The Middle East articles from June 2004

The Middle East archives from June 2004

Comment.(Editorial)
June 1, 2004... THE PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE ABUSE AND ritual humiliation of Iraqi prisoners held by US troops in Abu Ghraib gaol have united the international community in outrage and horror, and tightly so. These images shame us all. Had the world had similar...

The cost of withdrawal from Gaza: although his Likud government has voted against it, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon remains committed to his scheme to withdraw from Gaza. Joel Bainerman examines the financial cost of executing such a plan.(Current Affairs)
June 1, 2004... WITH ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER Ariel Sharon's plan For Israeli forces to withdraw from the Gaza strip, the question both Israeli and Palestinian policymakers are asking is "at what cost?" Back in February when the plan was formally introduced,...

Poachers turned gamekeepers: US intelligence in Iraq has to rely on its old enemies to fight the new wave of insurgents.(Current Affairs)
June 1, 2004... HAVING DISBANDED Saddam Hussein's vast security apparatus in a sweeping programme of de-Baathification following the overthrow of the Iraqi dictator in April 2003--a purge intended to erase all vestiges of his grotesque regime--the Americans...

The world's most notorious whistleblower? Mordechai Vanunu rocked the Israeli n he was sentenced to 18 years in prison for treason. Recently releasestablishment in 1986 wheed from his long incarceration, he announced he was "proud and happy" to have blown the whistle on Israel's nuclear programme.(Current Affairs)
June 1, 2004... OVER THE LAST 18 YEARS, Mordechai Vanunu, imprisoned by Israel for treason till his release this April, has become many things to many people: A traitor to some; a hero to others. The circumstances of his capture and arrest might have come...

Getting back on track: after some serious setbacks Lebanon is picking up the pieces.(Lebanon)
June 1, 2004... There is a popularly held view in the West that Lebanon is a country pockmarked by years of conflict and a haven for the region's terrorists and drugs traffickers. Fought over by Israeli, Syrian and Hizbullah forces to this day and traumatised...

Hamas and Arafat discuss 'national plan'; both the Palestinian Authority and Hamas say it is much too early to discuss details of what will happen when and if Ariel Sharon dismantles the settlements in Gaza. But both sides appear to be considering major concessions.(Palestine)
June 1, 2004... THE PALESTINIANS ARE AT a critical juncture. Hamas is still reeling from the assassination of its must charismatic leaders by the Israelis in recent weeks, and is waiting in fearful expectation that others will also be killed before too long....

Is change just around the corner?(Morocco)
June 1, 2004... THE MOROCCAN GOVERNMENT HAS made determined efforts to forge ahead with social and economic reform. King Mohammed, who has built a reputation as a moderniser since he came to power in 1999, is known to be especially keen to promote change....

Nobel nominee to remain behind bars ... for now Jon Gorvett reports from Istanbul.(Turkey)
June 1, 2004... NOMINATED FOR THE Nobel Peace Prize in 1998, and the winner of the European Parliament's Sakharov human rights prize in 1995, Turkey's ethnic Kurdish politician Leyla Zana has been a cause celebre for rights campaigners--and a thorn in the side...

Tapping western markets: the number of Arab companies issuing American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) may double by 2010, as firms seek the prestige and funding abilities of international capital markets.(Business & Finance)(Cover Story)
June 1, 2004... FROM CASABLANCA TO DUBAI, PRIVATE Arab companies are taking a new look at the revitalised ADR market, in which foreign companies can raise funds and list shares on US stock markets. Market analysts in New York and London say there are about 20...

High stakes & high rollers: the battle for access to world oil resources continues unabated resulting in some interesting decisions emanating from Washington and London.(Oil)
June 1, 2004... WHILE EUROPE AND THE US, AS well as other parts of the world, gear up for another round in the global war against terrorism, President Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair are also casting their eyes on another global battle: The struggle...

ERP market in the Gulf to reach $270m by 2008.(Enterprise Resource Planning )(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) market in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries is set to touch an estimated $270m by 2008. ERP is an information system or process integrating all manufacturing and related applications for an...

Libya awards 100m [euro] electric cable contract to France's Nexans.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... French cable systems developer Nexans has won a contract worth 100m [euro] with the General Electric Company of Libya (GECOL) to provide high-voltage underground power transmission links in the country's two main cities, Tripoli and Benghazi...

IFC supports Turkish private sector with $10m loan to Garanti Leasing.(International Finance Corporation)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The International Finance Corporation, the private sector arm of the World Bank Group, has signed a $10m loan facility to Garanti Leasing in Turkey. Turkey accounts for about 5% of IFC's global investments.

Dubai invested $146m in road projects for 2003.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The Roads Department at Dubai Municipality completed 10 road projects worth DH537m ($146m) as well as designing 13 projects to serve different areas in Dubai last year, according to the annual report of the department.

Vintage Petroleum announces successful well in Yemen.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Vintage Petroleum has reported that the An Nagyah #5 well in the Republic of Yemen has tested light oil from the sub-salt Upper Lam formation. Approximately $10m of Vintage's total non-acquisition budget of $225m is allocated to the drilling of...

Making the most of gas: Egypt is keen to capitalise on its offshore gas discoveries. But while increased domestic consumption is assured raising its international profile as an exporter is proving more difficult.(Egypt)
June 1, 2004... As new onshore and offshore gas discoveries are made in Egypt, the need for the country to secure new overseas markets continues to grow. Companies including Britain's BG and the American independent Apache have confirmed the existence of major...

