Hilary Skeels

London, Feb 20

(THE GLOBE)

Pinochet�s hearing enters its last stages as the final ruling on his extradition draws nearer. The defence hopes to have Pinochet home before the end of the month, while the lawyers for Britain and Spain are working for his extradition, where he will face trial.

The legal battle began in October last year when authorities arrested General Pinochet while he was visiting the UK. Spanish authorities had issued an arrest warrant, alleging he was responsible for the murder of Spanish citizens. A number of other countries, including Switzerland, Belgium, France, Italy and Sweden have either begun or are rumoured to be beginning criminal proceedings. Even the Chilean government quietly announced they are considering prosecution if General Pinochet returns to the country. The majority of the alleged crimes took place between 1973 and 1978,after Pinochet�s rise to power 1973�s military coup. Pinochet�s economic policies were effective, but his regime soon earned a reputation for violence and cruelty

The main obstacle to the prosecution is the immunity he has as a former head of state and a �senator-for-life� under Chilean law; and the self-amnesty granted in 1978 for those crimes. However, lawyers working for Spain and the UK argue that the Foreign Office did not recognise Pinochet as head of state until possibly as late as June 1974. Alun Jones, QC, also quoted incidents which occurred before the military coup under Pinochet�s guidance, even while Marxist Salvador Allende held power. General Pinochet would receive no immunity from prosecution for these crimes.

The prosecution claims �torture is an internationally recognised crime and states have a duty not to accord immunity to people accused of this�, says Christopher Greenwood, a lawyer for Britain and Spain. The defence�s main arguments include the claim that Pinochet�s arrest violates his right to state immunity under British law.

Pinochet�s previous hearing finished with a 3-2 decision denying him immunity, but the House of Lords had to overturn the ruling when it found that one of the seven law lords ruling on the case had links to Amnesty International the human rights group, who are lobbying for Pinochet�s trial.

There has been a lot of pressure from international groups such as Amnesty and the Human Rights Watch for Pinochet�s extradition and subsequent trial; while Argentina, Chile and Uruguay rejected the arrest, claiming that the Spanish judicial system did not have the right to try crimes committed outside Spain. .

by Jocelyne Zablit and Alexandra Niksic

RAMBOUILLET, France, Feb 23 (AFP)

A Kosovo peace formula was agreed in principle Tuesday by the two warring sides who were asked to reconvene in France on March 15 to discuss implementation of an interim autonomy deal.

British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook said: �We have an agreement on both sides.�

He and his co-chairman at the peace talks, French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine, said the parties had undertaken to participate in a conference from March 15 concerning all aspects of implementation of a political framework providing �substantial autonomy� for Kosovo.

The two sides negotiating in Rambouillet since Febuary 6 suddenly moved closer to an accord on the future of the troubled Yugoslav province Tuesday in the face of world power pressure and threats of NATO air strikes on Serb targets.

Celebrations

By Alberto MENGONI

(THE GLOBE)

What currently is the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia occupies four fifths of the Arabian Peninsula that even today presents a number of smaller nations, bonded by the same religion, Islam, the same language, and to some extent by a common history, with the bigger state that today celebrates its 100th anniversary.

A history that for the most part has been written, by the wish of Allah, by the late Abd Al-Aziz Ben Abd Al-Rahman Al-Faisal Al-Saud, peace be upon him, the first king of the Third Saudi Era.

For the sake of precision it has to be said that the centen

nial of Saudia occurs only in terms of lunar calendar, the one used by Muslims, so that the foundation of the kingdom, taken place in the year of Al-Hijra 1317, i.e. 1902 AD, celebrates its centennial in this 1417th year of Al-Hijra, but would mark its first century in 2002 by Gregorian standards.

One hundred years ago many emirates were scattered all over the Othoman ruled Arabian Peninsula and although the Saudi Imams had already governed some zones of the huge area for approx. 150 years in two different periods of time, 1744-1817 and 1824-1891, the last of them, prince Abd Al-Rahman Al-Faisal, was a refugee in Kuwait. In fact he had to leave his country when Mohammed Ben Rasheed of Hail captured Riyadh and annexed it to his emirate back in 1891 (1309 H.). The prince brought along with him a twelve-year-old boy torn by the pain of having to flee his homeland.

