The Middle East articles from July 2005

The Middle East archives from July 2005

Final results in the Lebanese parliamentary elections gave a clear victory to the country's anti-Syrian lobby, led by the son of the former prime minister Rafiq Hariri, assassinated in February.
July 1, 2005... Thirty-five-year-old Saad Hariri has so far refused to say whether he has ambitions to follow his father to prime ministerial once, but certainly his success at the polls would make him an obvious candidate. Before the bomb blast that...

Contemplating change or total transformation?(PALESTINE)
July 1, 2005... With their first presidential election behind them, groundbreaking municipal elections underway, an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza pending, and the promise of legislative elections ahead, Palestinians are witnessing one of their more interesting...

The battle for Iraqi intelligence: intelligence is of vital importance to all sides in Iraq's relentless insurgenry (although some would call it "resistance"), and this is particularly true for the Americans who have long found themselves out of the loop when it comes to outsmarting the insurgents and the foreign jihadists wreaking havoc across the country.(Central Intelligence Agency's security establishment)
July 1, 2005... THE GOVERNMENT, DOMINATED BY long-oppressed Shi'ites and Kurds, is gearing up to purge these services of their old tormentors, security personnel of the late Baathist regime who were recruited with US approval to set up a new security...

All aboard for restructure and reform: Egypt is going through a period of political transition. While President Hosni Mubarak is sure to be returned to power after the September elections, the dye is already cast for major constitutional reform.(CURRENT AFFAIRS)
July 1, 2005... EGYPT'S POLITICAL CLASSES HAVE historically been divided on every issue except two: Dislike of America's predilection for poking its nose into Egypt's internal affairs and a deep distrust of the Muslim Brotherhood, who, they say, should not be...

Bogeyman or whipphing boy? Syria has had a lot of bad press in the United States recently but, according to Imad Mustapha, its ambassador to Washington, much of the criticism is completely without foundation Pat McDonnell Twair reports from the United States.(political reform )
July 1, 2005... THE US GOVERNMENT'S SURGING animosity toward Syria is "unwarranted", the country's ambassador to the US, Imad Mustapha, declared at a recent debate at the University of California in Los Angeles. The envoy confirmed Syria had repeatedly...

Divide & conquer: the ability to divide and conquer has been used throughout history by agitators working within a society to disunite its people, rendering them impossible to rule. Richard Seymour examines how the strategy relates to the current scenario in Iraq and looks at some historic precedents.(IRAQ)
July 1, 2005... THE MILITARY STRATEGY OF DIVIDE and conquer--as first developed by the Chinese general, Sun Tzu, 2,500 years ago--has been used successfully down the centuries by empire builders as a means to subdue subjugated nations, thus maintaining power...

PKK dissidents urge a descent from the mountains: Chris Kutschera talked to former members of the PKK who, having given up armed struggle, hope to play a full role within Turkish civil society, allowing Kurds to reach their aims through democratic means.(Party Patriotic and Democratic of Kurdistan )
July 1, 2005... AS THE EUROPEAN COURT OF Human Rights (ECHR) ruled the trial of Abdullah Ocalan, had been unfair, some of the former PKK leader's 'closest lieutenants' were establishing a new political organisation, the Party Patriotic and Democratic of...

From World Bank to West Bank: the former World Bank president, Jim Wolfensohn is the US appointed special envoy to oversee Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and to assist the Palestinian authorities in rebuilding its economy. Many believe agreeing to the choice of Wolfensohn might prove an all-too-rare moment of inspiration on the part of the Bush administration.(CURRENT AFFAIRS)
July 1, 2005... WHEN PRESIDENT GEORGE Bush announced Jim Wolfensohn's appointment to oversee the withdrawal of Israel from Gaza he spoke of the World Bank president as "an outstanding public servant and well-equipped for the new post". The US secretary of...

Recycling the oil windfalls.(petroleum earnings in Middle East )(Cover Story)
July 1, 2005... With record oil earnings behind them and robust medium-term growth predicted, the oil exporting countries of the Middle East region must evaluate how to make the most of their windfalls. Wise decision-making now could pave the way for the...

The long road home.(overview of Equatorial Guinea's economic and political conditions)
July 1, 2005... 2005 go down in history as the 'Year of Africa'. Never before in modern times has so much world attention focused on the continent and so many commitments made to change the status of Africa. It is therefore also fitting that 2005 exposed, in...

Creating the country of tomorrow.(Equatorial Guinea, economic development)
July 1, 2005... Over the past decade, Equatorial Guinea has experienced economic growth on a scale rarely seen in Africa or indeed anywhere else in the world. The combination of a string of oil discoveries and the country's limited population has resulted in...

