APS Diplomat Recorder articles from March 2003

APS Diplomat Recorder archives from March 2003

ARAB AFFAIRS - Feb. 24 - Iraqi Plea Over Summit Divides States.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Sharp divisions in the Arab World emerge as Iraqi FM Naji Sabri asks for a 2-week postponement of the March 1 Arab League summit at the Red Sea resort of Sharm el Shaikh, designed to present a united front on the developing crisis in the...

ARAB AFFAIRS - March 1 - Leaders Reject War.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Arab leaders meeting at Sharm el Shaikh voice their "complete rejection" of a war against Iraq, and call for UN inspectors to be given more time to complete their mission in Iraq. But in a surprise intervention the UAE proposed an initiative...

ARAB-EUROPEAN RELATIONS - Feb. 24 - BA Scales Back Flights To Gulf.(British Airways)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... British Airways says in a statement it is reducing its services to the Gulf and relocating stop-over crews to Cyprus in response to mounting regional tension. (The company is one of the first - along with German carrier Lufthansa - to relocate...

ARABS-ISRAEL - Feb. 23 - Violence Continues In Gaza.
March 1, 2003... Eight Palestinians and an Israeli soldier are killed in clashes in the Gaza Strip, including a firefight with militants in the coastal town of Beit Hanun, where about 20 Israeli tanks and armoured vehicles entered the town before dawn. The...

ARABS-OPEC - Feb. 27 - Oil Price Hits 12-Year High On Low Supply.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Oil prices surge to their highest levels since Iraq invaded Kuwait 12 years ago, buoyed by a combination of cold weather and reports of low inventories of oil and petroleum products. In London, Brent crude for April delivery closes at $33.04/b...

ARAB-US RELATIONS - Feb. 26 - Bush Says War Will Aid M.E. Peace Search.(Middle East)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... US Pres. Bush claims that ousting Saddam Hussein will help the search for peace in the Middle East. Reaffirming his personal commitment to the "road map" to a lasting settlement between Israel and the PA, Bush says: "A new regime in Iraq would...

EGYPT - Feb. 27 - Peace Rally In Cairo.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Tens of thousands of people gather at Cairo International Stadium in Nasser City, a suburban neighbourhood, for the protest against a possible US-led war in Iraq. The rally is organised by labour unions and opposition parties, as well as the...

IRAN - Feb. 26 - Tehran Criticised Over Prisoners In Solitary.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... The head of the UN human rights inspectors Louis Joinet says the UN team has never before encountered such a scale of solitary confinement for political prisoners, adding: "The full solitary detention practised on a large scale and for long...

IRAQ - Feb. 24 - Saddam Wants Live Debate With Bush.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... CBS News anchor Dan Rather reports on CBS Radio that he has an exclusive interview with Pres. Saddam Hussein, who challenges US Pres. Bush to a live, international television debate about the Iraq crisis. Saddam also flatly denies that even any...

IRAQ - Feb. 24 - New US Resolution Urges UN To Act.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... The US, UK and Spain put forward a draft 1-page resolution challenging the UN Security Council to take action against Baghdad. The resolution concludes that "Iraq has failed to take the final opportunity" to disarm peacefully offered by UN...

IRAQ - Feb. 25 - Baghdad Reveals Bomb With Potential Biological Use.
March 1, 2003... Chief UN weapons inspector Hans Blix says Baghdad has begun to provide new information on its weapons of mass destruction, including a bomb that could contain biological agents. He says Baghdad officials have said they found documents...

IRAQ - Feb. 25 - Kurds Ask US To Bar Turks.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... The Kurdish Parliament in northern Iraq unanimously votes for a resolution demanding non-interference in Iraq from regional countries. (The move is aimed at preventing Turkish military forces from entering the country in the event of a war to...

IRAQ - Feb. 27 - Opposition Calls For Talks With Turkey.
March 1, 2003... Opposition groups offer to open dialogue with Ankara over its proposal to send troops into northern Iraq in the event of a US-led war, with Hoshyar Zebari, a senior official in the Kurdistan Democratic Party, saying: "We have decided to send a...

