MEED Middle East Economic Digest articles from May 2004

MEED Middle East Economic Digest archives from May 2004

Squaring up to reality.(Comment)
May 7, 2004... In a week in which the headlines were dominated by US President Bush's rare, if rather guarded, display of humility on Arab television, some quieter voices in the region were also facing up to uncomfortable home truths. A notable example was...

On the record.(Seven Days)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2004... "People in Iraq must understand that I view those practices as abhorrent. They must also understand that what took place in that prison does not represent the America I know" US President George Bush appears on the Al-Hurra television...

Looking back ...(Seven Days)
May 7, 2004... 8 May 1964 The new Baathist government in Baghdad announces a provisional constitution declaring Iraq an Arab, Islamic, independent and sovereign state to be run on socialist and democratic lines 5 May 1989 Iraq kick starts a...

Chickens come home to roost: US President Bush endures one of his longest weeks in politics.(Iraq)
May 7, 2004... "Older men declare war," former US president Herbert Hoover once remarked. "But it's the youth who must fight and die." It is with the same apologetic tone that President Bush has tended to describe the deaths of US soldiers in Iraq in the...

FIFA report produces mixed reaction.(Regional)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2004... World football's governing body, Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), published on 4 May its latest technical evaluation report on the five African countries bidding to host the 2010 FIFA World Cup. South Africa, considered...

Yanbu shootings provoke worker exodus.(Saudi Arabia)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2004... Foreign workers employed by Europe's ABB Lummus Global have begun pulling out of the port city of Yanbu after five of the company's contractors were killed by armed militants on 1 May. Two Britons, two Americans and an Australian died when four...

Armed militants attack Saudi complex: 1 May.(New Digest)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2004... Four militants attack a petrochemicals complex in the port city of Yanbu, killing five foreign workers employed by Europe's ABB Lummus Global. Three of the attackers worked at the facility and used security passes to gain entry. Eyewitnesses...

Likud members vote against withdrawal plan: 2 May.(New Digest)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2004... Despite a low turnout, Likud party members vote against Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's plan to withdraw all Israeli settlers from the Gaza Strip, by a majority of almost 60 per cent. The poll takes place the same day as a pregnant settler and...

Aghajari death sentence upheld: 3 May.(New Digest)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2004... An Iranian regional court upholds the death sentence it passed on Hashem Aghajari. The academic was found guilty of apostasy in 2002 and sentenced to death by the court. A retrial on appeal at the Supreme Court in July reduced the sentence to...

US/UK promise investigations into abuse allegations: 3 May.(New Digest)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2004... Both Washington and London promise to conduct thorough investigations into allegations of abuse against Iraqi prisoners by their armed forces and express disgust at the soldiers' activities. The move follows photos in the US and UK press...

Khatami publishes "letter for tomorrow": 3 May.(New Digest)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2004... Iranian President Khatami publishes his "letter for tomorrow", in which he defends his reforming presidency. Conceding that not all reforms have been successful, Khatami insists that change will continue despite opposition from the hardline...

Ambassador urges US citizens to leave kingdom: 4 May.(New Digest)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2004... The US ambassador to Saudi Arabia, James Oberwetter, urges US citizens to leave the kingdom following the deaths of five foreign workers at the Yanbu petrochemical complex on 1 May. However, Oberwetter says that the final decision on whether or...

FIFA publishes technical evaluation: 4 May.(New Digest)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2004... World football's governing body FIFA publishes its final technical evaluation of the five countries bidding to host the 2010 World Cup. South Africa underlines its status as favourite after being ranked first. Egypt surprises many by coming...

Bulgarian nurses sentenced to death: 6 May.(New Digest)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2004... Five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor are sentenced to death by firing squad after being found guilty of deliberately infecting patients at a Benghazi hospital with the HIV virus. The verdict is immediately condemned by both Sofia and...

Stepping on the gas: Iran's gas export ambitions have been eclipsed by Qatar's successes. However, policy progress has opened the door to substantial investment and big returns.(Iranian Gas)(Cover Story)
May 7, 2004... Deputy oil minister Nejad Hosseinian gave an unambiguous message at a gas export conference in Tehran on 25 April: "The right share of the Islamic republic in the common field [South Pars/Qatar's North field] must be fully reserved and both...

