Saudi Arabia's Justice Minister Abdullah Bin Mohammad al-Sheikh told al-Jazirah newspaper that the king felt the pardon would be in the best interests of the Saudi people, and the decision did not reflect any lack of confidence in the Saudi justice system.
Shia discontent often boiled over in the 1980s and 1990s, but abated after King Hamad al-Khalifa took power in 1999, freed prisoners in an amnesty, pardoned exiles and brought in reforms.
On March 19th, six days after the schoolgirls were killed, Jordan's prime minister, Abd al-Karim Kabariti, submitted his resignation, which the king accepted with little grace, replacing him with Abd al-Salam Majali, a former prime minister who signed the 1994 treaty with Israel.
She first entered the international spotlight 15 years ago after marrying Abdullah II bin al-Hussein, the then future king of Jordan.
In Bahrain, King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa has convinced eight countries to convene an emergency Arab summit to discuss political unrest.
He and his family obtained Bahraini nationality in 2001 under political reforms instituted by King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa, who also cleared the way for parliamentary elections in Bahrain - seen as the main democratic experiment in the Gulf.
The president will travel to Amman, Jordan, Wednesday to meet Jordan's King Abdullah and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.
Al-Jazirah newspaper quoted a Saudi Justice Ministry official saying King Abdullah issued a royal pardon Monday -- the same day that the Hajj, the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, begins in Saudi Arabia.
His comments contrasted with those of Jordan's King Abdullah II, who said Friday that al-Assad is not likely to fall for months.
CNN: Al-Assad's grip on power "slipping away," Medvedev says
At the request of the U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Colorado Attorney General John Suthers traveled to Riyadh in 2006 to meet with King Abdullah, other Saudi officials and the al-Turki family to discuss the case.
Blitzer asked the king whether he thought it would be acceptable for al-Assad to flee to another country or if he wanted him to be tried for war crimes.
The elections had been billed as the start of a process leading eventually to the partial election of the majlis al-shura, the advisory council whose 150 members are currently appointed by the king.
There have been no details released about the meeting between King Abdullah, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Kuwaiti ruler Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad and Syria's Bashar al-Assad.
Jordan's King Abdullah II, one of the first Arab leaders to call for al-Assad to step down, told CNN that he didn't think the attack means the regime is about to crumble.
But as we report in a survey, Saudi Arabia, the biggest producer, has for now seen off an al-Qaeda insurgency and looks poised for a period of prosperity and reform under a new king.
Mr King called the arrest a "very significant victory" in the fight against al-Qaeda.
Influential Arab leaders, including Syria's president, Bashar Assad, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and the wealthy emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad al-Khalifa, flew in to calm nerves.
It remains to be seen how long Heras will keep up with Armstrong et al but expect crowds to be left in awe by his climbing ability - he could yet be crowned king of the mountains - and will surely bring a stage victory on one of the tougher stages this time around.
Saudi sources told CNN that the king's pardon was not related to the beginning of the Hajj nor the Eid al-Adha festival that follows, which is normally when the Saudi monarch issues amnesty for prisoners.
应用推荐