The Middle East articles from February 2005

The Middle East archives from February 2005

Comment: less than 24 hours after being sworn in as the new Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas was under criticism for failing to rein in violent Palestinian extremists.
February 1, 2005... HIZBULLAH HAS CLAIMED RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ATTACK that so drastically altered the balance between hope and despair. Within days of the suicide bombing that killed six Israeli civilians at a Gaza crossing point where food and other essential...

Nato & the Middle East: the Nato alliance is making a determined effort to involve itself in the Middle East and although not universally popular the initiative has gained favour in some unexpected quarters.(Current Affairs)(North Atlantic Treaty Organisation)(Cover Story)
February 1, 2005... ALGERIA AND ISRAEL, LONGTIME adversaries in the Middle East conflict, found themselves joined together in late 2004 in a broadening dialogue between the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato), the European bulwark against the Soviet Union...

Cometh the hour Cometh the man: the results of their presidential election was a vote of confidence in the Palestinians' political maturity in handling the succession that followed the death of Yasser Arafat, a man who for over half a century refused to let go of strings that manipulated every aspect of their lives.(current affairs)
February 1, 2005... On 9 JANUARY, THE PALESTINIANS elected Mahmoud Abbas, a longtime comrade of their deceased leader, Yasser Ararat, to succeed him as president of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA). Remarkably, the election campaign was free and fair...

Playing with fire.(Iraq)
February 1, 2005... It is now official: Saddam Hussein had no weapons of mass destruction. The preemptive strike against his despotic regime was without foundation. However, the threat of chemical and biological warfare it seems, will not go away. Now, Iraq's...

Sudan's new peace: following the signing of a long-awaited peace agreement between the government and southern Sudanese rebels, the possible lifting of US sanctions and investment by foreign oil companies looks increasingly probable.(Current Affairs)
February 1, 2005... WITH THE PUTTING OF PEN to paper between the Sudanese government and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) to a comprehensive peace deal, comes the hope of a new era for Africa's largest country. The 21-year conflict, which has...

Blooming and booming: Peter Willems reports on soaring poppy cultivation in Afghanistan and the government's effort to clamp down on what has become the country's main engine for economic growth.(Afghanistan)
February 1, 2005... IT WAS A MOMENTOUS OCCASION WHEN Hamid Karzai was sworn in on 7 December as the first Afghan president elected by the people. Hundreds of local and foreign dignitaries gathered at the Presidential Palace in Kabul, including US Secretary of...

Iraq's new terrorist threat: Ansar Al Sunnah.(Current Affairs)
February 1, 2005... JAISH ANSAR AL SUNNAH (ARMY OF the Defenders of the Traditions of the Prophet Mohammed), the Iraqi extremist group behind the 21 December suicide bombing inside a US military base in the northern city of Mosul, has become one of the most feared...

Turkey gets the go-ahead ...
February 1, 2005... With stories of near-punch ups between prime ministers, and engines revving up on the Turkish plane ready for Ankara's delegation to stage a walkout, December's European Union summit talks on Turkey's EU accession were certainly full of sound...

Student segregation bill creates uproar: a proposed bill to segregate students at Bahrain University according to gender has sparked serious debate.(Bahrain)
February 1, 2005... MALE AND FEMALE STUDENTS AT Bahrain University will soon be studying in separate facilities if MPs backing a controversial new bill get their way. Academics say the move would cost the cash-strapped university millions of pounds and cause major...

Syrian media liberalisation causes a stir: Nicholas Blanford reports on new and welcome liberalisation moves in Syria's media industry, previously one of the most enthusiastic proponents of censorship in the region.(Current Affairs)
February 1, 2005... DERIDED AS VACUOUS STATE-RUN mouthpieces, Syria's media is undergoing the biggest shake-up in decades. Red lines are blurring and taboos receding as journalists are encouraged to broaden their coverage from state-inspired propaganda to harder...