The lessons of airline privatisation: a quick sale is not always the easiest, or best option.(Economic briefing: airline privatisation)
May 7, 2004... A number of Middle East governments have started to rethink the policy of state control of the civil aviation sector, and a new wave of restructuring could lead to a fundamental shift in the relationship between private and public air transport...

CPA launches logistics super contract: network will form basis for commercial industry.(Construction)(Coalition Provisional Authority)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2004... The programme management office (PMO) of the Coalition Provisional Authority has given international contractors until 14 May to submit bids for the prime contract to manage the supply of materials for its reconstruction programme. The...

CPA to spend $500 million on Sunni triangle.(Construction)(Coalition Provisional Authority)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2004... The Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) is understood to have allocated $500 million of reconstruction funding for seven towns and cities located predominantly within the troubled area known as the Sunni triangle. The first $35 million...

More work for Basra refinery.(Oil & Gas)(South Refinery Company )(Brief Article)
May 7, 2004... South Refinery Company has issued an inquiry for a new desalination unit at Basra refinery The scope of the project covers the installation of a 700-tonne-a-day reverse osmosis unit at the 100,000-barrel-a-day (b/d) complex. The project is part...

Eximbank announces first letter of credit transaction.(Oil & Gas)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2004... The Export Import Bank of the United States (Eximbank) has approved its first transaction in post-war Iraq. The bank is underwriting a letter of credit issued by the Trade Bank of Iraq (TBI) to the US' Tifa for the sale to the Health Ministry...

Basra stadium set for refurbishment.(Construction)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2004... The local Iraqi Resources Company, has been awarded a contract to refurbish the Basra sport stadium in the Al-Jumhuriya district of the southern city. The scope of works covers the repair of irrigation systems and the refurbishment of...

USAID seeks economic governance adviser.(Economy)(US Agency for International Development)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2004... The US Agency for International Development (USAID) is seeking companies to advise on the restructuring of Iraq's fiscal institutions and regulatory frameworks. A request for proposals (RFP) for the three-year economic governance II...

MEED conferences: premier networking events.(Calendar)
May 7, 2004... Major New Project Opportunities in Kuwait 17-18 May 2004, Kuwait Lead Sponsor: NBK Supported by: Kuwait Petroleum Corporation Official Sponsors: Al Mulla Group Co-Sponsor: Deloitte Saudi Family Business 24-25 May 2004,...

Aramco awards GOSP-3 contracts: Techint, Suedrohrbau pick up the work.(Saudi Arabia)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2004... Saudi Aramco on 5 May issued two letters of award to Italy-based Techint and Suedrohrbau of the Netherlands on the project to build the third gas/oil separation plant (GOSP-3) at Haradh. Both contracts are expected to be signed by mid-May (MEED...

Bids in for new pipeline.(Libya)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2004... Technical bids were submitted on 1 May for the contract to build a new $180 million oil pipeline between the El-Sharara field in block NC-115 and Melitah on the coast. Thirteen companies were invited to bid when the project was tendered in...

Bids in for Mina al-Fahal.(Oman)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2004... Five companies submitted bids by the 3 May deadline for the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for a 10,000-barrel-a-day isomerisation unit at Mina al-Fahal. The bidders are: SK Engineering & Construction of South Korea;...

Belleli takes Jebel Ali Emarat tank job.(UAE)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2004... Italy's Belleli has been awarded the contract to build a new petroleum products storage and distribution terminal at Jebel Ali for Emirates General Petroleum Corporation (Emarat--MEED 6:2:04). Under the estimated $48 million contract,...

More OGD-3/AGD-2 work goes for bid.(UAE)
May 7, 2004... The three remaining engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contracts have been issued for bid on the third phase of the onshore gas development (OGD-3) and the second phase of the Asab gas development (AGD-2) programme. Bidding has...

Private company to set up new bulk terminal.(Egypt)(Mashreq Petroleum)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2004... A group of local private investors is in the process of setting up a project company, Mashreq Petroleum, for a proposed 2 million-tonne-a-year bulk liquids terminal to be built near Port Said on the Mediterranean coast. The consultant, Scott...