IRAQ - Feb. 27 - Blix Hits At Baghdad's 'Limited' Disarmament.(Hans Blix)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Chief UN weapons inspector Hans Blix says Baghdad's disarmament has so far been "very limited", and that "Iraq could have made greater efforts to find any remaining proscribed items, or provide credible evidence showing the absence of such...

IRAQ - Feb. 27 - Elite Troops Move To Defend Baghdad.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Thousands of elite Republican Guard troops are moving from their posts in the north to defensive positions around Baghdad or other nearby cities. The movements indicate that Baghdad is preparing for war. Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff...

IRAQ - March 1 - Baghdad Begins To Destroy Al Samoud Missiles.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... The UN confirms that Baghdad has begun to destroy its Al Samoud 2 missiles in line with a deadline set by the UN. Four of the missiles are destroyed during the day and work is continuing to dismantle the rest in the coming days. Baghdad is...

ISRAEL - Feb. 24 - Sharon Forms Right-Wing Govt.(Ariel Sharon)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... PM Ariel Sharon secures a right-wing government by a slim margin after signing deals with the hardline National Religious Party (NRP) and secularist Shinui Party. (The move comes after the opposition Labour Party ended talks with Sharon on Feb....

ISRAEL - Feb. 26 - Netanyahu Ousted.(Benjamin Netanyahu)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... PM Sharon ousts FM Benjamin Netanyahu and offers his post to Silvan Shalom, the outgoing finance minister and a Sharon loyalist. Shalom, an economist and a lawyer, has been in the Knesset for 11 years. Analysts say he is unlikely to challenge...

ISRAEL - Feb. 27 - Netanyahu Accepts Top Finance Post.(Benjamin Netanyahu)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Benjamin Netanyahu accepts the post of finance minister. (The finance job was initially turned down by Netanyahu on Feb. 26 but he changed his mind after Sharon agreed to grant him control over state-owned companies prior to privatisation. He...

ISRAEL - Feb. 27 - Sharon Presents Cabinet For Knesset Approval & Plays Down Peace Hopes.(Ariel Sharon)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... PM Sharon presents his new right-wing government for parliamentary approval and declares that peace talks with the PA will not resume until violence stops and the PA leadership is replaced. In remarks directed at Arafat, Sharon says: "Before...

JORDAN - Feb. 24 - Amman Admits Role In War Preparations.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... PM Ali Abu Ragheb and Pentagon officials say several hundred US troops are stationed in As Safawi to operate Patriot anti-missile systems and to co-ordinate search-and-rescue missions in Iraq. (The comments are the first public acknowledgment...

KUWAIT - Feb. 25 - Four Crew Members Killed In US Helicopter Crash.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... A US Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashes early in the morning during a night training mission, killing all 4 crew members. The aircraft, which belonged to the army's V Corps, is part of the force that has been massed in Kuwait for a...

RUSSIA - Feb. 28 - Putin Rebuffs US Calls To Support Iraq War.(Vladimir Putin)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... In an interview published in the Bulgarian newspaper Trud, Pres. Putin rebuffs US calls to support a possible military campaign in Iraq, warning that war could throw the Islamic World into political turmoil and arguing that "a crisis of this...

SAUDI ARABIA - Feb. 27 - Naimi Says Riyadh Could Make Up For Oil Shortfall In War.(Ali Naimi)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... In an interview with The FT, Oil Minister Ali Naimi says the kingdom could more than make up for any oil shortfall caused if a war interrupted Iraq's oil exports. He says the kingdom would be able to pump an extra 2.5m b/d, arguing that it was...

TURKEY - Feb. 24 - Parliament To Vote On US Troops.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... The government agrees after a divisive meeting lasting 6-1/2 hours to seek parliamentary approval of a resolution allowing the US to deploy troops on Turkish soil for a likely war against neighbouring Iraq. Deputy PM Abdullatif Sener says some...

