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ISO 9001:2008 CERTIFIED NEWSPAPER Sunday 1 September 2013 25 Shawwal 1434 - Volume 18 Number 5809 Price: QR2 Syria turmoil Marquez takes pushes QE pole for index down British MotoGP Business | 18 Sport | 24 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com [email protected] | [email protected] Editorial: 4455 7741 | Advertising: 4455 7837 / 4455 7780 Yemen premier escapes bid Syria expats oppose strike by assassins SANA’A: Gunmen opened fire Limited US action won’t oust Assad on the motorcade of Yemen’s prime minister yesterday, DOHA: Qatar is home to a sectors, including education. but Salem Basindwa escaped large number of Syrian expatri- Another Syrian expatriate, unhurt, an aide said. ates and apparently many are echoing similar sentiments, said Ali Al Sarari, an adviser to tacit supporters of the rebels in any foreign intervention that Basindwa, said the attack hap- their country, but few favour an doesn’t see the Assad regime pened in the evening in Sana’a attack by the US that is name- overthrown would be pointless. while the premier was returning sake and wouldn’t uproot the “Moreover, such an assault home from his office. present regime. would mean that more innocent He said Basindwa’s guards Few in the community, however, lives would be lost and our key identified the licence plate of the doubt that it was the Bahsar Al infrastructure, like roads and car used in the attack and secu- Assad regime that used chemical factories, would be destroyed,” rity forces were trying to track weapons near Damascus recently said the expatriate, who comes it down. that killed a number of innocent from Aleppo, the worst-hit US-allied Yemen is grappling people. Syrian city. with Al Qaeda threats, as it tries “I don’t see any benefit of the He, like his compatriot quoted to restore state control over the US attack because President earlier, insisted that his name country after months of turmoil Barack Obama has himself said should not appear in print or he in 2011. Basindwa was appointed it would be a minor assault, so could be in trouble. premier after president Ali what’s the point?” said a Syrian, However, a Syrian woman, also Abdullah Saleh quit under a Gulf- asking not to be named for speaking on condition of anonym- brokered power transfer deal. fear of reprisal from the Assad ity, insisted that it was a highly Americans demonstrate against a US-led strike on Syria in front of the White House in Washington yesterday. government. sensitive issue and said she would The Syrian, who works in a favour a US attack only to see her Badie suffers listed company and lives here country free of weapons of mass stroke; stable with wife and children, hasn’t destruction. Obama to seek Congress approval been to his home town of Al Bara “This is the only reason I favour CAIRO: Mohamed Badie, the in northwestern Syria for three a foreign military strike. I would WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama scheduled to return to work until September 9. It top leader of Egypt’s Muslim years. like to see my country free of yesterday backed away from an imminent mili- is unclear which way any vote would go. Brotherhood, suffered a heart “I haven’t been home since the any chemical weapons,” said the tary strike against Syria to seek congressional The UN, meanwhile, rejected suggestions that it attack while in jail but his con- crisis began but I am in touch woman, from the city of Idlib. approval, in a decision that likely delays action for was stepping aside to allow US air strikes, saying dition has since stabilised, state with my parents, siblings and Another woman, from the city at least 10 days. its humanitarian work in the conflict-ravaged nation run Al Ahram newspaper said other relatives on phone who of Hama, said she favoured a US Obama, in a stern statement from the White would continue. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon yesterday. are there,” he told The Peninsula military strike. House Rose Garden, said he had authorised the told the five permanent Security Council members A medical team was sent to yesterday. “We have nothing to lose. We use of military force to punish Syria for a chemical — Britain, China, France, Russia and the US — that Torah prison on the outskirts There is no benefit for Syrians have already lost so many lives weapons attack on August 21 that officials say killed it would take up to two weeks before the chemical of Cairo to assess Badie’s medi- if a US strike is not going to end and our economy is shattered. So 1,429 people. Military assets to carry out a strike inspectors’ final report is ready. cal condition earlier yesterday, a the simmering crisis in the coun- a