The Middle East articles from October 2005

The Middle East archives from October 2005

Comment.
October 1, 2005... There was nothing admirable about the way the United States handled the devastation left in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. The disaster had been predicted by experts and the US Federal Emergency Management Agency had, for some time, ranked a...

The challenge ahead: it is possible that with the recent withdrawal of Israeli settlers from Gaza we have witnessed history in the making. Mariam Shahin reports from the Occupied Territories on the prospects for the evolution of a viable Palestinian state.(CURRENT AFFAIRS)
October 1, 2005... In the aftermath of the evacuation of the Jewish settlements and Israeli military posts inside the Gaza Strip, Palestinians are left to ponder how they will tackle this next phase in their historical journey towards becoming independent and...

An election epic: this one could run and run.(EGYPT)
October 1, 2005... SINCE MOST EGYPTIANS HAVE ONLY a fading memory of the democracy of a liberal age, the multi-party election of a president was a novel experience. The incumbent Hosni Mubarak's win, with 88% of the vote, extending his term to 2011, was less...

A state on alert: Kuwait has had more than its fair share of security alarms since the beginning of 2005 but each experience has led to a further tightening of the security network, making the emirate a less than attractive destination for would-be insurgents. Anthony Skinner reports from Kuwait City.(KUWAIT)
October 1, 2005... HAVING COME FACE TO FACE WITH militants at home earlier this year it is little wonder Kuwait's security forces remain on their toes. Continuing bloodshed in Iraq has done little to alleviate local fears of a successful strike on home soil. Nor...

After Fahd ...(SAUDI ARABIA)
October 1, 2005... The transfer of power from King Fahd to King Abdullah seems to have gone smoothly. However, these events rather overshadowed the July resignation of Prince Bandar from the post of Saudi ambassador to the US. Replaced by his London counterpart,...

Pasdaran power: Iran's new hardline government underlines the growing influence of the Revolutionary Guards Corps.(IRAN)
October 1, 2005... THE SURPRISE ELECTION OF MAHMOUD Ahmadinejad, a former senior special forces officer in the hardline Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), also known as the Pasdaran, as Iran's president and the subsequent appointment of another ex-corps...

Small arms trigger alarms: guns kill more Arabs every year than all terrorist bombs, air raids and military incursions combined. Can the cycle of tribal or insurgent violence be ended? A new report suggests it can.(CURRENT AFFAIRS)
October 1, 2005... IN THE CROWDED STREETS NEAR THE old town gate of Sana'a, capital of Yemen, a group of fierce bearded men bearing rifles and daggers bear down on a dilapidated Peugeot station wagon. They are neither terrorists nor thieves, but passengers for a...

Erdogan speaks out: after years of violent conflict, August saw a glimmer of hope in Turkey's southeast, with a groundbreaking speech, a series of political and civil manoeuvres and a unilateral ceasefire. Jon Gorvett reports from Istanbul.(Recip Tayyip Erdogan)
October 1, 2005... THE SOUTHEAST REGION'S POPULATION has seen glimmers of hope before and is deeply wary of becoming too optimistic. With over 30,000 people killed since the current fighting began back in the mid-1980s, and many thousands more now internally...

2005 banking report: strong regional economy sees banking profits soar.(BUSINESS & FINANCE)(Cover Story)
October 1, 2005... After an exceptional year in 2004, which saw rapid growth in profits and assets, most financial services institutions--led by the major Gulf banks --expect to record even higher earnings this year thanks to unprecedented expansion in the retail...

Stocks and shares take off Saudi Arabia: the Saudi Arabian stock market is growing fast, spurred on by a public who have caught the trading bug in a big way, especially women traders.(SAUDI ARABIA)
October 1, 2005... WHILE MANY IN THE US AND elsewhere are currently deeply suspicious of the stock market, Saudi Arabians seem to have no such qualms. Perhaps it is partly because trading is still a novelty for most in the kingdom, but the public appetite for...

A Turkish dash for renewables.(BUSINESS & FINANCE)
October 1, 2005... ATTENTION ON THE TURKISH energy sector has long focused on the trials and tribulations of the gas industry. In an effort ensure that the country had sufficient generating capacity, the government concluded too many gas import deals, which...

The Africa connection: higher oil prices have led to unprecedented wealth being accumulated in the Middle East region. But unlike the 1970s boom when the cash was unerringly deposited in western markets or spent on their treasury paper, one of today's favoured investment destinations is Africa.(BUSINESS & FINANCE)
October 1, 2005... OIL-FUELLED PROSPERITY IS driving local equities and property markets throughout the Gulf, but many regional investors are sensing that this rapid growth is unsustainable and are increasingly looking overseas for investment opportunities....

