APS Diplomat News Service articles from January 2006

APS Diplomat News Service archives from January 2006

Arab Democracy Advocates Begin To Push Harder; Pan-Islamism Vs Pluralism.
January 2, 2006... *** Mubarak Tells The 1st Ever Pan- Arab Parliament Meet In Cairo: Solidarity Will Enable The Arab World To Successfully Confront The Challenges It Is Now Facing; The 88 MPs, 4 From Each Of The League's 22 States, Have No Binding Authority And...

The Islamist Factor.
January 2, 2006... There are, however, good reasons for Arab regimes to feel nervous as democratic reform has had some ominous precedents in the region, from Algeria's descent into civil war following the botched attempt at elections in early 1992, to the US' own...

Experiments.
January 2, 2006... In the case of Egypt, Bahrain and Kuwait, the scope of existing parliamentary institutions has been gradually expanded without causing any undue societal rifts. In more conservative states, such as Saudi Arabia, the government has turned to...

The IPO Approach In Boom Times.
January 2, 2006... For the Arab oil exporting countries, particularly the GCC, this has been a period of unprecedented economic boom and, more important, of unprecedented boom in initial public offerings (IPOs) - the latter having seen wealth distribution among...

The Real Winners & Losers In Iraq.
January 2, 2006... The final votes cast in Iraq on Dec. 15 must still be counted, but the trend is already clear. The biggest winners - perhaps eventually the biggest losers - appear to be the Shi'ite religious parties whose politicians have run the ministries...

The Cairo Game; Mubarak Jails Nour.
January 2, 2006... The Dec. 24 sentencing of Ayman Nour, Egypt's most prominent liberal opposition leader, to five years' hard labour will colour President Hosni Mubarak's relations with Washington for months. Mubarak's undemocratic regime has a practice well...

GCC Enjoys Unprecedented Boom; More So In '06, While Iran Faces Gloomy Prospects.
January 23, 2006... *** Israeli Defence Expert Says The US Can Put A Complete Stop To Iran's Nuke Programme By Military Means; But He Says It's Not Necessary To Destroy All The Targets In Iran In Order To Achieve This Outcome *** But For USA The Issue Is Not...

Iran Brandishes The Oil Weapon; To Question The Holocaust.
January 23, 2006... As diplomats from the US, Europe, Russia, and China met in London on Jan. 16 to discuss referring Tehran to the UN Security Council over its nuclear ambitions, Iran's Economy Minister Davoud Danesh-Ja'fari told the theocracy's radio: "Any...

Israel On Iran's Bomb.
January 23, 2006... Zeev Schiff, defence editor of Israel's Haaretz daily, wrote on Jan. 16 that Israel cannot live with Iran having an atomic bomb. But he said Israel could not stop it. Expert in strategic defence matters, Schiff noted: "Israel was perhaps the...

US-Led Blockade Against Iran Trade?
January 23, 2006... Even if the UN Security Council can agree to punish it with economic sanctions, will those actions succeed in stopping Tehran's pursuit of nuclear technology - and possibly a bomb? Many doubt the current diplomatic efforts will have the desired...

Iraq - SCIRI Shi'ites Think Costs Of A National Unity Govt. May Not Be Worth It.
January 30, 2006... *** Allawi Allies Calculate That If 32 MPs Defect From The UIA, A Moderate Ja'fari Govt. May Be Formed With Hakim's SCIRI Out Of The Way, As The Secular Shi'ite Leader Would Accept The Post Of Deputy Prime Minister *** Iran Is Trying To...

Move Against Neo-Salafi Jihadis.
January 30, 2006... In a televised briefing, Maj. Gen. Thomas Turner 2nd, commander of the US Army's 101st Airborne Division, on Jan. 20 expressed hope that progress on the political front in Iraq could lead to a decrease in violence from Sunni groups. Turner...

The New Picture In Iraq.
January 30, 2006... Out of the nightmare of violence in Iraq comes a new picture of a democracy emerging after Saddam Hussein. It is one of people having the chance to express themselves freely and elect politicians who truly represent them. Up to 307 parties...

Iran Accuses UK In Ahvaz Bombings.
January 30, 2006... Iran on Jan. 25 accused Britain of co-operating with two bombers who killed eight people in the southern Iranian city of Ahvaz, capital of the oil-rich province of Khuzistan, on Jan. 24. A British Foreign Ministry spokesman on Jan. 25 denied...