The Cabinet on Monday amended Paragraph 3 of Article One of the Arab accord for combating terrorism. The amended article now reads: “A terrorist crime is any crime or the carrying out any terrorist activity in any state against its possessions, interests, or people and their possessions punishable by its domestic law, besides instigating terrorist crimes or encouraging them and the publishing and distribution of any material for the purpose of encouraging others to commit these crimes.” It further reads: “Also providing money or collecting it to finance terrorist crimes with full knowledge is considered a terrorist crime.” The Cabinet meeting was chaired by King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. The Monarch briefed the Cabinet on his meetings and contacts during the past few days with leaders of foreign countries and their envoys, including telephone calls he received from US President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Abdul Aziz Khoja, Minister of Information and Culture, said King Abdullah briefed the Cabinet on the contents of his message to Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, Emir of Qatar, which focused on the brotherly relations between the two countries and issues of mutual concern. The King also discussed the message he received from Iranian President Ahmadinejad dealing with relations between the two countries and the situation in the Arabian Gulf and Middle East. Following this, Khoja said, the Cabinet looked into the domestic issues in the agenda and approved measures for the use of computer and information networks in government sectors. It said they should only be used by authorized people and should not be used for purposes other than those defined by the Kingdom's laws. Upon the recommendation of the permanent committee for the Supreme Economic Council, the Cabinet approved the foundation of a joint stock holding “Water and Electricity Company” in accordance with its basic system.