TURKEY - Feb. 26 - US Offers Ankara $8.5 Bn Loan In Iraq Dispute.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Economy Minister Ali Babacan says the US has offered Ankara an $8.5 bn bridging loan ahead of the disbursement of $6 bn in grants should it allow the deployment of 62,000 US troops for the opening of a second front against Iraq. (The financial...

TURKEY - Feb. 27 - Parliament Delays Vote On Deal Over US Troops.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... The parliament decides to delay until March 1 the vote on the deployment of 62,000 US troops for the opening of the second front in a possible US-led war against Iraq. The delay is announced as the US confirms there is still no final agreement...

TURKEY - Feb. 27 - Turks Rally For UN Cyprus Plan.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... About 70,000 Turkish Cypriots march in Nicosia in favour of a UN-brokered plan to re-unify the divided island of Cyprus, while UN Sec-Gen. Kofi Annan presses for its acceptance in his first joint meeting with rival Greek and Turkish Cypriot...

TURKEY - March 1 - Parliament Nullifies Vote To Allow US Troops.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... The parliament nullifies the crucial vote to allow the deployment of US troops, with some 264 MPs voting in favour of the deployment, 250 voting against and 19 abstaining. (An absolute majority is needed for the motion to be carried). Observers...

UAE - March 1 - Iraq Exile Plan Proposed At Summit.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... The emirates make a dramatic intervention at an Arab League summit on Iraq in Sharm el Shaikh (see Arab Affairs) suggesting publicly in a letter that Arabs adopt an initiative calling on the Iraqi leadership to step down. (The letter was sent...

ARAB AFFAIRS - March 3 - Splits Over Saddam Exile Plan Grow.(Saddam Hussein)(Brief Article)
March 8, 2003... Speaking in Doha after a meeting of the GCC foreign ministers, Qatari FM Hamad Bin Jassem Al Thani says the idea of exile for Iraqi Pres. Saddam Hussein is "a serious initiative that has to be studied further" and should be considered afresh by...

ARAB AFFAIRS - March 3 - Libya Withdraws Ambassador To Saudi Arabia.(Brief Article)
March 8, 2003... Libya recalls its ambassador to Saudi Arabia for consultations. (The move follows a public exchange of insults between Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah and Libyan leader Col. Moammar Qadhafi at the March 1 Arab summit meeting in Sharm Al Shaikh....

ARAB AFFAIRS - March 5 - Islamic Conference Meet In Doha.
March 8, 2003... Fifty six Muslim states gather in Doha, Qatar. After opening comments from Kuwait, Iraqi Vice-Pres. Izzat Ibrahim Al Douri starts to deliver an attack on Kuwait. Interrupted by a Kuwaiti official and caught live on satellite television, Al...

ARABS-ISRAEL - March 3 - Army Kills 2.(Brief Article)
March 8, 2003... Israeli soldiers, backed by tanks and helicopters, kill 2 Palestinians - a militant, Mahmoud Hadi, and a 50-year-old civilian, Abed Rabbo Assar - wound about 40 and blow up an 8-story apartment building in a predawn raid in the Khan Yunis...

ARABS-ISRAEL - March 3 - Incursion Kills 8 In Gaza.(Brief Article)
March 8, 2003... Eight Palestinians are killed as the Army steps up its military operations against Hamas in the Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, detaining Hamas founder Mohammad Taha and three of his sons. Later, PA officials said those killed in...

ARABS-ISRAEL - March 5 - Bus Bomber Kills 15 In Haifa.(Brief Article)
March 8, 2003... A Palestinian suicide bomber kills at least 15 bus passengers and wounds more than 40 in Haifa. There was no direct claim of responsibility for the bombing. But Hamas member Abdel Aziz Rantisi said: "We will not stop our resistance. We are not...