Al Mal Capital granted official UAE Central Bank approval.
October 1, 2005... * Al Mal Capital PJSC [Under Formation], has been officially provided an initial approval by the UAE Central Bank to set up an investment company in the UAE. The company will be capitalised with a total of Dh1.2bn ($326m). Of this, Dh540m (45%)...

Out with the old & in with the new.(IRAN)
October 1, 2005... THE DEBATE OVER THE FUTURE OF the Iranian oil and gas industry continues to rage, with the conservatives determined to retain a dominant position for state-owned companies and the reformers pushing for a more attractive investment environment...

Qatar Airways new corporate campaign takes off.
October 1, 2005... * Award-winning Qatar Airways is spreading its five-star service across print, radio and TV in a new global corporate advertising campaign focusing on its unique hospitality and high standards of service. Operating from its hub in Doha, Qatar...

Forgotten empire: the world of Ancient Persia.(MOSAIC)
October 1, 2005... THE WEALTH AND SPLENDOUR OF ANCIENT PERSIA is revealed in a major new exhibition that opened at the British Museum in September. The event focuses on the Ancient Persian Empire at the height of its glory and features exquisite artefacts on loan...

Down under dromedaries take on the world: among the estimated 17m camels of the world there could be as many as half a million feral animals living in Australia's central desert plains. For a number of years they have been posing a growing problem, but now they may be about to take on the world.
October 1, 2005... FIRST INTRODUCED TO AUSTRALIA from the Canary Islands in 1840, and later from Afghanistan and Pakistan, camels proved well-suited to working in Australia as pack and riding animals for those attempting to explore and open up the vast interior...

South Africa's first Islamic-friendly game reserve: Larry Luxner reports from South Africa, on an innovative new Islamic business enterprise--a sumptuous new game reserve that is 100% halal.(MOSAIC)
October 1, 2005... SEE THE SPRINGBOKS. Enjoy the elephants. Indulge in sumptuous dinners and do it all without violating Islamic law. That's the idea behind Kwantu--a five-star game lodge located 90km northeast of Port Elizabeth, in South Africa's vast Eastern...

State, Power and Politics in the Making of the Modern Middle East.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
October 1, 2005... STATE, POWER AND POLITICS IN THE MAKING OF THE MODERN MIDDLE EAST By Roger Owen published by Routledge ISBN 0 415 29714 1 price 18.99 [pounds sterling] paperback This new edition has been fully revised and updated to include detailed...

Conflict in Afghanistan: Studies in Asymmetric Warfare.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
October 1, 2005... CONFLICT IN AFGHANISTAN Studies in Asymmetric Warfare By Martin Ewans published by Routledge ISBN 0 41534160 4 price 63.00 [pounds sterling] hardback Asymmetric warfare, broadly speaking, involves conflicts where comparatively weaker and...

Baghdad Bulletin: The Real Story of the War in Iraq--Reporting from Beyond the Green Zone.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
October 1, 2005... BAGHDAD BULLETIN The Real Story of the War in Iraq--Reporting from Beyond the Green Zone By David Enders published by Pluto Press ISBN 0 7453 2465 7 price 15.00 [pounds sterling] hardback Baghdad Bulletin is a Baghdad street-level account...

Suicide Bombers: Allah's New Martyrs.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
October 1, 2005... SUICIDE BOMBERS Allah's New Martyrs By Farhad Khosrokhavar, translated by David Macey Published by Pluto Press ISBN 0 7453 22832 price 16.99 [pounds sterling] paperback In the West, the suicide bomber has become a familiar image in...

Gilgamesh.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
October 1, 2005... GILGAMESH By Stephen Mitchell published by Profile Books ISBN 1 86197 718 2 price 14.99 [pounds sterling] hardback Gilgamesh, some would say, remains one of the most important works of world literature. Written in ancient Mesopotamia in the...

Late Ottoman Society: The Intellectual Legacy.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
October 1, 2005... LATE OTTOMAN SOCIETY The Intellectual Legacy By Elisabeth Ozdalga published by Routledge ISBN 0 415 34164 7 price 65.00 [pounds sterling] When the Ottomans commenced their modernising reforms in the 1830s, they still ruled over a vast...

The Architecture of Rasem Badran: Narratives on People and Place.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
October 1, 2005... THE ARCHITECTURE OF RASEM BADRAN Narratives on People and Place By James Steele published by Thames & Hudson ISBN 0 500 34206 7 price 36.00 [pounds sterling] hardback The influence of the award-winning Jordanian architect Rasem Badran is...

The search for a star.(THE LAST WORD)
October 1, 2005... FOR ANYONE WHO HAS NOT YET BEEN EXPOSED TO THE television programme Pop Idol it should be said that while it is almost impossible to believe the cheek of the programme's makers who devote hours of viewing time to filming often the direst of pop...