Gulf News Report Published: February 05, 2008, 21:27
A daily pick of news events that happened on this day in history from the pages of Gulf News dated February 6, 1980.
US claims Saudis to help arm Pakistan
Unable to sell US President Jimmy Carter's concept of a Security umbrella for the Middle East, American officials claimed that Saudi Arabia and the United States have agreed to aid Pakistan fend off any military threat from the Soviet Union.
While declining to give details the US officials said the agreement was reached in talks between Saudi leaders and Carter's National Security Adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski. The official Saudi Press Agency said in a brief announcement that the talks "dealt with the Middle East, international developments and bilateral relations."
US indicts 'inhuman' Iranian captors
The United States accused Iran's governing Revolutionary Council and Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini of approving "degrading and inhumane treatment" given to 50 American hostages still held in Tehran.
The hostages, captured when students took over the U.S. Embassy on November 4, "have been subjected by their captors to inhumane and degrading treatment. These actions have been supported and approved by the Revolutionary Council and by the Ayatollah Khomeini," according to a human rights report prepared by the State Department for Congress.
Paris shuts Libya office
France recalled its Embassy staff from Libya where its mission was set ablaze during a demonstration against French military aid to neighbouring Tunisia.
Before the Tripoli Embassy was attacked, the French ambassador had asked Libyan authorities to provide increased protection. The French Consulate in Benghazi was ransacked in a similar demonstration. France had 10 full diplomatic staff in Tripoli, but the French move would not affect consular representation or development aid.
UAE joins three new inter-Arab agreements
UAE has joined three new inter-Arab agreements. The first agreement aims at following up different international developments in technical, scientific and economic domains, protects Arab interest and assists them in developing industry and electricity.
The second agreement with 21 Arab States aims at promoting and developing Arab economic links and organise the transportation of goods across Arab states. The third agreement with seven Gulf Arab states calls among other things for the co-ordination and integration of the development of education as well as consolidation of their people's unity.