ARABS-ISRAEL - March 6 - Army Kills 11 In Raid On Camp.(Brief Article)
March 8, 2003... Israeli helicopters fire missiles early in the morning at a target in the Jabalya refugee camp north of Gaza City, killing 11 Palestinians and injuring more than 100. The Army also imposes a total closure on the West Bank. Army officials said...

ARABS-ISRAEL - March 7 - Militants Kill 3.(Brief Article)
March 8, 2003... Two Palestinian militants dressed as seminary students attack the settlement of Kiryat Arba in the West Bank, killing 3 Israelis and wounding 6 before being shot and killed. The militants entered the home of a family celebrating the Sabbath and...

ARAB-US RELATIONS - March 3 - Sept. 11 Mastermind Interrogated.(Brief Article)
March 8, 2003... US and Pakistani officials launch an intensive interrogation of Khaled Shaikh Mohammad, Al Qaida's third-ranking officer and the self-confessed planner of the Sept. 11 attacks in the US, who was arrested in Pakistan at the weekend. He was...

ARAB-US RELATIONS - March 6 - Hunt For Bin Laden Grows 'White Hot'.(Brief Article)
March 8, 2003... Intelligence officers on the trail of Osama Bin Laden say the hunt is now "white hot" and has been narrowed down to a coastal strip close to Pakistan's border with Iran. Top CIA officials arrived in Pakistan early in the morning as evidence...

ALGERIA - March 2 - Chirac Visits.(Jacques Chirac)(Brief Article)
March 8, 2003... Visiting Algiers, French Pres. Jacques Chirac meets Pres. Abdelaziz Bouteflika. Rapturous crowds cheer Chirac as he rides in a convertible black limousine with Bouteflika. (The 3-day visit is the first state visit by a French president since...

ALGERIA - March 6 - Jet Crash Kills 102.(Brief Article)
March 8, 2003... An Air Algerie Boeing 737 crashes minutes after takeoff from Tamanrasset, an airport deep in the Sahara Desert, killing 102 people on board, including 7 French citizens. One person survived. The plane was bound for Algiers. Air Algerie...

EGYPT - March 6 - Pound Suffers From War Jitters.(Brief Article)
March 8, 2003... A report in The FT says: "The government is struggling to contain the effect of war jitters on the exchange rate of the recently liberalised pound. In one of the clearest signs yet of the potential regional impact of a conflict in Iraq, [PM]...

IRAN - March 2 - Reformists Beaten In Poor Poll Turnout.(Brief Article)
March 8, 2003... Reformist candidates are heavily defeated by traditionalists in local elections, with only 39% of 41m eligible voters going to the polls. (This is one of the smallest turnouts since the 1979 Islamic Revolution). The turnout is particularly low...

IRAN - March 5 - MPs Approve Move For Free Elections.(Brief Article)
March 8, 2003... The Majlis passes a controversial bill to guarantee free parliamentary elections. (The move threatens to deepen tensions between the reformist and traditionalist camps. The approval comes a day after Supreme Leader Ayat. Ali Khamen'I, who is...

IRAQ - March 2 - Six More Samoud Missiles Destroyed.(Brief Article)
March 8, 2003... Saddam scientific adviser Lt.-Gen. Amer Saadi says Baghdad has destroyed 6 Al Samoud-2 missiles but warns it might suspend the destruction programme if the US indicates it will go to war anyway. (On March 1, Baghdad destroyed 4 of the banned...

IRAQ - March 4 - Saddam Calls For Holy War Against Bush.(Brief Article)
March 8, 2003... Saddam Hussein marks the Muslim new year with an appeal to Iraqis to join a jihad against the US. He calls US Pres. Bush "the evil despot of the century". Saddam reiterates the theme of recent speeches, appealing to his people's devotion to...

IRAQ - March 5 - France, Germany & Russia To Block UN Resolution Authorising War.(Brief Article)
March 8, 2003... In a hastily convened meeting in Paris, the French, German and Russian foreign ministers jointly pledge to block a new UN resolution authorising war against Baghdad. They issue a joint statement that says: "We will not let a proposed resolution...

