordan's plans re Energy Summit starting May 17. Iran threatens U.S.
re Frozen Funds.Saudi plan to move away from oil. Israel frees youngest
Palestinian prisoner(age:12) April 27, 2016

+++SOURCE: Al Arabiya 26 Aoril ’16:”Turkey to use US rocket system in fight
against ISIS” ,by Agence France Presse
SUBJECT: Turkey gets US rocket system in fight against ISIS

Ankara also allows US jets to use its air base in southern Turkey for air
bombardments on the extremist group. (Komsomolskaya Pravda via AP)

AFP, AnkaraTuesday, 26 April 2016

FULL TEXT:Turkey has struck a deal with the United States to deploy
American light multiple rocket launchers on its border with Syria to combat
ISIS, according to the foreign ministry.

The High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) “will be deployed on the
Turkish border in May as part of an agreement” with Washginton, Foreign
Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said in an interview published Tuesday[4/26].

The system is being brought in “so we will be able to hit Daesh targets more
effectively,” he told the Haberturk newspaper, using an acronym for ISIS.

Turkey, a member of US-led coalition against ISIS, has increased its strikes
in Syria after a series of deadly attacks on its soil blamed on the
extremists.

Ankara also allows US jets to use its air base in southern Turkey for air
bombardments on the extremist group.

In recent weeks, the Turkish border town of Kilis has come under frequent
attack from rockets fired across the border, prompting the army to respond
with howitzer fire.

Cavusoglu said HIMARS would allow Turkey to hit ISIS positions within a
90-kilometer (56 mile) range, while Turkish artillery has a more limited
range of 40 kilometers.

The aim is to gain control of the so-called Manbij Gap, a backdoor border
route favored by ISIS for smuggling extremists into Syria.

Turkey wants to establish a safe zone in the 98 kilometer stretch between
Manbij and the border in which to shelter Syrian refugees, the foreign
minister said.

Ankara has long pressed for the creation of safe zones in the war-torn
country. German Chancellor Angela Merkel this weekend said the zones were
“of the utmost immediate importance also in our negotiations for a
ceasefire” in Syria.

But Washington is set against the idea, saying it would require a no-fly
zone, something that could lead to conflicts with Russian planes flying over
Syria.

“As a practical matter, sadly, it is very difficult to see how it would
operate short of us essentially being willing to militarily take over a big
chunk of that country,” US President Barack Obama said during a visit to
Germany at the weekend.


+++SOURCE: Saudi Gazettte 4/26/’16:”Gulf railway to create 80,000 jobs”,by
Mohammed Al-Anazi,Okaz/Saudi Gazette
SUBJECT: Planned Gulf railway to create 80,000 jobs
FULL TEXT:DAMMAM — The GCC Railway, which link the six member countries of
the Gulf Cooperation Council by 2018, is expected to create more than 80,000
direct and indirect jobs, said Abdurrahim Naqi, secretary-general of GCC
Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

“This is a strategic and vital project for the six-member Gulf Cooperation
Council,” he said.

Speaking to Okaz/Saudi Gazette, Naqi said the project would boost the GCC
economies and create more job opportunities for Gulf citizens in various
sectors.

Beginning from Kuwait City and ending in Muscat, the total cost of the
2,117-km railway is estimated at $15.4 billion, including the cost of two
new causeways.

Passenger trains will operate at a speed of 220 km per hour while goods
trains will run at 80-120 km per hour.

Naqi did not rule out the possibility of linking the GCC railway with King
Salman Causeway that would connect Saudi Arabia with Egypt. “Officials
working on the causeway are studying possibility of this linkage,” he said,
adding that both projects would accelerate business activities in the
region.

In a recent statement, the Saudi Railway Organization said the GCC
governments have given top importance to the railway project.

The GCC states have appointed international consulting firms to conduct
studies on various aspects of the project. Financial and technical
committees have been set up to prepare detailed studies and designs, Naqi
said.

Studies would lead to the preparation of the project’s roadmap, feasibility
studies, time frame for implementing various phases, identification of
railway routes and preparation of the engineering design, the GCC chamber
chief said.

The railway will begin from Kuwait City and will pass by Dammam to reach
Bahrain through a new causeway to be established parallel to King Fahd
Causeway. From Dammam it will be connected with Qatar through Salwa border
point.

The railway will also pass by the proposed Qatar-Bahrain Causeway. It will
then move from the Kingdom to the UAE through Batha border point. It will
then reach Muscat via Sohar, bringing the total length of the railway to
2,116 km with 663 km of it in Saudi territory.

According to informed sources, the railway will be constructed following
international specifications.

“It will have state-of-the-art communication and signal systems in addition
to advanced operation and maintenance systems,” said an SRO official who
requested anonymity.


+++SOURCE: Naharnet (Lebanon) 4/26/’15:”Einstein’s Theory of Relativity
Faces Satellite Test”, by Agence France Presse
SUBJECT: Einstein’s relativity theory faces satellite test
FUL L TEXT:Einstein's theory of general relativity is to be put to the test
by a newly launched satellite in an experiment that could upend our
understanding of physics.

