Excerpts: Hizbullah continues demand for retaining weapons.Uganda in top-50
oil producers in 2015.Saudi rejects charge of invasion of
Yemen.Turkey/Israel cisis over.Egypt/Algeria football fracas continues
November 25, 2009

+++SOURCE: NAHARNET 25 Nov,'09:" Resistance to Remain Armed Until
Liberation,
Policy Statement Not before Eid al-Adha"
SUBJECT: Hizbullah continues demand for retaining weapons.

FULL TEXT:Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri on Wednesday (25 Nov) criticized
the ongoing debate over the Cabinet policy statement, particularly over the
controversial issue of Hizbullah arms and ruled out it will be finalized and
approved before Eid al-Adha.
Berri, nevertheless, described as "good" the atmosphere regarding the policy
statement.

"We are putting the final touches on the statement," Berri told reporters
from Baabda palace.

"Why all the arguing over Hizbullah arms when there is no difference between
the previous and the current government?" he asked.

Berri stressed that Hizbullah weapons belong to all Lebanese "and their
existence is linked to Israel's withdrawal from all Lebanese territory."

+++SOURCE: SAUDI GAZETTE 25 Nov,'09:"Uganda set to become major oil
producer",By Christopher Johnson
QUOTE:Uganda to be one of the top -50 oil producers by 2015"
LONDON - A deal this week has brought Uganda a step closer to becoming a
significant oil producer, offering billions of dollars of fresh investment
to develop newly discovered oilfields.
Italian energy giant Eni said Monday(223 Nov.) it had agreed to buy a stake
in two large oil exploration blocks in Uganda for up to $1.5 billion.
For a decade, exploration in the land-locked former British colony has been
carried out by a handful of independent oil companies who have drilled a
series of successful wells but who lack the large amounts of capital or
expertise on their own to bring the local oil industry to its full
potential.
The entry of Eni, an integrated oil company with enough cash to build
pipelines, terminals and refining capacity, heralds an escalation of
development, which analysts say is likely to make Uganda one of the top-50
oil producers by 2015.
"Eni has done its homework on Uganda and is very keen," said Thomas
Pearmain, African energy analyst at IHS Global Insight.
"To develop these resources is going to require multiple billions of dollars
in investments, and Eni would not want access to Uganda's oil if the
prospects were not good."
Oil was first discovered in the region in the 1920s in the Albertine
Graben - the northern most part of the East Africa Rift system - and the
first well was sunk in 1938. But World War II and political instability in
Uganda between 1940 and the 1980s meant there was limited exploration.
The search for hydrocarbons began in earnest in the 1990s after a return to
political and economic stability following President Yoweri Museveni's
ascent to power.
Uganda now has nine exploration blocks from its northern border with Sudan
through Lake Albert on the western border with the Democratic Republic of
Congo and south to Lake George.
Exploratory wells have had remarkable success finding oil, especially around
Lake Albert, where British independent explorer Tullow Oil has been
drilling.
Tullow Vice President for Africa business Tim O'Hanlon says the company's
blocks in the country have the potential for reserves of over two billion
barrels of oil and some analysts believe this could be a conservative
estimate.
"They have just been scratching the surface so far," said Pearmain. "Results
have been very successful. All but one of 25 wells has found oil or gas - an
amazing strike rate. And there is a lot of acreage that has not yet been
touched."
Only about a third of Uganda's licensed oil exploration areas have yet been
explored and geologists see huge potential.
"Apart from the reserves discovered already, there is talk that Uganda is
sitting on about another six billion barrels, on top of the two billion
barrels already confirmed," said one fund manager who invests in energy
projects in Uganda.
"Some of the investment community believes Uganda has the potential for much
more substantial reserves than have already been discovered. The oil
companies are being very conservative," said the fund manager, who declined
to be identified.
Uganda has already attracted around $500 million in exploration investment
but it will take billions more to bring on the oilfields already identified.
Eni, which is buying a 50 percent interest in blocks 1 and 3A around Lake
Albert from explorer Heritage Oil, is expected to build a pipeline eastwards
from the lake, possibly to the Kenyan port of Mombasa, the nearest harbour
1,300 km (813 miles) away and a potential export centre for Ugandan oil.
The costs will be high. The pipeline will need to be heated as the oil is
waxy and the Ugandan government also wants a refinery to be built to feed
growing local consumption that is now supplied by imports from Kenya.
Tullow is building specially designed and engineered rigs to drill in Lake
Albert, also an enormously costly exercise.
But the investment should pay dividends. Analysts see Uganda producing
100,000-150,000 barrels per day (bpd) by 2015, putting it on a par with some
other African producers such as Chad.
Tom Cargill, Africa program coordinator at London think tank Chatham House,
says the cost of building infrastructure is likely to limit returns for Eni
and the other oil companies in the country but sees good long to medium-term
returns.
"It will squeeze margins but if you are a large enough operation it will
still be an attractive proposition," he said.
"Uganda is a reasonable mid-level prospect and I've not seen anything that
suggests we are being misled on the resources there. If the financing and
the correct deal can be put in place, the prospects are positive." - Reuters