Rise of a new maritime power.(construction boom in Equatorial Guinea)
July 1, 2005... The rapid growth of the oil sector has resulted in a construction boom in Equatorial Guinea. New oil sector facilities have been required, while new hotel capacity has had to be provided. Bioko in general and Malabo in particular are likely to...

The star of the Gulf of Guinea.(petroleum exploration)
July 1, 2005... The explosion in oil exploration and production in the Gulf of Guinea has been one of the main developments in the global oil and gas sector over the past few years. New discoveries have triggered a re-evaluation of the region's prospects and...

A magical and mystical country: Omar Ben Yedder interviews Bacar Abdouroihamane the UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in Equatorial Guinea.(Development)(Interview)
July 1, 2005... African Business: What is your role here? Bacar Abdouroihamane: We assist the Government in implementing projects aimed at improving livelihoods as well as encouraging rural community development. We advise the Government on administrative...

The world comes calling.(Equatorial Guinea)
July 1, 2005... The government of Equatorial Guinea is today involved in a number of public-private partnerships with companies from many countries. American companies are predominant in the oil and gas sector; a Yugoslav firm is involved in building some of...

Visitor's guide.
July 1, 2005... Getting there The first stop is to contact the nearest Equatorial Guinean diplomatic mission to get a visa. US citizens do not need a visa to go to Equatorial Guinea. A visa costs approx $95. There are embassies and consulates in the...

Maghreb states embrace new technology: the countries of the Maghreb are establishing themselves as regional trailblazers in the information and technology sector.(BUSINESS & FINANCE)
July 1, 2005... IMPROVED TELECOMS INFRAstructure both within North Africa and between the region and Europe is allowing Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia to develop increasingly important information and communications technology OCT) sectors. Call-centres are in...

Aramco seeks refinery partners: in a bid to increase its refining capacity the state owned Saudi Aramco oil company is looking for foreign companies to help develop and streamline domestic operations.(SAUDI ARABIA)
July 1, 2005... AS SAUDI CRUDE OIL PRODUCTION increases in line with Opec quotas and rising global demand, Riyadh and Saudi Aramco have decided that now is an opportune moment to embark on a new refining venture. The state-owned company has announced plans...

Libya signs $38.5m mobile phone network deal.(Libyana inks agreement with ZTE Corp.)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Libyan state-run mobile phone operator Libyana has signed a $38.5m mobile phone network deal with China's number two telecoms equipment maker ZTE Corp. The deal will help Libyana expand its network, with a high quality service. Libyana,...

Island dreams: Kuwait has long promoted the potential of Failaka as a holiday resort. And despite some scepticism, with work on development plans for the multi-billion dollar scheme now underway, the dream could soon become a reality.
July 1, 2005... FOR MANY KUWAITIS, IT IS A symbol of their country's recent history: Ravaged during the 1990 Iraq invasion and left abandoned following their retreat, Failaka Island's war-scars are plain for all to see. But now, with Saddam Hussein removed and...

Iran agrees nuclear deal: Iran's relations with the West have been coloured over the past two years by fears over its nuclear programme but far from backing down on its nuclear ambitions, the Iranian government is now hoping to build up to 20 new reactors.(BUSINESS & FINANCE)
July 1, 2005... WHILE TEHRAN INSISTS THAT its intentions are solely restricted to constructing nuclear power plants, the United States is convinced Iran is attempting to develop nuclear weapons. The truth is difficult to determine. But with so much freely...

Dubai $3.3bn metro project awarded.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... The Dubai government has awarded a $3.3bn contract to a consortium led by Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, to set up a high-tech passenger rail network across the emirate. The metro will conclude two lines covering the main locations...

TeleYemen confirms multi-$m investment in FLAG Telecom's Falcon.(terabit/s cable system)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Yemen's International Telecommunication Company (TeleYemen), has confirmed a strategic multi-$m investment in FLAG Telecom's Falcon terabit/s cable system. Falcon will be the first international cable system in the Republic of Yemen. It is...

Arab charities eye new giving guidelines: Arab and Islamic charities, which suffered in the wake of 9/11 revelations of links to extremist, have been working hard to clean up their image. But are they doing--and giving--enough?
July 1, 2005... WHETHER PROVIDING FOOD for the Sudan, Tsunami relief in Indonesia or educational scholarships for students in Central Asia, Arab-funded Islamic charities have carved out an effective niche. Experts estimate that these funds have distributed...

Egypt granted $120m loan to increase water productivity.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... The World Bank's Board of Directors has approved a $120m loan for an integrated irrigation improvement and management project in Egypt. Co-financed by the government of the Netherlands and the German Development Bank, KFW, the seven-year...