The French "Microscope" orbiter will try to poke a hole in one of Einstein's
most famous theories, which provides the basis for our modern understanding
of gravity.

Scientists will use the kit to measure how two different pieces of metal --
one titanium and the other a platinum-rhodium alloy -- behave in orbit.

"In space, it is possible to study the relative motion of two bodies in
almost perfect and permanent free fall aboard an orbiting satellite,
shielded from perturbations encountered on Earth," said Arianespace, which
put the satellite into orbit on Monday[4/25].

Einstein's theory suggests that in perfect free-fall, the two objects should
move in exactly the same way. But if they are shown to behave differently
"the principle will be violated: an event that would shake the foundations
of physics", Arianespace added.

Also aboard the Russian Soyuz rocket launched from French Guiana was an
Earth-observation satellite equipped with radar to monitor the planet's
surface to track climate and environmental change and help in disaster
relief operations.

That satellite, along with another launched two years ago, is part of the
3.8-billion-euro ($4.3-billion) Copernicus project, which will ultimately
boast six orbiters in all.

Three previous launches from Arianespace's Spaceport in French Guiana, an
overseas territory that borders Brazil, were delayed by poor weather and
technical issues.

A countdown on Sunday[24 April] was halted after scientists observed an
"anomaly", the agency said in an earlier statement, while adverse weather
conditions had thwarted other attempts.



+++SOURCE:Jordan Times 4/26/’16:” 'Energy summit to witness signing of
several deals' ”by Mohammad Ghazal

SUBJECT: Jordan’s plans re Energy Summit starting May 17

FULL TEXT:AMMAN — Deals for several energy projects are expected to be
signed during the second Jordan International Energy Summit (JIES), which
kicks off on May 17, the government said on Monday[25 April.

Participants in the conference are scheduled to look into a comprehensive
overview of the key issues facing Jordan’s energy sector and offer wider
insight into the role that the Kingdom plays as the primary energy hub in
the region, the organisers said.

The event will be covering investment challenges and opportunities in
different energy sectors, as well as updates on the new oil pipeline project
connecting Iraq, Jordan and Egypt.

“During the two-day summit, we will also shed light on investment
opportunities in the energy sector…The event will also provide a platform
for exchange of ideas and cooperation in the field,” Energy Minister Ibrahim
Saif told reporters.

Several Arab and non-Arab energy ministers, officials and experts will take
part in the JIES, which will also attract research centres and
representatives of organisations working in the sector.

Projects in natural gas, oil shale, mining, renewable energy and oil and gas
exploration will be discussed during the summit, which will feature sessions
on various energy-related laws in Jordan.

Participants in the event include Mohamed Shaker El Markabi, minister of
electricity and renewable energy of Egypt; Ahmad Khalid Al Jassar, minister
of electricity and water of Kuwait; Salah Khebri, minister of energy and
mines in Algeria; Adil Abdul Mahdi, minister of oil in Iraq; and Yiorgos
Lakkotrypis, minister of energy, commerce industry and tourism in Cyprus;
according to the summit’s agenda.

+++SOURCE:Naharnet (Lebanon)4/25/’16:”Iran Threatens U.S. with Legal Action
over Frozen Funds Ruling”,by Agence France Presse
SUBJECT:Iran threatens U.S. re Frozen Funds

FULL TEXT:Iran threatened Monday[4/25) to take legal action in the
International Court of Justice against the United States if $2 billion in
frozen funds are "diverted" to compensate victims of attacks.

On Thursday[4/21], Tehran said the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to deduct
$2 billion from its frozen assets to compensate American victims of "terror"
attacks amounted to theft.

"We hold the U.S. administration responsible for preservation of Iranian
funds and if they are plundered, we will lodge a complaint with the ICJ for
reparation," Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said.

He was speaking at a joint news conference with visiting Macedonian
counterpart Nicolas Poposki.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday[4/20] that Iran must hand over
nearly $2 billion in frozen assets to survivors and relatives of those
killed in attacks blamed on the Islamic republic.

These included the 1983 bombing of a US Marine barracks in Beirut and the
1996 Khobar Towers bombing in Saudi Arabia.

The decision affects more than 1,000 Americans.

The official IRNA news agency on Monday[4/25] cited Zarif as saying in
English that if such a ruling were applied, it would be "misappropriation"
of Iranian funds.

"We have announced since the beginning that Iranian government does not
recognize the U.S. extra-territorial law and consider the U.S. court ruling
to blockade Iranian funds null and void and in gross violation of the
International Law," he said.

The U.S. court's decision comes at a time of hopes for better ties between
longtime foes Tehran and Washington, following a nuclear agreement last year
between Iran, the United States and five other major powers.




+++SOURCE: Naharnet(Lebanon)4/25/16:”Saudi Unveils Far-Reaching Plan to Move
Away From Oil”,by Agence France Presse
SUBJECT: Saudi plan to move away from oil
QUOTE:” Saudi Arabia said Monday[4/25] it would create the world's largest
wealth fund and sell shares in state energy giant Aramco as it unveiled a
vast plan to transform its oil-dependent economy.”