IRAQ - March 6 - UK Ready To Ignore UN Veto.(Brief Article)
March 8, 2003... In an interview with the MTV music television station, British PM Tony Blair says the UK is prepared to join the US in a war against Baghdad even if France and Russia veto a new resolution at the UN Security Council. London believes it could...

IRAQ - March 7 - Blix Delivers Report To UN Security Council.(Hans Blix)
March 8, 2003... Chief UN weapons inspector Hans Blix delivers his report to the UN Security Council, saying: "One can hardly avoid the impression that after a period of somewhat reluctant co-operation, there has been an acceleration of initiatives from the...

IRAQ - March 7 - US & UK Give Baghdad Deadline.
March 8, 2003... The US and UK set a deadline of March 17 for Baghdad to disarm or face war. The two countries say they will call a vote early next week on a new UN resolution that will clear the way for military action. It will set midnight on March 17 as the...

PALESTINE - March 7 - Two Million Live Below Poverty Level.(Brief Article)
March 8, 2003... A report in The IHT quotes a study issued by the World Bank as saying that almost 2m Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip are living below a poverty level of $2 a day, triple the number of people before the uprising against the Israeli...

RUSSIA - March 4 - Ivanov Warns Against Imposing Iraq Regime Change.(Igor Ivanov)
March 8, 2003... In exclusive comments to The FT, FM Igor Ivanov warns the US and UK against planning regime change in Iraq saying: "We are concerned about plans to impose democratic values upon entire peoples by force... The Soviet Union had its own deplorable...

TURKEY - March 3 - Stock Market Falls After Rebuff To US.(Brief Article)
March 8, 2003... The stock market falls by more than 10% amidst the turmoil following the March 1 parliament's rejection of a plan to allow US troops into the country (see last week's Recorder). The main index of the stock market falls by 12%, the dollar rising...

TURKEY - March 5 - Military Backs US Troops Move.(Brief Article)
March 8, 2003... The armed forces back a tentative government move to submit a fresh motion to the parliament allowing US troops to open a "northern front" against Iraq, with Chief of the General Staff Hilmi Ozkok saying: "The Turkish armed forces' view is the...

ARAB AFFAIRS - March 13 - Syria & Lebanon Block Peace Mission to Baghdad.(Brief Article)
March 15, 2003... Syria and Lebanon postpone a peace mission to Baghdad, saying they are concerned that the delegation, made up of the foreign ministers of Egypt, Tunisia, Bahrain, Syria and Lebanon, and the secretary general of the Arab League, might ask Iraqi...

ARAB-EUROPEAN RELATIONS - March 10 - Germany Jails 4 Algerians.(Brief Article)
March 15, 2003... Four Algerian men - Aeurobui Beandalis, Salim Boukhari, Fouhad Sabour and Lamine Maroni - are jailed by a court in Frankfurt for planning "a horrific bloodbath" at a market in Strasbourg, France. The men are convicted of conspiracy to murder,...

ARABS-ISRAEL - March 9 - Mofaz Says Israel Will Target Hamas.(Shaul Mofaz)
March 15, 2003... Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz says on the Army Radio that Hamas and its leadership are the main target of Israel's "war on terrorism". (This comes a day after Ibrahim Makadmah, a 51-year-old key leader of Hamas' military wing, was killed in an...

ARABS-ISRAEL - March 11 - Three Palestinians Killed.(Brief Article)
March 15, 2003... The Army destroys a 3-story apartment building in the West Bank city of Hebron with a tank shell and a bulldozer, killing one Palestinian militant inside, and soldiers also shoot to death two Palestinians carrying pipe bombs outside the...

ARABS-ISRAEL - March 12 - Shooting Near Saida Leaves Militant & Soldier Dead.(Brief Article)
March 15, 2003... Israeli troops searching for Palestinian militants come under automatic rifle fire near the West Bank village of Saida, prompting a shootout that leaves one Palestinian militant and one soldier dead. Saida is a stronghold of the Islamic Jihad...

