Obama Thanks Qatar for Mediation House Raided US Soldier in Afghanistan Released Under Swap Deal After Qatar’S Mediation in South
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Sunday 1 June 2014 3 Sha’baan 1435 Volume 19 Number 6083 Price: QR2 Yet another milestone for Nakilat 1 41 Business | 17 DAYS TO GO www.thepeninsulaqatar.com [email protected] | [email protected] Editorial: 4455 7741 | Advertising: 4455 7837 / 4455 7780 Partitioned Obama thanks Qatar for mediation house raided US soldier in Afghanistan released under swap deal after Qatar’s mediation in South DOHA/WASHINGTON: they can expect his safe return, November when the Taliban sig- the deputy defence minister, while Madinat Khalifa US Army Sergeant Bowe mindful of their courage and sac- naled it wanted to resume talks Noori was the governor of Balkh Bergdahl (pictured), the only rifice throughout this ordeal…For on prisoners, Reuters reported province. A senior White House DOHA: In a major crackdown, American soldier held pris- his assistance in helping to secure yesterday. No direct US-Taliban official told Al Jazeera that the US the authorities recently zeroed oner in Afghanistan, has been our soldier’s return, I extend my talks were involved, officials said, administration would not transfer in on a partitioned house in released following a swap deal deepest appreciation to the Emir and messages were past via Qatari any prisoners from Guantanamo South Madinat Khalifa that with Taliban brokered by Qatar. of Qatar. The Emir’s personal officials. The final stage of nego- “unless the threat they may pose was used for accommodating As part of Bergdahl’s release, commitment to this effort is a tiations, which took place in the to the US can be mitigated”. large number of labourers and the US is turning over five Taliban testament to the partnership Qatari capital of Doha, began one He added that the Taliban single workers. detainees at the US prison in between our two countries. The week ago, the US officials said. prisoners would be “subject The house was originally hired Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to the United States is also grateful for Obama and Qatar’s Emir spoke to restrictions on their move- by a restaurant owner for accom- custody of Qatar, US officials said. the support of the Government on Tuesday and reaffirmed the ment and activities”. The deal modating his employees but it Bergdahl’s freedom followed of Afghanistan throughout security conditions under which was agreed through indirect turned out that the facility was a renewed round of indirect our efforts to secure Sergeant the Taliban members would be talks with the Taliban’s politi- being rented out to workers from US-Taliban talks in recent Bergdahl’s release,” said Obama. placed while in Qatari custody, cal commission and was part of other companies as well. months, with Qatar acting as Earlier in March, Qatar Taliban from power. He was cap- they said. a broader reconciliation frame- Representatives from the intermediary, the officials said. had mediated the release of 13 tured under unknown circum- The Taliban prisoners were to work, the official said. Ministry of Municipality and US President Barack Obama Orthodox nuns abducted in Syria. stances in eastern Afghanistan by be handed over to authorities in Obama announced this week Urban Planning, Ministry of announced the release of Bergdahl In June last year, Taliban had militants on June 30, 2009, about Qatar. They were named yester- that he would keep 9,800 US troops Interior and the Ministry of after being held prisoner in opened its political office in Doha two months after arriving in the day as Mohammad Fazl, Mullah in Afghanistan, mostly to train Labour and Social Affairs took Afghanistan for nearly five years, which was later closed down fol- country. Norullah Noori, Mohammed Nabi, Afghan forces, after Nato combat part in the raid that came in and thanked Qatar for its media- lowing a dispute over a flag. Bergdahl’s release yesterday Khairullah Khairkhwa and Abdul operations cease at the end of 2014. response to repeated complaints tory role. Bergdahl was the only known was the result of years of on and Haq Wasiq, Al Jazeera reported. The last soldiers, aside from a small from the residents of the area, Al “On behalf of the American missing US soldier in the Afghan off negotiations that a senior US All were high-ranking members presence at US diplomatic posts, Sharq reported. people, I was honoured to call his war that was launched soon after official, speaking on condition of the Taliban government top- will leave at the end of 2016. Mohammed Shaheen Al parents to express our joy that the 9/11 attacks to dislodge the of anonymity, said revived last pled by the US in 2001. Fazl was THE PENINSULA/AGENCIES Ateeq, a member of the Central Municipal Council (CMC) repre- senting the area, also accompa- nied the team. PM visits Al Khor Workers Sports Complex The raid was part of an ongoing campaign to