The announcement of the long-term reform program, dubbed "Saudi Vision
2030", marks the beginning of a hugely ambitious attempt to move Saudi
Arabia beyond oil, the backbone of its economy for decades, amid a steep
fall in prices.

The key architect of the diversification plan, deputy crown prince Mohammed
bin Salman, said that if it works Saudi Arabia "can live without oil by
2020".

In an interview with the Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya news channel after the
government approved the program, the 30-year-old prince outlined a series of
measures aimed at reshaping his desert kingdom's economy.

"We have all developed an oil addiction in Saudi Arabia and this is
dangerous and has hampered development in many sectors during past years,"
he said.

Mohammed said part of the plan is "to sell less than five percent of Aramco"
in an Initial Public Offering (IPO), valuing the company at between $2
trillion and $2.5 trillion.

By "selling even one percent of Aramco, it will be the largest IPO in the
world", he said.

Part of the funds from the share sale, Mohammed said, will be used to set up
a $2-trillion sovereign wealth fund, which would easily surpass Norway's
$865-billion fund as the world's biggest.

SWFs are used commonly as investment arms for oil-dependent nations seeking
to diversify revenue streams, and are among the world's largest
institutional investors.

With so much capital on its hands, the Saudi SWF would make Riyadh one of
the single most important global investors.

It will be "by far the largest on the planet", Mohammed said. "There will
not be any investment or development in any region of the world without the
Saudi sovereign wealth fund having a say."

The fund will include current Saudi fiscal assets of around $600 billion, as
well as returns from the sales of Aramco shares and state-owned real estate
and industrial areas estimated to be worth $1 trillion, Mohammed said.

The reform program was approved by the government during a special cabinet
meeting chaired by Mohammed's father King Salman, who urged Saudis to
support the "ambitious plan", the official SPA news agency reported.

It is also to include major structural reforms, privatizations and efforts
to increase government efficiency, the prince said.

For decades Saudi Arabia, the world's biggest crude exporter and the largest
economy in the Arab world, has enjoyed a huge windfall from its massive and
easily exploitable oil reserves.

Flush with oil revenues, the nation has built up enormous fiscal reserves
and provided its 28 million citizens with a generous system of public
employment, welfare benefits and subsidized utilities.

But analysts have long warned that the Saudi system, which counts on oil for
70 percent of state revenues, is deeply bureaucratic and inefficient,
leaving the economy vulnerable.

And the recent dramatic fall in oil prices -- from more than $100 a barrel
in early 2014 to around $40 a barrel this month -- has underscored the
dangers.

Riyadh posted a record budget deficit in 2015. With another $87-billion
shortfall projected for this year, the government took the unprecedented
step of raising retail fuel prices by up to 80 percent in December and
cutting subsidies for electricity, water and other services.

Cracks have begun to appear in the tightly controlled kingdom, with
increasing criticism on social media from Saudis concerned over the hit to
their wallets.

On Saturday, King Salman sacked the water and electricity minister, Abdullah
al-Hussayen, who had drawn criticism for his handling of price increases,
including a suggestion that citizens upset over high water bills dig their
own wells.

Saudi fiscal reserves also dropped to a four-year low last year, down from
$732 billion in 2014 to $611.9 billion.

Still, Saudi Arabia's reserves remain among the largest in the world,
tempering any concerns about the economy's short-term viability.

And the fall in oil prices is largely due to OPEC kingpin Saudi Arabia's own
refusal to cut production as it seeks to drive less competitive players out
of the market, in particular U.S. shale producers.



+++SOURCE:Jordan Times April 24 ’16:”Israel frees ‘youngest Palestinian’girl
prisoner at 12”,by Agence France Presse

SUBJECT: Israel frees youngest Palestinian girl prisoner at 12

QUOTE:”Israel freed a12 year old Palestinian. . .more than 2 months after
jailing her for an attempted stabbing attack”

TULKAREM, Palestinian Territories — Israel freed 12-year-old Palestinian
Dima Al Wawi from prison on Sunday[24 April], more than two months after
jailing her for an attempted stabbing attack.

Wawi was handed over to Palestinian authorities at Tulkarem crossing point
into the northern West Bank, an AFP photographer said.

She was to travel from there to her family home near Hebron in the south of
the territory.

She was arrested, wearing her school uniform, on February 9 at the entrance
to a Jewish settlement in the occupied West Bank and found to be carrying a
knife.

A wave of Palestinian knife, gun or car-ramming attacks has left 28 Israelis
dead since last October, with 201 Palestinians killed over the same period,
most of them while carrying out attacks.

Under a plea bargain with Israeli military prosecutors, Wawi pleaded guilty
to attempted murder and possession of a knife and was sentenced to four
months in an Israeli prison and a further six-week suspended sentence.

"She is the youngest Palestinian girl ever imprisoned," her lawyer Tariq
Barghouth posted on Facebook.

Barghouth said that Wawi's defence team had asked the military court for her
early release and it agreed.

According to Israeli military law, minors from age 12 can be charged,
uniquely in the world according to United Nations children's agency UNICEF.

Israel is currently holding about 450 Palestinian minors, around 100 of whom
are under 16.
================
Sue Lerner - Associate, IMRA