Morocco to invest MD6bn in Fes-Oujda motorway.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Karim Ghellab, the Moroccan minister of transportation, has affirmed that the Fes-Oujda motorway, with an estimated cost of MD6bn ($692m) is one of the biggest development projects in the area. Ghellab announced financing of the Fes-Oujda...

Grasping the nettle: at the recent regional World Economic Forum which took place in Jordan, Omar Ben Yedder spoke to the son of Libyan leader, Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, Saif El Islam, for The Middle East.(LIBYA)(Interview)
July 1, 2005... Q: I see you are at the World Economic Forum representing your charity, the Gaddafi International Foundation. What do you hope to gain from the Forum? A: Yes, indeed, I am here representing the Gaddafi Foundation. I was invited by the...

Norwegian firm wins $25m deal in Iran.(Aker Kvaerner )(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Norway's Aker Kvaerner has won the project management contract, worth approximately $25m, for Iran's South Pars phases 9 and 10. This represents a breakthrough for Aker Kvaerner's engineering and management services in the Islamic Republic. ...

Sudan to split oil revenues: oil has frequently been identified as the cause of the conflict in Sudan, but could it now bring about the peace?(BUSINESS & FINANCE)
July 1, 2005... DESPITE THE ONGOING CONFLICT in Darfur, it looks as if the north-south peace deal could finally bring an end to the long running Sudanese civil war. The south is to be allowed self-government for a period of seven years before a referendum on...

Irish-Gulf trade enjoys fivefold growth.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... There has been significant growth in trade between Ireland and the Gulf region over the past decade, with Irish companies increasing their sales in the region more than fivefold in the period. Exports to the region have increased from (155m...

Qatar invests in a vision: Qatar has embarked upon a plan to revolutionise its system of education. With state-of-the-art staffing levels and resources, the Gulf emirate is optimistic of turning out a new generation of Qataris capable of running their own state-of-the-art economy.(MOSAIC )
July 1, 2005... AT AL ISRA INDEPENDENT SCHOOL in Qatar, perfumed smoke wafts out of the door of the special needs department, where three teachers on their break eat sweet pastries and burn 'bakhoor', the local incense. Girls in long pinafores with round...

Venice & the Middle East.(MOSAIC)
July 1, 2005... VENICE, POSSIBLY THE MOST compelling city in Europe, has already started to welcome the first of its annual 15m tourists, a growing number of them from the Middle East. Well-heeled Arab visitors are more readily associated with the French...

Al Qaeda: The True Story of Radical Islam.(Book Review)
July 1, 2005... AL QAEDA The True Story of Radical Islam By Jason Burke published by Penguin Books ISBN 0 141 01912 3 price 7.99 [pounds sterling] paperback The world is a far more radicalised place than it was before the 11 September 2001 attacks on the...

Modern Arabic Fiction: An Anthology.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
July 1, 2005... MODERN ARABIC FICTION An Anthology Edited by Salma Khadra Jayyusi published by Columbia University Press ISBN 0 231 13254 9 price 40.00 [pounds sterling] hardback This is the first comprehensive anthology of modern Arabic narrative genre...

Islam and Business: Cross-Cultural and Cross-National Perspectives.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
July 1, 2005... ISLAM AND BUSINESS Cross-Cultural and Cross-National perspectives Edited by Kip Becker published by International Business Press ISBN 0 7890 2517 5 price $24.95 paperback ISBN 0 7890 2516 7 price $34.95 hardback This book reviews important...

On the Border.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
July 1, 2005... ON THE BORDER By Michel Warschawski published by Pluto Press ISBN 0 7453 2324 1 price 14.99 [pounds sterling] paperback On the Border chronicles a radical political education in a time and place charged with idealism and danger. A Polish...

The Freedom: Shadows and Hallucinations in Occupied Iraq.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
July 1, 2005... THE FREEDOM Shadows and Hallucinations in Occupied Iraq By Christian Parenti published by The New Press ISBN 156584 948 5 price 12.99 [pounds sterling] hardback In 2003, the most superbly equipped fighting force on the planet was led into...

Stones of Bobello.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
July 1, 2005... STONES OF BOBELLO By Edwar Al Kharrat translated by Paul Starkey Published by Saqi Books ISBN 0 86356 516 6 price 8.99 [pounds sterling] paperback A classic work of fiction from Edwar Al Kharrat. Set during the 1930s, in the small town...

Can the rich hear when the poor talk to the poor?(G77 second summit)
July 1, 2005... IT WAS THE LARGEST EVENT TO END THIS YEAR'S international conference season in Doha, yet the 'Developing Nations plus China' forum, known as the G77 second summit, held in the Qatari capital in mid-June, did not make any headlines in the West,...