ARABS-ISRAEL - March 13 - Army Mistakenly Kills 2 Soldiers.
March 15, 2003... Israeli troops and a helicopter gunship, on high alert for a possible Palestinian attack, open fire with automatic weapons in the southern West Bank and mistakenly kill two Israeli security guards in civilian clothes. The shooting is part of a...

ARABS-OPEC - March 11 - Cartel Tries To Ease Fears Over Supply Void.(Brief Article)
March 15, 2003... Qatari Energy Minister and OPEC Pres. Abdullah Bin Hamad Al Attiyah tells the cartel's meeting in Vienna: "OPEC is committed to ensuring order and stability in the international oil market at all times... [we] still have some additional...

ARAB-US RELATIONS - March 14 - Bush Vows To Publish M.E. Road Map.(Middle East)(Brief Article)
March 15, 2003... Pres. Bush promises to publish the "road map" to a Middle East peace settlement as soon as the PA installs a prime minister with "real authority". He says: "We have reached a hopeful moment for progress" (referring to PA moves to appoint a...

IRAN - March 9 - Four Govt. Officials Indicted In '94 Bombing.(Brief Article)
March 15, 2003... Argentinean judge Juan Jose Galeano orders arrest warrants for four government officials who he says helped organise and carry out the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community centre in Buenos Aires that left 85 people dead. (The 400-page ruling is...

IRAQ - March 9 - US & British Jets Attack Southern Sites.(Brief Article)
March 15, 2003... Warplanes taking part in US-British patrols over the southern no-fly zone attack five, unmanned, underground military communications sites about 60 miles south-east of Baghdad. The planes use precision-guided weapons. The US Central Command...

IRAQ - March 9 - Baghdad To Continue Missile Break-Up.(Brief Article)
March 15, 2003... The head of the national monitoring directorate Hosam Mohammad Amin vows to continue crushing Al Samoud-2 missiles despite warnings from London and Washington that war could be just a week away. He says: "We know that missile destruction has...

IRAQ - March 10 - Chirac Vows To Veto UN Vote.(Jacques Chirac)
March 15, 2003... French Pres. Jacques Chirac says France will vote against a new UN resolution authorising war against Iraq "whatever the circumstances". He pledges to veto any resolution that contains an ultimatum leading to war. Chirac says he will not...

IRAQ - March 11 - Rumsfeld Says US Might Fight War Without UK.(Donald Rumsfeld)(Brief Article)
March 15, 2003... Following a meeting with British Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon, US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld says the US could still go to war if the British government decided to pull its forces out of an Iraqi invasion. But he emphasises that British...

IRAQ - March 12 - UK Sets Out Key Disarmament Tests.
March 15, 2003... Speaking to MPs in the House of Commons, British PM Tony Blair outlines six key measures he wants Saddam Hussein to meet to avert war, which are as follows: * A public admission by Saddam, on television, of the extent of his weapons of...

ISRAEL - March 12 - Knesset To Extend Military Reserve Duty.(Brief Article)
March 15, 2003... The Knesset gives preliminary approval to a measure that would allow the Army to extend military reserve duty to 43 days a year, an increase from the current 30. The Knesset must vote twice more before the measure can go in effect. The proposal...

LIBYA - March 13 - Lockerbie Offer 'Will Not End US Curbs'.(Brief Article)
March 15, 2003... An unidentified senior US official says Tripoli's offer to accept responsibility for the 1988 bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, could lead to the formal lifting of UN sanctions and payment of compensation to the victims'...

PALESTINE - March 10 - Legislative Council Approve Post Of PM.(Brief Article)
March 15, 2003... The Legislative Council approves the appointment of a prime minister, voting 64-3 in favour of creating the post. The Legislative Council also debate the scope of the prime minister's duties which remains unclear. The council is expected to...