GCC: a haven of financial stability: considerable increases in hydrocarbons production and the related consumption-investment boom have fuelled buoyant expansion across the Middle East Gulf region during the past two years, a trend expected to continue into 2005.(Business & Finance)(Gulf Cooperation Council)
February 1, 2005... THE SIX-MEMBER GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL (GCC) BLOC, comprising Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have achieved a phenomenal transformation in recent decades. They boast 'First-World' physical and...

Eradicating poverty through profit?(Business & Finance)
February 1, 2005... WHEN SOME OF THE WORLD'S TOP corporate executives, from the likes of Hewlett Packard, Visa, Vodafone and Citibank, take precious time out to travel to a lecture by a 63-year-old professor of Business Administration, he must have something to...

Investcorp signs record five-year facility.(Investcorp Bank B.S.C)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Investcorp, the global investment group, has announced the signing of a new $474m five-year financing facility. The facility, a fully funded five-year bullet maturity, was primarily self-arranged by Investcorp and is the firm's largest ever...

Moving the goalposts: although publicly urging a return to more historically usual pricing levels, in the light of recent events OPEC members may have to reassess what now constitutes a "realistic" oil pricing policy.(Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries)
February 1, 2005... THE MAIN TALKING POINT IN THE WORLD OF OPEC politics has traditionally been whether to increase or cut production quotas. A great deal of discussion on the degree of quota busting to be tolerated undoubtedly goes on behind the scenes, but the...

IDC: regional IT sector to hit $13.4bn by 2008.(International Data Corporation Ltd.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... The International Data Corporation (IDC) is to address the implications of the enormous growth the IT industry is facing in the Middle East and North African (MENA) region, with a view to implementing systems and solutions for the growing,...

Geant Hypermarket moves to Dubai's Gardens Shopping Mall.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... The French retailing giant, Geant Hypermarket, is the first retailer to have moved into the Gardens Shopping Mall in Dubai, part of the Nakheel group of projects, due to open 26 February.

Qatar to host WTDC.(World Telecommunication Development Conference)
February 1, 2005... The fourth World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC-06), the highest policy-making authority at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) for development, will take place in Doha, Qatar from 7 to 15 March 2006. The conference,...

Women likely winners new QIZ deal: the US employed unorthodox methods to persuade Egyptians that the rewards would be worth it, but now enthusiasm for the QIZ is growing.(Egypt)
February 1, 2005... ON 21 DECEMBER 2004 EGYPT SIGNED A historic trade agreement with the United States that established Qualifying Zones (QIZs) as a first step towards a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement with America. This signing came after a long delay caused...

Emirates Bank to offer online payment service.
February 1, 2005... Arab Digital Distribution Co. (ADD) has joined forces with Emirates Bank (EB), a leading provider of electronic banking services, to offer their customers an online payment processing solution. EB's Payment 6ateway, the virtual POS machine,...

Morocco looks to the private sector: following years of cautious reform, the Moroccan government seems to be stepping up its efforts to attract private sector investment in the country.(Business & Finance)
February 1, 2005... THE MOROCCAN GOVERNMENT IS REDUCING ITS involvement in the transport and agriculture sectors, targeting its resources at big ticket projects, such as the Spain-Morocco tunnel, which could provide opportunities for exporters for decades to come....

Record rush for Gulfood 2005.
February 1, 2005... Gulfood 2005 organisers, Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), is dealing with an unprecedented waiting list of 140 companies still trying to join the largest international exhibition of its kind in the region. Gulfood will take place from 20-23...

Can Turkey raise its game? The $10bn IMF accord with Turkey has heralded renewed economic optimism in the country. But can the government in Ankara meet the levels of debt repayment and financial controls the organisation requires?(International Monetary Fund)
February 1, 2005... WITH A NEW, $10BN DEAL CLOSED between Turkey and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) at the end of last year, the Turkish economy received a quick vote of confidence from international investors. As the country's economic vital statistics...

$1bn multi-faceted project to revamp key area in heart of Amman.(Abdali project )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Jordan proposes a $1bn multi-faceted project to revamp a key area in the heart of Amman. The massive 30-hectare Abdali project features several sectors: IT, residential, retailing and entertainment, medical and a campus for the American...

