Wednesday, November 12, 2003

* The Al-Qaeda terror network has claimed responsibility for Sunday’s suicide
car bombing in Riyadh even as King Fahd vowed that the Saudi Arabian authorities
would strike with an ‘iron fist’ against those responsible for the attack which
left at least 18 people dead. King Fahd on Monday told a weekly Cabinet meeting
that Saudi Arabia ‘would hit hard the criminals who commit this type of act
and those who command them’. The warning came as security forces arrested several
people suspected of involvement in the suicide bombing, a newspaper reported
yesterday. Saudi and US officials had already blamed Sunday’s attack on Al-Qaeda,
which opposes the US and the Saudi ruling family. The attack, they say, was
similar to previous Al-Qaeda strikes. ‘It is quite clear to me that Al-Qaeda
wants to take down the royal family and the government of Saudi Arabia,’ US
Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage told Al-Arabiya television. Mr. Armitage
said Sunday’s attack was shocking but noted Saudi security forces had gone on
the offensive since May.

* British Prime Minister Tony Blair appealed to Europe and the United States
to heal their divisions over Iraq and said they must work together on winning
the peace. In an informal speech on foreign policy, he also referred to Britain’s
view of its relationship with the two powers. ‘I want to reaffirm the twin pillars
on which rest Britain’s place in the world today: our alliance with America;
our membership of the EU,’ he said at an annual banquet at the City Hall. ‘Both
are necessary. Both complement each other,’ he said ahead of a visit to London
next week by US President George W. Bush. He flatly rejected the argument that
Britain’s alliance with the US was incompatible with its position in the EU
and said there was ‘no sane alternative’ to Europe and the US working together
to rebuild peace after the war in Iraq. He said that even in France, where there
was antipathy to the US among parts of the political establishment, there was
also recognition of the need for a ‘strong transatlantic dimension’. Mr. Blair
also had a message for fellow countrymen who plan to protest against Mr. Bush’s
visit next Tuesday. ‘I say to those who will protest when President Bush comes,
protest if you will…That is your democratic right.’

* Thailand is gearing up for a public debate this month on whether prostitution
should be legalized. The move would bring more tax revenue for the government
and better working conditions for sex workers. But it would also confer an official
status on prostitutes, a label with too much of a social stigma for most. Prostitution
is a gold mine for corrupt officials, who collect protection money and other
payments to let the women operate in peace. With legalization, the industry
would stop the payoffs and pay taxes instead. The ILO and other UN bodies have
been urging governments to ‘recognize’ the sex industry because it contributes
a significant amount to GDP and is a potential source of tax revenue. Legitimization
would also help sex workers benefit from labor laws and social security and
free them from police protection rackets. Many Thai analysts say this sounds
fine in theory but clashes with the mores of a deeply conservative society.

* Archaeologists in Vietnam yesterday announced that they have uncovered the
ruins of an ancient citadel dating back to the seventh century. They described
it as the most important archaeological find in Vietnamese history. Workers
began clearing an area the size of two soccer fields in December last year to
build government buildings. Construction was halted earlier this month after
officials determined that the site might contain artifacts. Yesterday, an archaeological
team revealed it had discovered thousands of artifacts, many in good condition,
as well as pillar foundations of a 1,000-sq-m structure, graves, a network of
drainage systems, water wells and imprints of an ancient river and lake. In
some places, the team came across artifacts and structures built on top of one
another ranging from the seventh to the 19th centuries. The excavation site
covered only a small part of the western side of the citadel, which was believed
to cover an area of up to 140ha under the Le Dynasty from the 15th to 18th centuries.
The team has another 5,000 sq m to clear, and is expected to finish the job
in another four months.

*****

Alumni Career Change Panel
Science Center 101, 6:00 p.m.

Caney, Sandoe and Associates Info Session
Bond, 7:00 p.m.

Fireside Chat with Al Bloom and Board of Managers
Kohlberg, Coffee Bar, 7:00 p.m.

French Film Screening: “Claude Claudel”
Kohlberg 115, 7:00 p.m.

Screening of “September 11th”
LPAC Cinema, 7:00 p.m.

Living Wage Study Break
Parrish Parlors, 8:00 p.m.

Arabica Afterhours (Storytelling with Griots)
McCabe Coffee Bar, 8:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Film Society Screening: “My Man Godfrey”
Science Center 101, 10:00 p.m.
———-
Student Council will be holding a fireside chat with President Al Bloom and
members of the Board of Managers tonight in Kohlberg Coffee Bar at 7:00 p.m.
Board members will be available to answer questions about what the board does
and how it operates. Members will also be able to answer questions about what
the Board’s role is in making decisions about issues such as the living wage
and tuition increases.

*****

SPORTS UPDATE

Today:
There are no contests scheduled for today.

Tomorrow:
There are no contests scheduled for tomorrow.

*****

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience
is an adventure wrongly considered.”
— G. K. Chesterton

*****

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