The prison authorities entered in negotiations with a number of imminent political prisoners to convince them to end a hunger strike which lasted for two weeks. The prisoners strike was in protest for their detention for more than eighteen months without trial. They are demanding to either be released unconditionally with exoneration or be taken before public trial. They have also submitted a list of needed improvements in the prison conditions. The prisoners agreed to halt the strike temporarily after they received assurances that their demands are considered seriously.

Mabus unwelcome:
The US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Raymond Mabus is leaving the country very soon after the end of his term as Ambassador. The Saudis asked the Americans not to renew his term agreed with the Americans to kill the story of his departure. Despite efforts to conceal the tension between the Ambassador the Saudi royal family , it is common knowledge that the Ambassadors dispassionate report of the situation in the Kingdom intensely displeased the active wings in Royal Family.

Apparently the sober reports contradicted the over optimistic line, cooked up by elements in the CIA intimate with the certain sections in the Royal Family, to convey the impression of stability and security in the country.
An influential section of the Sudairis strenuously opposed the ambassador. This is believed to be due to the ambassador's assessment of Sultan as an undesirable future leader. Mobus appears to have offended the Royal Family with his close relationship with other wing of the so called royal family.

Mobus's office has now been taken over by the more malleable retired ambassador, Rihanrd Murphy, a long standing friend of the Sudairis and a staunch defender of their extreme policies. Murphy still persists in looking at the country in the outmoded 1970's mould. He has very close relationship with the Sudairis and he may also be influenced by economic interest. Murphy's business activity and his alleged clandestine links with certain undesirable section of the Sudairi seven have been called into question. This has particularly offended Crown Prince Abdullah who feels that Murphy is violating diplomatic protocol. who resent the ambassador's blatant interference in the internal affairs of the Kingdom has accused Murphy of operating by stealth and deception.

A questionable admissions:
Recently in an act worthy of Stalin's Russia with its infamous show trial in which innocent men "voluntarily" confessed to the heinous political crimes, Saudi state controlled and state manipulated TV staged a bizarre drama. The participants were four young men aged 24 who nervously and hesitantly read from what appeared to be prepared statement, confessing to the Riyadh bombing which killed four Americans. Al Saud's portrayal of these immature and inexperienced men as the architects of the bombing in the eye's of the experts is just preposterous. Al Saud police have been under intense pressure to secure the arrests and confessions.

Experts who have carefully studio the videos of the proceedings broadcast on Al Saud TV, before the trial point to several flaws. The main one being the fact that all four men appear to have had extensive coaching in presenting a confession which bears all the hall marks of the thuggish Al Saud police state. How can four young men present an identical view of the alleged facts in this proper fashion.

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Online Resources:
- MIRA
- Inhuman Rights
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- Sports in Arabia
- Arab Net

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- Arabia Online
- Arabic Newspapers