Correction.(Oman)(Correction Notice)
May 7, 2004... The local Arabian Industries is low bidder at RO 4.4 million ($11.3 million) on the first option, and Special Technical Services, also local, is low bidder at RO 9 million ($23.1 million) on option two for the construction of the gas pressure...

Ganope wraps up blocks.(Egypt)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2004... The People's Assembly has approved the award to two exploration blocks in the south, paving the way for Ganoub el-Wadi Petroleum Company (Ganope) to open up new acreage in Upper Egypt. The company is expected to launch its second bid round by...

Saudi attacks spark price surge.(Oil Prices)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2004... Oil prices surged to their highest levels since the 1990-91 Gulf war in the first week of May. A terrorist attack against a petrochemicals complex in Saudi Arabia, coming hard on the heels of attempted sabotage of Iraq's southern oil facilities...

NPC patents new catalyst technology in US.(Iran's National Petrochemical Company)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2004... National Petrochemical Company (NPC) has patented a new catalyst process with a US partner based in Texas. The methanol-to-ethylene process is called OCN and was developed by the company's research and development (R&D) arm in partnership with...

More time for Ilam cracker bidders.(Iran)(Petrochemical Industries Development Management Company)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2004... The bid deadline has been extended by a month to the end of May for the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract to build an ethane cracker at the Ilam petrochemicals complex in the west. Paris-based Technip and Germany's Linde...

Qafco IV inaugurated, more to come.(Qatar)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2004... The fourth unit at the Qatar Fertiliser Company (Qafco) complex was inaugurated at a late April ceremony, The plant has capacity to produce 2,000 tonnes a day (t/d) of ammonia and 3,500 t/d of granulated urea and was built by Germany's Uhde....

Qatar-Bahrain causeway gets the go-ahead: committee seeks design consultant first.(Regional)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2004... Final approved was given by Doha and Manama in late April for the Qatar-Bahrain causeway project. A joint technical committee is drawing up prequalification documents, expected to be released by the end of May for an international design and...

Bids due for fourth ring-road designs.(Kuwait)(Public Works Ministry )(Brief Article)
May 7, 2004... International and local consultants have been invited to bid on 19 May for the contract to provide design studies for the extension of the fourth ring road in Kuwait City. The project will cover up to 15 kilometres of highway between the...

Local/South African JV wins Garden City contract.(Bahrain)
May 7, 2004... A joint venture of the local AA Nass and South Africa's Murray & Roberts Contractors (Middle East) has received a letter of intent for the main construction contract on the Sheraton Garden City project. Work on site is scheduled to start on 15...

Doha high-rise goes for bid.(Qatar)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2004... Tender documents have been released to prequalified contractors for the main contract on what is set to be the tallest building in Doha. To be located in West Bag the Shaikh Baud office building will be over 230 metres high and capped with a...

Bids in for QP National Library contract.(Qatar)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2004... Technical and commercial bids were submitted on 2 May for the main contract on the Qatar National Library project. At least three out of the 10 international prequalifiers submitted design and build bids for the contract on the estimated $200...

North Beach goes public.(Qatar)(north of West Bay)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2004... Plans to build a major new resort, north of West Bay, were unveiled by chief executive officer of Qatar Airways Akbar al-Baker in early May. Known as the North Beach resort, the project calls for the construction of a 32 square-kilometre...

Groups line up for port infrastructure work.(Morocco)(Tangier Mediterranean port project)(Tangier Mediterranean port project )(Brief Article)
May 7, 2004... A total of 14 companies and groups have submitted applications to be prequalified for contracts on the second phase of infrastructure work on the kingdom's flagship Tangier Mediterranean port project (TangMed). The work is divided into four...

Bids in for MoE hotel.(UAE)(Mall of the Emirates )(Brief Article)
May 7, 2004... A contract award is expected by early June on the Mall of the Emirates (MoE) hotel project, About five contractors submitted technical and commercial quotes in the second half of April for the 400-room hotel. Prequalifiers include: the local/UK...