further assault wouldn’t cause are in place and ready to move on his order, he said. In Cairo, Arab League Deputy Chief Ahmed Ben security source told the daily. try which is turning worse by the any further damage.” But in an acknowledgement of protests from Helli said Arab foreign ministers will meet today The source said his condition day, he added. The woman, though, added the US lawmakers and concerns from war-weary to discuss Syria. The meeting was scheduled for has stabilised and that the heart Rough estimates suggest there US action was belated and felt Americans, Obama added an important caveat: He Tuesday, but advanced “in light of rapid devel- attack resulted from the “bad may be about 40,000 Syrians in that it should have been taken at wants Congress to approve. “We should have this opments in the Syria situation and based on the psychological state that he is Qatar, most of them with their least two years ago. debate, because the issues are too big for business request of several Arab states,” he said. AGENCIES going through”. families and employed in various THE PENINSULA as usual,” he said. Congress is in recess and not See also pages 4 & 5 AGENCIES Protest in Tunisia Tunisians, holding their national flag, form a human chain stretching 3km from parliament to the Kasbah, where the government headquarters are located in Tunis as they demonstrate for the government’s resignation yes- terday. Report on page 8 Doha hotels lead in occupancy rates DOHA: Hotels in the country Qatar hotels rose by 2.5 percent strategy to develop the tour- bucked the trend in the Middle to $83.96 in July. Qatar Tourism ism sector. We are seeing strong East by posting a 9.5 percent Authority (QTA) released figures growth in all aspects of Qatar’s growth in the occupancy rate in which showed the occupancy rate tourism sector. QTA is proud of July, STR Global data show. had risen from an average of 58 these developments and strides Doha was the only city in the percent to 67 percent despite a 4.5 being made towards a record year Middle East to post positive occu- percent increase in the number of of tourism in Qatar. pancy figures last month as the available rooms. “As tourism becomes increas- region saw rates slump by 13.5 Total revenue in four- and ingly important to diversifying percent. five-star hotels increased by the national economy we look In Qatar, occupancy rates QR155.9m, with a 20 percent rise positively on these developments.” at hotels rose to 48.2 percent, in revenue of five-star hotels. The total number of hotels STR Global said, adding the only QTA Chairman Issa under construction increased to other city registering growth in Mohammed Al Mohannadi said 121 in the second quarter of 2013 the Middle East and Africa was the fact that Doha topped the list from 110 at the end of 2012; with Nairobi, capital of Kenya. in the Middle East and Africa 20,955 rooms expected to be deliv- Revenue per available room in reflected the success of QTA’s ered. QNA SUNDAY 1 SEPTEMBER 2013 02 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com HOME www.swiss-belhotel.com The overturned bus near the Gharafa club roundabout yesterday. Tel Fax Expatriate worker killed in bus accident Tel DOHA: An expatriate worker The driver apparently lost reportedly was crushed under ambulance team arrived on the Fax was killed when a bus trans- control of the speeding bus, as the vehicle. The other workers spot in a few minutes. The inci- porting labourers to their he was trying to avoid hitting in the bus were saved, although dent caused traffic disruptions worksite overturned near the a truck, according to Al Sharq. some of them suffered minor in the roundabout and the con- Gharafa club roundabout yes- The bus overturned caus- injuries. necting roads. terday morning. ing the death of a worker, who The civil defence and THE PENINSULA Tel Fax Expansion of Tollfree Fax Aspetar to bring top Al Ruwais port to be completed Tel Fax experts for summit by year-end DOHA: The expansion and Tel development works of the Fax Annual Quality and Safety Week from Sept 15 to 19 nearly QR1bn Al Ruwais Port project will be completed by DOHA: Experts from across Sports Medicine Programme through interactive lectures, the year-end, local Arabic the globe will gather at (NSMP) which is designed workshops and presentations. It daily Al Sharq reported Tel Aspetar for the 3rd annual to ensure that international also showcases our commitment yesterday. Fax Quality and Safety Week that standards of medical care are to encouraging organisations to The engineering and con- will be held from September delivered to athletes from all maintain a level of quality in struction works on the project, www.doha.hilton.com 15 to 19.