Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdulaziz today chaired the regular weekly meeting of the Council of Ministers, and expressed thanks to the world leaders who sent good wishes on the occasion of the Kingdom’s National Day, and to the Saudi citizens who have expressed unity with the leadership in confronting threats to the Kingdom’s security and achievements. The Crown Prince briefed the Cabinet on talks held by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd bin Abdulaziz and himself with visiting Afghan President Hamid Karzai, on international developments as well as efforts to promote stability in Afghanistan and the desire of the two countries to boost cooperation in all fields in the service of the Muslim World as well as their own peoples.

The Cabinet then discussed the continuing regrettable events in Iraq, which daily affect innocent women, children, and the elderly, a situation that calls for a unified stance to put an end to such incidents and achieve security and stability in that country. The Cabinet also discussed Israel’s continued incursions into a number of Palestinian towns and its continued aggression against the Palestinian people, its leadership and its land, which have caused great damage to property and infrastructure, and claimed the lives of innocent people. The Cabinet again called on the international community to stop this Israeli aggression and intransigence, which clearly violate all international norms and laws, urging that Israel be forced to implement international agreements and resolutions, notably the ‘roadmap’.

Turning to domestic issues, the Cabinet passed a number of resolutions, including approval of proposals submitted by the Consultative Council (Majlis Al-Shura) to amend articles 175, 176, 178 and 181 of the law on labor and manpower dealing with the formation and liabilities of the Supreme Committee for the Settlement of Labor Disputes; authorization for the Saudi Geological Survey Commission to be the official agency for seismological monitoring in the Kingdom, serving as the leading authority for the National Network for Seismological Detection; and approval for the Internet Services Unit, an affiliate of King Abdulaziz City for Sciences and Technology, to continue running the current operational functions for Internet services, pending the transfer of personnel and relevant equipment to the Saudi Telecommunications and Information Technology Commission.

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