Chinese Dragon Mart opens in Dubai.
February 1, 2005... Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi, UAE minister of economy and planning, has inaugurated Dragon Mart, the largest trading hub for products from China outside the Chinese mainland, developed by Nakheel, the region's premier property developer.

Zamil Steel wins $11m Aziz Mall project in Jeddah.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Zamil Steel has been awarded a SR41.2m ($11m) contract to design, fabricate, supply and erect 8,200 metric tons of steel for a 120,000 sq metre steel building for the Aziz Mall in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The specifications of the project commit...

King Tut rocks.(Mosaic)(Pharaoh of Egypt Tutankhamun)
February 1, 2005... A QUARTER OF A CENTURY OR SO AGO, A remarkable exhibition toured the major cities of the world' introducing many tens of thousands of people to the wonders of Ancient Egypt through artefacts from the newly discovered tomb of the boy king...

Qatar hosts World Waterski & Wakeboard finals.(Mosaic)
February 1, 2005... THE CORNICHE IN DOHA PROVIDED a breathtaking venue for the finals of the International Waterski Federation's World Cup Championship in December. With towering palm trees and modern skyscrapers providing a spectacular backdrop, the stage was set...

Olive Tree project.(Mosaic)
February 1, 2005... AMONG THE VERY MANY BONES OF contention between the Israeli and Palestinian people, even the humble olive tree has found itself, from time to time, at the centre of conflicts of its own; so perhaps it is fitting that the aptly named Olive Tree...

Modern Afghanistan: a History of Struggle and Survival.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
February 1, 2005... MODERN AFGHANISTAN A History of Struggle and Survival By Amin Saikal published by IB TAURIS ISBN 1 85043 437 9 price 29.50 [pounds sterling] hardback Rare is the country that has sustained as many blows, and such hard blows, as has...

From Colwyn Bay to Kabul: an Unexpected Journey.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
February 1, 2005... FROM COLWYN BAY TO KABUL An Unexpected Journey BY Christopher Rundle published by The Memoir Club ISBN 1 84104 068 1 price 17.50 [pounds sterling] hardback This personal record of one man's experiences in Afghanistan provides enlightening...

Sharon and My Mother-In-Law: Ramallah Diaries.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
February 1, 2005... SHARON AND MY MOTHER-IN-LAW Ramallah Diaries By Suad Amiry published by Granta Books ISBN 1 86207 721 5 price 12.99 [pounds sterling] hardback Surprisingly funny, and refreshingly different from any other writings on the...

Iraq and the International Oil System: Why America Went to War in The Gulf.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
February 1, 2005... IRAQ AND THE INTERNATIONAL OIL SYSTEM why America Went to War in the Gulf By Stephen C. Pelletiere published by Maisonneuve Press ISBN 0 944624 45 6 price 16.50 [pounds sterling] paperback This book, first published in hardback in 2001, has...

Islam in Indonesia: Modernism, Radicalism and the Middle East Dimension.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
February 1, 2005... ISLAM IN INDONESIA Modernism, Radicalism and the Middle East Dimension By Giora Eliraz published by Sussex Academic Press ISBN 1 84519 040 8 price 47.50 [pounds sterling] hardback Indonesia is home to the largest Muslim community in the...

A Survey of Arab-Israeli Relations: Since 1947.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
February 1, 2005... A SURVEY OF ARAB-ISRAELI RELATIONS Since 1947 2nd edition published by Europa Publications ISBN 1 85743 261 4 price 120.00 [pounds sterling] hardback This is the second edition of A Survey of Arab-Israeli Relations, one of Europa's range...

The Guantanamo nightmare.(The Last Word)
February 1, 2005... ALMOST 550 DETAINEES OF MORE THAN 30 nationalities are still being held by the American authorities at Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba more than three years after the first orange-suited and manacled 'enemy combatants' were incarcerated there....