implement the law Bahrain oppn banning labour accommodations in residential areas. to boycott The house, which has the capacity of a maximum nine peo- ple was being used to accommo- election unless date about 45 workers, the daily said quoting Al Ateeq. Six types deal reached of violations were detected at the facility, he added. MANAMA: Bahrain’s opposi- The house which originally had tion parties will boycott parlia- three or four small rooms were mentary elections due to take divided into more rooms having place this year unless the gov- wooden walls which also involves ernment guarantees the vote a clear violation of the law that will reflect the will of the peo- bans partitioning houses illegally. ple, a statement from the oppo- The inspection team also sition said yesterday. checked two other houses in the “The National Democratic area that were being used as Opposition Parties in Bahrain labour accommodations to make announced they are to boycott sure whether they had complied the coming Parliamentary elec- with warnings issued by the tions unless a clear political The Prime Minister and Interior Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani recently visited Barwa Real Estate Company’s ‘Al Khor authorities earlier. agreement is reached,” said the Workers Sports Complex’. Prior to the tour, a presentation on the project was given by Ahmad Abdulla Al Abdulla, Acting Group CEO of Barwa Real THE PENINSULA statement issued after a meeting Estate. The Prime Minister praised the facilities and progress achieved under the ambitious project. Report on page 5 at the headquarters of Al Wefaq, the main opposition movement. “These elections must produce an elected government reflecting the will of the people, an inde- Erdogan to seek Turkish presidency Unity govt likely on pendent judiciary and a security services that reflect Bahrain’s diversity.” SISTANBUL: Prime Minister The three-time prime minis- a 2015 general election, enough to The groups urged the interna- Recep Tayyip Erdogan will be ter is widely expected to become change the constitution and allow Monday, says Abbas tional community to help them Turkey’s next president until Turkey’s first directly elected Erdogan to remain the head of his pursue a peaceful democratic tran- 2023 and parliament will change president after constitutional party, rather than being a suppos- RAMALLAH: Palestinian did elaborate on which measures sition. “The opposition will work the constitution to bestow more changes made in 2007. So far he edly neutral head of state, as is cur- President Mahmoud Abbas Israel has threatened to take. on developing the peaceful popular powers on the office, a senior has no rival for the race. rently required. said yesterday that he expects A Palestinian official said Israel struggle for democracy,” the state- party official said yesterday. “Erdogan will continue to serve “That way Erdogan will be a joint government of his Fatah had denied requests by three Gaza ment said. “We will stick to politi- Turkey’s most dominant politi- the people. In fact he will continue president as a member of a polit- party and Hamas Islamists will Palestinians expected to be named cal activism that is based only on cian in generations, Erdogan has as president,” said Mehmet Ali ical party, and he will continue be announced on June 2, com- as ministers to attend the new gov- peaceful principles and continue to said he will run for office if his Sahin, deputy chairman of the rul- to serve our people until 2023,” pleting a unity deal the sides enrment’s swearing-in ceremony in reject all and any violence.” party asks him to, but has yet to ing AK Party and a former cabinet Sahin said in comments broadcast agreed last month. the West Bank. Israel withheld tax Bahrain has been in turmoil announce his candidacy for an minister. Sahin said he expected by NTV news channel. Meeting with French peace revenues from Abbas last month, since protests erupted in 2011. August election. the AK Party to take more seats in Erdogan remains Turkey’s activists here, where his limited in retaliation for Abbas signing Talks between the government most popular politician despite a self-rule government is based, accords with international organi- and opposition have failed to end corruption scandal and last year’s Abbas said: “We will announce the sations, a step Israel said under- the political standoff. REUTERS anti-government protests, the government the day after tomor- mined peace talks. biggest Turkey has since in more row, it will be formed of techno- Abbas said a joint government than 30 years. crats and independents.” with Hamas would continue to Sudanese death Under current rules, the presi- None of the unity government’s abide by his policy of recognising dent must cut ties with political members would belong to either Israel, though the Islamist group sentence woman parties and has powers that are the Fatah or Islamist Hamas, insists it would not change its own largely ceremonial.