As years worn out it was evident that the boy turning teenager had a clear idea of what would have been his mission in life: restoring the Al-Saud dinasty in the region.

In his early twenties the courageous, high spirited Abdul Aziz launched his strife, or jihad, to reconquer the land of his forefathers, unconsciously starting as well the myth of the �Desert Panther�, as some western authors depict him. Indeed the Third Saudi Era began out of scratch: accompanied by only 59 men the king-to-be left Kuwait to Riyadh where his father�s foe had left a governor, Ajlan, who at night used to withdraw within the solid wall of Al-Masmak fortress, defended by some 80 well armed warriors. The fort itself was supplied with a number of guns and weaponry that would have suggested anyone to forget the idea of assaulting it and take a wiser decision. Abdul Aziz, instead, resolved, along the traditional line of the Saudi Imams striving at the reunification of the Arabian tribes, to conquer the palace and eventually granting amnesty to those who would have surrendered. The plan was a daring one, specially considering that 20 of the 60 men would have been left behind to cover for a possible retreat should things have turned out badly.

On the 20th of Ramadan, the project moved forward. On horseback and camels the light army reached Abo Jaffan during the Eidul Fitr days and, unnoticed, it spent the Eid there only to leave on the eve of the 3rd of Shawal to stop in the vicinity of Riyadh.This attempt would have not been the first, another one took place at the time of the Al-Sareed battle but the fortress remained a dream for the Al-Sauds of the Amza tribe. This time a third chance would have been out of question: winning or losing, nothing less at stake!

Riyadh itself was unprotected since Ibn Rasheed had flattened the boundary wall, the garrison, however, entrenched within the sanctuary of Al-Masmak. Just in front of the fort there were few houses used to host the governor�s servants and wife: it was there that Abdul Aziz and 6 other men took refuge during the night preceeding the fulfilment of the daring scheme envisaged to storm the castle. In doing so other 33 men had to be left somewhat behind , but at an accessible distance, to be drawn into battle at once at call.

The 7 outriders sized the people of the first house protected by the darkness of the night, then entered in a second house repeating the previous operation. From there they would have tried a third house, the governor�s one, where his wife was remaining at night when her husband was sleeping in the fortress for security reasons.

At this stage the other 33 men grouped up with the 7 leading ones and, climbing one over another, descended inside Ajlan�s house. There they blocked the governor�s family members and servants, spending the countdown before the fight of the incoming day.

Since after sunrise Ajlan would have come back home leaving the fortress, the plan was to wait for him there, sizing him and then assaulting the fortress of having the governor ordering the garrison out.

The next morning the governor left the castle but lingered with 10 of his men by the horses tied in the nerby yard, the plan had to be changed on the spot before the castle gate be closed. Left 4 men in the house to fire against the gate guards when the rest of the group would have assaulted the gate, Abdul Aziz and his warriors run toward the palace, the 10 men escorting the governor fled him seeking refuge in the fortress. It was at that moment that Abdul Aziz confronted with his enemy: although injured by a bullet fired by the young Saudi prince, Ajlan was quick to escape within the fort. However, waiting for him to seek refuge inside, his men delayed the closing of the gate, making possible the entry of the attackers as well.

Inside the fortress an unequal fight went on, 40 assailants vs. 80 defenders, but as the late king used to believe �success is a God-granted cause, failure is the direct result of a personal sin�, the sinners must have been the defenders that by defending an usurped domain went against the Holy Quran. Indeed 40 of them were killed in the struggle, four others fell off the walls and broke their legs and arms, while the surviving ones sought refuge in a quarter of the fort. Given the chance to surrender they quickly accepted while Ajlan, the governor of the usurper Ibn Rasheed, was shot dead by Abdul Aziz Ibn Jalawi, one of the 7 forerunners.

It all happened at sunrise of the fifth day of Shawal 1319 H. (January 15th, 1902) when, 11 years after it had lost it, the Al-Saud dinasty conquered back its ancient capital. The people of Riyadh was granted amnesty, the city boundary wall works were immediately set to protect the community. The cornerstone of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was laid, but the march to reach nowadays extention required, as author Mohyiddin Al-Qabesi writes, �sweat and blood, labor and struggle, with toil that mixed with hope and scrupulous faith�.