Dolphin Energy selects Italy's Saipem to install $350m UAE-Qatar export pipeline.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Italian oil services company Saipem is the successful bidder for a Dolphin Energy contract to construct a 370km natural gas export pipeline between the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. The contract is valued in excess of $350m

FluorAMEC joint venture wins $500m Iraqi water contract.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... US-based Fluor Corporation's joint venture, FluorAMEC has been awarded two contracts by the US Department of Defence to reconstruct Iraq's public works and water sector infrastructure.

Bridging the divide: Ankara hopes to position itself at the crossroads of the developing Eurasian power and gas grids and may finally find a new role for itself as a bridge between continents.(Turkey)
June 1, 2004... AS IN SO MANY OTHER FIELDS, the Turkish power sector is an industry caught between two worlds. On the one hand, it is struggling to electrify large swathes of the country, as part of Turkey's constant battle for modernisation. On the other, the...

Egyptian wheat imports from Australia reach $500m.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Australia's monopoly wheat exporter AWB has sold 2.1m tons of Australian wheat to Egypt from the 2003/04 AWB National Pool. The sales are worth approximately $500m and represent the largest annual sales programme to Egypt for more than 15...

Alba seals $450m export credit finance package.(Aluminium Bahrain)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Aluminium Bahrain (Alba) has sealed a $450m Export Credit finance package for the construction of Alba's Line 5 Expansion Project. The agreement was signed with HSBC and BNP Paribas.

Saba Groups awards $46m construction contract to Dutch Foundation.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Dubai-based realty firm Saba Group has awarded a Dh 170m ($46m) piling and foundation contract to Abu Dhabi-based Dutch Foundation for the Saba Tower at the Jumeirah Lake Towers.

Jordanian firm wins $72m fuel contract for Southern Iraq.(Shaheen Business and Investment Group)(Defence Energy Support Centre )(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Jordanian Shaheen Business and Investment Group, has been awarded a $71.8m contract by the Defence Energy Support Centre to deliver fuel to Southern Iraq. The contract includes the purchase and delivery of 59.4m gallons of unleaded gasoline and...

Oman.(Special Report)
June 1, 2004... Into the future... The Omani capital, Muscat, is the most attractive capital city in the Gulf region. It is not dominated by the high rise architectural wonders we see in Dubai or Abu Dhabi and there are no particularly striking landmarks...

23rd International Istanbul Film Festival: while undoubtedly a glitzy international affair, critics believe the annual International Istanbul Film Festival has overreached its remit and sacrificed its raison d'etre in the process.(Mosaic)
June 1, 2004... EVERY YEAR, THE COMING OF SPRINGTIME brings with it additional treats for cinephiles in Istanbul: The International Istanbul Film Festival. The Festival brochure containing summaries of all the films is available by March and poured over by...

Poetry in pottery.(Mosaic)(Book Review)
June 1, 2004... FOR ANYONE INTERESTED IN contemporary ceramics or Islamic pottery, Carolinda Tolstoy Ceramics is the book of the decade. Of course you can just flick through, admiring the stylish design and stunning photography of ornate, gilded ceramics, the...

Hafla: a call for peace.(Mosaic)
June 1, 2004... WITH DAILY NEWS stories of suicide bombers, a unilateral decision made by the Israeli government to annex those areas of the West Bank already occupied by Jewish settlers and the building of the concrete separation wall between Israel and the...

Iran, Saudi Arabia and The Gulf Power Politics in Transition.(Book Review)
June 1, 2004... IRAN, SAUDI ARABIA AND THE GULF POWER POLITICS IN TRANSITION By Faisal bin Salman Al Saud published by IB TAURIS ISBN 1 85064 881 9 price 45.00 [pounds sterling] hardback Great Britain's decision, announced in 1968, to withdraw its forces...

The Monument Art and Vulgarity in Saddam Hussein's Iraq.(Book Review)
June 1, 2004... THE MONUMENT ART AND VULGARITY IN SADDAM HUSSEIN'S IRAQ By Kanan Makiya published by IB TAURIS ISBN 1 86064 966 1 price 12.95 [pounds sterling] paperback A year after the Anglo-American attack on Iraq, The Monument provides an unusual and...

The Best of African Cooking.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
June 1, 2004... THE BEST OF AFRICAN COOKING By Manjase Banda published by Esanjam ISBN 0954682106 price 13.99 [pounds sterling] paperback "Cooking and eating good food are among the great pleasures of life," says Manjase Banda whose book is full of...

Enemies of The Ayatollahs The Iranian Opposition's War on Islamic Fundamentalism.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
June 1, 2004... ENEMIES OF THE AYATOLLAHS THE IRANIAN OPPOSITION'S WAR ON ISLAMIC FUNDAMENTALISM By Mohammad Mohaddessin published by Zed Books ISBN 1 84277 531 6 price 14.99 [pounds sterling] paperback What happens in post-war Iraq may well be decided by...

Tunisia a Journey Through a Country that Works.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
June 1, 2004... TUNISIA A JOURNEY THROUGH A COUNTRY THAT WORKS By Georgie Anne Geyer published by Stacey International ISBN 1 900988 43 7 price 18.50 [pounds sterling] hardback Tunisia is an oasis of stability and calm in a region often troubled by...

Before & After US Foreign Policy and the War on Terrorism.
June 1, 2004... BEFORE & AFTER US FOREIGN POLICY AND THE WAR ON TERRORISM By Phyllis Dennis published by Arris Books ISBN 1 84437 001 1 price 12.99 [pounds sterling] paperback Before & After examines the role of US foreign policy in the terrorism/...

How much longer?(The Last Word)
June 1, 2004... JUST WHEN IT SEEMS THINGS CANNOT get more desperate for the Palestinians of the Occupied Territories, they do. Just when it appears the Israeli leadership has taken brutality to the point where international intervention must ensue, Tel...