Bids due for DIFC precinct.(UAE)(Dubai International Financial Centre)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2004... Bids are due on 11 May for the gate precinct package on the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) project, Eight contractors are understood to have responded in March to the initial inquiry for the scheme. The project, which is valued at...

Dubai Mall bid extended.(UAE)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2004... The local Emaar Properties has extended the bid deadline to 23 May for the contract to build the Dubai Mall on the Burj Dubai development. The contract, valued at $600 million-700 million, involves the construction of a giant mall, an aquarium,...

Palm interchanges go to bid.(UAE)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2004... Dubai Municipality has invited selected contractors to submit bids for two major interchanges which will serve the Palm Jumeirah development. Bids are due on 30 May for the Palm Island and Al-Safouh interchanges, which will connect the Palm...

Omanis win Saudi-Yemen road job.(Regional)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2004... Oman-based Desert Line Projects has been awarded the main construction contract, worth about $9 million, on a 98-kilometre-highway linking Al-Abr in Yemen to the Al-Wadiah border post in Saudi Arabia. Six companies submitted offers to the lead...

Sharm airport tender out.(Egypt)(Sharm el-Shaikh international airport)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2004... The Civil Aviation Authority has invited 18 prequalified groups of local and international contractors to submit bids by 18 July for the contract to expand Sharm el-Shaikh international airport. The release of the tender documents came two...

Bids awaited for major shopping mall.(Kuwait)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2004... Plans for a major new mixed-use complex on the fifth ring-road are taking shape, with a select group of contractors preparing to submit bids by 25 May for the main construction contract. The development, known as The Avenue, will have a...

Works begins on Jeddah towers.(Saudi Arabia)(Zaki Farsi Group )(Brief Article)
May 7, 2004... Construction started in late April on the $80 million Abraj al-Farsi development on Jeddah's corniche, when the local Al-Redwan Trading & Contracting and a subcontractor identified as Turkey's Cokatash commenced piling work. The project,...

Container terminal issued: Beirut port issues management tender.(Lebanon)(Beirut Port Authority)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2004... The Beirut Port Authority (BPA) has given international companies until 17 June to submit bids for the contract to operate the port's new $150 million container terminal. The authority issued on 3 May the long-awaited tender for the 10-year...

UDC appoints smelter advisers: RBS/Clifford Chance take on roles.(Qatar)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2004... Two key appointments have been made on the planned Ras Laffan aluminium smelter development by project promoter United Development Company (UDC). Royal Bank of Scotland has been appointed as the financial adviser on the estimated $2,500 million...

Fixed-line licences fail to incite interest.(Algeria)(L'Autorite de Regulation de la Poste & des Telecommunications)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2004... The post and telecom regulator L'Autorite de Regulation de la Poste & des Telecommunications (ARPT) announced on 29 April that it had received no bids for two national and international fixed-line licences, Speaking at what should have been the...

Alcatel to supply UMTS platform.(UAE)(Evolium SAS)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2004... Evolium SAS, a joint venture between France's Alcatel and Japan's Fujitsu, has been awarded a contract to provide third-generation (3G) solutions to Emirates Telecommunications Corporation (Etisalat). Under the contract, the venture will...

Talkha and Kureimat schemes move ahead.(Egypt)(East Delta Electricity Production Company)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2004... East Delta Electricity Production Company has opened commercial bids for the gas turbine package on the 750-MW combined cycle power station to be built at Talkha, after assessing technical bids submitted in December by GE Power Systems of the...

Field narrows for pumping station C.(Kuwait)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2004... Japan's Torishima Pump and Sweden's Johnson Pump are the frontrunners for the estimated $40 million-45 million contract to upgrade pumping plant C at Shuaiba. Fourteen suppliers were understood to be competing for the work. which requires the...

Five groups in for Al-Ezzal IPP: public opening of bids set for late June.(Bahrain)(Illustration)
May 7, 2004... Five consortia submitted proposals by the 5 May deadline to carry out the kingdom's first independent power project (IPP). Technical evaluation is due to be followed by the public opening of financial prices on 23 June by the client, the...

Deir Ezor tender issued.(Syria)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2004... The Public Establishment of Electricity for Generation & Transmission (PEEGT) has given international contractors until 17 July to submit bids for the estimated $350 million engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract to build a...