QATAR - March 12 - Gen. Tommy Franks Arrives.(Brief Article)
March 15, 2003... US Gen. Tommy Franks, who will oversee war against Iraq if it comes, arrives in Doha. The duration of his stay and specific mission are unclear. His aides say the stay will be brief and he will then fly on to other countries in the region or...

RUSSIA - March 11 - Gazprom Consolidate Shares.(Brief Article)
March 15, 2003... Gazprom OAO announces the completion of a share consolidation that gives the state a majority stake in it and paves the way for foreign investors to have easier access to its shares. The government's 38% stake and treasury stock - shares owned...

RUSSIA - March 12 - Vershbow Warns On Economic Consequences Of Veto.(US Ambassador Alexander Vershbow)(Brief Article)
March 15, 2003... In an interview with Izvestiya, US Ambassador Alexander Vershbow says economic and diplomatic relations with the US could be damaged if Moscow vetoed a UN resolution authorising war with Iraq. He urges Moscow to "carefully weigh all the...

SAUDI ARABIA - March 10 - US Allowed To Use Key Facilities.(Brief Article)
March 15, 2003... A report in The FT says: "Western diplomatic sources said the US had secured the use of the crucial air command and control centre at the Prince Sultan airbase near Riyadh to co-ordinate the air campaign [against Iraq] that will be mostly led...

TURKEY - March 9 - Erdogan Wins Seat In Parliament.(Recep Tayyip Erdogan)(Brief Article)
March 15, 2003... The leader of the ruling Justice and Development Party Recep Tayyip Erdogan wins a seat in the Parliament, capturing about 85% of the vote in the agricultural centre of Siirt. (This sets the stage for his ascension to the prime minister's...

TURKEY - March 11 - Cyprus Peace Talks Fail.
March 15, 2003... Peace talks between the Greek and Turkish leaders of Cyprus collapse and the UN announces the end of its efforts to re-unite the divided island before it accedes to the EU. UN Sec-Gen. Kofi Annan says in The Hague: "Regrettably these [peace]...

TURKEY - March 12 - Ankara Stalls On New US Troops Motion.(Brief Article)
March 15, 2003... FM Yasar Yakis says Ankara has not yet decided whether or when to re-submit a second motion to parliament allowing the deployment of 62,000 US troops for an attack on Iraq. (Ankara has come under pressure for a rapid decision from both the US,...

TURKEY- March 14 - Gul Becomes Foreign Minister.(Abdullah Gul)(Brief Article)
March 15, 2003... New PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan unveils a new cabinet with a few significant alterations to his Justice and Development Party's (AKP) first government. Abdullah Gul, the respected outgoing PM and the AKP's second-in-command, becomes foreign...

ARAB-EUROPEAN RELATIONS - March 20 - Spain Sends 900 Humanitarian Troops To Gulf.
March 22, 2003... Spanish PM Jose Maria Aznar dispatches 900 troops to the Gulf to take part in humanitarian missions. Aznar, a supporter of the US-led strike against Iraq, says Spanish soldiers will not become involved in combat operations. A Spanish frigate,...

ARABS-ISRAEL - March 16 - Israeli Bulldozer Kills American Woman.(Brief Article)
March 22, 2003... An Army bulldozer crushes to death Rachel Corrie, a 23-year-old US citizen from Olympia, Washington, who has knelt in the dirt to discourage the armoured vehicle from destroying a Palestinian home in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip. Corrie...

ARABS-ISRAEL - March 17 - Violence Continues.
March 22, 2003... Nine Palestinians, including a 4-year-old girl and a 13-year-old boy, are killed during Israeli incursions in the Gaza Strip - in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza and around the town of Beit Lehiya in the north. Israeli infantry in...

ARAB-US RELATIONS - March 20 - Bush Announces War Against Iraq.
March 22, 2003... Speaking from the Oval Office, Pres. Bush announces the start of military action against Baghdad (see Iraq) at 10.15pm in Washington on March 19 (early morning of March 20 in Iraq), saying: "My fellow citizens, at this hour, American and...