+++SOURCE: SAUDI GAZETTE 25 Nov.'09:"Kingdom denies ground incursion into
Yemen",By Taha Tawashi
QUOTE: " 'Media reports ...'were designed to to serve the enemies of both
Yemen and Saudi Arabia' "

EXCERPTS: SAUDI-YEMENI BORDER ? A Ministry of Defense and Aviation official
has categorically denied media reports, especially from Al-Jazeera channel,
of ground incursion of Saudi forces into Yemeni territory during ongoing
clashes with infiltrators along the Saudi-Yemen border, Saudi Press Agency
reported late Tuesday night(24 Nov).

The military operations are kept within Saudi territory to drive away armed
infiltrators and the ?brothers in Yemen know this fact very well,? the
statement said.

Media reports of the ground incursion into Yemen were just ?lies and
formulated reports violating media ethics and were designed to serve the
enemies of both Yemen and Saudi Arabia,? the official said.

The official has called on the media to be more credible and accurate in
reporting conflict stories.

Meanwhile, Saudi forces unleashed a heavy offensive Tuesday(24 Nov) along
the mountainous border with Yemen, to apply what analysts say is the
?Strangling Belt? on infiltrator positions. This is meant to separate them
from their supply and support sources in Yemen. . . .

+++SOURCE:EGYPTIAN GAZETTE 25 Nov.'09:"Turkish FM.:Crisis with Israel over"
QUOTE: "Israel 'wants to continue anf strengthen trlations,we want to clean
the cloudy situation' "

FULL TEXT:ANKARA (News agencies)-The crisis in the relations between Turkey
and Israel has ended,Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said
yesterday(24 Nov) after meeting with Israeli Industry,Trade,and Labour
Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer in Ankara."There has always been an open
channel of communication between the coun- tries,and therefore,there is no
need for a new beginning,"said Davutoglu,"We are willing to resume our role
as mediators between Israel and Syria."As for the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict, Davutoglu called on the sides to "launch a new era."Ben-Eliezer
said Israel wanted to improve and strengthen ties with key Muslim
ally,Turkey,which have soured over Israel's military operation in the Gaza
Strip.Ben-Eliezer,the first Israeli minister to visit Turkey since relations
hit a low last winter,also said Turkey could help "solve problems in the
Middle East".The Turkish-mediated indirect talks between Syria and Israel
were put on hold over the Gaza offensive.Ben-Eliezer told a group of Turkish
business representatives that Israel "wants to continue and strengthen
relations,we want to clean the cloudy situation

+++SOURCE: JORDAN TIMES 25 Nov.'09:"Qadhafi will mediate in football
dispute",Reuters
QUOTE: :Qadhafi has accepted Arab League request to calm tension between
Egypt and Algeria"
FULL TEXTTRIPOLI (Reuters) - Libyan leader Muammar Qadhafi has accepted an
Arab League request to calm tension between Egypt and Algeria sparked by
their football World Cup play-off matches, Libyan state media reported on
Tuesday(24 Nov). Egypt and Algeria have each accused the other of failing to
protect their citizens and property from attacks by rival football fans.
Cairo withdrew its ambassador to Algiers last week and Algeria has demanded
an explanation from Cairo. Arab League Secretary General Amr Musa called
Qadhafi on Monday(23) and asked him to intervene in his role as chairman of
the African Union and drawing on "the high, distinguished position that the
leader enjoys", Libya's JANA news agency reported. "The Leader of the
Revolution, Chairman of the African Union, will work to repair the situation
that relations between the two brotherly countries Egypt and Algeria were
subjected to...," it said. Libya has borders with both Algeria and Egypt.
==================================
Sue Lerner - Associate, IMRA