More reforms needed, says IMF: IMF urges Amman to push reforms.(Jordan)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2004... The IMF has called on Amman to push ahead with its plans to scrap fuel subsidies and to accelerate its privatisation programme in order to meet its 2006 debt reduction targets. In its article IV consultation, published on 28 April, the IMF...

EU earmarks $1,500m for Med region.(Regional)(Mennonite Economic Development Associates)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2004... The EU has approved funding of Eur 1,243 million ($1,509 million) for co-operation and external aid operations to its Mediterranean partners as part of the MEDA programme for 2005/06. The funds will be used to finance projects to support...

BIB creditors reach ARP accord: depositors to benefit before lenders.(Bahrain)(Bahrain International Bank)(Asset Realisation Protocol)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2004... The creditors of defaulting Bahrain International Bank (BIB) have finally agreed to the terms of a proposed asset realisation protocol (ARP). The deal paves the way for the controlled valuation and sale of the bank's assets and avoids the...

Financial close nears on Rudeshur power project.(Iran)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2004... Financial close is imminent on the Eur 225 million ($266 million) financing for the first phase of the country's first private power plant, to be located at Rudeshur. The only outstanding issue is the signing of government guarantees by the...

NBO chairman resigns after return to profits.(Oman)(National Bank of Oman, Khalfan bin Nasser al-Wohaibi)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2004... The chairman of National Bank of Oman (NBO), Khalfan bin Nasser al-Wohaibi, resigned on 3 May, having served in the position since 1992. Deputy chairman Tawfiq bin Ahmed Sultan will step in as acting chairman, Al-Wohaibi's resignation came only...

ABC books asset sales.(Regional)(Arab Banking Corp. (Bahrain))(Brief Article)
May 7, 2004... Bahrain-based Arab Banking Corporation (ABC) has posted first quarter net profits of $477 million, $455 million of which was accrued from the sale of subsidiaries Banco Atlantico and International Bank of Asia, which were booked in early 2004....

Arig sells Al-Ahlia stake.(Regional)(Arab Insurance Group of Bahrain, Al Ahlia Insurance Co.)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2004... Arab Insurance Group (Arig) continued its programme of divesting non-core assets in early May, selling its entire 39.5 per cent holding in Bahrain's Al-Ahlia Insurance Group. Al-Ahlia's shares were trading at BD 0.36 ($0.95) on the Bahrain...

Future imperfect: the Middle East petrochemicals industry has grown exponentially since the early 1980s, but the days of easy development and big profits could be numbered.(Special report: petrochemicals)
May 7, 2004... The Middle East petrochemicals industry has grown dramatically over the past 25 years and is currently going through its biggest investment phase yet. The industry has developed alongside oil production--the region's rich crude oil resources...

Exploiting ethylene, at last: dreams are becoming reality as Iran's ethylene production and distribution plans take shape.(Iran)
May 7, 2004... Snaking up the battle-scarred border with Iraq, the pipeline that was once just a dream is set to become the main artery for the economic development of western Iran. Already in the detailed engineering stage, and with an engineering,...

Weaving the magic carpet: Oriental is building up its local petrochemicals business to fuel the rapid expansion of its overseas empire.(Egypt)
May 7, 2004... >From the living rooms of suburban America to the halls of power in the Gulf, Oriental Weavers is one of the most familiar Egyptian brands abroad. In the 24 years since it was founded by local business mogul Mohammed Khamis, the company has...

A private function: one private Saudi venture is making its mark in the highly competitive petrochemicals market.(Saudi Arabia)
May 7, 2004... Private petrochemical projects are all the rage in Saudi Arabia. In the past two years, local investors have tabled proposals for more than a dozen potential schemes, hoping to follow in the footsteps of local petrochemicals giant Saudi Basic...

Middle East petrochemicals projects.(Special report: petrochemicals)
May 7, 2004... MIDDLE EAST PETROCHEMICALS PROJECTS Client Project Capacity Algeria * Petronas/Sonatrach Skikda naphtha tbd cracker/downstream ...

