GCC house speakers slam targeting of Makkah; reject JASTA

MANAMA — Speakers of Shoura councils and consultative assemblies in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states have slammed the recent ballistic missile attack carried out by the Houthi militias targeting the holy city of Makkah. In a statement issued at the conclusion of their 10th session held in the Bahraini capital Manama on Wednesday evening, the parliamentary leaders said tampering with the security of Saudi Arabia and hurting the feelings of Muslims is equal to undermining the security and offending the feelings of the GCC countries and their people, the Saudi Press Agency reported. They urged all countries and international organizations to take serious and effective steps to prevent a repetition of such terrorist acts in future on one hand and exert continuous efforts to help the Arab Coalition to bring an end to the crisis in Yemen. The speakers also rejected the adoption of the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA) by the US Congress, saying this was a flagrant violation of the principles of international relations, particularly the principle of sovereign immunity, which is to be enjoyed equitably by all sovereign states of the world. “Any breach of this rule would constitute a threat to the world security and peace,” the statement said while calling on the US Congress to re-consider the decision and not to go forward with its implementation. In a related development, the foreign ministers of the GCC states met the Bahraini capital on Thursday for the preparatory session of the 37th GCC Summit, which will be held in the first week of December. Bahrain’s King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa met with the foreign ministers in Manama. Bahraini Foreign Minister Sheikh Khaled Bin Ahmad Al-Khalifa chaired the 141st ministerial session in which the Kingdom’s delegation was headed by Dr. Nizar Bin Obaid Madani, minister of state for foreign affairs. In his speech, Al-Khalifa highlighted issues submitted by the ministerial subcommittees with regard to the agenda of the GCC Supreme Council summit. Addressing the session, GCC Secretary-General Dr. Abdullatif Al-Zayani stressed that the GCC foreign ministers discussed a number of issues aimed at enhancing the GCC joint action as well as the latest developments in regional and international arenas. Al-Zayani said the foreign ministers also held a meeting with their Yemeni counterpart Abdulmalik Al-Mekhlafi. They discussed the latest political, security and humanitarian situations in Yemen as well as the efforts being made to find a political solution to the conflict in the Arab country.