Contracts: April.
May 7, 2004... CONTRACTS: APRIL More than $6,319 million worth of contracts were awarded in the Middle East in April, according to this selected checklist compiled from MEED reports. If you want details of your organisation to be included, please...

Tenders.(Business Opportunities)
May 7, 2004... MEED Tenders is the most comprehensive weekly listing of business opportunities in Middle East countries. To promote your business opportunity to more than 50,000 business people who read MEED every week, send details to MEED Editor, 33-39...

Muscat stocks maintain momentum: local banks lead the way as the MSM continues its quiet climb.(Capital markets: Oman)
May 7, 2004... Investors in the Muscat Securities Market (MSM) are being rewarded for their loyalty to a regional investment outlet dwarfed by its GCC neighbours. With market capitalisation of only $7,050 million at the end of March, even Bahrain is well out...

Databank.(Illustration)
May 7, 2004... DATABANK: ECONOMIC INDICATORS, 2002 ($ MILLION, UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED) GDP Population GDP GDP (million) per capita growth ...

Seven ways to pass the buck ... Or: how to get ahead in business: your career will be influenced more by the way you handle failure than the rare unambiguous triumph. So what should you do when things go wrong?(The Last Word)
May 7, 2004... O'Sullivan, Edmund In business, failure is more common than success. Here is a multi-level system for those seeking an appropriate answer to the most feared question in business: "Who's to blame?" Level zero. Otherwise known as...

Unintended consequences.(Comment)
May 14, 2004... Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose. Just as Washington raises its foot from Libya's windpipe with the easing of sanctions, it starts the process of leaning on Syria. Many argue that trade embargoes rarely have the desired effect, and that...

On the record.(Seven Days)(Brief Article)
May 14, 2004... "The IDF [Israeli Defence Force] invests much energy to prove that Gaza is not Lebanon. What a waste of time. What looks like Lebanon, smells like Lebanon and what bleeds like Lebanon, is Lebanon. Gaza is Lebanon, Lebanon is Gaza, the same...

Looking back ...(Seven Days)(Calendar)
May 14, 2004... 15 May 1964 Soviet leader Nikita Kruschev arrives in Egypt for the inauguration of the first diversion canals for the Aswan High Dam project 12 May 1989 Fears of an imminent glut on the international oil market bring a halt to the...

The final, cruel cut: US public gets a rare glimpse of Iraq horrors.(Iraq)
May 14, 2004... The video of the beheading of the US civilian contractor Nick Berg, released so soon after reams of photos emerged documenting the abuse and torture of Iraqi prisoners in Abu Gharib prison, testifies to the power of pictures to speak a thousand...

Soldiers' deaths concentrate minds on Gaza withdrawal plan.(Regional)
May 14, 2004... The occupation of the Gaza Strip was at the centre of a raging debate within Israel after a particularly bloody week of fighting in the territory left more than 30 dead, including 11 Israeli soldiers. The violence served to once again...

Asad says US sanctions are unfounded.(Syria)
May 14, 2004... President Bashar al-Asad has accused Washington of having no justification for imposing trade sanctions on Syria. Speaking on 13 May, two days after President Bush announced the introduction of sanctions, Asad denied that Syria had weapons of...

Fighting breaks out on Lebanon-Israel border: 7 May.(News Digest)(Brief Article)
May 14, 2004... New clashes erupt between the Israeli Defence Force and Hizbollah in the Shebaa farms area, close to the border between Israel and Lebanon. Israeli jets attack Hizbollah bases after fighters from the group fire rockets and mortars into Israel.

US forces destroy Al-Sadr's headquarters: 9 May.(News Digest)(Brief Article)
May 14, 2004... US troops attack and destroy the Baghdad headquarters of radical Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr as part of a crackdown against Al-Sadr and his militia, the Mehdi Army. About 35 of the cleric's supporters were killed in the offensive.

Iraq oil pipeline bombed: 10 May.(News Digest)(Brief Article)
May 14, 2004... One of the country's main oil pipelines is bombed, severely disrupting exports from the southern fields. The pipeline runs from Basra to the Faw peninsula, and its closure resulted in an immediate 25 per cent fall in daily oil transport.